In ovo sodium butyrate administration differentially impacts growth performance, intestinal barrier function, immune response, and gut microbiota characteristics in low and high hatch-weight broilers

Abstract Background Hatch weight (HW) affects broiler growth and low HW (LHW) often leads to suboptimal performance. Sodium butyrate (SB) has been shown to promote growth through enhanced intestinal health. This study investigated how broilers with different HW responded to in ovo SB injection and w...

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Main Authors: Muhammad Zeeshan Akram, Nadia Everaert, Aleksandra Dunisławska
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-024-01122-4
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author Muhammad Zeeshan Akram
Nadia Everaert
Aleksandra Dunisławska
author_facet Muhammad Zeeshan Akram
Nadia Everaert
Aleksandra Dunisławska
author_sort Muhammad Zeeshan Akram
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Hatch weight (HW) affects broiler growth and low HW (LHW) often leads to suboptimal performance. Sodium butyrate (SB) has been shown to promote growth through enhanced intestinal health. This study investigated how broilers with different HW responded to in ovo SB injection and whether SB could enhance gut health and performance in LHW chicks. Ross 308 broiler eggs were injected on incubation d 12 with physiological saline (control) or SB at 0.1% (SB1), 0.3% (SB3), or 0.5% (SB5). Post-hatch, male chicks from each treatment were categorized as high HW (HHW) or LHW and assigned to 8 groups in a 4 × 2 factorial design. Production parameters were recorded periodically. Intestinal weight, length, and gene expression related to gut barrier function and immune response were examined on d 14 and 42. Cecal microbiota dynamics and predicted functionality were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results SB treatments did not affect hatchability. HHW-control group exhibited consistently better weight gain and FCR than LHW-control group. SB dose-dependently influenced performance and gut health in both HW categories, with greater effects in LHW broilers at 0.3%. LHW-SB3 group attained highest body weight on d 42, exceeding controls but not significantly differing from HHW-SB3 group. LHW-SB3 group showed upregulation of gut-barrier genes CLDN1 in ileum, TJP1 in jejunum and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in both jejunum and ileum on d 14. Additionally, LHW-SB3 group upregulated mucin-producing MUC6 gene in ileum, while HHW-SB5 group increased pro-inflammatory IL-12p40 cytokine in caecum on d 42. LHW-SB3 group demonstrated shorter relative intestinal lengths, while HHW-SB5 had longer lengths. HHW-control group had higher bacterial diversity and growth-promoting bacteria while LHW-control group harbored the potential pathogen Helicobacter. SB reshaped gut microbiota biodiversity, composition, and predicted metabolic pathways in both HW categories. The LHW-SB3 group exhibited highest alpha diversity on d 14 and most beneficial bacteria at all timepoints. HHW-SB5 group presented increased pathogenic Escherichia-Shigella and Campylobacter on d 42. Conclusions HW significantly affects subsequent performance and SB has differential effects based on HW. LHW chicks benefited more from 0.3% SB, showing improvements in growth, intestinal development, health, and gut microbiota characteristics.
