Magnesium Hydride Improves Chicken Gut Health and Beneficial Bacteria
- Authors
- Heng Hu, He Zhu, Haiyan Yang, Wen Yao, Weijiang Zheng
- Journal
- Frontiers in Microbiology
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1175858
- Study Type
- Chicken
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Gut Dysbiosis
- Body System
- Digestive
TL;DR
Adding magnesium hydride (MGH) and its coated form (CMG) to broiler chicken feed changes the gut bacteria and chemical compounds in beneficial ways, potentially improving chicken health and growth.
Key Finding
Magnesium hydride increased hydrogen gas and beneficial short-chain fatty acid production while reducing ammonia and pathogenic bacteria in a laboratory model of chicken gut fermentation.
Summary
Researchers tested magnesium hydride (a substance that produces hydrogen gas when it reacts with water) as a potential feed additive for chickens by simulating what happens in a chicken's digestive system in a laboratory dish. After 48 hours, magnesium hydride increased hydrogen gas production and beneficial short-chain fatty acids (compounds that support gut health), while reducing ammonia and harmful bacteria like Shigella. A coated version of the additive had similar but slightly different effects, increasing certain beneficial bacteria and acids.
Practical Takeaway
This laboratory study suggests magnesium hydride may have potential as a chicken feed additive to support gut health, but it was conducted only in a test-tube model of chicken digestion, not in living birds. Further research in actual chickens would be needed to determine whether these laboratory benefits translate to real-world improvements in chicken health or production.
Abstract
Magnesium hydride (MGH), a highly promising hydrogen-producing substance/additive for hydrogen production through its hydrolysis reaction, has the potential to enhance broiler production. However, before incorporating MGH as a hydrogen-producing additive in broiler feed, it is crucial to fully understand its impact on microbiota and metabolites. In vitro fermentation models provide a fast, reproducible, and direct assessment tool for microbiota metabolism and composition. This study aims to investigate the effects of MGH and coated-magnesium hydride (CMG) on fermentation characteristics, as well as the microbiota and metabolome in the culture of in vitro fermentation using cecal inocula from broilers. After 48 h of incubation, it was observed that the presence of MGH had a significant impact on various factors. Specifically, the content of N-NH3 decreased, while the total hydrogen gas and total SCFAs increased. Furthermore, the presence of MGH promoted the abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria such as Ruminococcus, Blautia, Coprobacillus, and Dysgonomonas. On the other hand, the presence of CMG led to an increase in the concentration of lactic acid, acetic acid, and valeric acid. Additionally, CMG affected the diversity of microbiota in the culture, resulting in an enrichment of the relative abundance of Firmicutes, as well as genera of Lactobacillus, Coprococcus, and Eubacterium. Conversely, the relative abundance of the phylum Proteobacteria and pathogenic bacteria Shigella decreased. Metabolome analysis revealed that MGH and CMG treatment caused significant changes in 21 co-regulated metabolites, primarily associated with lipid, amino acid, benzenoids, and organooxygen compounds. Importantly, joint correlation analysis revealed that MGH or CMG treatments had a direct impact on the microbiota, which in turn indirectly influenced metabolites in the culture. In summary, the results of this study suggested that both MGH and coated-MGH have similar yet distinct positive effects on the microbiota and metabolites of the broiler cecal in an in vitro fermentation model.