Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) supplementation in drinking water on chicken crop and caeca microbiome

PLoS One. 2020 Jan 24;15(1):e0228338. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228338. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

In this study we gained insights into the effects of the supplementation with Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) in the chicken drinking water on crop and caeca microbiomes. The probiotic was supplemented at the concentrations of 0.2 g Lactobacillus acidophilus/day/bird and 0.02 g Lactobacillus acidophilus/day/bird and its effect on the crop and caeca microbiomes was assessed at 14 and 35 days of rearing. The results showed that mean relative abundance of Lactobacillus acidophilus in the caeca did not show significative differences in the treated and control birds, although Lactobacillus acidophilus as well as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus reuteri significantly increased over time. Moreover, the treatment with the high dose of probiotic significantly increased the abundance of Clostridium asparagiforme, Clostridium hathewayi and Clostridium saccharolyticum producing butyrate and other organic acids supporting the chicken health. Finally, at 35 days, the Cell division protein FtsH (EC 3.4.24.-) and the Site-specific recombinase genes were significantly increased in the caeca of birds treated with the high dose of probiotic in comparison to the control group. The results of this study showed that Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) supplementation in the drinking water at the concentrations of 0.2 and 0.02 g Lactobacillus acidophilus/day/bird improved beneficial microbes and functional genes in broiler crops and caeca. Nevertheless, the main site of action of the probiotic is the crop, at least in the early stage of the chicken life. Indeed, at 14 days Lactobacillus acidophilus was significantly higher in the crops of chickens treated with the high dose of LA in comparison to the control (14.094 vs 1.741%, p = 0.036).

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteria / classification*
  • Bacteria / drug effects
  • Bacteria / genetics
  • Cecum / microbiology
  • Chickens / microbiology*
  • Crop, Avian / microbiology
  • Drinking Water / chemistry*
  • Lactobacillus acidophilus / physiology*
  • Male
  • Metagenomics
  • Microbiota / drug effects
  • Phylogeny
  • Probiotics / administration & dosage*
  • Probiotics / pharmacology
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • Drinking Water

Grants and funding

Centro Sperimentale del Latte did not play a role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Indeed the Center only provided financial support in the form of salary of Dr. Alberto Giardini and supplementation of Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529).