Bacillus subtilis-based probiotic improves skeletal health and immunity in broiler chickens exposed to heat stress: An updated review

Authors: JIANG, SHA - Southwest University; YAN, FEIFEI - Zhejiang A & F University; HU, JIAYING - Purdue University; MOHAMMED, AHMED - Assiut University; Cheng, Heng Wei

Submitted to: Animals
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/11/2021
Publication Date: 5/21/2021
Citation: Jiang, S., Yan, F., Hu, J., Mohammed, A.A., Cheng, H. 2021. Bacillus subtilis-based probiotic improves skeletal health and immunity in broiler chickens exposed to heat stress: An updated review. Animals. 11(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061494.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061494

Interpretive Summary: High ambient temperature is a major environmental stressor affecting physiological and behavioral status of animals, increasing stress susceptibility and immunosuppression, consequently increasing intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and related neuroinflammation. Probiotics as well as prebiotics and synbiotics have been used to prevent or decrease stress-associated detrimental effects on physiological and behavioral homeostasis in humans and various animals. The current data indicate that a dietary probiotic supplementation, Bacillus subtilis, reduces heat stress-induced abnormal behaviors and negative effects on skeletal health in broilers via a variety of cellular responses to regulate microbiota-gut-brain function and or microbiota-modulated immunity during bone remodeling under both thermoneutral and heat stressed conditions. The findings provide insights for poultry meat producers and scientists to develop novel management strategies for increasing broiler health and welfare.

Technical Abstract: Ambient temperature elevated beyond the thermoneutral zone leads to heat stress, which is a growing health and welfare issue for homeothermic animals to maintain a relative constant reproducibility and survivability. Particularly, global warming over the past decades has resulted in more hot days with more intense, frequent, and long-lasting heat waves, resulting in a surge globally in animals suffering from heat stress. Heat stress causes pathophysiological changes in animals, increasing stress sensitivity and immunosuppression, consequently leading to increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and related neuroinflammation. Probiotics as well as prebiotics and synbiotics have been used to prevent or reduce stress-induced negative effects on physiological and behavioral homeostasis in humans and various animals. The current data indicate dietary supplementation of Bacillus subtilis-based probiotic has similar functions in poultry. The review highlights the recent findings the effects of the probiotic, Bacillus subtilis, on skeletal health of broiler chickens exposed to heat stress. It provides insights for developing practice strategies for improving health and performance in poultry.