Utilization of rye as energy source affects bacterial translocation, intestinal viscosity, microbiota composition, and bone mineralization in broiler chickens

Two independent trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of two different dietary cereal types, corn versus rye, on digesta viscosity, gut integrity, and gut microbiota composition in commercial broiler chickens. In each experiment, day-of-hatch, off-sex broiler chickens were randomly assigned to either a corn-soybean diet or rye-soybean diet (n = 20 chickens/group). At 10-d of age, in both experiments, 12 chickens/group were randomly selected, and given an oral gavage of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d). After 2.5 h of oral gavage, the birds were humanly killed and blood samples were collected from the femoral vein to determine the passage of FITC-d. The liver was collected from each bird to evaluate bacterial translocation (BT). Duodenum, ileum and, ceca gut sections were collected to evaluate intestinal viscosity and to enumerate gut microbiota. Tibias were collected for observation of bone parameters. Broilers fed with rye-soybean based diet showed increased (p < 0.05) viscosity, BT, and, serum FITC-d. Bacterial enumeration revealed that chickens fed with a rye-soy based diet had increase (p < 0.05) in the number of total lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in all three sections of the gastrointestinal tract evaluated when compared to chickens that received a corn-soy based diet. These rye-soy based diet fed chickens also had significantly higher coliforms in the duodenum and the ileum but not in the ceca, whereas the total number of anaerobes increased only in the duodenum. A significant reduction in bone strength and bone mineralization was observed in chickens fed with a rye-soy based diet when compared with corn-soy based diet. In conclusion, a rye-soy based diet evoked mucosal damage that elevated leakage through the intestinal tract of the intestinal tract, and altered the composition of the microbiota. Furthermore, studies to evaluate the possible inflammatory effects of non-starch polysaccharide in poultry rye diets are currently being evaluated.