Nonstarch polysaccharide hydrolysis products of soybean and canola meal protect against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in piglets

Carbohydrases and Phytase in Poultry and Pig Nutrition: A Review beyond the Nutrients and Energy Matrix

This review aimed to clarify the mechanisms through which exogenous enzymes (carbohydrases and phytase) influence intestinal health, as well as their effects on the nutrients and energy matrix in diets fed to poultry and pigs reared under sanitary challenging conditions. Enzyme supplementation can positively affect intestinal microbiota, immune system, and enhance antioxidant status. Although enzymes have been shown to save energy and nutrients, their responses under sanitary challenging conditions are poorly documented. Immune system activation alters nutrient partitioning, which can affect the matrix values for exogenous enzymes on commercial farms. Notably, the carbohydrases and phytase supplementation under sanitary challenging conditions align with energy and nutritional valorization matrices. Studies conducted under commercial conditions have shown that matrices containing carbohydrases and phytase can maintain growth performance and health in poultry and pigs. However, these studies have predominantly focused on assessing a single level of reduction in energy and/or available phosphorus and total calcium, limiting our ability to quantify potential energy and nutrient savings in the diet. Future research should delve deeper into determining the extent of energy and nutrient savings and understanding the effects of alone or blended enzymes supplementation to achieve more specific insights.

Dietary benzoic acid and supplemental enzymes alter fiber-fermenting taxa and metabolites in the cecum of weaned pigs

Inclusion of enzymes and organic acids in pig diets is an important strategy supporting decreased antibiotic usage in pork production. However, limited knowledge exists about how these additives impact intestinal microbes and their metabolites. To examine the effects of benzoic acid and enzymes on gut microbiota and metabolome, 160 pigs were assigned to one of four diets 7 days after weaning: a control diet or the addition of 0.5% benzoic acid, 0.045% dietary enzymes (phytase, β-glucanase, xylanase, and α-amylase), or both and fed ad libitum for 21 to 22 d. Individual growth performance and group diarrhea incidence data were collected throughout the experimental period. A decrease of 20% in pen-level diarrhea incidence from days 8 to 14 in pigs-fed both benzoic acid and enzymes compared to the control diet (P = 0.047). Cecal digesta samples were collected at the end of the experimental period from 40 piglets (n = 10 per group) and evaluated for differences using 16S rRNA sequencing and two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-TOFMS). Analysis of cecal microbiota diversity revealed that benzoic acid altered microbiota composition (Unweighted Unifrac, P = 0.047, r2 = 0.07) and decreased α-diversity (Shannon, P = 0.041; Faith's Phylogenetic Diversity, P = 0.041). Dietary enzymes increased fiber-fermenting bacterial taxa such as Prevotellaceae. Two-step feature selection identified 17 cecal metabolites that differed among diets, including increased microbial cross-feeding product 1,2-propanediol in pigs-fed benzoic acid-containing diets. In conclusion, dietary benzoic acid and enzymes affected the gut microbiota and metabolome of weaned pigs and may support the health and resolution of postweaning diarrhea.

Qualitative and quantitative profiles of jejunal oligosaccharides and cecal short-chain fatty acids in broiler chickens receiving different dietary levels of fiber, protein and exogenous enzymes

BACKGROUND

Dietary supplemental carbohydrases are able to degrade non-starch polysaccharides and generate oligosaccharides in the gastrointestinal tract. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of dietary fiber and protein levels on growth performance, nutrient utilization, digesta oligosaccharides profile and cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile in broilers receiving diets supplemented with xylanase or protease individually or in combination.

