A synbiotic improves performance and gut health in broiler chickens

Abstract Modulating the intestinal microbiota of birds by using probiotics and prebiotics to reduce mortality and increase poultry health is a method of interest in the poultry industry. This study aimed to determine the best combination of synbiosis between Enterococcus faecium and one of the four...

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Main Authors: Ali Khosravi, Fatollah Boldaji, Behrouz Dastar, Mohammad Amir Karimi Torshizi, Morteza Alemi, Seyed Hossein Hoseinifar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04459-6
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author Ali Khosravi
Fatollah Boldaji
Behrouz Dastar
Mohammad Amir Karimi Torshizi
Morteza Alemi
Seyed Hossein Hoseinifar
author_facet Ali Khosravi
Fatollah Boldaji
Behrouz Dastar
Mohammad Amir Karimi Torshizi
Morteza Alemi
Seyed Hossein Hoseinifar
author_sort Ali Khosravi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Modulating the intestinal microbiota of birds by using probiotics and prebiotics to reduce mortality and increase poultry health is a method of interest in the poultry industry. This study aimed to determine the best combination of synbiosis between Enterococcus faecium and one of the four prebiotics: mannan oligosaccharide (MOS), oligofructose (OF), xylooligosaccharide (XOS) or galactooligosaccharide (GOS). Based on the results of laboratory studies, a synbiotic was selected for performance evaluation in broiler chickens. Based on the results of in vitro studies, E. faecium + GOS combination was selected for further study as a potential synbiotic. Four hundred broiler chickens of the Cobb 500 breed were randomly assigned to 4 experimental treatments, and each repetition had 20 birds of one-day-old chickens, males, and females. Experimental treatments included control, control + prebiotic GOS, control + E.faecium probiotic, and control + selected synbiotic. After six weeks of feeding, growth performance, immune response, and intestinal microbiota were evaluated. Administration of GOS and E.faecium as synbiotic positively affected performance, especially in the first periods of production (P < 0.05). Treatments containing synbiotic and prebiotic significantly reduced the population of E. coli compared to the control treatment (P < 0.05). These results showed that E.faecium + GOS can be an efficient synbiotic for broiler chickens. However, determining the selected synbiotic effects on challenged broiler chickens is a point of interest that merits further research.
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spelling doaj-art-74da4318e7ec40449b26abcb247bd7542025-08-20T02:00:09ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-05-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-04459-6A synbiotic improves performance and gut health in broiler chickensAli Khosravi0Fatollah Boldaji1Behrouz Dastar2Mohammad Amir Karimi Torshizi3Morteza Alemi4Seyed Hossein Hoseinifar5Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural ResourcesDepartment of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural ResourcesDepartment of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural ResourcesDepartment of Poultry Nutrition, Tarbiat Modares UniversityDepartment of Animal and Poultry Physiology, Faculty of Animal Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural ResourcesDepartment of Fisheries, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural resourcesAbstract Modulating the intestinal microbiota of birds by using probiotics and prebiotics to reduce mortality and increase poultry health is a method of interest in the poultry industry. This study aimed to determine the best combination of synbiosis between Enterococcus faecium and one of the four prebiotics: mannan oligosaccharide (MOS), oligofructose (OF), xylooligosaccharide (XOS) or galactooligosaccharide (GOS). Based on the results of laboratory studies, a synbiotic was selected for performance evaluation in broiler chickens. Based on the results of in vitro studies, E. faecium + GOS combination was selected for further study as a potential synbiotic. Four hundred broiler chickens of the Cobb 500 breed were randomly assigned to 4 experimental treatments, and each repetition had 20 birds of one-day-old chickens, males, and females. Experimental treatments included control, control + prebiotic GOS, control + E.faecium probiotic, and control + selected synbiotic. After six weeks of feeding, growth performance, immune response, and intestinal microbiota were evaluated. Administration of GOS and E.faecium as synbiotic positively affected performance, especially in the first periods of production (P < 0.05). Treatments containing synbiotic and prebiotic significantly reduced the population of E. coli compared to the control treatment (P < 0.05). These results showed that E.faecium + GOS can be an efficient synbiotic for broiler chickens. However, determining the selected synbiotic effects on challenged broiler chickens is a point of interest that merits further research.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04459-6Broiler chickensIntestinal microbiotaGrowth performancePrebioticSynbiotic
spellingShingle Ali Khosravi
Fatollah Boldaji
Behrouz Dastar
Mohammad Amir Karimi Torshizi
Morteza Alemi
Seyed Hossein Hoseinifar
A synbiotic improves performance and gut health in broiler chickens
Scientific Reports
Broiler chickens
Intestinal microbiota
Growth performance
Prebiotic
Synbiotic
title A synbiotic improves performance and gut health in broiler chickens
title_full A synbiotic improves performance and gut health in broiler chickens
title_fullStr A synbiotic improves performance and gut health in broiler chickens
title_full_unstemmed A synbiotic improves performance and gut health in broiler chickens
title_short A synbiotic improves performance and gut health in broiler chickens
title_sort synbiotic improves performance and gut health in broiler chickens
topic Broiler chickens
Intestinal microbiota
Growth performance
Prebiotic
Synbiotic
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04459-6
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