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Zhang J, Shu Z, Lv S, Zhou Q, Huang Y, Peng Y, Zheng J, Zhou Y, Hu C, Lan S. Fermented Chinese Herbs Improve the Growth and Immunity of Growing Pigs through Regulating Colon Microbiota and Metabolites. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3867. [PMID: 38136904 PMCID: PMC10740985 DOI: 10.3390/ani13243867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: the development of new antibiotic substitutes to promote pig growth and health has become an important way to solve the current dilemma and promote the pig industry. (2) Methods: to assess the effects of a fermented Chinese herbal (FCH) formula on the growth and immunity of growing pigs, 100 Duroc × Landrace × Yorshire three-way crossed growing pigs were randomly divided into control and treatment groups that were fed a basal diet, and a basal diet with 1% (group A), 2% (group B), and 3% (group C) FCH formulas, respectively. A sixty-day formal experiment was conducted, and their growth and serum indices, colonic microbiota, and metabolites were analyzed. (3) Results: the daily gain of growing pigs in groups A, B, and C increased by 7.93%, 17.68%, and 19.61%, respectively, and the feed-to-gain ratios decreased by 8.33%, 15.00%, and 14.58%, respectively. Serum immunity and antioxidant activities were significantly increased in all treatment groups. Particularly, adding a 2% FCH formula significantly changed the colon's microbial structure; the Proteobacteria significantly increased and Firmicutes significantly decreased, and the metabolite composition in the colon's contents significantly changed. (4) Conclusions: these results indicate that the FCH formula is a good feed additive for growing pigs, and the recommended addition ratio was 3%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhao Zhang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (J.Z.); (Z.S.); (S.L.); (Q.Z.); (Y.H.); (J.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Zhiheng Shu
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (J.Z.); (Z.S.); (S.L.); (Q.Z.); (Y.H.); (J.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Sixiao Lv
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (J.Z.); (Z.S.); (S.L.); (Q.Z.); (Y.H.); (J.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Qingwen Zhou
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (J.Z.); (Z.S.); (S.L.); (Q.Z.); (Y.H.); (J.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yuanhao Huang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (J.Z.); (Z.S.); (S.L.); (Q.Z.); (Y.H.); (J.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yingjie Peng
- Guangdong Chuangzhan Bona Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., Guangning 526339, China;
| | - Jun Zheng
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (J.Z.); (Z.S.); (S.L.); (Q.Z.); (Y.H.); (J.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yi Zhou
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (J.Z.); (Z.S.); (S.L.); (Q.Z.); (Y.H.); (J.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Chao Hu
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (J.Z.); (Z.S.); (S.L.); (Q.Z.); (Y.H.); (J.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Shile Lan
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (J.Z.); (Z.S.); (S.L.); (Q.Z.); (Y.H.); (J.Z.); (Y.Z.)
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Mao J, Wang Y, Duan T, Yin N, Dong C, Ren X, Liu N, An X, Qi J. Effect of fermented dandelion on productive performance, meat quality, immune function, and intestinal microbiota of broiler chickens. BMC Vet Res 2023; 19:178. [PMID: 37773158 PMCID: PMC10540353 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03751-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dandelion has a great potential to be used as feed additive. Using microbial fermentation technology to degrade cell walls is conducive to enable better release of bioactive compounds of dandelion. This study intended to explore the effect of fermented dandelion (FD) on production performance, meat quality, immune function, and intestinal microbiota of broiler chickens. One-hundred and twenty 1-day-old male Arbor Acres broiler chickens were randomly allotted into three treatments: CON (basal diet, control), LFD and HFD (basal diet with 500 and 1000 mg/kg FD, respectively), with five replicates of eight birds each. The experiment lasted for 42 days. RESULTS The results showed that birds in HFD group had increased ADG during 1-21 days (P < 0.05). On day 21, the bursa of Fabricius index of birds in LFD group was higher (P < 0.05), while the serum contents of IFN-γ and TNF-ɑ were lower in HFD group (P < 0.05). FD supplementation decreased the observed_species, shannon, chao1 and ace indexes (P < 0.05) as well as the abundance of Bacteroidota, Bacteroides, and Alistipes (P < 0.05). Birds in HFD group had higher abundance of Firmicutes and lower abundance of Verrucomicrobiota (P < 0.05). LFD group had lower abundance of unidentified_bacteria (P < 0.05). On day 42, the abdominal fat yield of HFD group was decreased (P < 0.05). Birds in LFD group had lower L* and b* values of breast muscle (P < 0.05), while higher spleen index. The CAT activities of breast muscle of FD groups were higher (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION In summary, dietary FD supplementation at 1000 mg/kg improved production performance and immune function and modulated microbiota composition in ileum of broiler chickens. FD can be supplemented in the diet to enhance performance and health of broiler chickens, of which 1000 mg/kg FD is more effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinju Mao
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Herbivorous Livestock Feed Engineering Technology Research Center, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Animal Husbandry at Universities of Inner Mongolia Automomous Region, Hohhot, 010018, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China.
- Inner Mongolia Herbivorous Livestock Feed Engineering Technology Research Center, Hohhot, 010018, China.