RESULTS

Enzyme supplementation had no effect on growth performance. There was significant (P < 0.05) fiber × protein × xylanase interaction for ileal nitrogen digestibility and significant (P < 0.01) protein × xylanase × protease interaction for nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy. Birds fed high-fiber diets had higher (P < 0.05) jejunal oligosaccharides and cecal SCFA concentrations. Xylanase and protease combination produced the greatest pentose (Pent) levels in low fiber-adequate protein diets but lowest levels in highfiber-low protein diets. There was significant (P < 0.05) fiber × xylanase × protease interaction explained by the digesta concentrations of (Pent)₃ , (Pent)₄ and (Pent)₅ being greatest (P < 0.5) in protease-only supplemented high-fiber diets but lowest in protease-only supplemented low-fiber diets.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that, of all the factors investigated, dietary fiber level had the greatest effect on modulating digesta concentration of oligosaccharides and cecal SCFA. Evidence points to the fact that there is considerable capacity for generating pentose oligosaccharides in the digestive tract of broilers receiving diets rich in fibrous feedstuffs, and that this may have a beneficial effect on microbial profile in the digestive tract. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Growth performance and gut health of Escherichia coli-challenged weaned pigs fed canola meal-containing diet

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of including canola meal (CM) in diets for weaning pigs challenged with a F18 strain of Escherichia coli on growth performance and gut health. A total of 36 individually housed weaned pigs (initial body weight [BW] = 6.22 kg) were randomly allotted to one of the three diets (12 pigs/diet). The three diets were corn-soybean meal (SBM)-based basal diet (control diet) and the basal diet with 0.3% zinc oxide, 0.2% chlortetracycline, and 0.2% tiamulin (antibiotic diet) or with 20% CM diet. The diets were fed in two phases: Phase 1: days 0 to 7 and Phase 2: days 7 to 20. All pigs were given an oral dose of 2 × 109 CFU of F18 strain of E. coli on day 7. Fecal score was assessed daily throughout the trial. Dietary antibiotics increased (P < 0.05) overall average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) compared by 48% and 47%, respectively. Dietary CM increased (P < 0.05) overall ADG and ADFI by 22% and 23%, respectively; but the ADG and ADFI values for CM-containing diet did not reach those for the antibiotics-containing diet. Dietary antibiotics reduced (P < 0.05) fecal score; however, dietary CM unaffected fecal score. Dietary antibiotics decreased (P < 0.05) liver weight per unit live BW by 16% at day 20, whereas dietary CM did not affect liver weight per unit live BW (29.2 vs. 28.6). Also, dietary antibiotics increased (P < 0.05) serum triiodothyronine and tetraiodothyronine levels for day 14, whereas dietary CM did not affect the serum level of these hormones. Dietary antibiotics reduced (P < 0.05) the number white blood cells and neutrophils by 38% and 43% at day 20, respectively, whereas dietary CM tended to reduce (P = 0.09) the number white blood cells by 19% at day 20. The number white blood cells for CM diet tended to be greater (P < 0.10) than that for antibiotics diet. The dietary antibiotics decreased (P < 0.05) the concentration of individual volatile fatty acids and hence of total volatile fatty acid in cecum by 61% at day 20, whereas dietary CM decreased (P < 0.05) cecal butyric acid concentration by 61% and tended to reduce (P < 0.10) total volatile fatty acid concentration by 30% at day 20. In conclusion, the dietary inclusion of 20% CM improved ADG and tended to reduce white blood cell counts. Thus, inclusion of CM in antibiotics-free corn-SBM-based diets for weaned pigs that are challenged with F18 strain of E. coli can result in their improved performance partly through a reduction of the inflammatory response.

The Enzymatic Digestion of Pomaces From Some Fruits for Value-Added Feed Applications in Animal Production

With the noticed steady increase of global demand for animal proteins coupled with the current farming practices falling short in fulfilling the requested quantities, more attention is being paid for means and methods intended to maximize every available agricultural-resource in a highly sustainable fashion to address the above growing gap between production and consumers' demand. Within this regard, considerable efforts are being invested either in identifying new animal feed ingredients or maximizing the utilization of already established ones. The public preference and awareness of the importance of using waste products generated by fruit-dependent industries (juice, jams, spirits, etc.) has improved substantially in recent years where a genuine interest of using the above waste(s) in meaningful applications is solidifying and optimization-efforts are being pursued diligently. While many of the earlier reported usages of fruit pomaces as feedstuffs suggested the possibility of using minimally processed raw materials alone, the availability of exogenous digestive and bio-conversion enzymes is promising to take such applications to new un-matched levels. This review will discuss some efforts and practices using exogenous enzymes to enhance fruit pomaces quality as feed components as well as their nutrients' accessibility for poultry and swine production purposes. The review will also highlight efforts deployed to adopt numerous naturally derived and environmentally friendly catalytic agents for sustainable future feed applications and animal farming-practices.

