Effect of potassium diformate on intestinal flora of chickens

Extensive studies have shown that potassium diformate (KDF), an antibiotics substitute used in feed additives, improve the animal growth performance, but there is less direct evidence of its preventive effect on bacterial infections and influence on the intestinal flora of animals. In this study, the inhibition effect of KDF on Salmonella pullorum, an important enteric pathogen causing pullorum disease, was investigated in vitro and on a chicken infection model. The effect of KDF on the diversities and structures of chicken duodenal and cecum flora were also investigated using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that addition of 0.5% KDF in feed or 0.1% KDF in drinking water significantly reduced the bacterial loads and the degree of pathological changes in the cecum, improved digestion and reduced the pH of the gastrointestinal tract of chickens in-fected with S. pullorum. Simultaneously, KDF significantly modified the diversity and abundance of intestinal microflora in chickens. Specially, it promoted the colonization of several probiotics such as Bacteroides, Blautia, Ruminococcus_torques_group and Faecalibacteriumm, which are in-volved in maintainence of the intestinal barrier, modulation of inflammation, energy supply for intestinal cells and pathogen resistance. These results enriched theoretical basis for the clinical application of KDF in chickens.