The cereal type in feed influences gut wall morphology and intestinal immune cell infiltration in broiler chickens

Emma Teirlynck, Lotte Bjerrum Friis-Holm, Venessa Eeckhaut, Gerard Huygebaert, Frank Pasmans, Freddy Haesebrouck, Jeroen Dewulf, Richard Ducatelle, Filip Van Immerseel

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    In broiler chickens a diet where the major cereal types are wheat, rye and/or barley has a lower digestibility compared with a diet in which maize is the major cereal type In the present study, the effects of two different dietary cereal types, maize v. wheat/rye on host factors (inflammation and gut integrity) and gut microbiota composition were studied In addition, the effects of low-dose Zn-bacitracin supplementation were examined Broilers given a wheat/rye-based diet showed more villus fusion, a thinner tunica muscularis, more T-lymphocyte infiltration, higher amount of immune cell aggregates in the muscosa, more and larger goblet cells and ore apoptosis of epithelial cells in the mucosa than those given a maize-based diet Adding Zn-bacitracin generally reversed these alterations The microbiota composition was analysed by the use of terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism showing changes in the microbiota compostion was larger than that of Zn-bacitracin supplementation In conclusion, a wheat/rye-based diet evoked mucosal damage, an alteration in the composition of the microbiota and an inflammatory bowel type of condition.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalBritish Journal of Nutrition
    Volume102
    Issue number10
    Pages (from-to)1453-1461
    ISSN0007-1145
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2009

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