This study evaluated the effects of feed additives on the growth, blood biochemistry and intestinal health of broiler chicks. A total of 378 of broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allotted to seven groups. Chicks were fed a basal diet with 0.0 (control negative), 0.0 (control positive), 0.1, 0.5, 0.12, 0.5 + 0.12 and 0.2 g Kg⁻¹ of Maxus, CloStat, Sangrovit Extra, CloStat + Sangrovit Extra and Gallipro Tech, respectively for 35 days. After 15 days, the chicks were inoculated with Clostridium perfringens. All feed additives were found to enhance growth performance and feed efficiency. The best feed conversion ratio was found in the Negative Control, CloStat + Sangrovit Extra and Gallipro Tect groups, respectively. A notable increase in villus length, total villus area, small intestine weight, ilium weight and total lesion score was found in chicks supplemented with Bacillus subtilis. Besides, the dietary inclusion of phytobiotic compounds showed potential in reducing the serum Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentration and increasing the glucose levels. All intestine and liver histopathological signs were reduced in chicks fed a probiotic-supplemented diet. Our findings indicate that supplementation with probiotics and phytobiotics alone or in combined form can be used to enhance performance, intestine health and blood constituents against C. perfringens infection in broiler chicks.

In the animal production industry, plant-derived antimicrobial phytobiotics are used as an alternative to antibiotics. Here we investigated the role sanguinarine-based phytobiotic in broiler recovery from Necrotic Enteritis (NE) infection. A total of 100 one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to four treatments: negative control CTR (no challenge, no phytobiotic supplementation); positive control NE (NE challenged); phytobiotic SG (sanguinarine phytobiotic, 0.12 g/kg); and SG + NE, (sanguinarine phytobiotic, 0.12 g/kg and NE challenge). Sanguinarine-based phytobiotic supplementation caused significant changes between the groups in performance, livability and histological measurements, however, these changes were not significantly different between SG + NE and NE groups. Significant improvement was detected in NE lesion score of the duodenum and ileum of SG + NE birds compared to NE challenged birds at the end of the production cycle at 40 days old, indicating improved post-NE recovery with the addition of phytobiotic. Sanguinarine-based phytobiotic supplementation in NE challenged birds significantly compensated for a NE associated reduction of Firmicutes and an increase in Bacteroidetes. Functional profile of sanguinarine-based phytobiotic supplemented birds microbiota was distinct from CTR functional profile. NE challenge was associated with a significant increase in cecal propionic acid, while sanguinarine-based phytobiotic supplementation resulted in an increase in cecal acetic acid.

Human dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (hDPP-4) has been a pharmacological target for metabolic diseases, particularly diabetes, since the early 2000s. As a ubiquitous enzyme found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, hDPP-4 plays crucial roles in host homeostasis and disease progression. While many studies have explored hDPP-4’s properties, research on gut microbially derived DPP-4 (mDPP-4) remains limited. This review discusses the significance of mDPP-4 and its health implications, analyzing crystal structures of mDPP-4 in comparison to human counterparts. We examine how hDPP-4 inhibitors could influence gut microbiome composition and mDPP-4 activity. Additionally, this review connects ongoing discussions regarding DPP-4 substrate specificity and potential access routes for mDPP-4, emphasizing the urgent need for further research on mDPP-4’s role in health and improve the precision of DPP-4 inhibitor therapies.

Microbiome research is revolutionizing human and environmental health, but the value and reuse of microbiome data are significantly hampered by the limited development and adoption of data standards. While several ongoing efforts are aimed at improving microbiome data management, significant gaps still remain in terms of defining and promoting adoption of consensus standards for these datasets. The Strengthening the Organization and Reporting of Microbiome Studies (STORMS) guidelines for human microbiome research have been endorsed and successfully utilized by many research organizations, publishers, and funding agencies, and have been recognized as a consensus community standard. No equivalent effort has occurred for environmental, synthetic, and non-human host-associated microbiomes. To address this growing need within the microbiome research community, we convened the Microbiome Data Management in Action Workshop (June 12–13, 2024, in Atlanta, GA, USA), to bring together key decision makers in microbiome science including researchers, publishers, funders, and data repositories. The 50 attendees, representing the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of microbiome research, discussed recent progress and challenges, and brainstormed actionable recommendations and paths forward for coordinated environmental microbiome data management and the modifications necessary for the STORMS guidelines to be applied to environmental, non-human host, and synthetic microbiomes. The outcomes of this workshop will form the basis of a formalized data management roadmap to be implemented across the field. These best practices will drive scientific innovation now and in years to come as these data continue to be used not only in targeted reanalyses but in large-scale models and machine learning efforts.

To investigate the impacts of dietary Bacillus-based probiotics and yeast-derived prebiotics on the hepatic transcriptome profile, 500 Hisex White laying hens were randomly allotted into five dietary treatments from 37 to 52 weeks of age: control; control + Bacillus subtilis; control + Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis; control + Bacillus coagulans; and control + Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cell wall. Transcriptome analysis revealed a substantial number of differentially expressed genes exclusively between the control and prebiotic groups, identifying 2221 genes (FDR ≤ 0.05), with 980 genes upregulated (log₂ fold change 0.69 to 24.62) and 1241 downregulated (log₂ fold change −0.74 to −26.46). The top 10 upregulated KEGG pathways included protein export, glycerophospholipid metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, cofactor biosynthesis, propanoate metabolism, ABC transporters, 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism, and protein processing within the endoplasmic reticulum. In contrast, the most prominently downregulated pathways encompassed fructose and mannose metabolism, hedgehog signaling, PPAR signaling, Notch signaling, GnRH signaling, cell adhesion molecules, cytokine–cytokine receptor interactions, apelin signaling, glycosaminoglycan degradation, and RIG-I-like receptor signaling. These findings advance understanding of the hepatic transcriptomic response to yeast-derived prebiotics and identify key molecular pathways that could be targeted to enhance metabolic function in laying hens.