Prebiotic effects of alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i>) fiber on cecal bacterial composition, short-chain fatty acids, and diarrhea incidence in weaning piglets

Adams, Sam; Xiangjie, Kong; Jiang, Hongrui; Sossah, Fredrick Leo; Che, Dongsheng

doi:10.1039/c9ra01251f

Cited by 20 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 71 publications

(112 reference statements)

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“…In this study, the addition of alfalfa fiber and commercial fiber significantly improved the growth performance of weaned piglets. This is consistent with the findings of Adams et al (54) and Kroismayr and Roberts (55). Their studies showed that the addition of alfalfa fiber or commercial fiber could increase the ADFI and ADG of piglets.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

“…From the perspective of the water solubility of the fiber, alfalfa fiber is mainly composed of insoluble dietary fiber such as cellulose, lignin, and xylan, accounting for more than 90% of the total dietary fiber of alfalfa. Similarly, the commercial fiber used in this study is also a kind of insoluble fiber, with a total dietary fiber content of 95%, an insoluble dietary fiber content of 94%, and a lignin content of 30% ( 54 , 56 – 58 ). The study by Schedle et al ( 59 ) also showed that the addition of insoluble fiber (wheat bran) increased ADFI and ADG of piglets.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dietary Fiber Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Intestinal Barrier Function Damage in Piglets by Modulation of Intestinal Microbiome

Sun

Cui

et al. 2021

mSystems

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Weaning of piglets is accompanied by intestinal inflammation, impaired intestinal barrier function, and intestinal microflora disorder. Regulating intestinal microflora structure can directly or indirectly affect intestinal health and host growth and development. However, whether dietary fiber (DF) affects the inflammatory response and barrier function by affecting the intestinal microflora and its metabolites is unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of intestinal microflora in relieving immune stress and maintaining homeostasis using piglets with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal injury as a model. DF improved intestinal morphology and barrier function, inhibited the expression of inflammatory signal pathways (Toll-like receptor 2 [TLR2], TLR4, and NF-κB) and proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1β [IL-1β], IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α]), and upregulated the expression of barrier-related genes (encoding claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1). The contents of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and the activity of diamine oxidase in plasma were decreased. Meanwhile, DF had a strong effect on the composition and function of intestinal microflora at different taxonomic levels, the relative abundances of cellulolytic bacteria and anti-inflammatory bacteria were increased, and the concentrations of propionate, butyrate, and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in intestinal contents were increased. In addition, the correlation analysis also revealed the potential relationship between metabolites and certain intestinal microflora, as well as the relationship between metabolites and intestinal morphology, intestinal gene expression, and plasma cytokine levels. These results indicate that DF improves intestinal barrier function, in part, by altering intestinal microbiota composition and increasing the synthesis of SCFAs, which subsequently alleviate local and systemic inflammation. IMPORTANCE Adding DF to the diet of LPS-challenged piglets alleviated intestinal and systemic inflammation, improved intestinal barrier function, and ultimately alleviated the growth retardation of piglets. In addition, the addition of DF significantly increased the relative abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria and the production of SCFAs. We believe that the improvement of growth performance of piglets with LPS-induced injury can be attributed to the beneficial effects of DF on intestinal microflora and SCFAs, which reduced the inflammatory response in piglets, improving intestinal barrier function and enhancing body health. These research results provide a theoretical basis and guidance for the use of specific fiber sources in the diet to improve intestinal health and growth performance of piglets and thus alleviate weaning stress. Our data also provide insights for studying the role of DF in regulating gastrointestinal function in human infants.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary Fiber Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Intestinal Barrier Function Damage in Piglets by Modulation of Intestinal Microbiome

Sun

Cui

et al. 2021

mSystems

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“…The gut commensal Prevotella species mainly contribute to polysaccharide breakdown and short-chain fatty acid production in the gut of weaning piglets [34,35]. The Prevotella 9 genus is one of the dominant species in the gut and is associated with diarrhea incidence in weaning piglets.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Prevotella 9 genus is one of the dominant species in the gut and is associated with diarrhea incidence in weaning piglets. It has been demonstrated that the supplementation of fiber in the diet of piglets decreased the diarrhea incidence and increased the Prevotella 9 genus abundances [35]. The Prevotella 9 genus abundances in the fecal microbiota of diarrheic piglets were lower than those in non-diarrheic piglets [36].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Bacillus licheniformis-Fermented Feed Additive as an Antibiotic Substitute: Effect on the Growth Performance, Diarrhea Incidence, and Cecal Microbiota in Weaning Piglets

