The Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Probiotic, Bacillus Subtilis, on Inflammatory Reactions in the Brain of Broiler Chickens under Heat Stress

Weichao Wang, Purdue University

Abstract

High ambient temperature is a main environmental stressor adversely affecting chicken health and well-being. Thus, the poultry industry has aimed to develop novel methods to reduce the negative effects of heat stress (HS) on chickens. Probiotics, beneficial microorganisms, improve stress response in humans and rodents via regulation of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Little information, however, is available on the effects of probiotics on brain function in heat stressed chickens. The objective of this study was to evaluate if dietary supplementation of Bacillus subtilis can reduce HS response via amelioration of brain inflammation. Broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 48 pens and evenly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments within 2 temperature controlled rooms: TN (thermoneutral)-RD (regular diet), TN-PD (regular diet mixed with probiotic), HS (heat stressed)-RD and HS-PD for 43 days. Probiotic (Sporulin® at 1.0 × 106 CFU/g feed) was provided at day 1; and HS at 32 ºC for 10 h daily was initiated at day 15. To test the hypothesis, the hippocampus was collected to determine interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and heat shock protein (HSP)70 gene expression and protein concentrations. The results of this study indicate that dietary supplementation of probiotics may be a useful strategy for alleviating HS in broiler chickens by inhibiting both systemic and brain inflammation via the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Ebner, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Animal sciences

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