Scientifically Speaking …
By Matthew Wedzerai
Matthew Wedzerai holds an MSc in Animal Science (Specialisation: Animal nutrition) from Wageningen University, The Netherlands. He also holds a Diploma in Pig husbandry & Animal Feed, PTC+ College, The Netherlands. He has 7 years’ experience in the pig husbandry and animal feed industry and has been a writer of articles based on scientific research since 2014.
MODES OF ACTION IN THE GUT Immuno-modulatory properties Butyrate down-regulates pro-inflammatory pathways by inhibiting cytoplasmic kinase - resulting in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor α or interleukins 1β, 2 and 6 (Barnes and Karin, 1997). In poultry, these proinflammatory cytokines induce a homeorhetic response that modifies nutrient portioning during inflammatory responses. In addition, butyrate reduces fat carcasses due to stressors, through pro-inflammatory cytokines which have a positive effect on lipid metabolism.
IMPROVING BROILER GUT HEALTH WITH BUTYRATE Although the functions of butyrate might be familiar to many, is the impact of butyrate the same in the distinct GIT segments on digestive function, microbiota composition and immune responses?
Based on the research findings of Moquet et al. (2018) in broilers, this article sheds more light on the effects of butyrate on different segments of the GIT as it contributes to gut health in broilers. The interesting questions to answer are “What are the effects of supplementing broiler diets with butyrate on digestive function, microbiota composition and immune responses? Are these effects influenced by the GIT segment?” Not many studies have focused on butyrate concentrations
along the GIT (e.g. Czerwinski et al., 2012; Cerisuelo et al., 2014). Hence, it remains uncertain whether the effects elicited by butyrate are conditioned by the GIT segment wherein the molecule is present. Failure to understand this might limit the full use of butyrate supplements as a nutritional strategy in the poultry industry.
FUNCTIONS OF BUTYRATE Butyrate is used as a feed additive and can be fed as unprotected or in the form of protected additives such as butyrate glycerides (mono-, di- and tri-glycerides) or butyrate-loaded matrices (fat coated or microencapsulated butyrate). In poultry, dietary butyrate supplementation has been shown to result in the following:
Maintain optimal gut health and stimulating growth performance
Positive effect on gut morphology Improves carcass traits (reduce fatty carcases) Improves nutrient digestibility – also an energy source Bacteriostatic properties Improves immune response
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Intestinal integrity support Butyrate improves the integrity of the epithelial cell layer (Canani et al., 2011; Ploger et al., 2012) - epithelial barrier is essential for a normal intestinal function, and impairment may lead to inflammation. Butyrate increases the expression of TJ proteins and, therefore, the intestinal epithelial integrity (Peng et al., 2009).
Shifts in microbiota composition Butyrate supplementation (Moquet et al., 2018) promotes the average relative contribution of Clostridium lactifermentans and Ruminococcus bromii while reducing the relative abundance of Clostridium perfringens. Butyrate is also known to down-regulate the expression of genes involved in the pathogenicity of Salmonella typhimurium (Lawhon et al., 2002). It also reduces caecal colonization and faecal shedding of Salmonella enteritidis (Van Immerseel et al., 2005).
Modifications of endocrine control of digestive processes Butyrate presence in the GIT can lead to a rise in cholecystokinin, peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide 2 levels, and to a decrease in pancreatic peptide level. Such changes could support intestinal and gastric mucosa development, increase gastric retention time and stimulate gastric and pancreatic secretions. As a result, nutrient digestibility and absorption could be improved.
IMPORTANCE OF RELEASE LOCATION ON THE MODE OF ACTION OF BUTYRATE DERIVATIVES The precise GIT segment wherein butyrate is released is usually unclear. Release location may affect the observed effects of butyrate given the diversity of cell types and pH conditions encountered throughout the GIT of poultry, and the differences in microbiota composition in the different gut segments; our understanding of the mode of action of butyrate might be hampered. Characterization of existing additives and development of targeted-release formulations are, therefore, important to gain insight in the different physiological effects butyrate can elicit in broiler chickens.
BUTYRATE IN DIFFERENT GIT SEGMENTS A. Digestive process and amino acid (AA) bioavailability The results, in broilers, of Moque et al. (2018) showed that butyrate presence in the digesta of distinct GIT segments of broilers leads
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