Exogenous Enzymes Influenced -Induced Changes in Cecal Fermentation Profile and Gene Expression of Nutrient Transporters in Broiler Chickens.

Two 21-day experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of exogenous enzymes on growth performance, tight junctions, and nutrient transporters, jejunal oligosaccharides and cecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) of broiler chickens challenged with mixed . Two different basal diets: high fiber-adequate protein (HFAP; Expt. 1) or low fiber-low protein (LFLP; Expt. 2) were used in the two experiments. In each experiment, birds were allocated to four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (with or without protease and xylanase combination; with or without challenge). In Expt. 1, with HFAP diets, upregulated ( < 0.05) the expression of claudin-1, but downregulated ( < 0.05) glucose transporters GLUT2/GLUT5. On the contrary, enzymes downregulated ( < 0.05) claudin-1 and alleviated the -depressed GLUT2/GLUT5 expression. In both experiments, decreased ( < 0.05) cecal saccharolytic SCFA and increased ( < 0.05) cecal branched-chain fatty acids. The challenge × enzyme interaction ( < 0.05) showed that enzymes reversed the effects on fermentation pattern shift. In conclusion, altered tight junctions and nutrient transporters expression promoted cecal proteolytic fermentation and inhibited saccharolytic fermentation. Exogenous enzymes showed the potential of alleviating the -induced intestinal gene expression changes and reversing the unfavorable cecal fermentation pattern.