Impact of Dietary Supplementation with Sodium Butyrate Protected by Medium-Chain Fatty Acid Salts on Gut Health of Broiler Chickens

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Nutritional strategies to improve gut health are under research to reduce antibiotic use in poultry production. This study investigated the effect of dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate protected by sodium salts of medium-chain fatty acids as a feed additive on broiler gut health. A first trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of this feed additive supplemented at a dose range of 0.5, 1, and 2 kg/t to promote a good health status on broilers raised under optimal conditions. Supplementation at 0.5 and 1 kg/t maintained the number of mucin-secretory cells contained in the gut barrier of young chickens, and the use of 1 kg/t improved the intestinal immune system of aged broilers. However, the beneficial effects of some feed additives are not detected under non-challenged conditions. Therefore, the second experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of the feed additive at 1 kg/t in coccidiosis-challenged broilers. In this context, sodium butyrate protected by sodium salts of medium-chain fatty acids restored the number of mucin-secretory cells as well as impacted on the intestinal morphometry and microbiota. The results of the present study suggest that this feed additive could be a useful strategy to reinforce the gut barrier, especially for birds with coccidiosis. ABSTRACT: Nutritional strategies to improve gut health of broilers are under research. This study investigated the effect of dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate protected by sodium salts of medium-chain fatty acids as a feed additive on broiler gut health. The first experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementing at 0.5, 1, and 2 kg/t in broilers housed under optimal conditions. Supplementation at 0.5 and 1 kg/t maintained goblet cell counts at 10 days of age (p ≤ 0.05), and supplementation at 1 kg/t decreased intraepithelial lymphocyte counts compared to 2 kg/t at 39 days (p ≤ 0.10). Abdominal fat pad levels of lauric and myristic acids were gradually increased by supplement dose (p ≤ 0.05). In the second experiment, the feed additive at 1 kg/t was evaluated in coccidiosis-challenged broilers. Experimental treatments were as follows: non-challenged, control-challenged, and supplemented-challenged treatments. Coccidiosis negatively impact performance and modify histomorphometry and microbiota (p ≤ 0.05). The feed additive increased crypt depth at 7 days post-inoculation and goblet cell count at 14 days post-inoculation (p ≤ 0.05). Further, supplementation interacted with the microbiota modification led by the coccidiosis (p ≤ 0.05). These results suggest that this feed additive could be a useful strategy to reinforce the gut barrier, especially for birds under coccidiosis-challenge treatments.