Effects of Probiotics on Growth Performance， Cecal Flora Diversity and Short-chain Fatty Acid of Yimeng Chicken Hybrid Line

doi:10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2025-1004

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary probiotic supplementation on growth performance, cecal microbiota diversity, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) content, and predictive analysis of microbial functional differences in Yimeng chicken crossbred lines. Method A two-factor experimental design was adopted. Healthy one-day-old male chicks of purebred Yimeng chickens, two-way crosses, and three-way crosses were selected as the main research subjects. The three populations were divided into six groups, with each population further assigned to a control group (C group) and a probiotic group (T group). Specifically, the groups were as follows: control group of Yimeng chickens (Group C1), two-way cross (Group C2), and three-way cross (Group C3); probiotic group of Yimeng chickens (Group T1), two-way cross (Group T2), and three-way cross (Group T3). Each group had three replicates, with 15 chicks per replicate, totaling 270 chicks. The trial lasted for 7 weeks. Result 1) Probiotics significantly improved the growth performance of Yimeng chicken crossbred lines from 1 to 42 days of age (P0.05). For ADG (average daily gain) and F/G (feed/gain), the T3 group showed the best performance, while for ADFI (average daily feed intake), the C2 group was the highest. Furthermore, significant interaction effects between P (Probiotic) and B (Breed) were observed on ADFI and F/G. 2) At the phylum level, the abundance of Actinobacteria in Group C1 was significantly higher than in Groups C2 and C3 (P0.05). The abundances of Actinobacteria and Deferribacteres in Group T2 were significantly higher than in Group C2 (P0.05). At the genus level, the abundance of Bacteroides in Group T3 was significantly higher than in Group T1 (P0.05). The abundance of Phascolarctobacterium in Group T1 was significantly higher than in Group C1 (P0.05). The abundance of Methanobrevibacter in Group T2 was significantly higher than in Group C2 (P0.05). 3) The contents of acetate, propionate, and butyrate in the T group were significantly higher than in the C group (P0.05). Furthermore, significant interaction effects (P0.05) between Probiotic and Breed (P and B) were observed for acetate, propionate, valerate, isovalerate, butyrate, and isobutyrate in the C and T groups. 4) KEGG functional prediction revealed that the metabolic pathways significantly enriched in the C group included cofactor and vitamin metabolism, as well as fructose and mannose metabolism. In the T group, significantly enriched metabolic pathways included arginine and proline metabolism, niacin and nicotinamide metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, and pentose and glucuronate interconversions. Conclusion Dietary probiotic supplementation and crossbreeding can improve the growth performance and short-chain fatty acid production in Yimeng chickens, with interactive effects observed. They can also alter the structural diversity of the cecal microbiota and influence microbial functional metabolic pathways.

Key words: probiotics, Yimeng chickens, crossbreeding, growth performance, cecal microbiota, short-chain fatty acids

LI Xue-feng, ZHANG Ning-bo, LONG Jun-Jiang, LONG Yang, JIN Tai-hua, LYU Shen-Jin, FAN Xue-mei, JI Jiu-xiu, LI Yong-zhu. Effects of Probiotics on Growth Performance， Cecal Flora Diversity and Short-chain Fatty Acid of Yimeng Chicken Hybrid Line[J]. Biotechnology Bulletin, 2026, 42(6): 340-350.

Figures/Tables 9

References 36

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原料组成 Ingredient	含量 Content （%）	营养水平 Nutrient levels	含量 Content （%）
玉米 Corn	55.95	粗蛋白质 Crude protein	19.50
大豆粕 Soybean meal	14.44	代谢能 ME/（MJ/kg）	12.10
麸皮 Rice bran	5.60	钙 Ca	0.90
玉米胚芽粕 Corn germ meal	5.00	总磷 Total phosphorus	0.65
进口 DDGS	10.00	有效磷 Available phosphorus	0.45
石粉 Limestone	1.00	赖氨酸 Lys	1.15
玉米蛋白粉 Corn gluten meal	5.00	蛋氨酸 Met	0.39
磷酸氢钙 CaHPO₄	1.20	蛋氨酸+胱氨酸 Met+Sys	0.76
DL-蛋氨酸 Met	0.15	苏氨酸 Thr	0.85
盐 NaCl	0.30
70%赖氨酸 Lys	0.25
70%氯化胆碱 Choline chloride	0.10
预混料 Premix	1.00
合计 Total	100.00

