Embryonic thermal manipulation improved early cecal microbial diversity, metabolic pathways, and immunity in broiler chickens

Gut microbiota regulates broilers' gastrointestinal functions, digestion, metabolism, and immune responses. Modulating the microbiota in the early stage could present a promising approach for the poultry industry. Embryonic thermal manipulation (TM) constitutes a promising strategy for sustainable broiler production. Our previous research has yielded significant insights into the impact of TM on embryonic thermotolerance, metabolism, post-hatch growth performance, microbial diversity, and immunity. This follow-up study utilized a subset of birds from our previous study to investigate the effects of TM on early cecal microbiota composition, metabolic pathways, and ileum immunity-related genes.

肠道菌群（Gut microbiota）可调控肉鸡的胃肠道功能、消化过程、代谢活动与免疫应答。早期调控肠道菌群有望为家禽养殖业提供极具潜力的可行策略。胚胎热操控（Embryonic thermal manipulation, TM）是助力肉鸡可持续生产的有效手段。本团队此前的研究已围绕胚胎热操控对胚胎耐热性、代谢过程、出雏后生长性能、菌群多样性及免疫功能的影响取得了重要研究成果。本后续研究选取此前研究中的部分肉鸡样本，旨在探究胚胎热操控对肉鸡早期盲肠菌群组成、代谢通路以及回肠免疫相关基因的影响。