Abstract: Aeriscardovia aeriphila, also known asBifidobacterium aerophilum, was first isolated from the caecal contents of pigs and the faeces of cotton-top tamarin.Bifidobacterium species play important roles in preventing intestinal infections, decreasing cholesterol levels, and stimulating the immune system. In this study, we isolated a strain of bacteria from the duodenal contents of broiler chickens, which was identified asA. aeriphila, and then evaluated the effects ofA. aeriphila on growth performance, antioxidant functions, immune functions, and gut microbiota in commercial broiler chickens. Chickens were orally gavaged withA. aeriphila (1×10⁹ CFU/mL) for 21 d. The results showed thatA. aeriphila treatment significantly increased the average daily gain and reduced the feed conversion ratio (P<0.001). The levels of serum growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were significantly increased followingA. aeriphila treatment (P<0.05). Blood urea nitrogen and aspartate aminotransferase levels were decreased, whereas glucose and creatinine levels increased as a result ofA. aeriphila treatment. Furthermore, the levels of serum antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (P<0.01), superoxide dismutase (P<0.001), and glutathione peroxidase (P<0.05), and total antioxidant capacity (P<0.05) were enhanced followingA. aeriphila treatment.A. aeriphila treatment significantly increased the levels of serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) (P<0.05), IgG (P<0.01), IgM (P<0.05), interleukin-1 (IL-1) (P<0.05), IL-4 (P<0.05), and IL-10 (P<0.05). The broiler chickens in theA. aeriphila group had higher secretory IgA (SIgA) levels in the duodenum (P<0.01), jejunum (P<0.001), and cecum (P<0.001) than those in the control group. The messenger RNA (mRNA) relative expression levels ofIL-10 (P<0.05) andIL-4 (P<0.001) in the intestinal mucosa of chickens were increased, while nuclear factor-‍κB (NF‍-‍κB) (P<0.001) expression was decreased in theA. aeriphila group compared to the control group. Phylum-level analysis revealed Firmicutes as the main phylum, followed by Bacteroidetes, in both groups. The data also found thatPhascolarctobacterium andBarnesiella were increased inA. aeriphila-treated group. In conclusion, oral administration ofA. aeriphila could improve the growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, immune modulation, and gut health of broilers. Our findings may provide important information for the application ofA. aeriphila in poultry production.

Key words: Chicken; Aeriscardovia aeriphila; Gut health; Microbiome; Immune function

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