Ability of Arkansas LaKast and LaKast Hybrid Rice Bran to Reduce Salmonella Typhimurium in Chicken Cecal Incubations and Effects on Cecal Microbiota

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prebiotic ability of Arkansas (AR) LaKast rice bran cultivars as a feed supplement to reduce Salmonella Typhimurium and other gut microbiota. An in vitro mixed anaerobic culture system was used to simulate conditions in the chicken ceca. Anaerobic cultures contained feed, cecal contents collected from 2, 4, and 6 weeks of chicken broilers, and with/without AR rice bran (pureline and hybrid). After 24 h pre-incubation, S. Typhimurium was inoculated into the anaerobic cultures and surviving S. Typhimurium were enumerated during anaerobic incubation up to 48 h. Samples were also collected after 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 h incubation for microbiome analysis with an Illumina MiSeq platform to investigate the changes in bacterial composition. Both pure and hybrid LaKast rice exhibited significant inhibitory effects in all experiments using 2, 4, and 6 weeks ceca but greater bactericidal effects by LaKast rice were observed at 6 weeks compared to 2- and 4-week ceca samples. For samples containing 6-week chicken ceca, the pureline and hybrid rice bran resulted in no viable S. Typhimurium and 6.58 log CFU/ml reduction after 48 h, respectively. Adding rice bran also led to changes in the cecal microbiota. LaKast rice bran resulted in more diverse bacterial population than control groups without any rice bran. The lowest abundance of Proteobacteria (at phylum level) and Enterobacteriaceae (at family and genus level) was exhibited in LaKast pure treated groups followed by LaKast hybrid and control. This may be attributed to a significant reduction of S. Typhimurium of the Enterobacteriaceae family and Proteobacteria phylum. This study suggests the beneficial functionality of LaKast rice brans as biological supplements in feed. The use of rice bran is favorable for both the consumer and the rice industry because of the perception of rice bran as a naturally occurring substance. As an abundant by-product of rice production, its use as a prebiotic in chicken feed may add economic value benefiting both the rice and poultry industries.