Effects of cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate on intestinal microbiota of yellow-feather broilers

Abstract

We evaluated the effects of cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate (CPH) on the intestinal microbiota of yellow-feather broilers. We randomly divided 240 chicks into four groups with six replicates: basal diet with 0% (CON), 1% (LCPH), 3% (MCPH), or 5% (HCPH) CPH. The test lasted 63 days and included days 1-21, 22-42, and 43-63 phases. The ACE, Chao1, and Shannon indices in the MCPH and HCPH groups of 42-day-old broilers were higher than those in the CON group (p < 0.05), indicating that the cecum microbial diversity and richness were higher in these groups. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla; however, the main genera varied during the different periods. The abundance of Lactobacillus in CPH treatment groups of 21-day-old broilers was high (p < 0.05); in the 42-day-old broilers, the abundances of Barnesiella, Clostridia_vadinBB60_group, and Parasutterella in the LCPH group, Desulfovibrio, Lactobacillus, Clostridia_vadinBB60_group, and Butyricicoccus in the MCPH group, and Megamonas and Streptococcus in the HCPH group increased; in the 63-day-old broilers, the abundance of Clostridia_UCG-014 and Synergistes in the LCPH and HCPH group, respectively, increased (p < 0.05), and that of Alistipes in the LCPH and MCPH groups decreased (p < 0.05). And changes in the abundance of probiotics were beneficial to improve the intestinal morphology and growth performance. In addition, the LCPH treatment increased the complexity of the microbial network, while the MCPH treatment had the same effect in 42-day-old broilers. Thus, CPH increased the relative abundance of beneficial intestinal microbiota and enhanced the richness and diversity of the bacterial microbiota in broilers aged <42 days; this effect was weakened after 42 days.

Keywords: cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate; intestinal microbiota; microbial diversity and richness; microbial network; yellow-feather broilers.

Figure 1

Venn diagrams and dilution curve of dietary treatments at the OTUs level. (A–C) Venn diagrams in 21-day-old, 42-day-old, and 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers, respectively. (D–F) Dilution curve in 21-day-old, 42-day-old, and 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers, respectively. CON, basal diet; LCPH, diet with 1% CPH; MCPH, diet with 3% CPH; HCPH, diet with 5% CPH.

Figure 2

The bacterial α-diversity of the cecum in broilers dietary with CPH supplementation. (A–C) Chao index of cecal microbiota in 21-day-old, 42-day-old, and 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers, respectively. (D–F) Ace index of cecal microbiota in 21-day-old, 42-day-old, and 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers, respectively. (G–I) Shannon index of cecal microbiota in 21-day-old, 42-day-old, and 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers, respectively. (J–L) Simpson index of the OTUs community of cecal microbiota in 21-day-old, 42-day-old, and 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers, respectively. CON, basal diet; LCPH, diet with 1% CPH; MCPH, diet with 3% CPH; HCPH, diet with 5% CPH.

Figure 3

The bacterial β-diversity of the cecum in broilers dietary with CPH supplementation. (A–C) Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) of cecal microbiota (based on the Bray distance) in 21-day-old, 42-day-old, and 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers, respectively. (D–F) NMDS analysis of cecal microbiota in 21-day-old, 42-day-old, and 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers, respectively. (G–I) PLS-DA analysis of cecal microbiota in 21-day-old, 42-day-old, and 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers, respectively. CON, basal diet; LCPH, diet with 1% CPH; MCPH, diet with 3% CPH; HCPH, diet with 5% CPH.

Figure 4

Relative abundance of the broilers’ caecal microbiota in level phylum and genus. (A,B) Relative abundance of the broilers’ caecal microbiota in level phylum and genus in 21-day-old yellow-feather broilers. (C,D) Relative abundance of the broilers’ caecal microbiota in level phylum and genus in 42-day-old yellow-feather broilers. (E,F) Relative abundance of the broilers’ caecal microbiota in level phylum and genus in 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers. Each mean represents six samples. CON, basal diet; LCPH, diet with 1% CPH; MCPH, diet with 3% CPH; HCPH, diet with 5% CPH.

Figure 5

One-way ANOVA analysis of bacterial composition at the phylum level. (A–C) One-way ANOVA analysis of bacterial composition at the phylum level in 21-day-old yellow-feather broilers. (D–F) One-way ANOVA analysis of bacterial composition at the phylum level in 42-day-old yellow-feather broiler. (G–I) One-way ANOVA analysis of bacterial composition at the phylum level in 63-day-old yellow-feather broiler. The asterisk (*) level presented the degree of significant difference, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, and ***p < 0.001. Each mean represents six samples. CON, basal diet; LCPH, diet with 1% CPH; MCPH, diet with 3% CPH; HCPH, diet with 5% CPH.

Figure 6

One-way ANOVA analysis of bacterial composition at the genus level. (A–C) One-way ANOVA analysis of bacterial composition at the genus level in 21-day-old yellow-feather broilers. (D–F) One-way ANOVA analysis of bacterial composition at the genus level in 42-day-old yellow-feather broilers. (G–I) One-way ANOVA analysis of bacterial composition at the genus levelin 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers. The asterisk (*) level presented the degree of significant difference, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, and ***p < 0.001. Each mean represents six samples. CON, basal diet; LCPH, diet with 1% CPH; MCPH, diet with 3% CPH; HCPH, diet with 5% CPH.

Figure 7

Interaction network diagram of cecal microbiota in 21-day-old yellow-feather broilers. (A) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the CON group. (B) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the LCPH group. (C) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the MCPH group. (D) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the HCPH group.

Figure 8

Interaction network diagram of cecal microbiota in 42-day-old yellow-feather broilers. (A) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the CON group. (B) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the LCPH group. (C) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the MCPH group. (D) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the HCPH group.

Figure 9

Interaction network diagram of cecal microbiota in 63-day-old yellow-feather broilers. (A) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the CON group. (B) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the LCPH group. (C) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the MCPH group. (D) The network diagram of the interaction between the cecal microbiota in the HCPH group.