Abstract
The use of natural products as feed additives in the poultry industry is increasing; however, most studies focus on performance and growth with little regard for determining mechanism. Our laboratory designed a chicken (Gallus gallus)-specific immunometabolic kinome peptide array. Using this tool to examine the active enzymes responsible for phosphorylation events (kinases) provides important information on host and cellular functions. The objective of this project was to determine if feeding a microencapsulated product comprised of a blend of organic acids and botanicals (AviPlus®P) impacts the intestinal kinome of broiler chickens (Gallus gallus). Day-of-hatch chicks were provided 0 or 500g/MT of the additive and jejunal and ileal segments collected for kinome analysis to determine the mode-of-action of the additive. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis was performed by uploading the statistically significant peptides to the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes database. As a whole, GO and KEGG analysis showed similar activities in the ileum and jejunum. However, there were a small number of KEGG pathways that were only activated in either the ileum or jejunum, but not both. Analysis of the adipocytokine and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways showed differences between ileal and jejunal activity that were controlled, in part, by AKT3. Additionally, cytokine/chemokine evaluation showed the ileum had higher IL1β, IL6, IL10, TNFα, IFNγ, CXCL8, and CCL4 mRNA expression levels (P<0.05). As a whole, the data showed the addition of microencapsulated organic acids and botanicals to a broiler diet activated many of the same signaling pathways in the ileum and jejunum; however, distinctions were observed. Taken together, the findings of this study begin to define the mode-of-action that microencapsulated organic acids and botanicals have on two important intestinal segments responsible for nutrient digestion and absorption in chickens.