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

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.