Importance of Intestinal Microbiota in Animal Performance

Microorganisms in the main areas of microbial activity of the digestive tract (Gram positive (+) and Gram negative (-))¹³

Functions of Gastrointestinal Tract Microbiota can be Divided into Four Major Categories

A balanced intestinal microbial community provides a barrier against pathogen colonization and contributes to the overall health of the host. In addition, they produce metabolic substrates such as vitamins and short-chain fatty acids, and stimulate the immune system.

1. Improving host nutrition

The chicken gut microbiota produces enzymes enabling the depolymerisation of dietary polysaccharides.⁴ These enzymes are critical to host nutrition because chickens lack the genes for enzymes that are necessary to facilitate this process. During the depolymerisation of dietary polysaccharides, gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Common SCFAs produced are acetate followed by propionate and butyrate. Butyrate or butyric acid is the primary energy source of colonic epithelia and has been shown to be essential to homeostasis of colonocytes and development of gut villus morphology.⁴ Butyric acid has been shown to improve growth performance and carcass quality characteristics in chickens.9 In addition, it is reported that SCFAs can regulate intestinal blood flow, stimulate enterocyte growth and proliferation, regulate mucin production, and affect intestinal immune responses.⁵

The gut microbiota also contributes to nitrogen metabolism. The microbial metabolism of dietary protein that escaped host metabolism earlier in the gut provides further amino acids for egg production, maintenance, and growth.⁴ Gut microbiota of poultry may also serve as a vitamin (especially B vitamins) supplier to its host. Similar to bacterial proteins, most of the vitamins synthesized by gut bacteria are excreted in the feces because they cannot be absorbed by the cecum. However, coprophagic birds may benefit from bacterial vitamin synthesis.

2. Reducing intestinal pathogens

The gastrointestinal tract of newly hatched chick is void of micro-organisms but is colonized afterwards by microorganisms present in the surrounding environment i.e. during transit to the farms and in the farms. This opportunity is utilized by the enteric pathogens in the environment as an opportunity to attach to and breach intestinal mucosal layer and cause infection in new hatchlings as a result of the absence of a normal gut microbiota. This is one of the reasons why newly hatched chicks are very much susceptible to enteric infections such as necrotic enteritis.

Chicken gut maintains a fine balance of its microbiota. Any disturbance to the important species can lead to the dramatic proliferation of pathogenic microbes like Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens.⁴

The pre-establishment of the microbiota and the maintenance of the same prior to infection is important in maintaining chicken gut health. Also the commensals, by occupying along the GI tract, this layer of dense and complex microbial communities can effectively block the attachment and subsequent colonization by most invading enteric pathogens. This phenomenon is called “competitive exclusion”. Some commensal probiotics like Bacillus subtilis PB6 (CLOSTAT™) also act by producing secondary antibacterial substances called surfactins as an antimicrobial compound to control pathogens growth.

3. Improving intestinal morphology

Gut microbiota plays an important role in intestinal development. Studies in gnotobiotic chickens indicated that, compared with conventional birds, the small intestine and cecum of GF birds had a reduced weight and a thinner wall. It has been suggested that SCFAs produced by intestinal microbiota increased enterocyte growth and proliferation. Gut microbiota also affects intestinal morphology of poultry. Intestinal villi are shorter and the crypts are shallower in gnotobiotic birds or birds colonized with a low load of bacteria than in conventionally-raised birds.

Probiotic species (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and prebiotics (e.g., fructo-oligosaccharide and mannan-oligosaccharide) increased villus height in duodenum and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio in intestine of chicken.6 Pathogens can also change intestinal morphology. For instance, chickens with Eimeria spp/C. perfringens -induced necrotic enteritis had significantly reduced villus heights and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio.

4. Improving immunity

Immune function in the gut is important as it has the largest surface area in the body and is continually exposed to pathogenic organisms and harmful substances. The gut has evolved to carry out two apparently confounding tasks: nutrient absorption and pathogen defense. The intestinal immune system consists of robust mucosal layer, tightly interconnected intestinal epithelial cells, secreted soluble immunoglobulin A, and antimicrobial peptides. The mucosal layer consists of an outer loose layer in which microorganisms can colonize and an inner compact layer which repels most bacteria. As a component of the intestinal mucosal innate immune system, the mucus layer prevents gut microorganisms from penetrating into the intestinal epithelium and serves as the first line of defense against infection. A beneficial microbial community plays a key role in maintaining normal physiological homeostasis, modulating host immune system, and influencing organ development and host metabolism.³

Management of Intestinal Health

Intestinal health is important for maximizing the health, welfare, and performance of poultry and swine. Manipulation of the intestinal microbiota is a strategy for the prevention of intestinal infection and promotion of host health and performance in chicken production. Dietary intervention helps to modulate this intestinal microbiome to enhance feed conversion and gut health.

The addition of probiotics (CLOSTAT™), prebiotics, short chain fatty ccids especially butyric acid (ButiPEARL™), organic acids (ACID LAC™, KemGEST™) and essential oils (Orsential™) will help in modulating intestinal microbiota in favour of better intestinal health and improved animal performance. These products are helpful alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) either alone or in combination in broilers and swine.

References

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