| Summary: | This study was performed to investigate the differential expression of eight immunity genes and the bacterial profiles in the caecum of growing chickens challenged with <i>Salmonella enterica</i> serovar Enteritidis (SE) at 1 and 23 days post inoculation (dpi) in response to SE infection at 19 days of age and administration of the phytobiotic Intebio. Following infection, the genes <i>CASP6</i> and <i>IRF7</i> were upregulated by greater than twofold. Chicks fed Intebio showed at 1 dpi upregulation of <i>AvBD10</i>, <i>IL6</i>, <i>IL8L2</i>, <i>CASP6</i> and <i>IRF7</i>. At 23 dpi, expression of <i>AvBD11</i>, <i>IL6</i>, <i>IL8L2</i>, <i>CASP6</i> and <i>IRF7</i> lowered in the experiment subgroups as compared with the control. Examination of the caecal contents at 1 dpi demonstrated a significant decrease in the microbial biodiversity in the infected subgroup fed normal diet. Bacterial content of <i>Lactobacillus</i> and <i>Bacillus</i> declined, while that of <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i> rose. In the infected subgroup fed Intebio, a pronounced change in composition of the microflora was not observed. In the early infection stages, the phytobiotic seemed to promote response to infection. Subsequently, an earlier suppression of the inflammatory reaction took place in chickens fed Intebio. Thus, use of Intebio as a drug with phytobiotic activity in chickens, including those infected with <i>Salmonella</i>, proved to be promising.
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