Bile acids alleviate intestinal inflammation by modulating gut microbiota composition in LPS-challenged broilers

Previous research has identified bile acids (BAs) as a valuable supplement for animal feed, especially in the poultry industry. However, there is limited research on the use of bile acids as a preventative measure against intestinal inflammation in broilers. This study aims to investigate the impact of dietary BAs on LPS-triggered intestinal inflammation in broilers. 180 Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into four group: (1) broilers receiving a standard diet (Con group); (2) broilers from the Con category subjected to LPS challenge (LPS group); (3) broilers on a diet supplemented with BAs compound and exposed to LPS (BA+LPS group); and (4) broilers on a diet enriched with lithocholic acid (LCA) and challenged with LPS (LCA + LPS group).The results showed that the LPS challenge caused a notable rise in liver mass, plasma AST concentrations, and levels of inflammatory cytokines (P < 0.05). BAs compounds or LCA improved intestinal morphological damage, inflammation response and bile acid metabolism (P < 0.05). Furthermore, analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that supplementation with BAs compounds or LCA mitigated the reduction in bacterial diversity, while also increasing the abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) associated with Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium. Additionally, the increased abundance of Candidatus_Arthromitus due to BAs compound or LCA supplementation showed a significant negative correlation with the concentrations of intestinal inflammatory cytokines (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the supplementation of BAs compound or LCA has the potential to alleviate intestinal inflammation and regulate gut microbiota in broilers subjected to LPS challenge.