RESUMEN
Phytobiotics (bioactive compounds extracted from plants) are one of the explored alternatives to antibiotics in poultry and livestock due to their antimicrobial activity and its positive effects on gut microbiota and productive properties. In this study, we supplemented a product based on garlic and onion compounds in the diet to laying hens at the beginning of their productive life (from 16 to 20 weeks post-hatching). The experimental group showed a significant increase in the number of eggs laid and in their size, produced in one month compared to the control. This increase in production was accompanied by microbiota changes in the ileum and cecum by means of high throughput sequencing analyses. These bacterial shifts in the ileum were mainly the result of compositional changes in the rare biosphere (unweighted UniFrac), while in the cecum, treatment affected both majority and minority bacterial groups (weighted and unweighted UniFrac). These changes in the microbiota suggest an improvement in food digestibility. The relative abundance of Lactococcus in the ileum and Lactobacillus in the cecum increased significantly in the experimental group. The relative abundance of these bacterial genera are known to have positive effects on the hosts. These results are very promising for the use of these compounds in poultry for short periods.
RESUMEN
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most serious threats for human health in the near future. Livestock has played an important role in the appearance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, intestinal dysbiosis in farming animals, or the spread of AMR among pathogenic bacteria of human concern. The development of alternatives like probiotics is focused on maintaining or improving production levels while diminishing these negative effects of antibiotics. To this end, we supplied the potential probiotic Enterococcus faecalis UGRA10 in the diet of laying hens at a final concentration of 108 Colony Forming Units per gram (CFU/g) of fodder. Its effects have been analyzed by: (i) investigating the response of the ileum and caecum microbiome; and (ii) analyzing the outcome on eggs production. During the second half of the experimental period (40 to 76 days), hens fed E. faecalis UGRA10 maintained egg production, while control animals dropped egg production. Supplementation diet with E. faecalis UGRA10 significantly increased ileum and caecum bacterial diversity (higher bacterial operational taxonomic unit richness and Faith's diversity index) of laying hens, with animals fed the same diet showing a higher similarity in microbial composition. These results point out to the beneficial effects of E. faecalis UGRA10 in egg production. Future experiments are necessary to unveil the underlying mechanisms that mediate the positive response of animals to this treatment.