Changes of gut microbiota structure and morphology in weaned piglets treated with fresh fermented soybean meal

Fermented Rapeseed and Soybean Alone and in Combination with Macro Algae Inhibit Human and Pig Pathogenic Bacteria In Vitro

Higher plants produce secondary metabolites expressing antimicrobial effects as a defense mechanism against opportunistic microorganisms living in close proximity with the plant. Fermentation leads to bioconversion of plant substrates to these bioactive compounds and their subsequent release via breakdown of plant cell walls. Fermented feed products have recently started to become implemented in the pig industry to reduce overall disease pressure and have been found to reduce events such as post-weaning diarrhea. In this study, we investigate the antimicrobial potential of fermented soybean- and rapeseed-based pig feed supplements with and without added seaweed. The antimicrobial effect was tested in a plate well diffusion assay against a range of known human and livestock pathogenic bacteria. Further, we investigate the metabolite profiles based on liquid-chromatography mass-spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of the fermented products in comparison to their unfermented constituents. We observed a pronounced release of potential antimicrobial secondary metabolites such as benzoic acids when the plant material was fermented, and a significantly increased antimicrobial effect compared to the unfermented controls against several pathogenic bacteria, especially Salmonella enterica Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, and a strain of atopic dermatitis causing Staphylococcus aureus CC1. In conclusion, fermentation significantly enhances the antimicrobial properties of rapeseed, soybean, and seaweed, offering a promising alternative to zinc oxide for controlling pathogens in piglet feed. This effect is attributed to the release of bioactive metabolites effective against pig production-relevant bacteria.

Bacillus halotolerans SW207 alleviates enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-induced inflammatory responses in weaned piglets by modulating the intestinal epithelial barrier, the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway, and intestinal microbiota

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the major pathogens contributing to piglet diarrhea, with significant implications for both piglet health and the economic aspects of the livestock industry. SW207 is an isolate of Bacillus halotolerans isolated from the cold- and disease-resistant Leixiang pigs in Northeastern China. We have discovered that SW207 can survive in the pig's gastrointestinal fluid and under conditions of high bile salt concentration, displaying potent antagonistic activity against ETEC. In this study, we established a weaned piglet diarrhea model infected with ETEC to investigate the role of SW207 in preventing diarrhea and improving intestinal health. Results indicate that SW207 upregulates the expression of tight junction proteins, including claudin-1, occludin, and zonula occludens-1, at both the transcriptional and translational levels. Furthermore, SW207 reduces serum endotoxin, D-lactic acid, and various oxidative stress markers while enhancing piglet mechanical barrier function. In terms of immune barrier, SW207 suppressed the activation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway, reducing the expression of various inflammatory factors and upregulating the expression of small intestine mucosal sIgA. Concerning the biological barrier, SW207 significantly reduces the content of E. coli in the intestines and promotes the abundance of beneficial bacteria, thereby mitigating the microbiota imbalance caused by ETEC. In summary, SW207 has the potential to prevent weaned piglet diarrhea caused by ETEC, alleviate intestinal inflammation and epithelial damage, and facilitate potential beneficial changes in the intestinal microbiota. This contributes to elucidating the potential mechanisms of host-microbe interactions in preventing pathogen infections.IMPORTANCEEnterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) has consistently been one of the significant pathogens causing mortality in weaned piglets in pig farming. The industry has traditionally relied on antibiotic administration to control ETEC-induced diarrhea. However, the overuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of drug-resistant zoonotic bacterial pathogens, posing a threat to public health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify alternatives to control pathogens and reduce antibiotic usage. In this study, we assessed the protective effect of a novel probiotic in a weaned piglet model infected with ETEC and analyzed its mechanisms both in vivo and in vitro. The study results provide theoretical support and reference for implementing interventions in the gut microbiota to alleviate early weaned piglet diarrhea and improve intestinal health.

Mechanism of action, benefits, and research gap in fermented soybean meal utilization as a high-quality protein source for livestock and poultry

Animal nutritionists have incessantly worked towards providing livestock with high-quality plant protein feed resources. Soybean meal (SBM) has been an essential and predominantly adopted vegetable protein source in livestock feeding for a long time; however, several SBM antinutrients could potentially impair the animal's performance and growth, limiting its use. Several processing methods have been employed to remove SBM antinutrients, including fermentation with fungal or bacterial microorganisms. According to the literature, fermentation, a traditional food processing method, could improve SBM's nutritional and functional properties, making it more suitable and beneficial to livestock. The current interest in health-promoting functional feed, which can enhance the growth of animals, improve their immune system, and promote physiological benefits more than conventional feed, coupled with the ban on the use of antimicrobial growth promoters, has caused a renewed interest in the use of fermented SBM (FSBM) in livestock diets. This review details the mechanism of SBM fermentation and its impacts on animal health and discusses the recent trend in the application and emerging advantages to livestock while shedding light on the research gap that needs to be critically addressed in future studies. FSBM appears to be a multifunctional high-quality plant protein source for animals. Besides removing soybean antinutrients, beneficial bioactive peptides and digestive enzymes are produced during fermentation, providing probiotics, antioxidants, and immunomodulatory effects. Critical aspects regarding FSBM feeding to animals remain uncharted, such as the duration of fermentation, the influence of feeding on digestive tissue development, choice of microbial strain, and possible environmental impact.

