AUTHOR=Gong Li , Wang Baikui , Zhou Yuanhao , Tang Li , Zeng Zihan , Zhang Huihua , Li Weifen 

TITLE=Protective Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum 16 and Paenibacillus polymyxa 10 Against Clostridium perfringens Infection in Broilers

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.628374

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2020.628374

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of <italic>Lactobacillus plantarum</italic> 16 (Lac16) and <italic>Paenibacillus polymyx</italic>a 10 (BSC10) against <italic>Clostridium perfringens</italic> (Cp) infection in broilers. A total of 720 one-day-old chicks were randomly divided into four groups. The control and Cp group were only fed a basal diet, while the two treatment groups received basal diets supplemented with Lac16 (1 × 10<sup>8</sup> cfu·kg<sup>−1</sup>) and BSC10 (1 × 10<sup>8</sup> cfu·kg<sup>−1</sup>) for 21 days, respectively. On day 1 and days 14 to 20, birds except those in the control group were challenged with 1 × 10<sup>8</sup> cfu <italic>C. perfringens</italic> type A strain once a day. The results showed that both Lac16 and BSC10 could ameliorate intestinal structure damage caused by <italic>C. perfringens</italic> infection. <italic>C. perfringens</italic> infection induced apoptosis by increasing the expression of Bax and <italic>p53</italic> and decreasing Bcl-2 expression and inflammation evidence by higher levels of <italic>IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-1β</italic>, <italic>iNOS</italic>, and <italic>IL-10</italic> in the ileum mucosa, and NO production in jejunal mucosa, which was reversed by Lac16 and BSC10 treatment except for <italic>IL-1β</italic> (<italic>P &lt;</italic> 0.05). Besides, the two probiotics restored the intestinal microbiota imbalance induced by <italic>C. perfringens</italic> infection, characterized by the reduced <italic>Firmicutes</italic> and <italic>Proteobacteria</italic> and the increased <italic>Bacteroidetes</italic> at the phyla level and decreased <italic>Bacteroides fragilis</italic> and <italic>Gallibacterium anatis</italic> at the genus level. The two probiotics also reversed metabolic pathways of the microbiota in <italic>C. perfringens</italic>-infected broilers, including B-vitamin biosynthesis, peptidoglycan biosynthesis, and pyruvate fermentation to acetate and lactate II pathway. In conclusion, Lac16 and BSC10 can effectively protect broilers against <italic>C. perfringens</italic> infection through improved composition and metabolic pathways of the intestinal microbiota, intestinal structure, inflammation, and anti-apoptosis.</p>