Effect of Encapsulated Multivitamin Blends on the Gut Microbiota of Broiler Chickens Challenged with Escherichia coli Lipopolysaccharide

The introduction of an immune challenge, such as E. coli or its lipopolysaccharide, disrupts the gut environment, impacting the host-bacteria balance. Several vitamins are potent antioxidants and coenzymes in crucial biological processes, potentially combating pathogenic stresses. Traditionally, vitamins in broilers' diets are in free form, susceptible to oxidation and diminished efficacy in the gut. Encapsulation offers protection and stabilization, enabling targeted delivery and enhancing health benefits. This study investigated whether microencapsulated dietary multivitamins (MV) could enhance the gut microbiome of broilers challenged with E. coli lipopolysaccharide. The experiment was a 4 × 2 factorial design: 4 dietary treatments including a corn-soybean basal diet and three diets with varying MV formulations, combined with intraperitoneal injections of either sterile phosphate-buffered saline or E. coli lipopolysaccharide. 16S rRNA V3-V4 sequencing of ileal and cecal contents was processed into Amplicon Sequencing Variants (ASV) using QIIME 2, followed by analysis on MicrobiomeAnalyst 2.0 using DESeq2 statistical test. Results revealed a significantly higher relative abundance of Proteobacteria in unchallenged birds' ileal content compared to challenged ones (P<0.05), with no effect on the cecal microbiome (P>0.05). Microencapsulated vitamins showed no significant impact on the gut microbiome, indicating minimal microbiome-level effects. Indicating that although no effect on the gut microbiome was observed when compared with regular premixes, the functional encapsulation of vitamins is still an interesting tool for feed manufacturing and feed industry.

Presented at the 2024 Animal Nutrition Conference of Canada. For information on the next edition, click here.