原料组成 Ingredient	含量 Content （%）	营养水平 Nutrient levels	含量 Content （%）
玉米 Corn	55.95	粗蛋白质 Crude protein	19.50
大豆粕 Soybean meal	14.44	代谢能 ME/（MJ/kg）	12.10
麸皮 Rice bran	5.60	钙 Ca	0.90
玉米胚芽粕 Corn germ meal	5.00	总磷 Total phosphorus	0.65
进口 DDGS	10.00	有效磷 Available phosphorus	0.45
石粉 Limestone	1.00	赖氨酸 Lys	1.15
玉米蛋白粉 Corn gluten meal	5.00	蛋氨酸 Met	0.39
磷酸氢钙 CaHPO₄	1.20	蛋氨酸+胱氨酸 Met+Sys	0.76
DL-蛋氨酸 Met	0.15	苏氨酸 Thr	0.85
盐 NaCl	0.30
70%赖氨酸 Lys	0.25
70%氯化胆碱 Choline chloride	0.10
预混料 Premix	1.00
合计 Total	100.00

项目 Item	分组 Group	品种 Breed			P-value
项目 Item	分组 Group	C1/T1	C2/T2	C3/T3	Breed	P×B
平均日增重 Average daily gain （ADG）	C	8.51±1.28Bb	9.80±1.66a	9.60±1.83Ba	0.001	0.057
	T	9.30±1.24Ac	10.25±1.58b	11.33±1.78Aa	0.001
	P-value	0.010	0.113	0.001
平均日采食量 Average daily feed intake （ADFI）	C	25.39±0.39b	28.34±1.32Aa	23.89±1.32Bb	0.007	0.001
	T	24.45±0.96b	25.63±0.84Bab	27.15±0.99Aa	0.033
	P-value	0.281	0.007	0.002
料重比 Feed/Gain （F/G）	C	2.99±0.00Aa	2.89±0.00Ab	2.49±0.00Ac	0.001	0.035
	T	2.63±0.00Ba	2.50±0.00Bb	2.40±0.00Bc	0.001
	P-value	0.001	0.001	0.003

项目 Item	分组 Group	品种 Breed			P-value
项目 Item	分组 Group	C1/T1	C2/T2	C3/T3	Breed	P×B
平均日增重 Average daily gain （ADG）	C	8.51±1.28Bb	9.80±1.66a	9.60±1.83Ba	0.001	0.057
	T	9.30±1.24Ac	10.25±1.58b	11.33±1.78Aa	0.001
	P-value	0.010	0.113	0.001
平均日采食量 Average daily feed intake （ADFI）	C	25.39±0.39b	28.34±1.32Aa	23.89±1.32Bb	0.007	0.001
	T	24.45±0.96b	25.63±0.84Bab	27.15±0.99Aa	0.033
	P-value	0.281	0.007	0.002
料重比 Feed/Gain （F/G）	C	2.99±0.00Aa	2.89±0.00Ab	2.49±0.00Ac	0.001	0.035
	T	2.63±0.00Ba	2.50±0.00Bb	2.40±0.00Bc	0.001
	P-value	0.001	0.001	0.003

项目 Item	分组 Group	品种 Breed			P值 P-value
项目 Item	分组 Group	C1/T1	C2/T2	C3/T3	Breed	P×B
乙酸 Acetic acid （mg/kg）	C	235.19±8.39Bc	311.83±2.10Bb	438.20±7.44Ba	0.001	0.011
	T	286.50±10.59Ac	338.71±5.23Ab	503.76±15.44Aa	0.001
	P-value	0.001	0.004	0.001
丙酸 Propionic acid （mg/kg）	C	224.56±6.43c	251.98±13.74Bb	292.59±5.19Ba	0.003	0.001
	T	218.52±5.30c	300.25±4.69Ab	459.75±11.52Aa	0.001
	P-value	0.060	0.001	0.001
戊酸 Valeric acid （mg/kg）	C	25.37±0.26Ab	34.83±1.91Aa	25.73±0.38Bb	0.001	0.001
	T	23.70±0.59Bb	31.13±0.50Ba	31.77±0.84Aa	0.001
	P-value	0.048	0.001	0.001
异戊酸 Isovaleric acid （mg/kg）	C	6.69±0.07Ab	13.21±0.23Aa	3.77±0.17Bc	0.001	0.001
	T	5.28±0.17Bb	6.17±0.19Ba	4.92±0.17Ab	0.007
	P-value	0.001	0.001	0.005
丁酸 Butyric acid （mg/kg）	C	101.79±2.44Bc	131.81±2.50Ab	163.59±2.48Ba	0.001	0.001
	T	138.54±2.95Ab	121.26±2.94Bc	203.74±7.16Aa	0.001
	P-value	0.001	0.003	0.003
异丁酸 Isobutyric acid （mg/kg）	C	24.61±0.93Ab	42.97±0.83Aa	14.30±0.30Bc	0.001	0.001
	T	22.05±1.15Bb	19.94±0.28Bb	28.90±2.17Aa	0.001
	P-value	0.003	0.001	0.001