title: Xylanase supplementation of a wheat-based diet improved nutrient digestion and mRNA expression of intestinal nutrient transporters in broiler chickens infected with Clostridium perfringens.
abstract: Necrotic enteritis caused by Clostridium perfringens has become prevalent in the European Union due to the withdrawal of antibiotics in poultry feed. In an experiment with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, 336 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were assigned to 4 groups with or without C. perfringens challenge and fed wheat-based diets supplemented with or without xylanase at 5,500 U/kg of diet. The study aimed to investigate effects of xylanase addition on growth performance as well as nutrient digestion and absorption of C. perfringens-infected broilers. Before challenge (d 0-14), xylanase-supplemented birds had greater ADG and lower feed conversion ratio (FCR; P < 0.05). During infection (d 14-21), challenge tended to decrease ADG (P = 0.063) and significantly increased FCR (P < 0.05), whereas xylanase addition greatly reduced FCR (P < 0.05). Clostridium perfringens infection decreased AME values and apparent ileal digestibility of DM of diets (P < 0.05). Xylanase supplementation increased AME values regardless of infection and apparent ileal digestibility of CP in challenged birds (P < 0.05). Activities of duodenal α-amylase and chymotrypsin and pancreatic trypsin were decreased by C. perfringens infection (P < 0.05). Xylanase supplementation elevated pancreatic chymotrypsin activity and reduced duodenal α-amylase and trypsin activities (P < 0.05). It also decreased jejunal α-amylase activity and increased pancreatic α-amylase as well as jejunal sucrase activities in uninfected birds (P < 0.05). The duodenal mRNA expression of sodium glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1), H(+)-dependent peptide transporter 1 (PepT1), and liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) were downregulated (P < 0.05), but ileal SGLT1 gene expression was increased by infection (P < 0.05). Xylanase addition upregulated expression of jejunal SGLT1, PepT1, and L-FABP genes as well as ileal PepT1 and L-FABP genes in challenged broilers (P < 0.05). In conclusion, xylanase supplementation of wheat-based diets improved FCR and AME in birds irrespective of C. perfringens infection and elevated apparent ileal digestibility of CP and mRNA expression of nutrient transporters in challenged birds.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shuangshuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Changwu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yuming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D043364:Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014908:Triticum; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D043364:Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases
keywords: Clostridium perfringens; digestive enzyme activity; nutrient digestibility; nutrient transporter; xylanase