Double-Fermented Soybean Meal Totally Replaces Soybean Meal in Broiler Rations with Favorable Impact on Performance, Digestibility, Amino Acids Transporters and Meat Nutritional Value

Inclusion of microbial fermented soybean meal in broiler feed has induced advantageous outcomes for their performance and gastrointestinal health via exhibiting probiotic effects. In this study, soybean meal (SBM) was subjected to double-stage microbial fermentation utilizing functional metabolites of fungi and bacteria. In broiler diet, DFSBM replaced SBM by 0, 25, 50 and 100%. DFSBM was reported to have higher protein content and total essential, nonessential and free amino acids (increased by 3.67%, 12.81%, 10.10% and 5.88-fold, respectively, compared to SBM). Notably, phytase activity and lactic acid bacteria increased, while fiber, lipid and trypsin inhibitor contents were decreased by 14.05%, 38.24% and 72.80%, respectively, in a diet containing 100% DFSBM, compared to SBM. Improved growth performance and apparent nutrient digestibility, including phosphorus and calcium, and pancreatic digestive enzyme activities were observed in groups fed higher DFSBM levels. In addition, higher inclusion levels of DFSBM increased blood immune response (IgG, IgM, nitric oxide and lysozyme levels) and liver antioxidant status. Jejunal amino acids- and peptide transporter-encoding genes (LAT1, CAT-1, CAT-2, PepT-1 and PepT-2) were upregulated with increasing levels of DFSBM in the ration. Breast muscle crude protein, calcium and phosphorus retention were increased, especially at higher inclusion levels of DFSBM. Coliform bacteria load was significantly reduced, while lactic acid bacteria count in broiler intestines was increased with higher dietary levels of DFSBM. In conclusion, replacement of SBM with DFSBM positively impacted broiler chicken feed utilization and boosted chickens’ amino acid transportation, in addition to improving the nutritional value of their breast meat.

Effect of heating, microbial fermentation, and enzymatic hydrolysis of soybean meal on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal microbiota of weaned piglets

The macromolecular proteins, anti-nutritional factors, and allergens contained in soybean meal (SBM) have a negative impact on the growth of weaned piglets. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of heating, microbial fermentation, and enzymatically hydrolyzed SBM on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum biochemistry, intestinal morphology, volatile fatty acids, and microbiota of weaned piglets. After the preparation of soaked SBM (SSBM), enzymatically hydrolyzed SBM (ESBM), and microbial fermented and enzymatically hydrolyzed SBM (MESBM), 72 weaned piglets were randomly allocated to three groups for a 21-d trial. In the three groups, 17% of conventional SBM in basal corn-soybean meal diet was replaced by an equivalent amount of SSBM (control group), ESBM, or MESBM. The results showed that the contents of glycinin, β-conglycinin, trypsin inhibitor, and proteins above 20 kDa were significantly decreased in ESBM and MESBM, compared with SSBM, and the surface of ESBM and MESBM had more pores and fragmented structure. In the second week and throughout the entire experimental period, the diarrhea index was reduced (P < 0.01) in ESBM and MESBM in contrast with SSBM. Furthermore, the inclusion of ESBM and MESBM in the diet improved the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter and crude protein (P < 0.05), and increased the abundances of the genera Lactobacillus and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, respectively. Metagenomic sequencing further identified that members of six species of Proteobacteria, four species of Clostridiales, and three species of Negativiautes were enriched in the colon of piglets fed MESBM, while two bacterial species, Lachnoclostridium and Lactobacillus_points, were enriched in the colon of piglets fed ESBM. In conclusion, replacing SSBM with ESBM or MESBM in the diet decreased the diarrhea index, which could be associated with improved nutrient digestibility and microbial composition.

Dietary supplementation with fermented plant product modulates production performance, egg quality, intestinal mucosal barrier, and cecal microbiota in laying hens

Fermented plant product (FPP) is a kind of functional complex containing probiotics and a variety of bioactive substances, which has multiple physiological functions. However, there is no systematic appraisal of FPP as a feed additive for laying hens. This study was conducted to evaluate the utilization of FPP in laying hens. A total of 120 healthy 34-week-old Xianju layers with similar body weight and egg production were randomly allocated into two dietary treatments with four replicates per treatment and 15 birds per replicate for 8 weeks. The dietary treatments included the basal diet without FPP (CON group) and CON diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg of FPP (FPP group). Compared with the CON group, the egg production and egg mass were significantly increased in the FPP group from 38 to 42 and 34 to 42 weeks of age (P < 0.05). Birds fed with the diet containing 500 mg/kg FPP had higher albumen height (P < 0.01) and Haugh unit (P < 0.05) than those of the controls. FPP supplementation significantly increased the villus height (VH) and crypt depth (CD) in the jejunum of laying hens (P < 0.01), as well as the ratio of VH to CD (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of tight junctions showed that dietary supplementation with FPP significantly increased the expression levels of Occludin (P < 0.01) and ZO-1 (P < 0.05) in jejunum of hens compared to the control group. In addition, dietary supplementation with FPP influenced cecal microbiota of laying hens, which was characterized by the changes in the microbial community composition, including the increased abundances of Firmicutes, Faecalibacterium, Oscillospira, Clostridium, Ruminococcus, and Coprococcus, along with the decreased abundance of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Phascolarctobacterium, Odoribacter, Desulfovibrio, and Mucispirillum. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that bacteria such as Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Coprococcus, and Blautia were significantly and positively correlated with the intestinal barrier markers (P < 0.05), with extremely significant correlations between Ruminococcus and ZO-1, and Coprococcus and Occludin (P < 0.01), whereas Desulfovibrio had a negative correlation with the expression of Occludin (P < 0.05). As it can be concluded, FPP supplementation increased the egg production, egg mass, albumen height, and Haugh unit of laying hens, and improved intestinal health by ameliorating intestinal barrier function, which may be partially attributed to the regulation of cecal microbiota. Our findings suggest that FPP has the potential to be used as a feed additive to promote the performance of layers.

