Dietary L-Methionine modulates the gut microbiota and improves the expression of tight junctions in an in vitro model of the chicken gastrointestinal tract

The poultry industry encounters a number of factors that affect growth performance and productivity; nutrition is essential for sustaining physiological status and protecting against stressors such as heat, density, and disease. The addition of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to the diet can help restore productivity and support the body’s defense mechanisms against stress. Methionine (Met) is indispensable for poultry’s energy metabolism, physiology, performance, and feed utilization capacity. Through this study, we aimed to examine the physiological effects of methionine supplementation on poultry as well as alterations of intestinal microbiome. We utilized the DL- and L- form of methionine on Caenorhabditis elegans and the FIMM (Fermentor for intestine microbiota model) in-vitro digesting system. A genomic-analysis of the transcriptome confirmed that methionine supplementation can modulate growth-related physiological metabolic pathways and immune responses in the host poultry. The C. elegans model was used to assess the general health benefits of a methionine supplement for the host. Regardless of the type or concentration of methionine, supplementation with methionine significantly increased the lifespan of C. elegans. Feed grade L-Methionine 95