ISSUE FOCUS 32 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE July 2025 YEAST POSTBIOTIC’S PROVEN CONSISTENT EFFECTS Preserving Gut Health Numerous studies have shown that Safmannan®, a premium quality yeast postbiotic, has positive impact on the preservation of the broiler’s gut barrier and the reduction of Clostridium perfringens load in the intestinal tract, under various challenging conditions including heat stress challenge. The intestinal environment represents a critical interface between nutrition and health. When this environment is compromised due to heat stress, it creates a pathway for pathogens to proliferate, leading to inflammation and reduced nutrient absorption. Maintaining physiological balance at the gut level is therefore essential for efficient feed conversion and growth in commercial poultry operations. Cheng et al. observed that Safmannan® has the ability to help heat stressed-birds preserving their gut barrier and function, by increasing Mucin 2 secretion – main component of mucus, and gut tight junction proteins such as claudin-5. The same effects have been observed by Bungo et al. Birds in Safmannan® group, challenged by heat stress, exhibiting significant higher levels of Mucin 2 and claudin-5, compared to the ones in both non-challenged group and heat stress-challenged group (Figure 1 and 2). This indicates that Safmannan® helps preserve the birds’ gut barrier integrity and proper function under heat stress conditions. Reducing Clostridium Perfringens Load Various environmental and management factors can disrupt homeostasis in poultry, with heat stress being particularly problematic in many regions. When birds experience heat stress, they activate physiological mechanisms to dissipate heat, which often comes at the expense of productive functions. The resulting imbalance can lead to reduced feed intake, impaired gut function, and increased susceptibility to pathogens like C. perfringens. Modern poultry production requires a deep understanding of these biological mechanisms to implement effective interventions. By supporting natNegative control 1.00b Index vs Negative Control 2 1,5 1 0,5 0 0.69b 1.65a Heat stress P < 0.05 Safmannan® with heat stress Negative control 1.00a Index vs Negative Control 1,2 1 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,2 0 0.51b 0.95a Heat stress P < 0.05 Safmannan® with heat stress Figure 2. Tight junction protein Claudin-5 at D21 Figure 1. Mucosal gene expression - Mucin 2 at D21 Photo: Phileo by Lesaffre
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