Dietary Fermented Blueberry Pomace Supplementation Improves Small Intestinal Barrier Function and Modulates Cecal Microbiota in Aged Laying Hens
Binghua Qin,
Zhihua Li,
Qian Zhu,
Ting Chen,
Wei Lan,
Yadong Cui,
Md. Abul Kalam Azad,
Xiangfeng Kong
Affiliations
Binghua Qin
Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Physiology and Metabolic Processes, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Zhihua Li
Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Physiology and Metabolic Processes, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Qian Zhu
Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Physiology and Metabolic Processes, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Ting Chen
Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Physiology and Metabolic Processes, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Wei Lan
School of Biology and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang 236037, China
Yadong Cui
School of Biology and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang 236037, China
Md. Abul Kalam Azad
Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Physiology and Metabolic Processes, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Xiangfeng Kong
Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Physiology and Metabolic Processes, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
This study aimed to investigate the effects of fermented blueberry pomace (FBP) on the intestinal barrier function and cecal microbiome of aged laying hens. A total of 320 Yukou Jingfen No. 8 laying hens (345-day-old) were randomly divided into a control group, 0.25% FBP group, 0.5% FBP group, or 1.0% FBP group. The results showed that the villus height (VH) in the jejunum of the 0.25–0.5% FBP groups and villus surface area in the jejunum of the 0.25% FBP group were higher (p p = 0.070) VH in the ileum compared to the control group. Mucin-2 expression was upregulated (p IL)-4 and IL-13 expressions were upregulated (p Prevotella abundance in the cecum of the 0.5–1.0% FBP groups was higher (p < 0.05) than in the 0.25% FBP group. In addition, microbial function prediction analysis showed that cecal microbiota in the 0.25% FBP group were mainly enriched by alanine/aspartate/glutamate metabolism and methane metabolism. Moreover, Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed the potential correlations between the abundance of the cecal microbiota and intestinal-barrier-function-related gene expressions, as well as the short-chain fatty acid content, of laying hens. In summary, dietary FBP supplementation enhanced intestinal barrier function by improving intestinal morphology, upregulating gene expressions related to barrier function, and altering the cecal microbiota of aged laying hens.