Supplementing the early diet of broilers with soy protein concentrate can improve intestinal development and enhance short-chain fatty acid-producing microbes and short-chain fatty acids, especially butyric acid

Background

Research on nutrition in early-life commonly focuses on the maturation of the intestine because the intestinal system is crucial for ensuring continued growth. To explore the importance of early nutrition regulation in animals, soy protein concentrate (SPC) was added to the early diet of broilers to investigate its effects on amino acid digestibility, intestinal development, especially intestinal microorganisms, and broiler metabolites. A total of 192 one-day-old Arbor Acres (AA) male broilers were randomly assigned to two experimental treatments with 8 replicates of 12 birds. The control group was fed a basal diet (control), and the treatment group was fed a basal diet supplemented with 12% SPC (SPC12) during the first 10 d (starter phase). From d 11 to 21 (grower phase) and d 22 to 42 (finisher phase), a basal diet was fed to both treatment groups.

Results

SPC reduced the pH value and acid-binding capacity of the starter diet (P < 0.05, d 10); SPC in the early diet enhanced the gizzard weight (P < 0.05, d 10 and d 42) and the ileum weight (P < 0.05, d 10) and decreased the weight and length of the jejunum (P < 0.05, d 10) and the relative length of the duodenum and jejunum (P < 0.05, d 10). At the same time, SPC enhanced villus height (P < 0.05, d 10) and muscle thickness in the jejunum and ileum (P < 0.05, d 10) and increased the number of goblet cells in the duodenum (P < 0.05, d 10). Meanwhile, SPC increased the Chao1 index and the ACE index (P < 0.05, d 10) and altered the composition of caecal microflora at d 10. SPC also increased the relative abundance of Alistipes, Anaerotruncus, Erysipelatoclostridium, Intestinimonas and Flavonifractor bacteria (P < 0.05, d 10). At the same time, the concentrations of caecal butyric acid and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were also increased in the SPC12 group (P < 0.05, d 10).

Conclusions

In summary, the results showed that supplementing the starter diet of broilers with SPC has a significant effect on the early development of the intestine and the microflora.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40104-022-00749-5.

Effects of a new fermented soya bean meal on growth performance, serum biochemistry profile, intestinal immune status and digestive enzyme activities in piglets

BACKGROUND

Fermented soya bean meal (FSBM) is believed to have improved nutritional qualities compared with soya bean meal (SBM) and is also cheaper than soya protein concentration (SPC) and fish meal (FM). Therefore, the present study was conducted to compare the effects of FSBM replacing SBM, SPC and FM in diets on growth performance, serum biochemistry profile, short-chain fatty acid concentrations in digesta, intestinal mucosal enzyme activities, intestinal proinflammatory cytokine concentrations and morphology in weaned piglets. One hundred and twenty 28-day-old piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, body weight: 6.73 ± 1.14 kg) were randomly allocated to four treatment diets (six replicate pens with five piglets per pen) containing SBM, SPC, FM or FSBM as the protein source, respectively.

RESULTS

Dietary FSBM supplementation improved average daily gain (p < 0.05), gain to feed ratio (p < 0.05), and digestibility of dry matter, gross energy, crude protein and organic matter (p < 0.05) in pigs compared with those fed SBM during 0-14 days and reduced diarrhoea rate (p < 0.05) compared with those fed SBM and FM during 0-14 days. Moreover, pigs fed FBSM had greater IgA and IgM contents and antioxidase activities than those provided SBM and SPC on day 14. In addition, the butyrate concentration in the cecum of pigs fed FSBM was greater than those fed the other diets (p < 0.05), and the trypsin activity in duodenum and jejunum of pigs provided FSBM was greater than those fed SBM (p < 0.05). Moreover, higher villus height (p < 0.05) and villus height to crypt depth ratio (p < 0.05) and lower crypt depth (p < 0.05) in the duodenum of pigs fed FSBM were observed, and pigs fed FSBM had a lower (p < 0.05) TNF-α concentration in jejunum compared with those fed SBM.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, dietary FSBM supplementation to replace SBM, SPC and FM could improve piglets' growth performance, intestinal health and immune function.

