The Role of Dietary and Microbial Fatty Acids in the Control of Inflammation in Neonatal Piglets

Abstract

Excessive inflammation and a reduced gut mucosal barrier are major causes for gut dysfunction in piglets. The fatty acid (FA) composition of the membrane lipids is crucial for mediating inflammatory signalling and is largely determined by their dietary intake. Porcine colostrum and milk are the major sources of fat in neonatal piglets. Both are rich in fat, demonstrating the dependence of the young metabolism from fat and providing the young organism with the optimum profile of lipids for growth and development. The manipulation of sow’s dietary polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) intake has been shown to be an efficient strategy to increase the transfer of specific FAs to the piglet for incorporation in enteric tissues and cell membranes. n-3 PUFAs, especially seems to be beneficial for the immune response and gut epithelial barrier function, supporting the piglet’s enteric defences in situations of increased stress such as weaning. Little is known about microbial lipid mediators and their role in gut barrier function and inhibition of inflammation in neonatal piglets. The present review summarizes the current knowledge of lipid nutrition in new-born piglets, comparing the FA ingestion from milk and plant-based lipid sources and touching the areas of host lipid signalling, inflammatory signalling and microbially derived FAs.

Variations in colostrum metabolite profiles in association with sow parity

“…Colostrum is rich in sugars, sugar phosphates, lipids, and amino acids to provide the piglet with easily accessible energy sources and building blocks ( Metzler-Zebeli, 2021 ), which our data confirmed. Numerous metabolites detected in colostrum play roles in cell growth and differentiation as well as gut closure and protection against oxidative stress (e.g., purines and pyrimidines and biogenic amines; Schlimme et al, 2000 ; Gill et al, 2011 ; Chai et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Recent studies analyzing the metabolome of porcine colostrum identified 123 and 116 small molecular metabolites ( Tan et al, 2018 ; Settachaimongkon et al, 2023 ). Various factors, including breed, gestation diet, health status, and environment, seem to influence the colostrum composition ( Picone et al, 2018 ; Quesnel and Farmer, 2019 ; Metzler-Zebeli, 2021 ). For instance, some evidence exists that the parity number of sows affects the composition of the FA profile and nonvolatile polar metabolites in porcine colostrum, too, but previous findings were inconsistent ( Luise et al, 2018 ; Settachaimongkon et al, 2023 ).…”

“…For instance, some evidence exists that the parity number of sows affects the composition of the FA profile and nonvolatile polar metabolites in porcine colostrum, too, but previous findings were inconsistent ( Luise et al, 2018 ; Settachaimongkon et al, 2023 ). The lipid fraction in the colostrum plays a vital role in the immediate postnatal development and health of the newborn ( Lauritzen et al, 2001 ; Metzler-Zebeli, 2021 ). Therefore, it is important to understand potential changes in the colostrum lipids with increasing parity of the sow.…”

Dietary Probiotics Modulate Gut Barrier and Immune-Related Gene Expression and Histomorphology in Broiler Chickens under Non- and Pathogen-Challenged Conditions: A Meta-Analysis

“…Across the various species, the present meta-regressions supported the anti-inflammatory effects of probiotics under challenged conditions, which may have subsequently contributed to the upregulation of the mucosal barrier, including the expression of tight junction proteins and other first line of defense genes. Certain G protein-coupled receptors sense fermentation end products, such as short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids [ 24 , 25 ]. Due to the lack of data from the original studies, we can only speculate about the fermentation acids that changed locally in the gut due to the probiotic supplementation.…”

Reactive Gliosis in Neonatal Disorders: Friend or Foe for Neuroregeneration?

“…Anti-inflammatory treatments are one of the first-line therapies for microglia reactivity. Depending on the type of pathogen or insult, pharmacological therapy can be based on the application of antibiotics, factors influencing M1 to M2 phenotype polarization (IL-4, IL-13, and TGF-β); analogs of physiological substances (melatonin, erythropoietin, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and many others); or natural, usually plant-derived substances (like, e.g., resveratrol, curcumin) [152][153][154][155][156][157][158]. Enhancing oligogliogenesis, resulting in an increased number of OPCs conferring neurotrophic and immunomodulatory support, might be another way to modulate astrocyte reactivity.…”