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Version of Record online (earlyview): 30 JUN 2014, [EN] This study evaluated liver and gut alterations of gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata L., fed diets in which 12 fish meal was substituted by a mixture (M) of pea protein concentrate (PPC) and rice protein concentrate 13 (RPC). Histological studies were conducted to evaluate the possible changes produced by four 14 experimental isolipidic (18%) and isoproteic (48%CP) diets with 30, 60 and 90% of fish meal substitution 15 by a pea and rice mixture and compared with a control diet (0%). 16 The results obtained in the present histological study showed significant changes especially in the case of 17 the 90% substitution in parameters such as thickness of the layers, goblet cells and villi measurements. 18 Structural integrity of the gut would not be significantly affected by a diet of up to 60% substitution. The 19 alterations observed in the liver could not only be attributed to diet but also to possible individual variations.

[EN] This work aimed to test the effect of a dietary inclusion of formic and citric acids on growth performance, mortality, jejunal histology and development of intestinal lymphoid tissues in growing non-medicated rabbits. For that purpose, a diet including the acids (diet A) was compared to a control diet (diet C). Sixty rabbits weaned at 28 days were submitted to each diet. At 56 and 77 days, ten rabbits were slaughtered to assess caecal traits, jejunal histology and follicular development in the caudal ileal Peyer's patch and in the appendix. In the 56-77 d period, average daily gain of rabbits fed diet A was greater than that of control rabbits (48.0 vs. 43.9 g, P=0.019). Mortality rate was not affected by the diet (6.12% on average). Caecal pH was lower at 77 than at 56 days (6.02 vs. 6.19, P=0.016). The concentration of ammonia in the caecal contents increased from 9.62 to 14.2 mmol/l (P=0.003) when rabbits reached 77 days of age. The appendix was heavier (9.75 vs. 4.30 g, P<0.001), longer (13.3 vs. 10.4 cm, P<0.001) and wider (1.74 vs. 1.45 cm, P=0.006) at 77 than at 56 days. Rabbits of 56 days of age fed diet C had shorter villi than the mean value of the other three treatments (662 vs. 807 µm, P<0.001). In the Peyer`s patch, the average follicle area was greater at 77 than at 56 days of age (118 vs. 88.4 x 103 µm2, P<0.001) and was also greater in rabbits fed diet C than in those fed diet A (109 vs. 97.5 x 103 µm2, P=0.049). In the appendix, no differences on the average follicle area were found at 56 days of age (115 x 103 µm2) whereas, at 77 days, the area increase was higher for rabbits fed diet C than for those fed diet A (95.5 vs. 50.8%, P<0.001). In conclusion, including formic and citric acids in growing rabbit diets improves weight gain, has a trophic effect on the jejunal mucosa and controls the development of gut-associated lymphoid tissues.

Background Campylobacters are an unwelcome member of the poultry gut microbiota in terms of food safety. The objective of this study was to compare the microbiota, inflammatory responses, and zootechnical parameters of broiler chickens not exposed to Campylobacter jejuni with those exposed either early at 6 days old or at the age commercial broiler chicken flocks are frequently observed to become colonized at 20 days old. Results Birds infected with Campylobacter at 20 days became cecal colonized within 2 days of exposure, whereas birds infected at 6 days of age did not show complete colonization of the sample cohort until 9 days post-infection. All birds sampled thereafter were colonized until the end of the study at 35 days (mean 6.1 log10 CFU per g of cecal contents). The cecal microbiota of birds infected with Campylobacter were significantly different to age-matched non-infected controls at 2 days post-infection but generally the composition of the cecal microbiota were more affected by bird age as the time post infection increased. The effects of Campylobacter colonization on the cecal microbiota were associated with reductions in the relative abundance of OTUs within the taxonomic family Lactobacillaceae and the Clostridium cluster XIVa. Specific members of the Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families exhibit transient shifts in microbial community populations dependent upon the age at which the birds become colonized by C. jejuni. Analysis of ileal and cecal chemokine/cytokine gene expression revealed increases in IL-6, IL-17A and Il-17F consistent with a Th17 response but the persistence of the response was dependent on the stage/time of C. jejuni colonization that coincide with significant reductions in the abundance of Clostridium cluster XIVa. Conclusions This study combines microbiome data, cytokine/chemokine gene expression with intestinal villus and crypt measurements to compare chickens colonized early or late in the rearing cycle to provide insi

Background Campylobacters are an unwelcome member of the poultry gut microbiota in terms of food safety. The objective of this study was to compare the microbiota, inflammatory responses, and zootechnical parameters of broiler chickens not exposed to Campylobacter jejuni with those exposed either early at 6 days old or at the age commercial broiler chicken flocks are frequently observed to become colonized at 20 days old. Results Birds infected with Campylobacter at 20 days became cecal colonized within 2 days of exposure, whereas birds infected at 6 days of age did not show complete colonization of the sample cohort until 9 days post-infection. All birds sampled thereafter were colonized until the end of the study at 35 days (mean 6.1 log10 CFU per g of cecal contents). The cecal microbiota of birds infected with Campylobacter were significantly different to age-matched non-infected controls at 2 days post-infection but generally the composition of the cecal microbiota were more affected by bird age as the time post infection increased. The effects of Campylobacter colonization on the cecal microbiota were associated with reductions in the relative abundance of OTUs within the taxonomic family Lactobacillaceae and the Clostridium cluster XIVa. Specific members of the Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families exhibit transient shifts in microbial community populations dependent upon the age at which the birds become colonized by C. jejuni. Analysis of ileal and cecal chemokine/cytokine gene expression revealed increases in IL-6, IL-17A and Il-17F consistent with a Th17 response but the persistence of the response was dependent on the stage/time of C. jejuni colonization that coincide with significant reductions in the abundance of Clostridium cluster XIVa. Conclusions This study combines microbiome data, cytokine/chemokine gene expression with intestinal villus and crypt measurements to compare chickens colonized early or late in the rearing cycle to provide insi

Background Campylobacters are an unwelcome member of the poultry gut microbiota in terms of food safety. The objective of this study was to compare the microbiota, inflammatory responses, and zootechnical parameters of broiler chickens not exposed to Campylobacter jejuni with those exposed either early at 6 days old or at the age commercial broiler chicken flocks are frequently observed to become colonized at 20 days old. Results Birds infected with Campylobacter at 20 days became cecal colonized within 2 days of exposure, whereas birds infected at 6 days of age did not show complete colonization of the sample cohort until 9 days post-infection. All birds sampled thereafter were colonized until the end of the study at 35 days (mean 6.1 log10 CFU per g of cecal contents). The cecal microbiota of birds infected with Campylobacter were significantly different to age-matched non-infected controls at 2 days post-infection but generally the composition of the cecal microbiota were more affected by bird age as the time post infection increased. The effects of Campylobacter colonization on the cecal microbiota were associated with reductions in the relative abundance of OTUs within the taxonomic family Lactobacillaceae and the Clostridium cluster XIVa. Specific members of the Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families exhibit transient shifts in microbial community populations dependent upon the age at which the birds become colonized by C. jejuni. Analysis of ileal and cecal chemokine/cytokine gene expression revealed increases in IL-6, IL-17A and Il-17F consistent with a Th17 response but the persistence of the response was dependent on the stage/time of C. jejuni colonization that coincide with significant reductions in the abundance of Clostridium cluster XIVa. Conclusions This study combines microbiome data, cytokine/chemokine gene expression with intestinal villus and crypt measurements to compare chickens colonized early or late in the rearing cycle to provide insi