Aikebaier Reheman: College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China.
Zhichao Wang: Engineering Laboratory of Tarim Animal Diseases Diagnosis and Control, Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps, Alar 843300, China.
Ruihuan Gao: Engineering Laboratory of Tarim Animal Diseases Diagnosis and Control, Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps, Alar 843300, China. ORCID
Jiang He: Engineering Laboratory of Tarim Animal Diseases Diagnosis and Control, Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps, Alar 843300, China.
Juncheng Huang: Key Laboratory of Livestock and Forage Resources Utilization around Tarim, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China.
Changqing Shi: Key Laboratory of Livestock and Forage Resources Utilization around Tarim, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China.
Meng Qi: College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China.
Xinwei Feng: College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China.
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 ( = 0.05). Further, LEfSe analysis revealed that AS significantly increased the abundance of ( = 0.035) while simultaneously reducing the abundance of ( = 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.
