Enhancing gastrointestinal development and functionality in chickens through fiber nutrition

在全球范围内，鸡肉是人类消费最受欢迎的动物蛋白来源之一，消费者需求不断增加，这与其健康益处和低环境足迹有关。传统上，抗生素已被用于预防家禽生产中的肠道疾病。然而，在世界许多地方，抗生素的使用逐渐减少，因为抗生素抗性细菌的发展增加，这对人类健康构成威胁。因此，致病菌定植的风险越来越大，这些致病菌可能损害鸡的健康，并导致人类食源性感染，造成重大经济损失。功能性胃肠道（GIT）是预防这些感染的有效工具，因为肠粘膜和微生物菌群的破坏是病原体对家禽造成严重破坏的基本机制。富含酚类化合物（DF-PC）的膳食纤维来自当地可用的材料，如海藻（SW）、葡萄渣（GP）和红柳山茱萸（Cornus stolonifera; ROD），可以作为多刃剑，通过防止氧化应激（酚级分）和改善GIT上皮完整性（非淀粉多糖级分）来促进鸡GIT功能，而不降低生长性能。这种组合方法更有可能实现所需的突破，以消除或减少家禽生产中抗生素的使用。我的研究计划的长期目标是研究生物活性化合物和新的交付策略，以实现鸡的最佳生长和GIT健康和发育。下一个五年周期的短期目标是：1）表征SW、GP和ROD并鉴定其对鸡的潜在益生元组分; 2）研究饲喂SW、GP、ROD及其酶促释放的生物活性组分的鸡的肠道形态、紧密连接蛋白的基因表达、SCFA产生和肠道微生物种群;以及3）开发SW在肉鸡中酶促释放的生物活性组分的卵内递送策略以及在疾病攻击条件下对GIT完整性的影响。拟议的研究将改善鸡的GIT功能和发育，提高营养利用率，最大限度地减少细菌感染的风险，并减少鸡生产中对抗生素的依赖。在肉鸡中建立健康的GIT环境提供了降低生产成本的机会，从而提高盈利能力和可持续性。该项目的成果还将为相关的人类疾病提供控制措施，并减少抗生素耐药性的发生率，从而减少加拿大的医疗保健支出。这项研究将提供一个极好的机会，培养6名HQP（2名博士，2名硕士和2名本科生），并为他们提供进一步推动加拿大经济发展的经验。

Globally, chicken meat is one of the most popular sources of animal protein for human consumption, with increasing consumer demand, which is associated with its health benefit and low environmental footprint. Traditionally, antibiotics have been used to prevent enteric diseases in poultry production. However, there is progressive decline in the use of antibiotics in many parts of the world, because of increase in development of antibiotic resistant bacteria, which poses threats to human health. Consequently, there is increasing risk of colonization by pathogenic bacteria that can impair chicken health and cause food-borne infections in humans, resulting in significant economic losses. Functional gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a proven tool to prevent these infections, because disruption of intestinal mucosa and microflora are the essential mechanisms by which pathogens cause havoc to poultry. Dietary fiber, rich in phenolic compounds (DF-PC) from locally available materials such as seaweed (SW), grape pomace (GP) and red osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera; ROD) can serve as multiple-edged sword to promote chicken GIT functionality by preventing oxidative stress (phenolic fraction) and improving GIT epithelial integrity (non-starch polysaccharide fractions), without reducing growth performance. It is more likely that this combinational approach will achieve the needed breakthrough to eliminate or reduce the use of antibiotics in poultry production. The long term goal of my research program is to investigate bioactive compounds and novel delivery strategies for optimal growth and GIT health and development of chickens. The short term objectives of the next five year cycle  are to: 1) Characterize SW, GP, and ROD and identify their potential prebiotic components for chickens; 2) investigate gut morphology, gene expression of tight junction proteins, SCFA production and gut microbial population in chickens fed SW, GP, ROD and their enzymatically-released bioactive components; and 3) Develop in ovo delivery strategy for enzymatically-released bioactive components of SW in broiler chickens and the effect on GIT integrity during disease challenge conditions. The proposed studies will result in improvement of GIT functionality and development in chickens, improve nutrient utilization, minimize the risk of bacterial infections and reduce dependence on antibiotics in chicken production. The establishment of a healthy GIT environment in broiler chickens offers an opportunity to reduce cost of production and consequently increase profitability and sustainability. The results of this project will also provide control measures for the associated human illnesses, as well as reducing the incidence of antibiotic resistance, thus reducing Canada's expenditure on healthcare. The research will offer an excellent opportunity to train 6 HQPs (2 PhD, 2 MSc and 2 Undergraduate students) and equip them with experience that will further advance the Canadian economy.