Fecal Microbial Changes in Response to Finishing Pigs Directly Fed With Fermented Feed

The present study investigated the effects of fermented complete feed (FCF) on fecal microbial composition during the grower-finisher period. A total of 20 pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, 48.74± 1.49 kg) were divided randomly into two groups: the CN group (pigs fed with a basal diet) and the FCF group (pigs fed with FCF). After a 60-day trial period, 3 pigs with middle-weight from each treatment were selected for fecal sampling and fecal microbiota analysis. The results showed that the FCF significantly increased operational taxonomic units (OUT) numbers, alpha diversity (Simpson index and Shannon index), and beta diversity, which means that FCF increased the fecal microbiota diversity. At the phylum level, the abundance of Tenericutes, Spirochaetae, Verrucomicrobia, and Cyanobacteria were changed in pigs fed with FCF; and at the genus level, the abundance of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Treponema_2, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, Prevotellaceae_UCG-003, Phascolarctobacterium, Roseburia, and Prevotella_9 were changed in pigs fed with FCF. The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis showed that Roseburia and Prevotella_9 genera were increased, while Tenericutes phyla and Streptococcus, Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, and Lactobacillus genera were decreased in the FCF group compared to the CN group. Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) results predicted that the relative abundance of infectious diseases: parasitic associated genes, xenobiotics biodegradation, and metabolism-associated genes were significantly reduced in the FCF group when compared with the CN group, and the relative abundance of signal transduction associated genes, amino acid metabolism-related genes, and replication and repair associated genes were significantly higher in the FCF group when compared with the CN group. In addition, the relative abundance of transport and catabolism-associated genes, membrane transport-associated genes, and biosynthesis of other secondary metabolite-associated genes tended to be higher in the FCF group when compared with the CN group; and the relative abundance of immune diseases associated genes tended to be lower in the FCF group when compared with the CN group. In conclusion, the FCF influenced the alpha and beta diversity of the fecal microbiota of pigs.

Impact of zinc oxide, benzoic acid and probiotics on the performance and cecal microbiota of piglets

Background

Intestinal health remains a key factor in animal production because it is essential for digestion, absorption and bacterial fermentation. Feed additives have been used to attenuate the weaning stress such as Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and benzoic acid (C₇H₆O₂). The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of of benzoic acid and probiotics (BA + P) on performance, diarrhea and cecal microbiota of piglets in the nursery phase (23 to 65 days).

Results

One hundred and sixty weaned piglets with an initial weight of 6.335 ± 0.698 kg and 23 days of age were submitted to four treatments: supplementation with 2500 ppm of Zinc oxide (ZnO), supplementation with a commercial blend of benzoic acid and probiotics (Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415; Vevogut P®) (BA + P), supplementation with Zinc oxide plus benzoic acid and probiotics (ZnO + BA + P), and controls receiving only the basal diet without any supplementation. At 65 days of age, 32 piglets (n = 8 per treatment) were slaughtered for the evaluation of the cecal microbiota. Supplementation with ZnO and BA + P were associated with better feed conversion (P < 0.05) in the early stage (23 to 49 days) and with an improvement in all performance parameters over the entire experimental period. The occurrence of diarrhea was lower (P < 0.05) in the BA + P group. The 4 most abundant phyla along with unclassified bacteria represented 93% of all sequences. Firmicutes dominated the cecal microbiota of all groups, followed by Bacteroidetes. Richness represented by the observed number of genera and by the Chao index were statistically lower in ZnO and ZnO + BA + P supplemented animals compared to controls. The beta diversity analysis that compares similarities between bacterial communities demonstrated formation of two distinct clusters containing samples with and without supplementation with ZnO, confirming a strong influence of ZnO on the intestinal microbiota.

Conclusion

The use of Benzoic acid with probiotics yields similar performance results with lower impact on the gut microbiota compared to ZnO, and it should be considered as a potential alternative in swine production.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42523-021-00151-y.

Advances in research on solid-state fermented feed and its utilization: The pioneer of private customization for intestinal microorganisms

With sustainable development of biotechnology, increasing attention has been placed on utilization of solid-state fermented feed (SFF). Solid-state fermented feed has been a candidate strategy to alleviate the contradiction between supply and demand of feed resources, ensure food hygiene safety, promoting energy conservation, and emission reduction. In production of SFF, a variety of organic acids, enzymes, vitamins, peptides, and other unknown growth factors are produced, which could affect performance of animals. Solid-state fermented feed produced by different fermentation techniques has great instability on different physiological stages of different animals, which hinders the application and standardized production of SFF. Herein, we summarize the current advances in the role of the characteristics of SFF prepared by different manufacturing technique and its research progress in animal experiments on growth performance, gastrointestinal ecology, and immune system, so as to provide references for further acquiring a relatively perfect set of SFF production and evaluation systems.

Effects of Microbial Fermented Feed on Serum Biochemical Profile, Carcass Traits, Meat Amino Acid and Fatty Acid Profile, and Gut Microbiome Composition of Finishing Pigs

