Evaluation of a Novel Precision Biotic on Enterohepatic Health Markers and Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens under Enteric Challenge

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Precision biotics (PB) are nutritional products that influence targeted metabolic pathways of the microbiome to control the profile of metabolites produced in the gut by the bacteria, such as short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and nitrogen-related metabolites. The objective of the studies presented herein was to evaluate the effect of feeding PB to broiler chickens on the response against enteric stress. It was observed that the PB improved the intestinal health of experimentally challenged chickens, and the growth performance of chickens undergoing a natural enteric challenge under commercial-like conditions. The beneficial action of this PB on the microbiome pathways may explain the enhanced markers of intestinal health, such as intestinal histology, expression of nutrient transporter, inflammation, and cell cycling-related genes. ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the supplementation of a precision biotic (PB) on the enterohepatic health markers and growth performance of broiler chickens undergoing an enteric challenge. In the first study, three treatments were used: Unchallenged Control (UC); Challenged Control (CC; dietary challenge and 10× dose of coccidia vaccine); and a challenged group supplemented with PB (1.3 kg/ton). In the second study, three treatments were used: control diet, diet supplemented with Avilamycin (10 ppm), and a diet supplemented with PB (0.9 kg/ton). All the birds were exposed to natural challenge composed by dietary formulation and reused litter from a coccidiosis positive flock. In Trial 1, PB decreased ileal histological damage, increased villi length, and the expression of SLC5A8 in ileal tissue versus CC; it reduced ileal expression of IL-1β compared to both UC and CC treatments. PB increased the expression of cell cycling gene markers CCNA2 and CDK2 in the ileum compared to CC. In Trial 2, PB improved the growth performance, intestinal lesion scores and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. These results indicate that birds supplemented with PB are more resilient to enteric challenges, probably by its action in modulating microbiome metabolic pathways related to nitrogen metabolism and protein utilization.