Soluble non-starch polysaccharide modulates broiler gastrointestinal tract environment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of considering dietary soluble non-starch polysaccharides (sNSP) when formulating broiler diets, due to their impact on the gastrointestinal tract environment. Cobb 500 broilers (n = 480, 80 birds per treatment) were fed either wheat- or corn-soybean meal-based diets formulated to contain either a high, medium or low sNSP content, resulting in 6 dietary treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. On d14 and d 35 of age, pH of the gizzard, ileum and caeca, ileum viscosity, caecal short chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration, and ileal and caecal microbiota profile were determined. Ileal viscosity at d 35 was greater in birds fed high sNSP compared to low sNSP (P = 0.022). At both d 14 and d 35, birds fed the wheat-based diet presented higher ileal viscosity (P < 0.001) and lower ileal pH (P = 0.027 and P < 0.001, respectively) compared to those fed the corn-based diet. At d 14, birds fed low sNSP exhibited higher caecal pH (P = 0.010) and propionic, isobutyric and valeric acid concentrations (P = 0.035, P = 0.007 and P = 0.011, respectively), and lower ileal Lactobacillus content (P = 0.043), compared to birds fed high sNSP. This effect was also seen for total SCFA (P = 0.017) and acetic acid (P = 0.005) concentrations in the caeca at d 14, but only in birds fed wheat-, not corn-, based diets. At d 35, total caecal SCFA concentration was greater in birds fed the wheat-based diet with high sNSP level compared to those fed the corn-based diet with high or low sNSP level (P = 0.028). In comparison to birds fed corn, birds fed wheat presented greater caecal concentrations of acetic, butyric, lactic, and succinic acids (P = 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.003 and P = 0.007, respectively) and Bifidobacteria at d 35 (P = 0.003) and succinic acid at d14 (P = 0.041). However, caecal populations of Ruminococcus and concentrations of valeric acid at d14 and isobutyric acid at d 35 were greater in birds fed the corn- compared to wheat-based diets (P = 0.043, P = 0.019 and P < 0.001, respectively). These results illustrate that dietary sNSP concentration, as well as its composition, have a direct impact on gastrointestinal viscosity and pH, and fuel beneficial microbial species, resulting in production of SCFA. It appears to be particularly important to consider sNSP level when formulating wheat-based diets for broilers.