Microbial fermented feed is an important part of feed industry, while little research has focused on the solid-state fermentation of complete feed. Herein, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of fermented complete feed (FCF) on the growth performance, biochemical profile, carcass traits, meat proximate composition, meat amino acid and fatty acid profile, and gut microbiome composition of finishing pigs, thereby providing references for the application of FCF in animal production. Twenty Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire pigs with an average body weight (BW) of 48.74 ± 1.49 kg were divided randomly into control group (pigs received a basal diet, CN, n = 10) and FCF group (pigs fed with FCF, n = 10). The experiment lasted for 60 days. FCF improved the growth performance, which was indicated by a significantly increased final BW, average daily gain and average daily feed intake, and a significantly decreased feed-to-gain ratio. FCF improved biochemical profile, which was indicated by a higher alkaline phosphatase, glucose, immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin M, superoxide dismutase, and total antioxidant capacity content. Pigs that received FCF had better carcass traits and meat quality than did pigs that received basal diet, which was indicated by a higher carcass length, crude protein content, lysine content, Glu content, C18:ln9c, C18:2n6c, C20:4n6, and unsaturated fatty acid content and a lower average back-fat thickness, C18:0, and saturated fatty acids. FCF significantly reduced the relative abundances of presumably pathogenic bacteria of phylum Proteobacteria and genus Escherichia–Shigella and enhanced the relative abundances of likely beneficial bacteria of phylum Firmicutes and genus Clostridium. In summary, FCF had a certain effect on the improvement of growth performance, serum biochemical profile, carcass traits, meat proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid profile, and gut microbiome composition of finishing pigs.

Effects of Different Fermented Feeds on Production Performance, Cecal Microorganisms, and Intestinal Immunity of Laying Hens

Simple Summary

Fermented feed exerts beneficial effects on intestinal microorganisms, host health, and production performance. However, the effect of fermented feed on laying hens is uncertain due to the different types of inoculated probiotics, fermentation substrates, and fermentation technology. Hence, this experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of fermented feed with different compound strains on the performance and intestinal health of laying hens. Supplement fermented feed reduced the feed conversion ratio and promoted egg quality. Both dietary treatment (fermented feed A produced Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus, and Yeast and fermented feed B produced by C. butyricum and L. salivarius) influenced intestinal immunity and regulated cecal microbial structure. This may be because the metabolites of microorganisms in fermented feed and the reduced pH value inhibited the colonization of harmful bacteria, improved the intestinal morphology, and then had a positive impact on the production performance and albumen quality of laying hens.

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different compound probiotics on the performance, cecal microflora, and intestinal immunity of laying hens. A total of 270 Jing Fen No.6 (22-week-old) were randomly divided into 3 groups: basal diet (CON); basal diet supplemented with 6% fermented feed A by Bacillussubtilis,Lactobacillus, and Yeast (FA); and with 6% fermented feed B by C. butyricum and L. salivarius (FB). Phytic acid, trypsin inhibitor, β-glucan concentrations, and pH value in fermented feed were lower than the CON group (p < 0.05). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the experimental groups was decreased, while albumen height and Haugh unit were increased, compared with the CON group (p < 0.05). Fermented feed could upregulate the expression of the signal pathway (TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB) to inhibit mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (p < 0.05). Fermented feed promoted the level of Romboutsia (in the FA group) Butyricicoccus (in the FB group), and other beneficial bacteria, and reduced opportunistic pathogens, such as Enterocooccus (p < 0.05). Spearman’s correlations showed that the above bacteria were closely related to albumen height and intestinal immunity. In summary, fermented feed can decrease the feed conversion ratio, and improve the performance and intestinal immunity of laying hens, which may be related to the improvement of the cecal microflora structure.

Limosilactobacillus fermentum SWP-AFFS02 Improves the Growth and Survival Rate of White Shrimp via Regulating Immunity and Intestinal Microbiota

White shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei is an important species of farmed shrimp. Intestinal bacterial composition and immune activity play important roles in regulating the health condition of shrimp. Lactic acid bacteria Limosilactobacillus fermentum SWP-AFFS02 was isolated from the intestine of sea fish Rachycentron canadum, and the potential of its effect on growth, immunity, and intestinal microbiota of L. vannamei shrimp was investigated. Shrimps received feed with or without the addition of 8 log CFU/g L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02 thrice a day for 8 weeks. After 8-week treatment, weight gain, feed conversion rate, and survival rate of shrimp were greater in the L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02-feed group than in the control group. L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02 treatment increased the number of granular cells and semi-granular cells and decreased hyaline cell number when compared to the control group. L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02 promoted prophenoloxidase (PO) activity through increasing immune-associated gene expression in the hepatopancreas of shrimp. In addition, administration of feed containing L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02 regulated intestinal microbiota via decreasing the ratio of pathogenic bacteria, such as Vibrionaceae and Enterobacteriaceae, in the intestine of shrimp. This study demonstrated that administration of L. fermentum SWP-AFFS02 effectively prevented infection of L. vannamei shrimp by regulating intestinal microbiota and enhancing immunity in shrimp to increase the growth and improve their health status, which acted as a probiotic and provided beneficial effects on shrimp.

