Deoxycholic Acid Protects Chickens from Necrotic Enteritis by Inhibiting Pathobionts While Enriching Specific Lactic Acid Bacteria

Necrotic enteritis (NE), caused by Clostridium perfringens, poses significant economic challenges to the global poultry industry. A ban on in-feed antibiotics in livestock production in a growing number of countries underscores the need for alternative strategies to combat NE. Deoxycholic acid (DCA), a secondary bile acid with antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties, has shown promise in NE mitigation. In this study, we employed a 2 * 2 factorial design to investigate the protective mechanisms of DCA in healthy and NE-affected broiler chickens. Animal survival, weight gain, intestinal lesion, and the intestinal microbiome composition were assessed. Our results demonstrated that dietary supplementation of 1.5 g/kg DCA significantly increased animal survival, reversed growth inhibition, and alleviated intestinal lesions. Furthermore, DCA exhibited selective inhibition of C. perfringens colonization, accompanied by the enrichment of major lactic acid bacteria in both the ileum and cecum. These combined effects of DCA likely contribute to its protective efficacy against NE. Our findings highlight the potential of DCA as a promising antibiotic alternative for mitigating NE in chickens.