Background: Diet acidification, dietary calcium (Ca) level, and phytase supplementation are known influences on the microbial community in the digestive tract and on phosphorus (P) utilization of broiler chickens. Effects of dietary factors and microbiota on P utilization may be linked because microorganisms produce enzymes that release P from phytate (InsP6), the main source of P in plant feedstuffs. This study aimed to detect linkages between microbiota and InsP6 degradation by acidifying diets (i.e., replacing Ca carbonate (CaCO3) by Ca formate or adding formic acid to CaCO3-containing diets), varying Ca levels, and supplementing phytase in a three-factorial design. We investigated i) the microbial community and pH in the digestive tract, ii) prececal (pc) P and Ca digestibility, and iii) InsP6 degradation.
Results: All factors under investigation influenced digesta pH and the microbiota composition. Predicted functionality and relative abundance of microorganisms indicated that diets influenced the potential contribution of the microbiota on InsP degradation. Values of InsP6 degradation and relative abundance of the strains Lactobacillus johnsonii and Lactobacillus reuteri were correlated. Phytase supplementation increased pc InsP6 disappearance, with differences between Ca levels, and influenced concentrations of lower inositol phosphate isomers in the digestive tract. Formic acid supplementation increased pc InsP6 degradation to myo-inositol. Replacing CaCO3 by Ca-formate and the high level of these Ca sources reduced pc InsP6 disappearance, except when the combination of CaCO3+formic acid was used. Supplementing phytase to CaCO3+formic acid led to the highest InsP6 disappearance (52%) in the crop and increased myo-inositol concentration in the ileum digesta. Supplementing phytase leveled the effect of high Ca content on pc InsP6 disappearance.
Conclusions: The results point towards a contribution of changing microbial community on InsP6 degradation in the crop and up to the terminal ileum. This is indicated by relationships between InsP6 degradation and relative abundance of phosphatase-producing strains. Functional predictions supported influences of microbiota on InsP6 degradation. The extent of such effects remains to be clarified. InsP6 degradation may also be influenced by variation of pH caused by dietary concentration and solubility of the Ca in the feed.

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This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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Posted 01 Feb, 2021
On 28 Jan, 2021
On 20 Jan, 2021
On 20 Jan, 2021
On 20 Jan, 2021
Received 15 Sep, 2020
On 06 Sep, 2020
On 30 Aug, 2020
Received 27 Aug, 2020
Received 24 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
Invitations sent on 17 Aug, 2020
On 10 Aug, 2020
On 10 Aug, 2020
On 09 Aug, 2020
On 09 Aug, 2020
Posted 01 Feb, 2021
On 28 Jan, 2021
On 20 Jan, 2021
On 20 Jan, 2021
On 20 Jan, 2021
Received 15 Sep, 2020
On 06 Sep, 2020
On 30 Aug, 2020
Received 27 Aug, 2020
Received 24 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
On 18 Aug, 2020
Invitations sent on 17 Aug, 2020
On 10 Aug, 2020
On 10 Aug, 2020
On 09 Aug, 2020
On 09 Aug, 2020
Background: Diet acidification, dietary calcium (Ca) level, and phytase supplementation are known influences on the microbial community in the digestive tract and on phosphorus (P) utilization of broiler chickens. Effects of dietary factors and microbiota on P utilization may be linked because microorganisms produce enzymes that release P from phytate (InsP6), the main source of P in plant feedstuffs. This study aimed to detect linkages between microbiota and InsP6 degradation by acidifying diets (i.e., replacing Ca carbonate (CaCO3) by Ca formate or adding formic acid to CaCO3-containing diets), varying Ca levels, and supplementing phytase in a three-factorial design. We investigated i) the microbial community and pH in the digestive tract, ii) prececal (pc) P and Ca digestibility, and iii) InsP6 degradation.
Results: All factors under investigation influenced digesta pH and the microbiota composition. Predicted functionality and relative abundance of microorganisms indicated that diets influenced the potential contribution of the microbiota on InsP degradation. Values of InsP6 degradation and relative abundance of the strains Lactobacillus johnsonii and Lactobacillus reuteri were correlated. Phytase supplementation increased pc InsP6 disappearance, with differences between Ca levels, and influenced concentrations of lower inositol phosphate isomers in the digestive tract. Formic acid supplementation increased pc InsP6 degradation to myo-inositol. Replacing CaCO3 by Ca-formate and the high level of these Ca sources reduced pc InsP6 disappearance, except when the combination of CaCO3+formic acid was used. Supplementing phytase to CaCO3+formic acid led to the highest InsP6 disappearance (52%) in the crop and increased myo-inositol concentration in the ileum digesta. Supplementing phytase leveled the effect of high Ca content on pc InsP6 disappearance.
Conclusions: The results point towards a contribution of changing microbial community on InsP6 degradation in the crop and up to the terminal ileum. This is indicated by relationships between InsP6 degradation and relative abundance of phosphatase-producing strains. Functional predictions supported influences of microbiota on InsP6 degradation. The extent of such effects remains to be clarified. InsP6 degradation may also be influenced by variation of pH caused by dietary concentration and solubility of the Ca in the feed.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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