Broiler gut barrier function enhancement by a synergistic in-feed technology under dietary-induced chronic inflammation in real farming conditions

Dysfunction of the intestinal barrier has been associated not only with impaired nutrient absorption and reduced growth performance in broilers but also with increased microbial translocation and disease risk. Here, we evaluated the protective gut barrier effects of 1 or 2 kg/ton feed of Lumance® (Innovad, Belgium; esterified butyrate, combined with plant extracts, essential oils, and other fatty acids) in a dietary-induced chronic inflammation model (high NSP diet: 60% Wheat + 5% rye without NSPase and coccidiostats), via the distal-jejunal mRNA gene expression of mucins and tight-junction proteins in broilers. Importantly, the pens (n = 8 pens/treatment; n = 30 birds/pen) were housed inside a commercial production unit of 55,000 broilers so that the experimental birds could get exposed to the same (real) farming conditions. One broiler per pen was randomly selected on d 28 and 35 to determine the intestinal expression of tight junctions and the plasma level of FITC-dextran (the latter only at d 28). Analysis of variance with Tukey post-hoc analysis revealed that Lumance® 1 and 2 kg/ton, when compared with the control treatment, significantly increased the BW of broilers at d 35 by 3 and 4%, respectively (P = 0.040) and reduced the FCR (1.64, 1.62 and 1.57, respectively; P= 0.01). Lumance® 1 and 2 kg/ton resulted in a profound increase in intestinal expression of Claudin-1, Occludin, and Mucin-2 (approximately, a 4- and 5-fold increase for the former and a 2- and 3-fold increase, respectively, for the latter 2 genes) compared with the control, both at d 28 and 35 (P < 0.005 in all cases). Additionally, a trend in reduction of FITC-d levels in plasma (P = 0.098) was seen at d 28 in birds receiving Lumance® compared with the control. In this study, broilers under chronic inflammation in real conditions, when fed with an in-feed synergistic technology conferred a superior protective effect on gut barrier function, accompanied by enhanced growth performance. The positive results warrant further work for the elucidation of related mechanisms.

Key Words: Intestinal barrier function, gene expression, tight junctions, growth performance, FITC-dextran.

Published in the proceedings of the 10th Symposium on Gut Health in Production of Food Animals 2022, St. Louis, USA.