Allium-Based Phytobiotic for Laying Hens’ Supplementation: Effects on Productivity, Egg Quality, and Fecal Microbiota

The poultry industry is constantly demanding novel strategies to improve the productivity and health status of hens, prioritizing those based on the holistic use of natural resources. This study aimed to assess the effects of an Allium-based phytobiotic on productivity, egg quality, and fecal microbiota of laying hens. One hundred and ninety-two 14-week-old Lohmann Lite LSL hens were allocated into an experimental farm, fed with a commercial concentrate with and without the Allium-based phytobiotic, and challenged against Salmonella. Productivity, egg quality, and fecal microbiota were monitored for 20 weeks. Results showed that the phytobiotic caused an increase on the number of eggs laid (p < 0.05) and in the feed conversion rate (p < 0.05); meanwhile, egg quality, expressed as egg weight, albumin height, haugh units, egg shell strength, and egg shell thickness remained unchanged (p > 0.05), although yolk color was decreased. Fecal microbiota structure was also modified, indicating a modulation of the gut microbiota by increasing the presence of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes but reducing Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla. Predicted changes in the functional profiles of fecal microbiota suggest alterations in metabolic activities that could be responsible for the improvement and maintenance of productivity and egg quality when the phytobiotic was supplemented; thus, Allium-based phytobiotic has a major impact on the performance of laying hens associated with a possible gut microbiota modulation

Efecto de la densidad de aves en jaula y energía alimentaria en la producción y calidad de huevo en gallinas Bovans

El efecto de la densidad de jaula y energía alimentaria en la productividad de la gallina es variable, requiriendo su constante evaluación para optimizar la producción de huevo en nuevas líneas genéticas. Por ello el objetivo del estudio fue evaluar su efecto en la producción de gallinas Bovans (35 semanas de edad) en un estudio de sesenta días. Los animales fueron asignados aleatoriamente a dos densidades (550 o 800 cm2 /ave) y energía alimentaria (2,918 vs 2,870 kcal de energía metabolizable /kg). Reducir la densidad incrementó el consumo (110.18 vs 107.62 g/día), sin afectar la producción de huevo (83.7 vs 82.5%) y su masa (P > 0.05). Pero la energía no tuvo efecto, directo o interactivo, sobre las variables. En conclusión, la gallina Bovans mejora su productividad al reducir la densidad. The effect of cage density and feed energy on hen performance is a variable item, requiring its frequent assessment for optimal egg yield of new breeds. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate their effect on Bovans layers (35 weeks of age) production during a sixty days trial. Animals were randomly assigned to two cage densities (550 or 800 cm2 /hen) and feed energy (2,918 vs 2,870 kcal of metabolizable energy /kg). Reducing the cage density increased intake (110.18 vs 107.62 g/day), without affecting egg production (83.7 vs 82.5%) and egg mass (P > 0.05). But, energy had no, direct or interactive, effect on the variables. In conclusion, laying Bovans hens exhibited superior performance by reducing cage density

<i>Allium</i>-Based Phytobiotic for Laying Hens’ Supplementation: Effects on Productivity, Egg Quality, and Fecal Microbiota

The poultry industry is constantly demanding novel strategies to improve the productivity and health status of hens, prioritizing those based on the holistic use of natural resources. This study aimed to assess the effects of an Allium-based phytobiotic on productivity, egg quality, and fecal microbiota of laying hens. One hundred and ninety-two 14-week-old Lohmann Lite LSL hens were allocated into an experimental farm, fed with a commercial concentrate with and without the Allium-based phytobiotic, and challenged against Salmonella. Productivity, egg quality, and fecal microbiota were monitored for 20 weeks. Results showed that the phytobiotic caused an increase on the number of eggs laid (p p p > 0.05), although yolk color was decreased. Fecal microbiota structure was also modified, indicating a modulation of the gut microbiota by increasing the presence of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes but reducing Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla. Predicted changes in the functional profiles of fecal microbiota suggest alterations in metabolic activities that could be responsible for the improvement and maintenance of productivity and egg quality when the phytobiotic was supplemented; thus, Allium-based phytobiotic has a major impact on the performance of laying hens associated with a possible gut microbiota modulation

Bacterial Succession through the Artisanal Process and Seasonal Effects Defining Bacterial Communities of Raw-Milk Adobera Cheese Revealed by High Throughput DNA Sequencing

The bacterial community of the artisanal Adobera cheese from Los Altos de Jalisco was described through high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene libraries. Samples were collected in two different seasons (dry and rainy) during four key steps of the manufacturing process (raw milk, fresh curd, matured curd, and cheese). Bacterial diversity was higher in early steps in comparison with the final elaboration stages. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla, strongly represented by the Streptococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacillaceae families, and core bacteria genera such as Streptococcus spp., Lactococcus spp., and Lactobacillus spp. Undesirable bacteria, including Pseudomonas spp. and Acinetobacter spp., were also detected in raw milk but almost undetectable at the end of the cheese manufacturing process, and seemed to be displaced by lactic-acid bacteria-related genera. Seasonal effects were observed on the community structure but did not define the core microbiota composition. Predictive metabolism was related to membrane transport, and amino-acid, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism pathways. Our results contribute to deduce the role of bacteria involved in Adobera cheese manufacturing in terms of the metabolism involved, cheese microbial safety, and how undesirable bacterial populations could be regulated by process standardization as a potential tool to improve safety