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spelling doaj-art-d4b933e2acbf43ad862a48224dd275b02024-12-08T12:39:20ZengBMCJournal of Animal Science and Biotechnology2049-18912024-12-0115112110.1186/s40104-024-01122-4In ovo sodium butyrate administration differentially impacts growth performance, intestinal barrier function, immune response, and gut microbiota characteristics in low and high hatch-weight broilersMuhammad Zeeshan Akram0Nadia Everaert1Aleksandra Dunisławska2Department of Biosystems, Nutrition and Animal-Microbiota Ecosystems Laboratory, KU LeuvenDepartment of Biosystems, Nutrition and Animal-Microbiota Ecosystems Laboratory, KU LeuvenDepartment of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and TechnologyAbstract Background Hatch weight (HW) affects broiler growth and low HW (LHW) often leads to suboptimal performance. Sodium butyrate (SB) has been shown to promote growth through enhanced intestinal health. This study investigated how broilers with different HW responded to in ovo SB injection and whether SB could enhance gut health and performance in LHW chicks. Ross 308 broiler eggs were injected on incubation d 12 with physiological saline (control) or SB at 0.1% (SB1), 0.3% (SB3), or 0.5% (SB5). Post-hatch, male chicks from each treatment were categorized as high HW (HHW) or LHW and assigned to 8 groups in a 4 × 2 factorial design. Production parameters were recorded periodically. Intestinal weight, length, and gene expression related to gut barrier function and immune response were examined on d 14 and 42. Cecal microbiota dynamics and predicted functionality were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results SB treatments did not affect hatchability. HHW-control group exhibited consistently better weight gain and FCR than LHW-control group. SB dose-dependently influenced performance and gut health in both HW categories, with greater effects in LHW broilers at 0.3%. LHW-SB3 group attained highest body weight on d 42, exceeding controls but not significantly differing from HHW-SB3 group. LHW-SB3 group showed upregulation of gut-barrier genes CLDN1 in ileum, TJP1 in jejunum and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in both jejunum and ileum on d 14. Additionally, LHW-SB3 group upregulated mucin-producing MUC6 gene in ileum, while HHW-SB5 group increased pro-inflammatory IL-12p40 cytokine in caecum on d 42. LHW-SB3 group demonstrated shorter relative intestinal lengths, while HHW-SB5 had longer lengths. HHW-control group had higher bacterial diversity and growth-promoting bacteria while LHW-control group harbored the potential pathogen Helicobacter. SB reshaped gut microbiota biodiversity, composition, and predicted metabolic pathways in both HW categories. The LHW-SB3 group exhibited highest alpha diversity on d 14 and most beneficial bacteria at all timepoints. HHW-SB5 group presented increased pathogenic Escherichia-Shigella and Campylobacter on d 42. Conclusions HW significantly affects subsequent performance and SB has differential effects based on HW. LHW chicks benefited more from 0.3% SB, showing improvements in growth, intestinal development, health, and gut microbiota characteristics.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-024-01122-4Broiler productionFlock uniformityGut healthIn ovo stimulationMicrobiome
spellingShingle Muhammad Zeeshan Akram
Nadia Everaert
Aleksandra Dunisławska
In ovo sodium butyrate administration differentially impacts growth performance, intestinal barrier function, immune response, and gut microbiota characteristics in low and high hatch-weight broilers
Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology
Broiler production
Flock uniformity
Gut health
In ovo stimulation
Microbiome
title In ovo sodium butyrate administration differentially impacts growth performance, intestinal barrier function, immune response, and gut microbiota characteristics in low and high hatch-weight broilers
title_full In ovo sodium butyrate administration differentially impacts growth performance, intestinal barrier function, immune response, and gut microbiota characteristics in low and high hatch-weight broilers
title_fullStr In ovo sodium butyrate administration differentially impacts growth performance, intestinal barrier function, immune response, and gut microbiota characteristics in low and high hatch-weight broilers
title_full_unstemmed In ovo sodium butyrate administration differentially impacts growth performance, intestinal barrier function, immune response, and gut microbiota characteristics in low and high hatch-weight broilers
title_short In ovo sodium butyrate administration differentially impacts growth performance, intestinal barrier function, immune response, and gut microbiota characteristics in low and high hatch-weight broilers
title_sort in ovo sodium butyrate administration differentially impacts growth performance intestinal barrier function immune response and gut microbiota characteristics in low and high hatch weight broilers
topic Broiler production
Flock uniformity
Gut health
In ovo stimulation
Microbiome
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-024-01122-4
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AT nadiaeveraert inovosodiumbutyrateadministrationdifferentiallyimpactsgrowthperformanceintestinalbarrierfunctionimmuneresponseandgutmicrobiotacharacteristicsinlowandhighhatchweightbroilers
AT aleksandradunisławska inovosodiumbutyrateadministrationdifferentiallyimpactsgrowthperformanceintestinalbarrierfunctionimmuneresponseandgutmicrobiotacharacteristicsinlowandhighhatchweightbroilers