Improvement of the nutritional value of high-protein sunflower meal for broiler chickens using multi-enzyme mixtures

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with a high-protein sunflower meal (HiSFM) without or with multi-enzyme mixtures on growth performance, nutrient utilization, jejunal digesta viscosity, and excreta moisture in broiler chickens. In experiment 1, 400 chicks were divided into 40 replicates of 10 birds and fed for 35 d a corn-soybean meal (CSBM) control diet or CSBM with 25 (HiSFM25), 50 (HiSFM50), 75 (HiSFM75), or 100% (HiSFM100) of total SBM replaced by HiSFM. During d 0 to 35, increasing HiSFM content in diets linearly reduced (P < 0.0001) BW, FI, and BW gain (BWG). Feeding HiSFM25 or HiSFM50 resulted in similar growth performance as CSBM (P > 0.05). In experiment 2, 120 chicks were divided into 24 replicates of 5 birds and fed CSBM or HiSFM75 diet without or with enzyme A (supplying 4,000, 500, and 8,000 U/kg of xylanase, alpha-amylase, and protease, respectively) or enzyme B (supplying 1,700, 1,100, 240, 30, 1,200, 360, 1,500, and 120 U/kg of cellulase, pectinase, mannanase, galactanase, xylanase, glucanase, amylase, and protease, respectively) for 21 days. Excreta moisture content was determined weekly, and birds were euthanized on d 22 to collect jejunal and ileal digesta for viscosity and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) measurements, respectively. Compared with CSBM, feeding HiSFM75 reduced (P < 0.05) BWG and G: F, enzymes A and D alleviated BWG and G: F reduction (P < 0.05), and enzyme A reduced (P = 0.037) the excreta moisture content, whereas the treatments did not influence AID or jejunal digesta viscosity measurements. In conclusion, experiment 1 results show that HiSFM can replace up to 50% of SBM without depressing growth performance in either the starter or finisher phase, whereas experiment 2 shows that enzymes A and B supplementation can alleviate the growth depression associated with feeding HiSFM75. These results suggest that enzyme supplementation can enhance HiSFM inclusion in broiler diets without affecting productivity or barn hygiene management.

Post weaning diarrhea in pigs: risk factors and non-colistin-based control strategies

Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) is one of the most serious threats for the swine industry worldwide. It is commonly associated with the proliferation of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in the pig intestine. Colistin, a cationic antibiotic, is widely used in swine for the oral treatment of intestinal infections caused by E. coli, and particularly of PWD. However, despite the effectiveness of this antibiotic in the treatment of PWD, several studies have reported high rates of colistin resistant E. coli in swine. Furthermore, this antibiotic is considered of very high importance in humans, being used for the treatment of infections due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria (GNB). Moreover, the recent discovery of the mcr-1 gene encoding for colistin resistance in Enterobacteriaceae on a conjugative stable plasmid has raised great concern about the possible loss of colistin effectiveness for the treatment of MDR-GNB in humans. Consequently, it has been proposed that the use of colistin in animal production should be considered as a last resort treatment only. Thus, to overcome the economic losses, which would result from the restriction of use of colistin, especially for prophylactic purposes in PWD control, we believe that an understanding of the factors contributing to the development of this disease and the putting in place of practical alternative strategies for the control of PWD in swine is crucial. Such alternatives should improve animal gut health and reduce economic losses in pigs without promoting bacterial resistance. The present review begins with an overview of risk factors of PWD and an update of colistin use in PWD control worldwide in terms of quantities and microbiological outcomes. Subsequently, alternative strategies to the use of colistin for the control of this disease are described and discussed. Finally, a practical approach for the control of PWD in its various phases is proposed.

