Version 1
: Received: 17 December 2019 / Approved: 18 December 2019 / Online: 18 December 2019 (05:25:45 CET)
How to cite:
Hou, L.; Sun, B.; Yang, Y. An Appropriate Amount of OptiCell Benefits the Microbial Diversity and Gut Health of Chickens. Preprints2019, 2019120239. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201912.0239.v1.
Hou, L.; Sun, B.; Yang, Y. An Appropriate Amount of OptiCell Benefits the Microbial Diversity and Gut Health of Chickens. Preprints 2019, 2019120239. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201912.0239.v1.
Cite as:
Hou, L.; Sun, B.; Yang, Y. An Appropriate Amount of OptiCell Benefits the Microbial Diversity and Gut Health of Chickens. Preprints2019, 2019120239. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201912.0239.v1.
Hou, L.; Sun, B.; Yang, Y. An Appropriate Amount of OptiCell Benefits the Microbial Diversity and Gut Health of Chickens. Preprints 2019, 2019120239. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201912.0239.v1.
Abstract
It is of merit to study the appropriate amount of fiber to add to free-range chickens feed to improve the microbial diversity and gut health in times of plant fiber deprivation. OptiCell is a useful source of fiber as a type of eubiotic lignocellulose, and its positive effects on the growth performance and laying performance of chickens has already been proven. However, few researchers have researched the effects of adding OptiCell on the gut microbiota of chickens. In this research we added three different levels of OptiCell (0%, 2% and 4%) to the feed of caged and free-range Bian chickens from September to November, aiming to observe the effects of adding OptiCell and different feeding modes on the gut microbial diversity and gut health of chickens, and aiming to determine an appropriate amount of OptiCell. The results showed that adding OptiCell could increase the thickness of the cecum mucus layer and the abundance of Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium in caged chickens, and 4% OptiCell was optimum. In addition, adding OptiCell increased the microbial diversity and the abundance of the butyrate-producing bacteria Faecalibacterium and Roseburia of fee-range chickens. The α-diversity and the length of the small intestine with 2% OptiCell in free-range chickens were better than with 2% OptiCell in caged chickens. In addition, compared with caged chickens, the free-range chickens had longer small intestine and lower GLP-1. Taken together, an appropriate amount of OptiCell benefitted the microbial diversity and health of chickens; it was necessary to add dietary fiber to the feed of free-range chickens when plant fibers was lacking, and 2% OptiCell was found to be optimum.
Keywords
OptiCell; microbial diversity; gut microbiota; gut health; free-range chickens; caged chickens; SCFA; mucus layer; welfare
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
