The present study assessed the effects of cereal type and the inclusion level of a phytogenic feed additive (PFA) on broiler ileal and cecal gut microbiota composition, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and gene expression of toll like receptors (TLR), tight junction proteins, mucin 2 (MUC2) and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). Depending on cereal type (i.e. maize or wheat) and PFA inclusion level (i.e. 0, 100 and 150 mg/kg diet), 450 one-day-old male broilers were allocated in 6 treatments according to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with 5 replicates of 15 broilers each, for 42 d. Significant interactions (P ≤ 0.05) between cereal type and PFA were shown for cecal digesta Bacteroides and Clostridium cluster XIVa, ileal digesta propionic and branched VFA, ileal sIgA gene expression, as well as cecal digesta branched and other VFA molar ratios. Cereal type affected the cecal microbiota composition. In particular, wheat-fed broilers had higher levels of mucosa-associated Lactobacillus (P CT = 0.007) and digesta Bifidobacterium (P CT < 0.001), as well as lower levels of total bacteria (P CT = 0.004) and Clostridia clusters I, IV and XIVa (P CT ≤ 0.05), compared with maize-fed ones. In addition, cereal type gave differences in fermentation intensity (P CT = 0.021) and in certain individual VFA molar ratios. Wheat-fed broilers had higher (P ≤ 0.05) ileal zonula occluden 2 (ZO-2) and lower ileal and cecal TLR2 and sIgA levels, compared with maize-fed broilers. On the other hand, PFA inclusion at 150 mg/kg had a stimulating effect on microbial fermentation at ileum and a retarding effect in ceca with additional variable VFA molar patterns. In addition, PFA inclusion at 100 mg/kg increased the ileal mucosa expression of claudin 5 (CLDN5) (P PFA = 0.023) and MUC2 (P PFA = 0.001) genes, and at 150 mg/kg decreased cecal TLR2 (P PFA = 0.022) gene expression compared with the un-supplemented controls. In conclusion, cereal type and PFA affected in combination and independently broiler gut microbiota composition and metabolic activity as well as the expression of critical gut barrier genes including TLR2. Further exploitation of these properties in cases of stressor challenges is warranted.
Keywords: Gut barrier; Gut microbiota; Maize; Phytogenics; Toll like receptors; Wheat.