Alternative antibiotic feed additives alleviate pneumonia with inhibiting ACE-2 expression in the respiratory system of piglets

Traditional Chinese Medicine Yang-Gan-Wan Alleviated Experimental Hepatic Damage by Inhibiting Oxidation, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in Cell and Mouse Models

A hepatoprotective medicine, Yang-Gan-Wan (YGW), was used to treat hepatic damage in cell and mouse models. We performed a 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and found that YGW exhibited a significantly high free radical scavenging ability. Furthermore, the results of the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay revealed that YGW treatment could alleviate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced damage in Kupffer cells (liver macrophages). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results demonstrated that YGW treatment could alleviate LPS-induced inflammation in Kupffer cells by inhibiting the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β. By quantifying the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), we found that YGW treatment could alleviate hepatic damage and improve immunity in acetaminophen- (APAP-) treated mice by inhibiting the expression of ALT and AST. The findings of hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining indicated that YGW treatment could alleviate hepatic damage and reduce collagen fiber formation in the liver tissue of APAP-treated mice. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry staining and Western blot results showed that YGW treatment could alleviate oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in the liver tissue of APAP-treated mice by enhancing superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) expression but inhibiting TNF-α and caspase 3 expression. Our results suggest that YGW treatment exerted hepatoprotective effects on LPS-treated Kupffer cells and APAP-treated mice by inhibiting oxidation, inflammation, and apoptosis.

Chinese Herbal Medicine Formula Guizhi Li-Zhong Tang as an Alternative to Antibiotic Feed Additives for Preventing Pneumonia in Piglets through Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antiapoptotic Protection

Weanling piglets often develop respiratory diseases such as pneumonia because they encounter substantial environmental stress. This study investigated an alternative herbal feed additive, Guizhi Li-Zhong Tang (GLZ), for preventing pneumonia in weanling piglets. An in vitro experiment demonstrated that GLZ has high antioxidant capacity and low cytotoxicity toward Kupffer cells. In addition, GLZ treatment can alleviate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced damage in Kupffer cells. A total of 94 4-week-old piglets were randomly divided into three groups, which received sham treatment, 0.2% Tilmicosin antibiotic (TAB) treatment, or 0.2% GLZ treatment. Piglets receiving the GLZ treatment had a higher survival rate and higher immunoglobulin G levels but lower allergy-related eosinophil levels and cough incidence than did piglets receiving the sham or 0.2% TAB treatments. Through immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis, we discovered that piglets receiving the 0.2% GLZ treatment had significantly higher expression of antioxidant-related SOD2 and lower expression of oxidative-stress-related 3-NT (p < 0.01), inflammation-related TNF-α (p < 0.01) and NF-κB (p < 0.05), and apoptosis-related caspase-3 (p < 0.01) in lung tissue than did piglets receiving the sham or 0.2% TAB treatment. Therefore, GLZ treatment is promising as an alternative to antibiotic medicine for weanling piglets because of its protective antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects in lung tissue.

Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus reuteri as Functional Feed Additives to Prevent Diarrhoea in Weaned Piglets

Simple Summary

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing global concern. Effective alternatives that could replace and reduce antimicrobial treatments in farming have therefore become crucial for animal, human and environmental health. In swine farming, weaning is a stressful phase where piglets can develop multifactorial enteric disorders that require antibiotic treatments. Functional nutrition could thus represent a valuable alternative to reduce and tackle antibiotic resistance. This study assesses the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus reuteri on in-feed supplementation in weaned piglets. After weaning, piglets were allotted to four experimental groups fed a basal diet (CTRL) and a basal diet supplemented with 2 × 10⁸ CFU/g of L. plantarum (PLA), L. reuteri and a combination of the two strains (P+R) for 28 days. Zootechnical performance and diarrhoea occurrence were recorded. Microbiological and serum metabolism analyses of faeces and blood samples were performed. Supplemented groups with lactobacilli showed a lower occurrence of diarrhoea and improved faecal consistency compared to the control. The PLA group registered the lowest diarrhoea frequency during the 28-day experimental period. The results suggest that dietary administration of L. plantarum and L. reuteri could prevent the occurrence of diarrhoea in weaned piglets.

Abstract

The effects of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus reuteri and their combination were assessed in weaned piglets. Three hundred and fifty weaned piglets (Landrace × Large White), balanced in terms of weight and sex, were randomly allotted to four experimental groups (25 pens, 14 piglets/pen). Piglets were fed a basal control diet (CTRL, six pens) and a treatment diet supplemented with 2 × 10⁸ CFU/g of L. plantarum (PLA, 6 pens), 2 × 10⁸ CFU/g L. reuteri (REU, six pens) and the combination of both bacterial strains (1 × 10⁸ CFU/g of L. plantarum combined with 1 × 10⁸ CFU/g of L. reuteri, P+R, 7 pens) for 28 days. Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly. Diarrhoea occurrence was assessed weekly by the faecal score (0–3; considering diarrhoea ≥ 2). At 0 and 28 days, faecal samples were obtained from four piglets per pen for microbiological analyses and serum samples were collected from two piglets per pen for serum metabolic profiling. Treatments significantly reduced diarrhoea occurrence and decreased the average faecal score (0.94 ± 0.08 CTRL, 0.31 ± 0.08 PLA, 0.45 ± 0.08 REU, 0.27 ± 0.08 P+R; p < 0.05). The PLA group registered the lowest number of diarrhoea cases compared to other groups (20 cases CTRL, 5 cases PLA, 8 cases REU, 10 cases P+R; p < 0.01). After 28 days, the globulin serum level increased in PLA compared to the other groups (24.91 ± 1.09 g/L CTRL, 28.89 ± 1.03 g/L PLA, 25.91 ± 1.03 g/L REU, 25.31 ± 1.03 g/L P+R; p < 0.05). L. plantarum and L. reuteri could thus be considered as interesting functional additives to prevent diarrhoea occurrence in weaned piglets.

Evaluation of Tannin Extracts, Leonardite and Tributyrin Supplementation on Diarrhoea Incidence and Gut Microbiota of Weaned Piglets

The effects of the dietary administration of a combination of Quebracho and Chestnut tannins, leonardite and tributyrin were evaluated in weaned piglets. A total of 168 weaned piglets (Landrace × Large White) were randomly allotted to two experimental groups (6 pens/group, 14 piglets/pen). Animals were fed a basal control diet (CTRL) and a treatment diet (MIX) supplemented with 0.75% tannin extracts, 0.25% leonardite and 0.20% tributyrin for 28 days. Individual body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly. Diarrhoea incidence was recorded by a faecal scoring scale (0-3; considering diarrhoea ≥ 2). At 0 and 28 days, faecal samples were obtained from four piglets/pen for microbiological and chemical analyses of faecal microbiota, which were then assessed by V3-V4 region amplification sequencing. At 28 days, blood from two piglets/pen was sampled to evaluate the serum metabolic profile. After 28 days, a reduction in diarrhoea incidence was observed in the MIX compared to CTRL group (p < 0.05). In addition, compared to CTRL, MIX showed a higher lactobacilli:coliform ratio and increased Prevotella and Fibrobacter genera presence (p < 0.01). The serum metabolic profile showed a decreased level of low-density lipoproteins in the treated group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a combination of tannin extract, leonardite and tributyrin could decrease diarrhoea incidence and modulate the gut microbiota.