gut metagenome Raw sequence reads

The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes in pathogenic microorganisms have resulted in many countries restricting the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feed. The combined use of essential oils and organic acids can help maintain intestinal health, improve animal growth performance, and alleviate the negative effects of banned antibiotics for certain economically important animals. Although the modes of action for the combined dietary supplementation of essential oils and organic acids such as thymol-citric acid (EOA1) and thymol-butyric acid (EOA2) remain unclear, it is speculated that their activities are achieved through beneficial modulation of gastrointestinal microbial communities and inhibition of pathogen growth. In this study, 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing was used to analyze the effects of treatment with EOA1 and EOA2 on the jejunal, cecal, and fecal microbial communities of Cobb broilers while also evaluating effects over different broiler ages.