Phytogenic feed additives alleviate pathogenic Escherichia coli-induced intestinal damage through improving barrier integrity and inhibiting inflammation in weaned pigs

Background:This study was conducted to investigate the effects of each phytogenic feed additive(PFA;PFA1,bitter citrus extract;PFA2,a microencapsulated blend of thymol and carvacrol;PFA3,a mixture of bitter citrus extract,thymol,and carvacrol;PFA4,a premixture of grape seed,grape marc extract,green tea,and hops;PFA5,fenugreek seed powder)on the growth performance,nutrient digestibility,intestinal morphology,and immune response in weaned pigs infected with Escherichia coli(E.coli).Results:A total of 634-week-old weaned pigs were placed in individual metabolic cages and assigned to seven treatment groups.The seven treatments were as follows:1)NC;basal diet without E.coli challenge,2)PC;basal diet with E.coli challenge,3)T1;PC+0.04%PFA1,4)T2;PC+0.01%PFA2,5)T3;PC+0.10%PFA3,6)T4;PC+0.04%PFA4,7)T5;PC+0.10%PFA5.The experiments lasted in 21 d,including 7 d before and 14 d after the first E.coli challenge.In the E.coli challenge treatments,all pigs were orally inoculated by dividing a total of 10 mL of E.coli F18 for 3 consecutive days.The PFA-added groups significantly increased(P<0.05)average daily gain and feed efficiency and decreased(P<0.05)the fecal score at d 0 to 14 post-inoculation(PI).Tumor necrosis factorαwas significantly lower(P<0.05)in the PFA-added groups except for T1 in d 14 PI compared to the PC treatment.The T3 had a higher(P<0.05)immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A concentration compared to the PC treatment at d 7 PI.Also,T3 showed significantly higher(P<0.05)villus height:crypt depth and claudin 1 expression in ileal mucosa,and significantly downregulated(P<0.05)the expression of calprotectin compared to the PC treatment.Conclusions:Supplementation of PFA in weaned pigs challenged with E.coli alleviated the negative effects of E.coli and improved growth performance.Among them,the mixed additive of bitter citrus extract,thymol,and carvacrol showed the most effective results,improving immune response,intestinal morphology,and expression of tight junctions.

Stimbiotic supplementation modulated intestinal inflammatory response and improved broilers performance in an experimentally-induced necrotic enteritis infection model

Background:Two experiments were conducted to establish an optimal NE challenge model and evaluate the efficacy of stimbiotic(STB)supplementation in necrotic enteritis(NE)challenged broilers.In Exp.1,a total of 120 Arbor Acres(AA)broilers(45.0±0.21 g)were randomly assigned to 6 treatments in a 3×2 factorial arrangement.Vaccine treatments included non-challenge(0),×10 the recommended dose(×10)or×20 the recommended dose(×20)by the manufacturer.Clostridium perfringens(CP)treatments were non-challenge(No)or 3 mL of 2.2×10^(7)CFU CP challenge(Yes).In Exp.2,a total of 72 AA broilers(40.17±0.27 g)were randomly assigned to 6 treatments in a 3×2 factorial arrangement.Dietary treatments included non-additive(CON),100 mg/kg STB(STB)and 100 mg/kg STB on top of a typical commercial blend including an essential oil,probiotics,and enzyme(CB).Challenge treatments included non-NE challenge(No)and NE challenge(Yes)as established in Exp.1.Results:In Exp.1,CP and vaccine challenge decreased(P<0.05)body weight(BW),body weight gain(BWG)and feed intake(FI),and increased(P<0.05)the number of broilers with diarrhea and intestinal lesions.The oral administration of×20 recommended dose of vaccines coupled with 3 mL of 2.2×10^(7)CFU CP resulted in(P<0.01)a significantly increased incidence of wet litter and intestinal lesions.Thus,this treatment was chosen as the challenge model for the successful inducement of NE in Exp.2.In Exp.2,the NE challenge negatively affected(P<0.01)growth performance,ileal morphology,immunoglobulin contents in blood,caecal microbiota in the caecum,footpad dermatitis,intestinal lesion scores,tumour necrosis factor(TNF-α)and endotoxin in the serum compared with the non-NE challenged birds.The supplementation of STB and CB in diets enhanced(P<0.05)growth performance,intestinal microbiota,and blood profiles by stimulating ileal morphology(VH and VH:CD)and propionate production in the cecum,and there were no differences in measured variables between STB and CB supplemented birds.Conclusion:Overall,these results indicate that STB supplementation was able to reduce the inflammatory response and improve the performance of NE challenged birds,and the supplementation of STB alone was as effective as a typical commercial blend containing a number of other additives.

The dynamics of the piglet gut microbiome during the weaning transition in association with health and nutrition

Background: Understanding the composition of the microbial community and its functional capacity during weaning is important for pig production as bacteria play important roles in the pig’s health and growth performance. However,limited information is available regarding the composition and function of the gut microbiome of piglets in early-life.Therefore, we performed 16 S rRNA gene and whole metagenome shotgun sequencing of DNA from fecal samples from healthy piglets during weaning to measure microbiome shifts, and to identify the potential contribution of the early-life microbiota in shaping piglet health with a focus on microbial stress responses, carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism.Results: The analysis of 16 S rR NA genes and whole metagenome shotgun sequencing revealed significant compositional and functional differences between the fecal microbiome in nursing and weaned piglets. The fecal microbiome of the nursing piglets showed higher relative abundance of bacteria in the genus Bacteroides with abundant gene families related to the utilization of lactose and galactose. Prevotel a and Lactobacil us were enriched in weaned piglets with an enrichment for the gene families associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. In addition, an analysis of the functional capacity of the fecal microbiome showed higher abundances of genes associated with heat shock and oxidative stress in the metagenome of weaned piglets compared to nursing piglets.Conclusions: Overal, our data show that microbial shifts and changes in functional capacities of the piglet fecal microbiome resulted in potential reductions in the effects of stress, including dietary changes that occur during weaning.These results provide us with new insights into the piglet gut microbiome that contributes to the growth of the animal.

补充包被氧化锌、有机酸和纯植物性治疗药物对断奶仔猪生长性能、养分消化率、血液指标、粪便菌群和粪便锌含量的影响

将125头初始体重(BW)为7.66±1.30 kg的杂交猪随机分配到5种日粮处理中的1种。每个处理有5个重复栏,每栏5头猪。处理方法如下:(1)CON,对照日粮;(2)氧化锌(ZO),CON+0.3%ZO;(3)ZOM,CON+0.3%ZO+0.1%包被有机酸和纯植物性治疗药物(MOP);(4)包被氧化锌(MZO),CON+0.03%MZO;(5)MZOM,CON+0.03%MZO+0.1%MOP。MZO组的最终BW比ZO组高(P=0.03);与ZO组相比,试验第15至34天以及整个试验期间,MZO组具有较高的平均每日增重和饲料转化率(P=0.04,0.01)。MZO和MZOM组的干物质(DM)和能量的表观总消化率(ATTD)高于ZO组(P<0.05)。与CON相比,在ZOM和MZOM日粮中观察到的粪便大肠杆菌排泄量较少(P<0.05)。MZO组比ZO和CON组降低了粪便中的锌含量(P=0.001)。总之,结果表明,添加0.3%MZO可以改善生长性能和DM的ATTD;添加0.1%的MOP可以减少断奶仔猪粪便中大肠杆菌菌落并降低锌含量。