chicken gut metagenome Raw sequence reads

After ban of antibiotics growth promoters (AGP) in Europe in 2006, use of non-medicated gut microbiota regulators as feed additives has dramatically increased. This study aimed at describing the effects of a copper-exchanged zeolite on broiler growth performance, small intestine morphology and microbiota composition. Illumina Sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was employed to study the small intestine microbiota. This microbiota with copper-exchanged zeolite treat-ed-chickens was significantly less diverse with an almost exclusive presence of Lacto-bacillus johnsonii and Lactobacillus reuteri. These Lactobacilli correlated with in-creased diameter, length and weight of the three segments of the small intestine and decreased viscosity of the intestinal content, suggesting probiotic action. The tested copper-exchanged zeolite would act as a prebiotic, selecting a “favorable” flora for the healthy broilers development.