Microbiome Analysis Investigating the Impacts of Fermented Spent Mushroom Substrates on the Composition of Microbiota in Weaned Piglets Hindgut

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of fermented spent mushroom substrates (FSMS) on growth performance, serum biochemical, gut digestive enzyme activity, microbial community, genes expression of tight junction proteins, and volatile fatty acids in the hindgut (colon and cecum) of weaned piglets. A total of 100 weaned Yihao native pigs (native × Duroc, 50 males and 50 females) were allocated to two groups with five replicates and 10 pigs per replicate. Pigs in the control group were fed a basal diet (BD group), and the others were fed basal diets supplemented with 3% FSMS (FSMS group). Relative to the BD group, it had better results for final weight, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio in the FSMS group but not significant (p > 0.05), which was accompanied by improved serum triiodothyronine, immunoglobulin G, and immunoglobulin A (p < 0.05) but lower serum total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, and total triglyceride during the overall period (p < 0.05). Similarly, FSMS significantly upregulated (p < 0.05) the messenger RNA expression of duodenal tight junction proteins such as tight junction protein 1, tight junction protein 2, and occludin. Meanwhile, isobutyric acid, valeric acid, and isovaleric acid levels were increased, whereas propanoic acid was decreased (p < 0.05) in the FSMS group than the BD group. In addition, the piglets in the FSMS group changed the microbial diversity in the colon and cecum. 16S rRNA gene sequencing-based compositional analysis of the colonic and cecal microbiota showed differences in the relative abundance of bacterial phyla (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, etc.), genus (Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Roseburia, etc.), and species (Lactobacillus gasseri, Clostridium disporicum, etc.) between the BD and FSMS fed piglets. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with FSMS benefited to the intestinal mucosal barrier, immunity, and composition of the microbiota.

Dietary fermented soybean meal replacement alleviates diarrhea in weaned piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88 by modulating inflammatory cytokine levels and cecal microbiota composition

BACKGROUND

Impaired gut microbiota leads to pathogenic bacteria infection, pro-inflammatory response and post-weaning diarrhea. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88 is a major cause of post-weaning diarrhea in weaned piglets. Fermented soybean meal (FSBM) could relieve diarrhea, alleviate inflammatory response, and modulate gut microbiota of weaned piglets. We used ETEC K88-challenged weaned piglet model to investigate the effects of FSBM on the growth performance, inflammatory response and cecal microbiota. Twenty-four crossbred piglets (6.8 ± 0.5 kg; 21 ± 2 days of age) were allotted into 2 treatment fed the diets with or without FSBM (6% at the expense of soybean meal). Six weaned piglets in each diet treatment were challenged by ETEC K88 (1 × 109 CFU/piglets) on day 15. The experimental period lasted for 20 days.

RESULTS

The ETEC K88 challenge decreased (p < 0.05) fecal consistency and plasma interleukin-10 (IL-10) concentration, while increased (p < 0.05) average daily feed intake (ADFI) and plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) concentrations. After ETEC K88 challenge, dietary FSBM replacement increased (p < 0.05) final body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), ADFI, and fecal consistency, but decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR). The plasma IL-10 concentration of weaned piglets fed FSBM was higher (p < 0.05), while IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations were lower (p < 0.05). Dietary FSBM replacement attenuated the increase of plasma TNF-α concentration and the decrease of ADG induced by ETEC K88 challenge (p < 0.05). High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene V4 region of cecal microbiota revealed that ETEC K88 challenge increased (p < 0.05) Campylobacter relative abundance on genus level. Dietary FSBM replacement resulted in higher (p < 0.05) relative abundances of Bacteroidetes and Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, and lower (p < 0.05) relative abundances of Proteobacteria and Actinobacillus. Furthermore, dietary FSBM replacement relieved the increase of Escherichia-Shigella relative abundance in weaned piglets challenged by ETEC K88 (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Dietary FSBM replacement improved growth performance and alleviated the diarrhea of weaned piglets challenged with ETEC K88, which could be due to modulation of cecal microbiota composition and down-regulation of inflammatory cytokines production.

Effects of Fermented Soybean Meal Supplementation on the Growth Performance and Cecal Microbiota Community of Broiler Chickens

Simple Summary

Microbial fermentation is considered an economically viable processing technique to reduce the content of anti-nutritional factors and improve the nutritional quality of soybean meal (SBM). Fermented soybean meal (FSBM) exerts beneficial effects on the growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of broilers. However, there is very little information on the effects of FSBM on cecal microbial composition and diversity in broilers. Hence, this trial is conducted to investigate the effects of the partial replacement of SBM with FSBM in the diet on growth performance and cecal microflora of broilers. Replacing 25% of the SBM in the diet of broilers with FSBM promoted average daily gain and feed conversion ratio during the growth and whole phases. Both dietary treatment (25% or 50% of the SBM in the basal diet was replaced with FSBM) influenced the serum immunity, diversity and composition of cecal microbiota in broilers. FSBM supplementation in the diet shifted the cecal microbial community of broilers towards a healthier balance by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria and reducing the abundance of potentially harmful bacteria.

Abstract

This study investigated the growth performance, serum immunity, and cecal bacterial microbiota of broilers fed a diet in which soybean meal (SBM) was partially replaced with fermented soybean meal (FSBM) for 36 days. A total of 180 one-day-old male Cobb 500 broilers were randomly divided into three dietary groups (six replicates per group): corn-SBM diet (CC); 25% SBM replaced by FSBM (SC); 50% SBM replaced by FSBM (TC). The average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rates (FCR) were higher in SC than CC and TC groups (p < 0.05) during the growth (d 22–36) and whole (d 1–36) phases. No significant difference was observed in ADG and average daily feed intake (ADFI) between CC and TC groups during any phases. Dietary treatments increased serum IgA, IgG, and IgM, Chao 1, observed species, and the abundance of the phylum Fimicutes but decreased the proportion of Proteobacteria (p < 0.05). Dietary treatments increased the abundance of the genera Lachnospiraceae, Lachnoclostridium, Gastranaerophilales, and Lactobacillus but decreased the abundance of Escherichia-Shigella and Clostridiales (p < 0.05). Spearman’s correlations showed that the abundance of Gastranaerophilales was positively correlated with ADG and serum immunity, and the abundance of Lactobacillus was strongly positively with IgM. Thus, replacing 25% of SBM with FSBM improves the growth performance and serum immunity of broilers, possibly due to altered cecal microbial composition.

