Xylo-oligosaccharides and virginiamycin differentially modulate gut microbial composition in chickens.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance in pathogens have led to a restriction on the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in animal feed in some countries. The potential negative after-effects of a ban on AGPs could be mitigated by improving animal intestinal health with prebiotic dietary fibers such as xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS). However, the mechanism(s) by which an antibiotic or prebiotic contributes to the health and growth of animals are not well understood. Here, we evaluated XOS and virginiamycin (VIRG)-mediated changes in gut microbiota of broiler chickens using pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.

Results

There was a significant change in the relative abundance of certain bacteria, but the overall microbial diversity was not affected by t

SUBMITTER: Pourabedin M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4396176 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature