The digestive tract of poultry is pivotal in maintaining its health and welfare. It does not only constitute the protective intestinal barrier, but also has the function of absorbing nutrients from food. Digestive tract is a complex and dynamic ecosystem composed of feed (chyme), microbial community and host mucosa. Regrettably, the research on digestive tract microbes of poultry are relatively underdeveloped compared with those in human, pigs and even ruminants. However, the rapid development of microbiome technology provides hope of accelerated understanding of the true composition and function of the digestive tract microbes of poultry.
This Research Topic aims to reveal the composition of the digestive tract microbes in poultry, their development, and their (including their metabolites’) interaction with hosts, in order to provide effective targeted regulation strategies for healthy growth of poultry. We welcome submissions of Original Research, Review and Mini Review on the subtopics below:
(1) Development pattern of the digestive tract microbes of poultry
To study the composition, colonization and development pattern of the digestive tract microbes of poultry at different ages, stages of production, environments and disease conditions, etc., to identify the dominant or key functional bacteria that play the main physiological role under different conditions.
(2) Digestive tract microbes and host metabolism
To study the relationship between the digestive tract microbes and host physiological metabolism of poultry, such as digestion and absorption of nutrients, reproductive development, immune response and so on, to reveal the mechanism underlying the interaction between the digestive tract microbes and host metabolism; to elucidate the new mechanism of the digestive tract microbes and their metabolites on productive performance, body health, product quality and their flavor of poultry.
(3) Targeted regulation of the digestive tract microbes
To isolate and screen the specific strains affecting the health and production of poultry to develop dedicated probiotics or prebiotics for poultry; to develop new feed additives, feeding management technologies, etc. with digestive tract microbes and their metabolites as targets.
The digestive tract of poultry is pivotal in maintaining its health and welfare. It does not only constitute the protective intestinal barrier, but also has the function of absorbing nutrients from food. Digestive tract is a complex and dynamic ecosystem composed of feed (chyme), microbial community and host mucosa. Regrettably, the research on digestive tract microbes of poultry are relatively underdeveloped compared with those in human, pigs and even ruminants. However, the rapid development of microbiome technology provides hope of accelerated understanding of the true composition and function of the digestive tract microbes of poultry.
This Research Topic aims to reveal the composition of the digestive tract microbes in poultry, their development, and their (including their metabolites’) interaction with hosts, in order to provide effective targeted regulation strategies for healthy growth of poultry. We welcome submissions of Original Research, Review and Mini Review on the subtopics below:
(1) Development pattern of the digestive tract microbes of poultry
To study the composition, colonization and development pattern of the digestive tract microbes of poultry at different ages, stages of production, environments and disease conditions, etc., to identify the dominant or key functional bacteria that play the main physiological role under different conditions.
(2) Digestive tract microbes and host metabolism
To study the relationship between the digestive tract microbes and host physiological metabolism of poultry, such as digestion and absorption of nutrients, reproductive development, immune response and so on, to reveal the mechanism underlying the interaction between the digestive tract microbes and host metabolism; to elucidate the new mechanism of the digestive tract microbes and their metabolites on productive performance, body health, product quality and their flavor of poultry.
(3) Targeted regulation of the digestive tract microbes
To isolate and screen the specific strains affecting the health and production of poultry to develop dedicated probiotics or prebiotics for poultry; to develop new feed additives, feeding management technologies, etc. with digestive tract microbes and their metabolites as targets.