Inclusion of fish waste silage in broiler diets affects gut microflora, cecal short-chain fatty acids, digestive enzyme activity, nutrient digestibility, and excreta gas emission

A study was conducted to determine the impacts of dietary inclusion of fish waste silage (FWS) substituting soybean meal (SBM) on the performance, gut microflora, cecal short-chain fatty acid, apparent ileal digestibility (AID), digestive enzyme activity, and excreta noxious gas emission in broiler chickens. A total of 720-day-old male broilers (Cobb 500) were randomly allocated to 3 dietary treatments with 12 replicates each accommodating 20 birds for 42 d. Birds received diets as follows: a corn-SBM-based diet (CON) and 2 diets that replaced SBM with FWS at 60 g/kg (FWS60) and 120 g/kg (FWS120). During the entire period, replacing SBM with FWS60 and FWS120 increased body weight gain and decreased feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05). The lowest pH values in the crop, proventriculus, duodenum, ileum, and ceca were observed in birds fed diets containing FWS60 and FWS120 (P < 0.05). Likewise, birds fed FWS60 and FWS120 had lower numbers of coliform and E. coli and higher Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus count in the ceca than those fed CON (P < 0.05). Feeding FWS60 and FWS120 diets increased cecal butyrate and lactic acid contents (P < 0.05). Birds fed FWS120 diets had greater intestinal amylase and protease activity than birds fed CON (P < 0.05); however, no significant differences were recorded between the treatment groups for digestive enzymes activity in the pancreas. The use of both levels of FWS in broiler diet increased AID of crude protein and ether extract (P < 0.05). The lowest excreta ammonia concentration was recorded in birds fed FWS120 diet (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the inclusion of FWS in broiler diets could improve the performance by enhancing gut function, derived from the improved digestive enzyme activity and nutrient digestibility, as well as by elevating the population of beneficial bacteria and short-chain fatty acid contents. Therefore, the biological silage can be considered as a promising option for recycling and recovery of fish wastes and effectively be used in broiler diets.

Changes in the Ileal, but Not Fecal, Microbiome in Response to Increased Dietary Protein Level and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Exposure in Pigs

Gut bacterial communities have been shown to play a key role in pig health and development and are strongly influenced by host diet, but studies highlighting the complex interactions between nutrition, gut infections and the microbiome tend to focus on bacterial populations in the feces and not other important gut locations. We found that alteration of dietary protein level and exposure to a pathogenic microorganism, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), changed bacterial populations in the distal small intestine (i.e., the ileum). We found that the most profound changes occurred in pigs fed a high-protein diet in combination with exposure to ETEC, showing a clear interaction between dietary composition and exposure to a key pathogen. These changes were not observed in the fecal samples, revealing the importance of studying biologically pertinent sites in the gut, and so the data will help to inform the development of alternative management strategies for enteric disorders.

The relationship between porcine gut microbiota composition and health is an important area of research, especially due to the need to find alternatives to antimicrobial use to manage disease in livestock production systems. Previous work has indicated that lower crude dietary protein levels can reduce the impacts of postweaning colibacillosis, which is a porcine diarrheal disease caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). Here, to explore the complex interactions between the gut microbiota, protein nutrition, and ETEC exposure, the microbial compositions of both ileal digesta and feces were analyzed with or without ETEC exposure from pigs fed a low- or high-protein diet. Since ETEC colonization is mostly localized to the ileum, changes in the small intestinal microbiota were expected in response to ETEC exposure. This was supported by the study findings, which identified significant microbiota changes in ileal samples but not in fecal samples. Both increased dietary protein and ETEC exposure impacted on ileal microbiota alpha diversity (richness and diversity indices) and beta diversity (structure, stability, and relative taxon abundances) at certain sampling points, although the combination of a high-protein diet and ETEC exposure had the most profound impact on ileal microbiota composition. An understanding of how infection and nutrition lead to microbiota changes is likely to be required if dietary strategies are to be developed for the management of enteric diseases.

IMPORTANCE Gut bacterial communities have been shown to play a key role in pig health and development and are strongly influenced by host diet, but studies highlighting the complex interactions between nutrition, gut infections and the microbiome tend to focus on bacterial populations in the feces and not other important gut locations. We found that alteration of dietary protein level and exposure to a pathogenic microorganism, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), changed bacterial populations in the distal small intestine (i.e., the ileum). We found that the most profound changes occurred in pigs fed a high-protein diet in combination with exposure to ETEC, showing a clear interaction between dietary composition and exposure to a key pathogen. These changes were not observed in the fecal samples, revealing the importance of studying biologically pertinent sites in the gut, and so the data will help to inform the development of alternative management strategies for enteric disorders.

