AUTHOR=Li Guangquan , Wang Xianze , Liu Yi , Gong Shaoming , Yang Yunzhou , Wang Cui , Wang Huiying , He Daqian 

TITLE=Bile acids supplementation modulates lipid metabolism, intestinal function, and cecal microbiota in geese

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1185218

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1185218

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=This study aimed to investigate the effects of adding bile acids (BAs) to goose feed on growth performance, lipid metabolism, intestinal morphology, mucosal barrier function, and cecal microbiota. A total of 168 28-day-old geese were randomly assigned to four treatment groups and fed diets supplemented with 0, 75, 150, or 300 mg/kg of BAs for 28 days. The addition of 75 and 150 mg/kg of BAs significantly increased the feed conversion ratio (P<0.05). Regarding lipid metabolism, the addition of BAs decreased abdominal fat percentage and serum total cholesterol levels, with 150 mg/kg of BAs significantly reducing serum triglyceride levels (P<0.05), and 300 mg/kg of BAs significantly increasing the expression level of liver peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARɑ) (P<0.05). In terms of intestinal morphology and mucosal barrier function, 150 mg/kg of BAs significantly increased villus height (VH) and VH/crypt depth (CD) in the jejunum (P<0.05). The addition of 150 and 300 mg/kg of BAs significantly reduced the CD in the ileum, while increasing VH and VH/CD (P<0.05). Additionally, the addition of 150 and 300 mg/kg of BAs significantly increased the expression levels of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin in the jejunum. Regarding cecal microbiota, supplementation with BAs resulted in a significant increase in the ɑ-diversity of cecal microbiota and a decrease in the abundance of Proteobacteria in the cecum. The addition of 150 mg/kg of BAs significantly reduced the abundance of Bacteroidetes and increased the abundance of Firmicutes. Moreover, Lefse analysis showed that the abundances of bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and bile salt hydrolases (BSH) were increased in the BAs-treated group. Furthermore, Spearman's analysis showed that the genus Balutia, which is negatively correlated with visceral fat area, was positively correlated with serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), while Clostridium was positively correlated with intestinal VH and VH/CD. In conclusion, BAs can be considered an effective feed additive for geese, as they improve lipid metabolism and intestinal health by enhancing the intestinal mucosal barrier, improving intestinal morphology, and altering the cecal microbiota structure.