Microbiome modulation by a precision biotic in broilers chickens: a commercial study validation.

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Microbiome Research
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Precision biotics (PBs) are synthetic glycans designed to influence specific gut microbial functions.
• Understanding their impact on broiler production is crucial for optimizing animal agriculture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of PB supplementation on broiler chicken growth performance.
• To analyze the modulation of the cecal microbiome by PBs under commercial conditions.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale trial with 190,000 broiler chickens comparing a control diet with a PB-supplemented diet (0.9 kg/MT).
• Growth performance metrics (body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, European Production Index) were monitored weekly and at 42 days.
• Cecal digesta was collected for microbiome functional profile analysis.

Main Results:

• PB supplementation significantly improved body weight at early ages (7, 14, 21 days) and numerically improved it at later stages.
• Significant improvements were observed in feed conversion ratio (2.2 points) and European Production Index (13 points) at 42 days.
• Functional microbiome analysis revealed significant differences, with PBs upregulating pathways for amino acid fermentation (lysine, arginine, proline, histidine, tryptophan), leading to a higher Microbiome Protein Metabolism Index (MPMI).

Conclusions:

• Precision biotics supplementation effectively modulates broiler chicken cecal microbiome metabolism, particularly pathways involved in protein fermentation.
• This modulation results in a significant increase in the Microbiome Protein Metabolism Index.
• The study demonstrates that PBs enhance broiler growth performance and production efficiency.