GUT HEALTH DRIVES PERFORMANCE IN POULTRY…vcn.gov.np/uploads/files/An insight into the... · Agrivet Consultancy P Ltd 2 A short story One day the body parts were fighting with each

GUT HEALTH DRIVES PERFORMANCE IN POULTRY…

An insight into the factors leading to a healthy gut in poultry

Sudipto Haldar, PhD

Agrivet Consultancy P Ltd., 714 Block A, Lake Town, Kolkata 700089, India

Agrivet Consultancy P Ltd

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A short story

One day the body parts were fighting with each other to decide who is the mostimportant.The BRAIN said: I am the most important as I control every thing.The HEART said: I am the most important as my beating keeps the body going.The LIVER said: I am the most important as I help in metabolism, detoxificationand many more life supporting processes.Finally the GUT said: I am the most important ….Everybody laughed at gut … hah … hah … hah …The gut got angry and stopped eating….In a couple of days every body agreed … yes the gut is the most important.

Healthy gut leads to a profitable operation

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The intestinal system is the engine that drives the performance of anycommercial poultry flock. Its integrity from the first day till terminationis paramount in the expression of the genetic potential….

And when there is question of profitable poultry production …

It all comes down to gut health.


The gut … as we see it

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The gut … that we can not see !!!

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•Gut is a tube lined by enterocytes.•The epithelium is the physical barrier for the foreignmaterials – including the infectious agents.•Absorptive surface is lined by villi.•Selective absorption of nutrients occurs through villi.


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The gut … that we can not see !!!

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MICROBIOTAHOST

ENVIRONMENT

A healthy gut is a gut in which the environment is regulatedas such that a stable and constant condition of properties ismaintained … this is called homeostasis.


The ‘healthy’ and the ‘unhealthy’ gut

The ‘healthy’ and the ‘unhealthy’ gut

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Decrease in friendly bacteria and increase in pathogens due to altered gut environment –

DYSBIOSIS and erosion of villi

HEALTHY GUT UNHEALTHY GUT


Gut microbial dynamics changes in dysbiosis

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Bifidobacteria

Propionate, butyrate and

lactate producing bacteria

Optimum Poor

Enterobacteria – E. coli

Salmonella etc.

Gram negative polysaccharide

degrading bacteria


Dysbiosis causes the gut to ‘leak’10


Dysbiosis– the chronology and the consequences

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Normal gut

Dysbiosis

Bacterial enteritis

Necrotic enteritis

▪ Decreased nutrient absorption.

▪ Excess bacteria compete for the same nutrients.

▪ Immune response systems redirect protein awayfrom muscle development to tissue repair.

▪ Economic losses from enteritis include:

▪ As much as 10% worse feed efficiency

▪ 2-13% reduced live weight

▪ Up to 6% mortality

▪ Up to 1% increased condemnation

CHRONOLOGY CONSEQUENCES


Gut is under continuous but ‘controlled’ inflammation

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Feed compound

Pro-inflammatory

stimulus

Pro-inflammatory interleukins

Sends negative impulse to brain

Down regulatory impulse


Dysbiosis changes the gut morphology

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Bacterial adhesion

Inflammation

Erosion of villus


Dysbacteriosis and imbalanced fluid dynamics

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▪ For each g digesta 2 g fluid is secreted which helps in nutrientsolution, pathogen dilution and flushing of pathogens and theirmetabolites. The fluid is secreted from crypts and sides of villiand get absorbed from the tip and from the large intestine.

Net secretion > absorption

Decreased absorption of nutrients due to

• Damaged absorptive cells

• Increased osmolality of digesta

DYSBACTERIOSIS

DIARRHEA


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Dysbacteriosis and imbalanced fluid dynamics

A healthy gut helps fighting enteritis

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▪ If there is an insult to the intestine, a bird drives nutrients towards tissue repairand immune responses.

▪ Growth is less prioritized and a sick bird will deposit less lean muscle than ahealthy one.

▪ A compromised intestinal tract reduces a bird’s natural defense and opens thedoor to opportunistic pathogens opens up.

Bacterial enteritis can not be eliminated but understanding the bacterial dynamics

of the small intestine through an improved litter management and controlling

coccidiosis can improve small intestinal integrity and improve bird performance.


Feed passage – a sign of poor intestinal integrity

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Feed passage

Pelleting

Salt

Heat stress

Tannins

Biogenic amines

Mycotoxins



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• Feed passage is caused by improper digestion and absorption in the smallintestine.

• Feed goes out instead of fuelling growth.

• Before the intestinal integrity is visible by diarrhea and wet litter feed passagesignals the ensuing problem.

• Heat stress and limited feeding schedules can also contribute to feed passage,but if feed quality or management factors are not clearly to blame, producersmust consider the possibility of a poor intestinal integrity.



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Undigested feed particle may be the preliminary sign of enteric disease.

Feed passage may not always be associated with diarrhea

Feed passage with bloody tinge is confirmatory to bacterial enteritis.

A bad excreta may indicate feed passage due to enteritis

AGRIVET CONSULTANCY P LTD

Other signs of poor intestinal health

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A. Ballooning of

intestineB. Excessive fluid in

gut cavity

C. Poor tonicity of gut

D. Thinning of gut wall

Macroscopic lesions

E. Presence of

undigested feed

F. Inflammation and

congestion of gut



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Pasty vent, blood tinge in excreta, flaccid intestine, orange tinges

in digesta are some of the common indications of dysbiosis.

Scoring of gut health

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Score 0: No gross lesions

Score 1: No lesion but fibrinous exudate is

present .

Scores 2 to 4: Excavated ulcer in the mucosa;

hemorrhage within the ulcer; periphery of the

ulcer bound by fibrinous layer.

Scores 5 to 6: Mucosa covered by large confluent

plaques of fibrin, necrotic tissues and

inflammatory cells.

Score 7: Same as Scores 5 – 6 extended and

more massive in nature.

0 1

2 3

4 5

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Dietary protein –animal or plant origin

Localized increase in protein/AA in intestine

High glycine

Clostridium prefringens

High methionine

Necrotic Enteritis


Potential threat – High dietary protein

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The alpha toxin mediated (controversial??)pathogenesity of Clostridium perfringensmay get facilitated if fat is improperlydigested – the diacylglycerol mayaccentuate the protein kinase pathway toinduce inflammation.

Potential threat – Rancid and undigested Fat


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Potential threat – Rancid and undigested Fat


….The source of fat may play a role in determining gut health….

▪ Soy oil exhibits higher solubility in miceller phase due to higher UFA content

▪ Antibiotics acting against Clostridia are mostly lipotrophic.

▪ Soy oil facilitates easy dispersion of these antibiotics into the small intestine.

▪ Animal fat being less digestible may impact digesta viscosity, intestinal transit time andmicrobial ecosystem.

… A better emulsification of dietary fat may be a solution to fat induced dysbiosis…

How to interpret the things

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… Bacterial enteritis is a costly threat to gut health …

… a multi-pronged strategy needs to be adopted to combat this threat …

… the threat becomes intensified when the options are limited …


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GUT HEALTH DRIVES PERFORMANCE IN POULTRY…vcn.gov.np/uploads/files/An insight into the... · Agrivet Consultancy P Ltd 2 A short story One day the body parts were fighting with each