The liver plays important roles in nutrient metabolism, detoxification and immunity. Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) is a probiotic that has been shown to have positive effects on broiler production. However, its molecular effects on liver metabolism have not been characterized. This study aims to further identify the biological roles of E. faecium by characterizing the hepatic proteomic changes of broilers (Gallus gallus) fed E. faecium using two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) and mass spectrometry (MS). Thirty-three proteins (50 protein spots) involved in nutrient metabolism, immunity and the antioxidant system were shown to be differentially expressed in the liver of broilers fed E. faecium than from birds not fed the probiotic. The biological processes of sulphur amino acids, vitamin and cellular hormone metabolism, sulphur compound biosynthesis and protein tetramerization were enhanced in the liver of broilers fed E. faecium. However, proteins involved in calcium ion flux, cell redox homeostasis and platelet activation related to hepatic immune responses were down-regulated in broilers fed E. faecium. These results indicate that the supplementation of poultry feed with E. faecium may alter the partitioning of nutrients and promote optimal nutrient utilization. This study assists in unraveling the molecular effects of the dietary probiotic, E. faecium, in the liver of broiler chickens. It shows that the probiotic improves the metabolism of nutrients and decreases inflammatory responses. Our findings extend previous knowledge of the mechanism of dietary probiotic action and provide new findings for research and future probiotic development.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of flavones of sea buckthorn fruits (FSBF) on growth performance, carcass

Modern broiler chickens have ongoing bone health problems. Phosphorus (P) plays an important role in bone development and increased understanding of P metabolism should improve the skeletal health of broilers. Enterococcus faecium has been widely used as a probiotic in broiler production and is shown to improve skeletal health of rats, but its effect on the bones of broilers remains unclear. This study investigated the effect of E. faecium on P absorption and utilization in broilers and the associated changes in the gut microbiota using 16S rDNA sequencing. Dietary supplementation with E. faecium improved P absorption through upregulation of the expression of intestinal NaP-IIb mRNA and increased the concentration of serum alkaline phosphatase. These actions increased P retention and bone mineralization in E. faecium-treated broilers. The positive effects of E. faecium on P metabolism were associated with changes in the populations of the intestinal microbiota. There was increased relative abundance of the following genera, Alistipes, Eubacterium, Rikenella and Ruminococcaceae and a decrease in the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and Escherichia-Shigella. Dietary supplementation with E. faecium changed gut microbiota populations of broilers, increased the relative abundance of SCFA (short-chain fatty acid)-producing bacteria, improved intestinal P absorption and bone forming metabolic activities, and decreased P excretion. E. faecium facilitates increased utilisation of P in broilers.

We investigated the effects of fermenting the plant fraction of a solid complete feed (FPFF) on the growth performance, nutrient utilization, meat quality, antioxidant status, and intestinal microbiota of broiler chickens. The plant-based fraction of the complete feed was fermented using Lactobacillus and Bacillus subtilis. A total of 240, 1-day-old male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allocated into four treatment groups, each comprised of six replicates. The groups were fed a corn–soybean meal-based diet (basic diet) or the same diet supplemented with 5%, 10%, or 15% FPFF for 6 weeks. As results, adding 10% fermented feed significantly improved the growth performance in 1–21 days, and adding 5% fermented feed significantly improved the growth performance in 1–42 days. Adding 15% fermented feed significantly improved the metabolic rate of the birds in 19–21 days and significantly increased the monounsaturated fatty acid concentration in the chickens. Adding fermented feed significantly reduced the cholesterol content in the chickens. In conclusion, adding 10% fermented feed significantly reduced the feed conversion ratio in 1–21 days and adding 5% fermented feed significantly improved the average daily gain and the average daily feed intake in 1–42 days. In addition, consuming fermented feed improved the meat quality of broilers.

Many factors contribute to the stress of transporting broilers from the farm to the processing plant. Using a motion simulation machine, a total of 144 male broilers were employed to determine the effect of motion, vibration, and feed withdrawal during transportation on serum biochemical parameters, postmortem muscle metabolism, and meat quality of broilers. The results indicated that transportation did not affect the activity of lactate dehydrogenase, γ-glutamyl transferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, and glucose in the serum, glutathione peroxidase in the breast and thigh muscle, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the breast, and heat stress protein 70 mRNA expression level in the liver (p > 0.05). Serum triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and insulin concentration declined with 2 h transportation (p < 0.05) and recovered with 4 h transportation (p < 0.05). NOS concentration in the thigh increased with 2 h transportation (p < 0.05) and recovered with 4 h transportation (p < 0.05). Two-hour and 4 h transportation increased the activity of superoxide dismutase in both muscles. Malondialdehyde, lactic acid, and drip loss_{24 h} in both thigh and breast muscles increased, and glycogen in both muscles decreased with increasing transportation times (p < 0.05). Two-hour transportation did not influence pH_{45 min} and pH_{24 h} in the breast and thigh muscle, but these indexes decreased with 4 h transportation. This experiment supports and extends previous work that identified transportation as a major risk in relation to bird welfare and meat quality.

The negative effects of dietary antibiotics have become a widespread concern. It is imperative to search for a new type of green, safe, and efficient feed additive that can replace antibiotics. This study was to investigate the effects of glucose oxidase (GOD) on growth performance, immune function, and intestinal barrier in ducks infected with Escherichia coli O88. First, we established the E. coli challenge model of ducks through a preliminary experiment and then carried out the formal experiment by using 144 1-day-old male lean Peking ducklings (50 ± 2.75 g). All ducks were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatment groups of basal diet (control), 30 mg/kg virginiamycin (antibiotic), and 200 U/kg GOD (1,000 U/g). Each group consisted of 6 replications with 8 birds per replicate. At day 7, all ducks were orally administered 0.2 mL E coli O88 (3 × 109 cfu/mL) twice, 8 h apart based on the preliminary experiment. The experiment lasted for 28 d. Dietary supplementation with GOD improved growth performance of ducks infected with E. coli. The GOD increased contents of Ig in plasma and secreted Ig A in jejunal mucosa. The GOD group had lower concentrations of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and their upstream regulator Toll-like receptor 4 in the jejunum of ducks than the control group. Supplementation with GOD increased villus height and decreased crypt depth in the jejunum. The gene expression of tight junction proteins (zonula occludens-1, claudin-1 and claudin-2) was enhanced by adding GOD. The GOD decreased intestinal permeability by reducing the concentrations of diamine oxidase and D-lactic in plasma of ducks. There were no significant differences in almost all the indices tested between the GOD and the antibiotic groups. In conclusion, supplementation of GOD improved growth performance, immune function, and intestinal barrier of ducks infected with E. coli O88. Glucose oxidase may serve as a promising alternative therapy to antibiotics to relieve or prevent colibacillosis in ducks.