Health-promoting effects of Lactobacillus-fermented barley in weaned pigs challenged with Escherichia coli K88. Animal 2019;14:39-49. [PMID: 31426877 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731119001939]

Fermented feeds are being considered as practical alternatives to antimicrobial growth promoters (AGP) supplemented in nursery pig diets. This study aimed to investigate health-promoting effects of fermented barley in weaned pigs challenged with Escherichia coli K88 +. A total of 37 piglets were weaned at 21 ± 1 day of age (6.41 ± 0.47 kg of BW) and assigned to either of the following five treatment groups: (1) unchallenged control (UCC; n = 7), (2) challenged control (CC; n = 7), (3) AGP (CC + 0.1% AGP; n = 7), (4) Ferm1 (challenged and fed homofermentative Lactobacillus plantarum (Homo)-fermented barley; n = 8) and (5) Ferm2 (challenged and fed heterofermentative L. buchneri (Hetero)-fermented barley; n = 8). The control diet included unfermented barley. Barley was fermented with either Homo or Hetero for 90 days under anaerobic conditions. On day 10, all pigs except those in UCC group were orally inoculated with E. coli K88 + (6 × 109 colony forming units/ml). The pre-planned orthogonal test was performed to compare (1) UCC and CC, (2) CC and AGP, (3) CC and Ferm1 + Ferm2, as well as (4) Ferm1 and Ferm2. Challenged control pigs showed shorter (P < 0.05) villus height (VH) in the duodenum and deeper (P < 0.05) crypt depth (CD) in the jejunum than UCC pigs. The AGP group had higher (P < 0.05) VH and lower (P < 0.05) IL-6 gene expression in the jejunum compared with CC group. Compared to CC, Ferm1 and Ferm2 had decreased (P < 0.05) CD in the duodenum, IL-6 gene expression in the jejunum and rectal temperature at 24 h post-challenge. Pigs fed fermented barley diets showed greater (P < 0.05) faecal abundance of Clostridium Cluster IV and Lactobacilli than those fed UCC diet. Ferm2-fed pigs showed lower (P < 0.05) concentrations of band cells, eosinophils and lymphocytes at 6, 24 and 48 h after challenge, respectively, and lower (P < 0.05) faecal abundance of Enterobacteriaceae 24 h after challenge than the Ferm1-fed pigs. In conclusion, the substitution of unfermented barley with fermented barley in a nursery diet showed similar results as those shown by AGP supplementation in terms of enhancing the intestinal morphology and modulating faecal microbiota composition, as well as down-regulating the pro-inflammatory cytokines; therefore, fermented barley can be a possible nutritional strategy for managing nursery pigs fed diets without in-feed AGP.

Antibiotics induced intestinal tight junction barrier dysfunction is associated with microbiota dysbiosis, activated NLRP3 inflammasome and autophagy

Tight junction barrier is critical to intestinal homeostasis. Applying antibiotics to treat infections is common in clinical practice, which may affect intestinal microbiota. Intestinal microbiota dysbiosis is involved in the occurrence of some gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the influence of antibiotics on intestinal tight junction barrier and the possible underlying mechanisms. Healthy adult female C57BL/6 mice were treated with a broad-spectrum antibiotic cocktail for 14 days. 16S rDNA Illumina sequencing and headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC/MS) were respectively used to analyze microbial community and to detect short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) contents. In vivo intestinal paracellular permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-dextran) was measured. Protein expression was determined by immunoblotting. Immunofluoresence was applied to observe the distributions of ZO-1, LC3B and ASC. Antibiotics remarkably altered intestinal microbiota composition in healthy mice, accompanying reduced SCFAs' concentrations. In addition, the intestinal tight junction barrier was disrupted by antibiotic treatment, as evidenced by increased intestinal paracellular permeability to FITC-dextran, decreased tight junction protein expressions, and disrupted ZO-1 morphology. Furthermore, NLRP3 inflammasome and autophagy were activated by antibiotic treatment. In conclusion, intestinal epithelial tight junction barrier dysfunction induced by antibiotics is associated with intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, activated NLRP3 inflammasome and autophagy in mice.

Microbial insight into dietary protein source affects intestinal function of pigs with intrauterine growth retardation

PURPOSE

Dietary protein, as important macronutrient, is vital for intestinal function and health status. We aimed to determine the effects of dietary protein source on growth performance and intestinal function of neonates with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in a pig model.

METHODS

Eighteen pairs of IUGR and normal birth weight (NBW) weaned pigs were allotted to be fed starter diet containing soybean protein concentrate (SPC) or spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) for 2 weeks. Growth performance, antioxidant variables, intestinal morphology and absorption capability, microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) were assessed.

RESULTS

IUGR led to poor growth performance, absorption capability and changes on antioxidant variables, while SDPP diet improved the growth performance, diarrhea index, intestinal morphology and antioxidant variables of IUGR or NBW pigs relative to that fed SPC diet. Importantly, SDPP diet improved bacterial diversity and increased the abundance of phylum Firmicutes, but decreased the phylum Proteobacteria in colonic digesta, associating with higher genera Lactobacillus and lower genera Escherichia-Shigella, linking to the increased concentration of SCFA.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that IUGR impairs the growth rate, intestinal function and oxidative status of weaned pigs, which could be partly improved by SDPP diet either for IUGR or NBW pigs, associating with the better antioxidant capability, composition of microbiotas and their metabolites.