| Summary: | This study aimed to understand the effect of <i>C. jejuni</i> challenge on the cecal microbiota and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration to form a better understanding of the host–pathogen interaction. Sixty broilers were randomly allocated into two treatments: control and challenge. Each treatment was replicated in six pens with five birds per pen. On day 21, birds in the challenge group were orally gavaged with 1 × 10<sup>8</sup><i>C. jejuni/</i>mL, while the control group was mock challenged with PBS. The <i>C. jejuni</i> challenge had no effect on body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio compared to the control group. On day 28, the <i>C. jejuni</i> challenge decreased the observed features and Shannon index compared to the control group. On the species level, the <i>C. jejuni</i> challenge decreased (<i>p</i> = 0.02) the relative abundance of <i>Sellimonas intestinalis</i> on day 28 and increased (<i>p</i> = 0.04) the relative abundance of <i>Faecalibacterium sp002160895</i> on day 35 compared to the control group. The <i>C. jejuni</i> challenge did not change the microbial function and the cecal concentrations of SCFA on days 28 and 35 compared to the control group. In conclusion, <i>C. jejuni</i> might alter the gut microbiota’s composition and diversity without significantly compromising broilers’ growth.
|
|---|