The effects of dietary supplementation with mushroom or selenium enriched mushroom powders on the growth performance and intestinal health of post-weaned pigs

Abstract

Background There is an urgent need to identify natural bioactive compounds that can enhance gastrointestinal health and promote pig growth performance in the absence of pharmacological levels of zinc oxide (ZnO). The objectives of this study were to: 1) compare the effects of mushroom powder supplemented with inorganic selenium (inSeMP) to mushroom powder enriched with organic selenium (orgSeMP) to pharmacological levels of ZnO on growth performance and faecal scores (FS) for the first 21 d post-weaning (Period 1); and 2) compare the molecular and microbial effects of inSeMP and orgSeMP in these pigs on d 39 post-weaning (Period 2). Methods In Period 1, pigs (3 pigs/pen; 8 pens/treatment) were assigned to: (1) basal diet (control); (2) basal diet + zinc oxide (ZnO) (3100 mg/kg d 1–14, 1550 mg/kg d 15–21); (3) basal diet + mushroom powder supplemented with inorganic selenium (inSeMP) containing selenium (selenite) content of 0.3 mg/kg feed; (4) basal diet + mushroom powder enriched with organic selenium (orgSeMP) containing selenium (selenocysteine) content of 0.3 mg/kg feed. Mushroom powders were included at 6.5 g/kg of feed. Results In Period 1, there was no effect of diets on average daily gain (ADG) and gain:feed (G:F) ratio (P > 0.05). The orgSeMP supplemented pigs had a lower average daily feed intake (ADFI) compared to all other groups (P < 0.05). The ZnO supplemented pigs had reduced FS compared to the basal and mushroom group, while the orgSeMP supplemented pigs had lower FS compared to the basal group during the 21 d experimental period (P < 0.05). In Period 2, there was no effect of diets on ADFI, ADG and G:F ratio (P > 0.05). The orgSeMP supplementation increased the caecal abundance of bacterial members of the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phylum, including Lactobacillus, Agathobacter, Roseburia, and Prevotella and decreased the abundance of Sporobacter compared to the basal group, while inSeMP increased the caecal abundance of Prevotella and decreased the caecal abundance of Sporobacter compared to the basal group (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation with inSeMP increased expression of TLR4 and anti-inflammatory cytokine gene IL10 and decreased nutrient transporter gene FABP2 compared to the orgSeMP group (P < 0.05). Conclusion OrgSeMP is a novel and sustainable way to incorporate selenium and β-glucans into the diet of weaned pigs whilst improving FS and modulating the caecal microbiota.

The impact of vitamin D3 supplementation on the faecal and oral microbiome of dairy calves indoors or at pasture

“…Extraction of the bacterial DNA from the faecal and oral swabs and subsequent high-throughput sequencing of the V3–V4 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was performed on an Illumina MiSeq platform according to their standard protocols (Eurofins Genomics, Ebersberg, Germany) and as previously described 47 . The V3–V4 region was PCR-amplified with universal primers taking in adapters including nucleotide sequences for forward and reverse index primers.…”

Nutritional Strategies to Mitigate Post-Weaning Challenges in Pigs: A Focus on Glucans, Vitamin D, and Selenium

“…Selenium is a key component of glutathione peroxidase, an enzyme that protects cells from oxidative damage, and it plays a role in thyroid hormone metabolism and immune response [103]. Selenium-enriched mushrooms have been shown to improve pig health by increasing antioxidant capacity, enhancing immune responses, and improving meat quality, which is indicative of selenium's incorporation into body tissues [104,105]. Furthermore, the supplementation of pig diets with selenium-enriched mushrooms has yielded results such as enhanced gut microbiota, reduced diarrhea scores, and improvements in volatile fatty acids profiles in the caecum [104,105].…”

“…Selenium-enriched mushrooms have been shown to improve pig health by increasing antioxidant capacity, enhancing immune responses, and improving meat quality, which is indicative of selenium’s incorporation into body tissues [ 104 , 105 ]. Furthermore, the supplementation of pig diets with selenium-enriched mushrooms has yielded results such as enhanced gut microbiota, reduced diarrhea scores, and improvements in volatile fatty acids profiles in the caecum [ 104 , 105 ]. These shifts in the gut environment suggest a role for selenium-enriched mushrooms in promoting a gut microbiota that is favorable for pig health, potentially reducing the need for medical interventions and contributing to the resilience of the animals [ 104 , 105 ] Given these multi-dimensional benefits, the integration of mushroom by-products into pig diets extends beyond mere nutrient supplementation.…”

Supplementation with Complex Dietary Fiber during Late Pregnancy and Lactation Can Improve Progeny Growth Performance by Regulating Maternal Antioxidant Status and Milk Quality

“…Fructo-oligosaccharides are low-grade polymeric sugars, which are widely found in bananas, barley, garlic, and other plants. Furthermore, both beta-glucan and fructo-oligosaccharides have dietary fiber properties such as regulating antioxidant capacity, activating the immune system, and improving gastrointestinal health [10,14].…”