Abstract
Ascites syndrome (AS) is a metabolic disease that seriously affects the growth and development of broiler chickens. Intestinal microbiota play a significant role in the growth of broiler chickens. Therefore, further research on the relationship between AS and intestinal microbiota will help to better understand the impact of AS on broiler growth. In this study, 0.2% sodium chloride was added to the drinking water, which induced AS in broiler chickens, and we detected the influence of AS on the growth performance and cecal microbiota of broiler chickens. The results showed that AS significantly reduced the cecal microbial diversity of broiler chickens and affected the cecal microbial composition at the phylum and genus levels (p = 0.05). Further, LEfSe analysis revealed that AS significantly increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes (p = 0.035) while simultaneously reducing the abundance of Actinobacteria (p = 0.031) in the cecum. Additionally, the differential metabolites associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation were significantly diminished. The findings suggest that AS may further impact the growth rate of broiler chickens by altering cecal microorganisms.