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May 16, 2026Open Access

Efficacy and safety evaluation of artificial intelligence-identified antimicrobial peptides targeting avian pathogenic Escherichia coli in broiler chickens

EDEmre DemirsoyBC Cancer Agency TPTeagan I ParkinUniversity of Victoria SMShaeleen E MihalynukUniversity of Victoria

Key Points

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of artificial intelligence-identified antimicrobial peptides against avian pathogenic E. coli in broiler chickens.
Machine learning-guided screening of 875 AMPs to identify candidates with activity against APEC.
In vivo trials involved in ovo injection of AMPs, followed by APEC challenge and monitoring for body weight and cytokine levels.
Evaluation in a commercial setting for 35 days to observe growth performance and survival rates.
TeBi1 (10 μg/egg) significantly reduced APEC culture-positive rates and increased body weight by 50%.
TeRu4 (20 μg/egg) increased female bird survival probability by 4.9% by day 35.
No significant differences in mean weights, feed conversion ratio, or flock uniformity on day 35.

Abstract

Abstract Background The overuse of antibiotics in both veterinary and human medicine has resulted in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, prompting a search for effective alternatives. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short, often cationic, peptide-based molecules with antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activity, which makes them promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics in poultry production. Results From a prior machine-learning-guided screen of 875 candidate AMPs against a wide bacterial panel, 62 exhibited activity against avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and low in vitro hemolytic and cytotoxic activity. We selected three lead AMPs from this list (named TeRu4, TeBi1, and PeNi4), and evaluated their in vitro and in vivo efficacy, safety, and immunomodulatory potential for use in poultry farming. In animal experiments, AMPs were administered via in ovo injection on d 18 of embryonic development. In APEC challenge trials, yolk sacs were inoculated with APEC post-hatch to assess early chick mortality, while in pen trials, birds were raised in a commercial production setting for 35 d. For challenged birds, TeBi1 (10 μg/egg) significantly reduced culture-positive rates for APEC in the air sac and pericardium, increased body weight by 50% and reduced cytokine transcript levels by 10%–30% on d 7 post hatch. In HD11 chicken macrophage-like cultured cells, TeRu4 (16 μg/mL) suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine transcript levels. In pen trials, TeRu4 (20 μg/egg) increased the survival probability of female birds by 4.9%, while TeBi1 (20 μg/egg) increased the survival probability of all birds by 4.4%, by d 35. Gene expression analysis revealed AMP- and sex-specific cytokine responses. In pen trials, no significant differences were observed in mean weights, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and flock uniformity on d 35. By integrating high-throughput in ovo automation with large-scale commercial pen trials, this study provides a systematic translational bridge from in silico AI discovery to field-relevant poultry production interventions. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that TeBi1 and TeRu4 are promising antibiotic alternatives that improve survival, modulate immune responses, and maintain normal growth performance in broiler chickens in this experimental setting.

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