Short-term effect of supplemental yeast extract without or with feed enzymes on growth performance, immune status and gut structure of weaned pigs challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide

Background

This study investigated the response of piglets receiving a yeast extract without or with a multi-enzyme mixture compared with an antimicrobial growth promoter (AGP) on performance, immune status and gut structure after an E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Thirty-six pigs were allotted to six treatments including: a non-challenged control (NCC); LPS-challenged control (CC); CC + AGP; CC + yeast extract; CC + enzymes; and CC + enzymes + yeast extract. On d 7, pigs were bled and thereafter injected with LPS or sterile saline. Blood samples were collected at 6, 48, and 96 h post-challenge. After 96 h post-challenge, pigs were euthanized to obtain duodenal, jejunal and ileal samples.

Results

Overall (d 1 to 11), compared with CC pigs, AGP attenuated the LPS-induced reduction in ADG (P = 0.004), ADFI (P = 0.03) and gain/feed ratio (P = 0.01). At 6 h post-challenge, AGP pigs had lower plasma urea N (PUN; P = 0.02) and serum TNF- α concentration (P = 0.07), and higher platelet count (P = 0.04) and serum IL-10 concentration (P = 0.02) than CC pigs. At 48 h post-challenge, AGP pigs had lower PUN (P = 0.02) than CC pigs, whereas enzymes + yeast extract interacted non-additively (P = 0.001) to reduce PUN. At 96 h post-challenge, AGP pigs had lower PUN (P = 0.02) and higher duodenal (P = 0.03), jejunal (P = 0.01) and ileal (P = 0.07) villus height than CC pigs. In addition, enzymes + yeast extract interacted additively and non-additively to reduce ileal IFN-γ (P < 0.0001) and IL-10 (P = 0.012) expression, respectively. Generally, no differences (P > 0.10) were observed between AGP and enzymes + yeast extract pigs on other measured parameters except for the downregulation of ileal IFN-γ (P < 0.0001) and TNF-α (P = 0.003) in enzymes + yeast extract pigs at 96 h post-challenge.

Conclusions

The LPS challenged piglets receiving enzymes + yeast extract showed beneficial responses in gut structure and immunity commensurate with those receiving antibiotics, though the latter had better overall growth performance.

Low crude protein diets modulate intestinal responses in weaned pigs challenged with Escherichia coli K88

Opapeju, F. O., Rodriguez-Lecompte, J. C., Rademacher, M., Krause, D. O. and Nyachoti, C. M. 2015. Low crude protein diets modulate intestinal responses in weaned pigs challenged with Escherichia coli K88. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 95: 71–78. Effects of dietary crude protein (CP) content on intestinal indicators of infection and diarrhea in pigs challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88 were investigated. Forty piglets [body weight (BW)=6.96±0.45, mean±SD], housed four per pen, were randomly allotted to two diets (five pens per diet): a 22.2% CP or a 17.3% CP supplemented with amino acids. Diets contained the same amount of standardized ileal digestible Lys, Met+Cys, Thr, Trp based on the ideal amino acid ratio. Isoleucine and Val were added to the 17.3% CP diet up to the level in the 22.2% CP diet. All other nutrients were as per National Research Council (1998) specification. Three piglets per pen were serially slaughtered on days 3, 5, and 7 after weaning for evaluation of intestinal hydrolases (data reported elsewhere). On day 8 post-weaning, the remaining pigs were inoculated with 6 mL of ETEC suspension (1010 CFU mL−1) and slaughtered 20 h later. Mucosal-associated ETEC was detected in higher counts (3.17±0.63 log10 CFU g−1 digesta) in 80% of pigs fed the 22.2% CP diet compared with 20% of those fed the 17.3% CP diet in which the counts were also lower (2.00±log10 CFU g−1 digesta). Pigs fed the 22.2% CP diet tended (P=0.09) to have fewer goblet cells with sialomucins in jejunal villi compared with those fed the 17.3% CP diet. The expression of toll-like receptors 4 and 5 was unaffected by diet but the expression of sodium-coupled glucose transporter 1 was higher (P=0.04) in the jejunum of pigs fed the 22.2% CP diet compared with those fed the 17.3% CP diet. The results suggest that feeding a low-CP diet decreases ETEC proliferation and attachment in the intestinal mucosa and this is accompanied by a reduced expression of sodium-coupled glucose transporter 1.

