Journal
POULTRY SCIENCE
Volume 100, Issue 1, Pages 273-282Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.09.089
Keywords
broiler; gamma-irradiated Astragalus polysaccharides; cecum; microbiota; short-chain fatty acids
Categories
Funding
- National Key Research and Development Program of China [2017YFD0500505]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [31601957]
- Earmarked Fund for Jiangsu Agricultural Industry Technology System [JATS[2020]407]
- Jiangsu Overseas Visiting Scholar Program for University Prominent Young & Middle-aged Teachers and Presidents (2018)
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The study demonstrated the positive effects of Astragalus polysaccharides on the growth performance and cecal microbiota of immunosuppressed broilers. It increased beneficial bacteria and short-chain fatty acids production, improved Shannon index, and decreased Simpson index.
This study was designed to evaluate the effects of gamma-irradiated Astragalus polysaccharides (IAPS) on growth performance, cecal microbiota populations, and concentrations of cecal short-chain fatty acids of immunosuppressed broilers. A total of 144 one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned into 3 groups: nontreated group (control), cyclophosphamide (CPM)-treated groups fed either a basal diet or the diets containing 900 mg/kg IAPS, respectively. On day 16, 18, and 20, broilers in the control group were intramuscularly injected with 0.5 mL sterilized saline (0.75%, wt/vol), and those in the CPM and IAPS groups were intramuscularly injected with 0.5 mL CPM (40 mg/kg of BW). The trial lasted 21 d. Compared with the control group, CPM treatment decreased the broiler average daily gain (ADG) and feed intake (P < 0.05) but did not affect the overall microbial diversity and compositions, as well as the concentrations of cecal acetate, propionate, and butyrate in cecum of broilers (P > 0.05). Dietary IAPS supplementation increased broiler ADG, Shannon index, and decreased Simpson index (P < 0.05). Specifically, broilers fed diets containing IAPS showed lower abundances of Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, and Butyricicoccus and higher proportions of Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, Negativibacillus, Shuttleworthia, Sellimonas, and Mollicutes RF39_norank, respectively (P < 0.05). The IAPS treatment also increased butyrate concentration (P < 0.05) and tended to elevate acetate concentration (P = 0.052) in cecal digesta. The results indicated that IAPS are effective in increasing the cecal beneficial bacteria and short-chain fatty acids production, contributing to improvement in the growth performance of immunosuppressive broilers. These findings may expand our knowledge about the function of modified Astragalus polysaccharides in broiler chickens.
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