Amorphous cellulose feed supplement alters the broiler caecal microbiome

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Microbiology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Cellulose, a plant structural molecule, is abundant in chicken feed grains.
• It's traditionally viewed as an inert, non-fermentable fiber in poultry diets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of dietary cellulose on broiler chicken gut microbiota composition.
• To determine if cellulose influences specific bacterial populations in the chicken cecum.

Main Methods:

• Broilers were fed a wheat-based diet with or without cellulose supplementation.
• Cecal microbiota composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing.
• In vitro batch fermentation assays assessed bacterial growth in the presence of cellulose.

Main Results:

• Cellulose supplementation significantly increased the relative abundance of the Alistipes genus in broiler ceca by day 26 (P < 0.01).
• In vitro studies confirmed cellulose significantly stimulates the growth of Alistipes finegoldii (P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Dietary cellulose alters gut microbiota composition in broilers, specifically impacting the Bacteroidetes phylum and the Alistipes genus.
• These findings suggest cellulose possesses biological activity beyond being an inert fiber, influencing the gut micro-environment.