Exopolysaccharides synthesized by Lactobacillus reuteri protect against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in piglets

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of diarrhea in piglets; ETEC cells colonize the intestinal mucosa with adhesins and deliver toxins that cause fluid loss. This study determined the antiadhesive properties of bacterial exopolysaccharides (reuteran and levan) and related glycans (dextran and inulin) in a small intestinal segment perfusion (SISP) model. The SISP model used 10 jejunal segments from 5-week-old piglets. Five segments were infected with ETEC expressing K88 fimbriae (ETEC K88), while five segments were treated with saline. Every two segments (ETEC and non-ETEC infected) were infused with 65 ml of 10 g liter(-1) of glycans or saline (control) for 8 h. High-resolution melting-curve (HRM) quantitative PCR (qPCR) indicated that E. coli is the dominant bacterium in infected segments, while other bacteria were predominant in noninfected segments. Infection by ETEC K88 was also verified by qPCR; gene copy numbers of K88 fimbriae and the heat-labile toxin (LT) in mucosal scrapings and outflow fluid of infected segments were significantly higher than those in noninfected segments. Genes coding for K88 fimbriae and LT were also detected in noninfected segments. LT amplicons from infected and noninfected segments were 99% identical over 481 bp, demonstrating the presence of autochthonous ETEC K88. All glycans reduced fluid loss caused by ETEC K88 infection. Reuteran tended (P = 0.06) to decrease ETEC K88 levels in mucosal scraping sample, as judged by qPCR. Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis demonstrated that reuteran significantly (P = 0.012) decreased levels of adherent ETEC K88. Overall, reuteran may prevent piglet diarrhea by reducing adhesion of ETEC K88.

The role of added feed enzymes in promoting gut health in swine and poultry

The value of added feed enzymes (FE) in promoting growth and efficiency of nutrient utilisation is well recognised in single-stomached animal production. However, the effects of FE on the microbiome of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) are largely unrecognised. A critical role in host nutrition, health, performance and quality of the products produced is played by the intestinal microbiota. FE can make an impact on GIT microbial ecology by reducing undigested substrates and anti-nutritive factors and producing oligosaccharides in situ from dietary NSP with potential prebiotic effects. Investigations with molecular microbiology techniques have demonstrated FE-mediated responses on energy utilisation in broiler chickens that were associated with certain clusters of GIT bacteria. Furthermore, investigations using specific enteric pathogen challenge models have demonstrated the efficacy of FE in modulating gut health. Because FE probably change the substrate characteristics along the GIT, subsequent microbiota responses will vary according to the populations present at the time of administration and their reaction to such changes. Therefore, the microbiota responses to FE administration, rather than being absolute, are a continuum or a population of responses. However, recognition that FE can make an impact on the gut microbiota and thus gut health will probably stimulate development of FE capable of modulating gut microbiota to the benefit of host health under specific production conditions. The present review brings to light opportunities and challenges for the role of major FE (carbohydrases and phytase) on the gut health of poultry and swine species with a specific focus on the impact on GIT microbiota.

