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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2000, p. 2536-2540, Vol. 66, No. 6
0099-2240/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Role of Volatile Fatty Acids in Development of the Cecal Microflora in Broiler Chickens during Growth

Paul W. J. J. van der Wielen,1,* Steef Biesterveld,1 Servé Notermans,2 Harm Hofstra,2 Bert A. P. Urlings,1 and Frans van Knapen1

Centre for Veterinary Public Health and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht,1 and TNO-Nutrition, Zeist,2 The Netherlands

Received 27 March 2000/Accepted 5 April 2000

It is known that volatile fatty acids can inhibit growth of species of the family Enterobacteriaceae in vitro. However, whether these volatile fatty acids affect bacterial populations in the ceca of chickens is unknown. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate if changes in volatile fatty acids in ceca of broiler chickens during growth affect bacterial populations. Results showed that members of the Enterobacteriaceae and enterococci are present in large numbers in 3-day-old broilers and start to decrease when broilers grow older. Lactobacilli are present in large numbers as well in 3-day-old broilers, but they remain stable during the growth of broilers. Acetate, butyrate, and propionate increase from undetectable levels in 1-day-old broilers to high concentrations in 15-day-old broilers, after which they stabilize. Significant negative correlations could be calculated between numbers of Enterobacteriaceae and concentrations of undissociated acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Furthermore, pure cultures of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from the ceca were grown in the presence of volatile fatty acids. Growth rates and maximal optical density decreased when these strains grew in the presence of increasing volatile fatty acid concentrations. It is concluded that volatile fatty acids are responsible for the reduction in numbers of Enterobacteriaceae in the ceca of broiler chickens during growth.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: CVVM, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80175, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands. Phone: 31 30 253 33 79. Fax: 31 30 253 23 65. E-mail: wielen{at}vvdo.vet.uu.nl.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2000, p. 2536-2540, Vol. 66, No. 6
0099-2240/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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