Rice is one of the most economically important foods in the world today. The FAO has reported that managing rice processing and the resulting byproducts into more sustainable applications would be beneficial for a variety of reasons. Rice processing involves several milling stages to produce edible final products. The milling process is the most important step in rice production because it determines the nutritional, cooking, and sensory qualities of crude rice. As crude rice goes through the milling process, byproducts are generated, such as bran that have been shown to exhibit beneficial impacts on human and animal nutrition. While several rice byproducts have applications in agriculture, rice bran has probably received the most attention for its functional properties. Rice bran is a mixture of protein, fat, ash, and crude fiber. However, rice bran's composition is largely dependent on the type of rice and the efficiency of the milling system. Based on studies with mice, rice bran has been shown to elicit prebiotic-like properties by preventing colonization of Salmonella in the gastrointestinal tract. More recently, in vitro incubation studies with chicken cecal contents have demonstrated that certain rice varieties are more inhibitory to Salmonella than others. Moreover, the byproducts of the rice milling process can also provide an economic boost for rice producing nations. In this review, the byproducts of the milling process, how they are utilized, and potential application for rice milling byproducts are discussed.

As the current poultry production system stands, there is a period of time that newly hatched chicks are prevented from access to feed for approximately 48 to 72 hours. Research has indicated that this delay in feeding may result in decreased growth performance when compared to chicks that are fed immediately post-hatch. To remedy this issue, in ovo methodology may be applied in order to supply the embryo with additional nutrients prior to hatching and that those nutrients will continue to be utilized by the chick post-hatch during the fasting period. Furthermore, in ovo injection of various biologics have been researched based on the ability of not only supplying the chick embryo with additional nutrients that would promote improved growth, but also compounds that may benefit the future health of the chicken host. Such compounds include various immunostimulants, live beneficial bacteria, prebiotics, and synbiotics. However, it is important to determine the site and age of the in ovo injection for the most productive effects. The primary focus of the current review is to address these two issues (the most effective site(s) and age(s) of in ovo injection) as well as provide the framework for the development of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of the chick embryo. Additionally, recent research suggests the colonization of the microbiota in the developing chick may occur during the late stages of embryogenesis. Therefore, we will also discuss the potentials of the in ovo injection method in establishing a healthy and diverse community of microorganisms to colonize the developing GIT that will provide both protection from pathogen invasion as well as improved growth performance to developing chicks.

The poultry industry has been searching for a replacement for antibiotic growth promoters in poultry feed as public concerns over the use of antibiotics and the appearance of antibiotic resistance has become more intense. An ideal replacement would be feed amendments that could eliminate pathogens and disease while retaining economic value via improvements on body weight and feed conversion ratios. Establishing a healthy gut microbiota can have a positive impact on growth and development of both body weight and the immune system of poultry, while reducing pathogen invasion and disease. The addition of prebiotics to poultry feed represents one such recognized way to establish a healthy gut microbiota. Prebiotics are feed additives, mainly in the form of specific types of carbohydrates that are indigestible to the host while serving as substrates to select beneficial bacteria and altering the gut microbiota. Beneficial bacteria in the ceca easily ferment commonly studied prebiotics, producing short chain fatty acids (SCFA), while pathogenic bacteria and the host are unable to digest their molecular bonds. Prebiotic-like substances are less commonly studied, but show promise in their effects on the prevention of pathogen colonization, improvements on the immune system, and host growth. Inclusion of yeast and yeast derivatives as probiotic and prebiotic-like substances, respectively, in animal feed has demonstrated positive associations with growth performance and modification of gut morphology. This review will aim to link together how such prebiotics and prebiotic-like substances function to influence the native and beneficial microorganisms that result in a diverse and well-developed gut microbiota.

Organic acids continue to receive considerable attention as feed additives for animal production. Most of the emphasis to date has focused on food safety aspects, particularly on lowering the incidence of foodborne pathogens in poultry and other livestock. Several organic acids are currently either being examined or are already being implemented in commercial settings. Among the several organic acids that have been studied extensively, is formic acid. Formic acid has been added to poultry diets as a means to limit Salmonella spp. and other foodborne pathogens both in the feed and potentially in the gastrointestinal tract once consumed. As more becomes known about the efficacy and impact formic acid has on both the host and foodborne pathogens, it is clear that the presence of formic acid can trigger certain pathways in Salmonella spp. This response may become more complex when formic acid enters the gastrointestinal tract and interacts not only with Salmonella spp. that has colonized the gastrointestinal tract but the indigenous microbial community as well. This review will cover current findings and prospects for further research on the poultry microbiome and feeds treated with formic acid.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prebiotic ability of Arkansas (AR) LaKast rice bran cultivars as a feed supplement to reduce Salmonella Typhimurium and other gut microbiota. An in vitro mixed anaerobic culture system was used to simulate conditions in the chicken ceca. Anaerobic cultures contained feed, cecal contents collected from 2, 4, and 6 weeks of chicken broilers, and with/without AR rice bran (pureline and hybrid). After 24 h pre-incubation, S. Typhimurium was inoculated into the anaerobic cultures and surviving S. Typhimurium were enumerated during anaerobic incubation up to 48 h. Samples were also collected after 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 h incubation for microbiome analysis with an Illumina MiSeq platform to investigate the changes in bacterial composition. Both pure and hybrid LaKast rice exhibited significant inhibitory effects in all experiments using 2, 4, and 6 weeks ceca but greater bactericidal effects by LaKast rice were observed at 6 weeks compared to 2- and 4-week ceca samples. For samples containing 6-week chicken ceca, the pureline and hybrid rice bran resulted in no viable S. Typhimurium and 6.58 log CFU/ml reduction after 48 h, respectively. Adding rice bran also led to changes in the cecal microbiota. LaKast rice bran resulted in more diverse bacterial population than control groups without any rice bran. The lowest abundance of Proteobacteria (at phylum level) and Enterobacteriaceae (at family and genus level) was exhibited in LaKast pure treated groups followed by LaKast hybrid and control. This may be attributed to a significant reduction of S. Typhimurium of the Enterobacteriaceae family and Proteobacteria phylum. This study suggests the beneficial functionality of LaKast rice brans as biological supplements in feed. The use of rice bran is favorable for both the consumer and the rice industry because of the perception of rice bran as a naturally occurring substance. As an abundant by-product of rice production, its use as a prebiotic in chicken feed may add economic value benefiting both the rice and poultry industries.