Centennial Review: Factors affecting the chicken gastrointestinal microbial composition and their association with gut health and productive performance

• Published in: Poultry science Vol. 101; no. 1; p. 101612
• Main Authors: Bindari, Yugal Raj, Gerber, Priscilla F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Inc 01.01.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: 16S rRNA sequencing; Animals; biomarkers; Chickens; Data Collection; flock monitoring; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; gut health; Microbiology and Food Safety; noninvasive sampling; gut health; biomarkers; 16S rRNA sequencing; flock monitoring; noninvasive sampling
• ISSN: 0032-5791; 1525-3171
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101612

Maintenance of “gut health” is considered a priority in commercial chicken farms, although a precise definition of what constitutes gut health and how to evaluate it is still lacking. In research settings, monitoring of gut microbiota has gained great attention as shifts in microbial community composition have been associated with gut health and productive performance. However, microbial signatures associated with productivity remain elusive because of the high variability of the microbiota of individual birds resulting in multiple and sometimes contradictory profiles associated with poor or high performance. The high costs associated with the testing and the need for the terminal sampling of a large number of birds for the collection of gut contents also make this tool of limited use in commercial settings. This review highlights the existing literature on the chicken digestive system and associated microbiota; factors affecting the gut microbiota and emergence of the major chicken enteric diseases coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis; methods to evaluate gut health and their association with performance; main issues in investigating chicken microbial populations; and the relationship of microbial profiles and production outcomes. Emphasis is given to emerging noninvasive and easy-to-collect sampling methods that could be used to monitor gut health and microbiological changes in commercial flocks.