Dietary roles of non-starch polysaccharides in human nutrition: a review

Nonstarch polysaccharides (NSPs) occur naturally in many foods. The physiochemical and biological properties of these compounds correspond to dietary fiber. Nonstarch polysaccharides show various physiological effects in the small and large intestine and therefore have important health implications for humans. The remarkable properties of dietary NSPs are water dispersibility, viscosity effect, bulk, and fermentibility into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These features may lead to diminished risk of serious diet related diseases which are major problems in Western countries and are emerging in developing countries with greater affluence. These conditions include coronary heart disease, colo-rectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, breast cancer, tumor formation, mineral related abnormalities, and disordered laxation. Insoluble NSPs (cellulose and hemicellulose) are effective laxatives whereas soluble NSPs (especially mixed-link β-glucans) lower plasma cholesterol levels and help to normalize blood glucose and insulin levels, making these kinds of polysaccharides a part of dietary plans to treat cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes. Moreover, a major proportion of dietary NSPs escapes the small intestine nearly intact, and is fermented into SCFAs by commensal microflora present in the colon and cecum and promotes normal laxation. Short chain fatty acids have a number of health promoting effects and are particularly effective in promoting large bowel function. Certain NSPs through their fermented products may promote the growth of specific beneficial colonic bacteria which offer a prebiotic effect. Various modes of action of NSPs as therapeutic agent have been proposed in the present review. In addition, NSPs based films and coatings for packaging and wrapping are of commercial interest because they are compatible with several types of food products. However, much of the physiological and nutritional impact of NSPs and the mechanism involved is not fully understood and even the recommendation on the dose of different dietary NSPs intake among different age groups needs to be studied.

Gastrointestinal health and function in weaned pigs: a review of feeding strategies to control post-weaning diarrhoea without using in-feed antimicrobial compounds

For the last several decades, antimicrobial compounds have been used to promote piglet growth at weaning through the prevention of subclinical and clinical disease. There are, however, increasing concerns in relation to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains and the potential of these and associated resistance genes to impact on human health. As a consequence, European Union (EU) banned the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in swine and livestock production on 1 January 2006. Furthermore, minerals such as zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) are not feasible alternatives/replacements to antibiotics because their excretion is a possible threat to the environment. Consequently, there is a need to develop feeding programs to serve as a means for controlling problems associated with the weaning transition without using antimicrobial compounds. This review, therefore, is focused on some of nutritional strategies that are known to improve structure and function of gastrointestinal tract and (or) promote post-weaning growth with special emphasis on probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, trace minerals and dietary protein source and level.

Small intestinal segment perfusion test in piglets: future applications in studying probiotics-gut crosstalk in infectious diarrhoea?

Worldwide infectious diarrhoea, mainly caused by rotavirus and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), accounts for a large part of deaths in children. ETEC is also the main cause of traveller's diarrhoea. Probiotics are promising for prevention and treatment of diarrhoea, but there is insufficient evidence to support the use of any specific probiotic or probiotics in general. Because of the sensitivity of suckling and weaned piglets for ETEC, piglets are a good model for infectious diarrhoea in infants and traveller's diarrhoea. Just as in human the efficacy of probiotics in diminishing diarrhoea and improving growth in suckling and weaned piglets is not uniform. A piglet model of infectious diarrhoea provides access to intestinal compartments that are not easily accessible in infants. In an in situ piglet model of secretory diarrhoea, the functional physiological response to ETEC and the concomitant host genome response to ETEC and probiotics may be tested. This will provide new insights in the complex crosstalk between ETEC, probiotics and the gut in the future.

Weaned pig responses to Escherichia coli K88 oral challenge when receiving a lysozyme supplement

