Gut response to the dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate in broiler chickens: morphology and microbiota composition and predictive functional groups

This study investigated the effects of Na-butyrate supplementation (0 vs. 150 vs. 300 mg/kg) and the dietary fat level (7.7% vs. 6.7% in the grower diet; 8.9% vs. 7.7% in the finisher diet) in 900 broiler chickens of both sexes, out of which 108 were used to evaluate gut morphology and immune respon...

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Main Authors: Giulia Zardinoni, Almudena Huerta, Marija Boskovic Cabrol, Angela Trocino, Elisa Fonsatti, Cristina Ballarin, Martina Bortoletti, Marco Birolo, Francesco Bordignon, Piergiorgio Stevanato, Daniel Julian, Gerolamo Xiccato
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Italian Journal of Animal Science
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1828051X.2024.2443481
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author Giulia Zardinoni
Almudena Huerta
Marija Boskovic Cabrol
Angela Trocino
Elisa Fonsatti
Cristina Ballarin
Martina Bortoletti
Marco Birolo
Francesco Bordignon
Piergiorgio Stevanato
Daniel Julian
Gerolamo Xiccato
author_facet Giulia Zardinoni
Almudena Huerta
Marija Boskovic Cabrol
Angela Trocino
Elisa Fonsatti
Cristina Ballarin
Martina Bortoletti
Marco Birolo
Francesco Bordignon
Piergiorgio Stevanato
Daniel Julian
Gerolamo Xiccato
author_sort Giulia Zardinoni
collection DOAJ
description This study investigated the effects of Na-butyrate supplementation (0 vs. 150 vs. 300 mg/kg) and the dietary fat level (7.7% vs. 6.7% in the grower diet; 8.9% vs. 7.7% in the finisher diet) in 900 broiler chickens of both sexes, out of which 108 were used to evaluate gut morphology and immune response on jejunum tissues at 14, 28, and 40 days of age, and caecal microbiota composition according to 16S rRNA gene multi-amplicon sequencing and the predictive functional bacteria groups at 40 d of age. Villi height and crypts depth changed only according to the age of chickens. Microbiota analysis revealed Firmicutes as the dominant phylum, with sex-related differences in microbial diversity indices (Simpson index, p < .05). The Na-butyrate dietary supplementation and dietary fat level affected the abundance of specific bacterial genera related with short fatty acids production, without changes in the bacterial metabolic pathways. Under the good health conditions of chickens in the present trial, Na-butyrate supplementation and the dietary fat level did not modify the overall gut equilibrium of broiler chickens.
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issn 1594-4077
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publishDate 2025-12-01
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series Italian Journal of Animal Science
spelling doaj-art-80cac6d5e4e3409da5450f865b7b2a472025-08-20T02:42:53ZengTaylor & Francis GroupItalian Journal of Animal Science1594-40771828-051X2025-12-0124112313610.1080/1828051X.2024.24434812443481Gut response to the dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate in broiler chickens: morphology and microbiota composition and predictive functional groupsGiulia Zardinoni0Almudena Huerta1Marija Boskovic Cabrol2Angela Trocino3Elisa Fonsatti4Cristina Ballarin5Martina Bortoletti6Marco Birolo7Francesco Bordignon8Piergiorgio Stevanato9Daniel Julian10Gerolamo Xiccato11Dipartimento di Agronomia, Animali, Alimenti, Risorse naturali e Ambiente (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di PadovaDipartimento di Agronomia, Animali, Alimenti, Risorse naturali e Ambiente (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di PadovaDipartimento di Agronomia, Animali, Alimenti, Risorse naturali e Ambiente (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di PadovaDipartimento di Agronomia, Animali, Alimenti, Risorse naturali e Ambiente (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di PadovaDipartimento di Biomedicina comparata e Alimentazione (BCA), Università degli Studi di PadovaDipartimento di Biomedicina comparata e Alimentazione (BCA), Università degli Studi di PadovaDipartimento di Biomedicina comparata e Alimentazione (BCA), Università degli Studi di PadovaDipartimento di Agronomia, Animali, Alimenti, Risorse naturali e Ambiente (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di PadovaDipartimento di Agronomia, Animali, Alimenti, Risorse naturali e Ambiente (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di PadovaDipartimento di Agronomia, Animali, Alimenti, Risorse naturali e Ambiente (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di PadovaSequentia Biotech srlDipartimento di Agronomia, Animali, Alimenti, Risorse naturali e Ambiente (DAFNAE), Università degli Studi di PadovaThis study investigated the effects of Na-butyrate supplementation (0 vs. 150 vs. 300 mg/kg) and the dietary fat level (7.7% vs. 6.7% in the grower diet; 8.9% vs. 7.7% in the finisher diet) in 900 broiler chickens of both sexes, out of which 108 were used to evaluate gut morphology and immune response on jejunum tissues at 14, 28, and 40 days of age, and caecal microbiota composition according to 16S rRNA gene multi-amplicon sequencing and the predictive functional bacteria groups at 40 d of age. Villi height and crypts depth changed only according to the age of chickens. Microbiota analysis revealed Firmicutes as the dominant phylum, with sex-related differences in microbial diversity indices (Simpson index, p < .05). The Na-butyrate dietary supplementation and dietary fat level affected the abundance of specific bacterial genera related with short fatty acids production, without changes in the bacterial metabolic pathways. Under the good health conditions of chickens in the present trial, Na-butyrate supplementation and the dietary fat level did not modify the overall gut equilibrium of broiler chickens.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1828051X.2024.2443481sodium butyrate16s multi-amplicon sequencinggut morphologyimmune-histochemistry
spellingShingle Giulia Zardinoni
Almudena Huerta
Marija Boskovic Cabrol
Angela Trocino
Elisa Fonsatti
Cristina Ballarin
Martina Bortoletti
Marco Birolo
Francesco Bordignon
Piergiorgio Stevanato
Daniel Julian
Gerolamo Xiccato
Gut response to the dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate in broiler chickens: morphology and microbiota composition and predictive functional groups
Italian Journal of Animal Science
sodium butyrate
16s multi-amplicon sequencing
gut morphology
immune-histochemistry
title Gut response to the dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate in broiler chickens: morphology and microbiota composition and predictive functional groups
title_full Gut response to the dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate in broiler chickens: morphology and microbiota composition and predictive functional groups
title_fullStr Gut response to the dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate in broiler chickens: morphology and microbiota composition and predictive functional groups
title_full_unstemmed Gut response to the dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate in broiler chickens: morphology and microbiota composition and predictive functional groups
title_short Gut response to the dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate in broiler chickens: morphology and microbiota composition and predictive functional groups
title_sort gut response to the dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate in broiler chickens morphology and microbiota composition and predictive functional groups
topic sodium butyrate
16s multi-amplicon sequencing
gut morphology
immune-histochemistry
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1828051X.2024.2443481
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