Lin

2020

Animals

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This study investigated the potential of a Bacillus licheniformis-fermented feed additive (BLF) as an antibiotic substitute in weaning piglets. Ninety-six crossbred piglets were randomly allotted into four treatments with three replicate pens per treatment and eight pigs per pen. Piglets were fed diets as follows: a basal diet as control, a basal diet supplemented with bacitracin (30 mg/kg of bacitracin methylene disalicylate), a basal diet supplemented with BLF (1 g/kg of the Bacillus licheniformis-fermented feed additive), and a basal diet supplemented with bacitracin and BLF (15 mg/kg of bacitracin methylene disalicylate and 0.5 g/kg of the Bacillus licheniformis-fermented feed additive). The results showed that replacing all or half the bacitracin with BLF both reduced the incidence of diarrhea in weaning piglets from day 1 to 14. Principal coordinates analysis and a species abundance heat map showed that distinct clusters were formed between groups. Replacing all the bacitracin with BLF reduced bacterial evenness in the cecal digesta of weaning piglets, while the inhibitory effect on bacterial evenness was reversed in the group treated with bacitracin in combination with BLF. These results indicated that the half replacement of bacitracin with BLF was able to decrease the incidence of diarrhea and modify cecal microbiota composition in weaning piglets, suggesting that a Bacillus licheniformis-fermented feed additive has good potential as a suitable alternative to antibiotics use in the swine industry.

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“…Numerous shreds of evidence are indicating that the gut microorganisms can directly influence the physiological conditions in human/animals such as improving the host immune system, improving the roles of the intestinal barrier, stimulating the defensive mechanisms against pathogens as well as increasing the defensive mechanisms against inflammatory bowel diseases, producing biological metabolites, regulating autoimmunity, regulating diabetes and preventing obesity, and destroying cancer cells. The host gut–microbiota interactions are dynamic and highly dictated by several environmental conditions particularly diet [ 135 ]. In addition, the gut is reported to have dual and opposing roles of enabling nutrients to enter the body while denying the entry of harmful substances.…”

Section: Physicochemical and Prebiotic Influence Of Dietary Fiber mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prebiotic Impacts of Soybean Residue (Okara) on Eubiosis/Dysbiosis Condition of the Gut and the Possible Effects on Liver and Kidney Functions

et al. 2021

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Okara is a white-yellow fibrous residue consisting of the insoluble fraction of the soybean seeds remaining after extraction of the aqueous fraction during the production of tofu and soymilk, and is generally considered a waste product. It is packed with a significant number of proteins, isoflavones, soluble and insoluble fibers, soyasaponins, and other mineral elements, which are all attributed with health merits. With the increasing production of soy beverages, huge quantities of this by-product are produced annually, which poses significant disposal problems and financial issues for producers. Extensive studies have been done on the biological activities, nutritional values, and chemical composition of okara as well as its potential utilization. Owing to its peculiar rich fiber composition and low cost of production, okara might be potentially useful in the food industry as a functional ingredient or good raw material and could be used as a dietary supplement to prevent varied ailments such as prevention of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, as well as to stimulate the growth of intestinal microbes and production of microbe-derived metabolites (xenometabolites), since gut dysbiosis (imbalanced microbiota) has been implicated in the progression of several complex diseases. This review seeks to compile scientific research on the bioactive compounds in soybean residue (okara) and discuss the possible prebiotic impact of this fiber-rich residue as a functional diet on eubiosis/dysbiosis condition of the gut, as well as the consequential influence on liver and kidney functions, to facilitate a detailed knowledge base for further exploration, implementation, and development.

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Prebiotic effects of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) fiber on cecal bacterial composition, short-chain fatty acids, and diarrhea incidence in weaning piglets

Abstract: Dietary alfalfa fiber (AF) is conceived to modulate gut microbial richness and diversity to improve the health and growth of weaning piglets.

Cited by 20 publications

References 71 publications

Dietary Fiber Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Intestinal Barrier Function Damage in Piglets by Modulation of Intestinal Microbiome

Dietary Fiber Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Intestinal Barrier Function Damage in Piglets by Modulation of Intestinal Microbiome

Evaluation of Bacillus licheniformis-Fermented Feed Additive as an Antibiotic Substitute: Effect on the Growth Performance, Diarrhea Incidence, and Cecal Microbiota in Weaning Piglets

Prebiotic Impacts of Soybean Residue (Okara) on Eubiosis/Dysbiosis Condition of the Gut and the Possible Effects on Liver and Kidney Functions

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