Effect of Bio-Fermented Distillers Grain on Growth, Intestines, and Caecal Microbial Community in Broilers

The impact of nutritional enrichment with bio-fermented distillers grain (FDG) on broiler growth, intestines, and cecal microbial community were evaluated. A total of 240 five-day-old male chicks were randomly and evenly distributed into three treatment groups (each with eight biological replicates...

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Main Authors: Ping Xu, Changsong Liu, Hongxia Ding, Pinpin Chen, Xin Fan, Xu Wang, Shijie Li, Jintao Peng, Zutao Zhou, Deshi Shi, Shengbo Cao, Yuncai Xiao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Fermentation
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/3/118
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Summary:The impact of nutritional enrichment with bio-fermented distillers grain (FDG) on broiler growth, intestines, and cecal microbial community were evaluated. A total of 240 five-day-old male chicks were randomly and evenly distributed into three treatment groups (each with eight biological replicates of 10 chicks): 0% FDG (group A), 2.5% FDG (group B), and 5% FDG (group C). In this study, we observed that FDG caused no significant variations in the body weight and feed intake of broilers (<i>p</i> > 0.05). The FDG significantly enhanced villus height and the villus height/crypt depth ratio (VCR) of the small intestine compared with the control group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Taxonomic composition of the gut microbiota revealed a higher relative abundance of <i>Bacteroidetes</i> in the cecal samples of broilers from groups B and C compared to the control group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). At the genus level, the relative abundances of <i>Bacteroides</i> and <i>Phascolarctobacterium</i> were increased with the addition of FDG to broiler diets, whereas the relative abundance of the <i>Christensenellaceae_R-7_group</i> was decreased. These results suggest that fermented feeds significantly influence the composition of cecal microbiome in broilers, potentially affecting growth performance, nutritional status, and intestinal health.
ISSN:2311-5637