Butyric acid is a beneficial feed additive used in animal production, including poultry production. However, there are few reports on
butyric acid as a prophylactic treatment against intestinal
inflammation in broilers. The current study explored the effect of
sodium butyrate (SB) as a prophylactic treatment on the intestinal health and gut microbiota of broilers with intestinal
inflammation induced by
dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) by monitoring changes in intestinal histopathology, gut leakiness indicators, inflammatory
cytokines, and gut microbiota composition.
Sodium butyrate supplementation prior to DSS administration significantly reduced the lesion scores of intestinal
bleeding (P < 0.05) and increased villus height and the total mucosa of the ileum (P < 0.05). Regardless of intestinal
inflammation, supplementation with SB at 300 mg/kg significantly decreased the levels of D (-)-
lactate (P < 0.05),
interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β (P < 0.05) but increased the level of
interleukin-10 (P < 0.05). The SB treatment did not affect the alpha diversity of intestinal microbiota during intestinal
inflammation progression but altered their composition, and the microbial community structure of treated broilers was similar to that of control broilers. Taken together, our results reveal the importance of SB in improving intestinal development, inducing an anti-inflammatory effect during intestinal
inflammation progression, and modulating the microbial community in broilers.
Sodium butyrate seems to be optimized for anti-inflammatory effects at higher doses (300 mg/kg SB).