title: Two necrotic enteritis predisposing factors, dietary fishmeal and Eimeria infection, induce large changes in the caecal microbiota of broiler chickens.
abstract: It is widely established that a high-protein fishmeal supplemented starter diet and Eimeria infection can predispose birds to the development of clinical necrotic enteritis symptoms following Clostridium perfringens infection. However, it has not been clearly established what changes these treatments cause to predispose birds to succumb to necrotic enteritis. We analysed caecal microbiota of 4 groups of broilers (n=12) using deep pyrosequencing of 16S rDNA amplicons: (1) control chicks fed a control diet, (2) Eimeria infected chicks fed control diet, (3) chicks fed fishmeal supplemented diet and lastly (4) both fishmeal fed and Eimeria infected chicks. We found that the high-protein fishmeal diet had a strong effect on the intestinal microbiota similar to the previously reported effect of C. perfringens infection. We noted major changes in the prevalence of various lactobacilli while the total culturable Lactobacillus counts remained stable. The Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, unknown Clostridiales and Lactobacillaceae families were most affected by fishmeal with increases in a number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that had previously been linked to Crohn's disease and reductions in OTUs known to be butyrate producers. Eimeria induced very different changes in microbiota; Ruminococcaceae groups were reduced in number and three unknown Clostridium species were increased in abundance. Additionally, Eimeria did not significantly influence changes in pH, formic, propionic or isobutyric acid while fishmeal induced dramatic changes in all these measures. Both fishmeal feeding and Eimeria infection induced significant changes in the gut microbiota; these changes may play an important role in predisposing birds to necrotic enteritis.
authors: School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia; Poultry Cooperative Research Centre, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia. Electronic address: shubiao.wu@une.edu.au.
authors: Shu-Biao
authors: SB
authors: Wu
authors: Australian Animal Health Laboratory, CSIRO Animal, Food and Health Sciences, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia; Poultry Cooperative Research Centre, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia; Central Queensland University, School of Medical and Applied Sciences, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, Queensland 4702, Australia.
authors: Dragana
authors: D
authors: Stanley
authors: School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia; Poultry Cooperative Research Centre, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia.
authors: Nicholas
authors: N
authors: Rodgers
authors: School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia; Poultry Cooperative Research Centre, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia.
authors: Robert A
authors: RA
authors: Swick
authors: Australian Animal Health Laboratory, CSIRO Animal, Food and Health Sciences, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia; Poultry Cooperative Research Centre, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia.
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Moore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D015984:Causality; D002432:Cecum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D002645:Chickens; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000150:complications*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004539:Eimeria / Q000502:physiology; D004751:Enteritis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D064307:Microbiota / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Chicken; Eimeria; Fishmeal; Microbiota; Necrotic enteritis