Dietary Clostridium butyricum supplementation modifies significantly the liver transcriptomic profile in weaned piglets

Abstract

The addition of probiotics in swine nutrition is known to positively influence both health and growth. The current study investigates differences in the hepatic transcriptome profiles between weaned piglets supplemented with Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) and control animals that received no probiotic. The liver is an important metabolic organ that plays a critical role in oxidizing triglycerides for energy production, lipid synthesis and degradation, as well as immune regulation in animals. RNA‐Seq analysis was carried out on total RNA harvested from the liver of piglets fed with (n = 3) or without (n = 3) 5 × 105 C. butyricum CFU/g. Compared to the control piglets, 588 of the genes examined (352 up‐regulated and 236 down‐regulated) were significantly differentially expressed at a fold change > 2 and p < .05 in animals fed with C. butyricum. Quantitative real‐time reverse transcription PCR (qRT‐PCR) analysis was further used to validate the microarray expression results for 28 genes tested. The functional annotation analyses revealed several genes, processes and pathways with putative involvement in piglet growth and performance. Feeding swine with 5 × 105 C. butyricum CFU/g appears to reinforce their immune status as well as foster the cell cycle and improve the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids. This study provides valuable information about the expression profiles of mRNAs in piglet liver and in‐depth functional investigations of these mRNAs that could provide new insights into the molecular networks of growth, immune responses and nutrient metabolism in the porcine liver.

Effects of Clostridium butyricum on growth performance, metabonomics and intestinal microbial differences of weaned piglets

“…Increasing evidences suggest the opinion that probiotics can enhance animal growth [ 43 – 45 ]. The application of C. butyricum as a feed additive in animals has been widely proven [ 14 , 20 , 46 , 47 ]. However, there is a shortage of information on the microbial community and the metabolic profile, after the addition with C. butyricum in the feed in weaned piglets.…”

Harnessing probiotics capability to combat Salmonella Heidelberg and improve intestinal health in broilers

“…In the United States of America, antibiotics cannot be used as growth promoters, restricted only for disease treatments with veterinarian accompaniment, as stated by the Food and Drug Administration committee in 2005 ( Wallinga et al, 2022 ). In addition, the prophylactic use of antibiotics in meat production has been banned since 2020 in China ( Qiao et al, 2020 ). Reducing antibiotics in meat production is particularly important because SH isolates resistant to β-lactam antimicrobials, which are valuable in human and veterinary medicine, were isolated from human, broilers, and poultry meat sources.…”

Transcriptome and metabolome analyses reveal the regulatory effects of compound probiotics on cecal metabolism in heat-stressed broilers

“…Antibiotics have been banned in the E.U., resulting in a rise in broiler disease outbreaks in European countries. Prophylactic use of all antibiotics in food animals has been banned in China since the end of 2020 ( Qiao et al, 2020 ). For the prevention of infectious illness in broilers, the poultry industry requires alternative substances to minimize or replace antibiotic growth boosters.…”