Lysozyme is a low-molecular-weight protein with antimicrobial properties. An experiment was conducted to investigate the response of piglets receiving a water-soluble lysozyme supplement [Entegard (EG), Neova Technologies Inc., Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada; 4,000 lysozyme units/mg] after oral challenge with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). A total of 36 individually housed weanling pigs were randomly allotted to 1 of the 4 treatments, with 9 replicates per treatment. Treatments were a control (CONT, no additive), antibiotic (AB; 2.5 g/kg of feed of antibiotic with chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, and penicillin), and EG delivered in the drinking water at concentrations of 0.1% (EG1) and 0.2% (EG2). All pigs received a basal diet similar in composition and nutrients, except for pigs receiving the AB diet, which had an added antibiotic. Pigs were acclimated to treatments for a 7-d period to monitor growth performance. On d 8, blood samples were collected from each pig to obtain serum, and each pig was gavaged with 6 mL (2 × 10(9) cfu/mL) of ETEC solution. Pigs were monitored for another 7 d to assess incidences of diarrhea and growth performance, and then all pigs were killed to obtain intestinal tissue and digesta samples. Treatments did not influence growth performance throughout the study. Greater ETEC counts were observed in the ileal mucosal scrapings (P = 0.001) and colonic digesta (P = 0.025) of pigs in the CONT group compared with pigs in the AB and EG1 groups. Pigs receiving AB and EG1 had greater (P < 0.05) small intestinal weights and ileal villus heights than pigs receiving CONT; however, the ileal villus height-to-crypt depth ratio was greater in pigs fed the AB diet (1.69) compared with those fed the CONT diet (1.34), whereas pigs receiving EG1 were intermediate. Pigs in the EG1 group showed greater (P < 0.001) serum tumor necrosis factor α and IL-6 concentrations before ETEC challenge; however, at 7 d postchallenge, pigs receiving EG2 showed the least (P < 0.05) circulating tumor necrosis factor α and IL-6 concentrations. Overall, better intestinal growth and development, as well as decreased ETEC counts on the intestinal mucosa and serum proinflammatory cytokines, suggest that EG can maintain gut health and function in piglets commensurate with antibiotics. However, it is noteworthy that at the largest dose tested, EG seemed to have a dramatic effect on proinflammatory cytokines but had a minimal or no effect on the other response criteria.

Effect of products derived from hydrolysis of wheat and flaxseed non starch polysaccharides by carbohydrase enzymes on net absorption in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (K88) challenged piglet jejunal segments

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection results in fluid and electrolyte losses in the small intestine. We investigated the effect of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) hydrolysis products of wheat middlings (WM) and flaxseed (FS) on net absorption of fluid and solutes during ETEC challenge. Products were generated by incubating WM and FS with a blend of carbohydrase enzymes to produce 2 products: 80% ethanol-soluble (ES) and 80% ethanol-insoluble (EI) which were studied in 2 experiments in which 2 factors were investigated: products (EI vs. ES) and time of ETEC challenge (before vs. after perfusion). Pairs of small-intestine segments, one non-challenged and the other ETEC-challenged were perfused with products for 7.5 h. ETEC reduced fluid absorption by more than 380 microL/cm(2) in saline (control) perfused segments, whereas this reduction was significantly (P < 0.05) less for the WM and FS products. Interaction (P > 0.05) between product and time of challenge was not observed. For WM, products effects on ETEC-challenged segments were such that perfusion of ES resulted in higher total solute (measured as osmolality) absorption than EI (138 vs. 103 microOsmol/cm(2)). In conclusion, hydrolysis products from WM and FS were beneficial in maintaining fluid balance during ETEC challenge, suggesting potential in controlling ETEC induced diarrhea in piglets.

First characterization of bioactive components in soybean tempe that protect human and animal intestinal cells against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection

Tempe extracts can inhibit the adhesion of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) to intestinal cells and thereby can play a role in controlling ETEC-induced diarrhea. The component responsible for this adhesion inhibition activity is still unknown. This research describes the purification and partial characterization of this bioactive component of tempe. After heating, defatting, and protease treatment, the extracts were found to remain active. However, after treatment with polysaccharide-degrading enzyme mixtures the bioactivity was lost. Ultrafiltration revealed the active component to be >30 kDa. Further purification of the bioactive tempe extracts yielded an active fraction with an increased carbohydrate content of higher arabinose content than the nonactive fractions. In conclusion, the bioactive component contains arabinose and originates from the arabinan or arabinogalactan side chain of the pectic cell wall polysaccharides of the soybeans, which is probably released or formed during fermentation by enzymatic modifications.