- Key Laboratory of Smart Animal Husbandry at Universities of Inner Mongolia Automomous Region, Hohhot, 010018, China.
| | - Ting Duan
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Herbivorous Livestock Feed Engineering Technology Research Center, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Animal Husbandry at Universities of Inner Mongolia Automomous Region, Hohhot, 010018, China
| | - Na Yin
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Herbivorous Livestock Feed Engineering Technology Research Center, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Animal Husbandry at Universities of Inner Mongolia Automomous Region, Hohhot, 010018, China
| | - Chenlin Dong
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Herbivorous Livestock Feed Engineering Technology Research Center, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Animal Husbandry at Universities of Inner Mongolia Automomous Region, Hohhot, 010018, China
| | - Xuerong Ren
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Herbivorous Livestock Feed Engineering Technology Research Center, Hohhot, 010018, China
| | - Na Liu
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Herbivorous Livestock Feed Engineering Technology Research Center, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Animal Husbandry at Universities of Inner Mongolia Automomous Region, Hohhot, 010018, China
| | - Xiaoping An
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Herbivorous Livestock Feed Engineering Technology Research Center, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Animal Husbandry at Universities of Inner Mongolia Automomous Region, Hohhot, 010018, China
| | - Jingwei Qi
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Herbivorous Livestock Feed Engineering Technology Research Center, Hohhot, 010018, China
- Key Laboratory of Smart Animal Husbandry at Universities of Inner Mongolia Automomous Region, Hohhot, 010018, China
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Fermented Chinese Herbal Medicine Promoted Growth Performance, Intestinal Health, and Regulated Bacterial Microbiota of Weaned Piglets. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030476. [PMID: 36766365 PMCID: PMC9913397 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
To investigate the effects of fermented Chinese herbal medicine on growth performance, diarrhea rate, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal health of weaned piglets, and to provide the theoretical basis for applying fermented Chinese herbal medicines to weaned piglet production, a total of 162 weaned and castrated piglets at 25 days of age (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, half male and half female) with an initial body weight of 7.77 ± 0.03 kg were randomly divided into the following three groups according to the principle of similar body weight: basal diet (CON) group, basal diet + 3 kg/t fermented Chinese herbal medicine (LFHM) group, and basal diet + 5 g/kg fermented Chinese herbal medicine (HFHM) group. Each group underwent six replicates and there were nine piglets in each replicate. The experiment lasted 24 days, i.e., 3 days for preliminary feeding, and 21 days for the experiment. From Day 1 of the experiment, the piglets were observed and recorded for diarrhea each day. As compared with the CON group, the results indicated: Following the addition of fermented Chinese herbal medicine, the piglets in the LFHM and HFHM groups increased final weight (FW); average daily feed intake (ADFI); average daily gain (ADG) (p < 0.01); apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP) (p < 0.05); as well as chymotrypsin, α-amylase, and lipase activities (p < 0.01). In addition, α-amylase activity in the LFHM group was higher than that in the HFHM group (p < 0.05); chymotrypsin activity in the LFHM group was lower than that in the HFHM group (p < 0.05); as compared with the CON group, the LFHM and the HFHM increased villus height (VH) and crypt depth (CD) in piglet jejunum; isovaleric acid concentration with the HFHM was higher than those with the CON and the LFHM (p < 0.05), but butyrate concentration with the HFFM was lower than those with the CON and the LFHM (p < 0.05). The high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing of intestinal microbiota results showed that the LFHM and the HFHM affected the microbial α diversity index in weaned piglet colon (p < 0.01). In conclusion, fermented Chinese herbs can improve the growth performance of weaned piglets by promoting the secretion of intestinal digestive enzymes, changing intestinal microbial diversity, regulating the contents of intestinal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), promoting intestinal health, and improving nutrients digestibility.
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Kong Q, Shang Z, Liu Y, Fakhar-e-Alam Kulyar M, Suo-lang S, Xu Y, Tan Z, Li J, Liu S. Preventive effect of Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. extract on mice infected with Salmonella Typhimurium. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 12:1054205. [PMID: 36699727 PMCID: PMC9868565 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1054205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. (TB) is a traditional herbal combination used in Chinese medicine for the treatment of a broad range of diseases. In this study, thirty KM mice were randomly divided into control (N), infection group (NS), and the TB protection group (HS). Based on its digestive feature, intestinal physical barrier, immunological barrier and gut microbiota effects in vivo on challenged with S.typhimurium mice were investigated after oral administration of 600 mg/kg b.wt of TB for 13 days. The results show that the extract could improve the level of serum immunoglobulins (IgA and IgG), decrease the intestinal cytokine secretion to relieve intestinal cytokine storm, reinforce the intestinal biochemical barrier function by elevating the sIgA expression, and strengthen the intestinal physical barrier function. Simultaneously, based on the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA analyzed, the results of the taxonomic structure of the intestinal microbiota demonstrated that the TB prevention effect transformed the key phylotypes of the gut microbiota in S. Typhimurium-challenged mice and promoted the multiplication of beneficial bacteria. Furthermore, the abundance of Firmicutes and Deferribacteres increased, while that of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria decreased. At the genus level, the abundance of Ruminococcus and Oscillospira was substantially enhanced, while the other dominant genera showed no significant change between the vehicle control groups and the TB prevention groups. In summary, these results provide evidence that the administration of TB extract can prevent S. Typhimurium infection by alleviating the intestinal physical and immunological barriers and normalizing the gut microbiota, highlighting a promising application in clinical treatment. Thus, our results provide new insights into the biological functions of TB for the preventive effect of intestinal inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghui Kong
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhenda Shang
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, China
- Tibetan Plateau Feed Processing Engineering Research Center, Nyingchi, China
| | - Yao Liu
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, China
| | | | - Sizhu Suo-lang
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, China
| | - Yefen Xu
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, China
| | - Zhankun Tan
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, China
- Tibetan Plateau Feed Processing Engineering Research Center, Nyingchi, China
| | - Jiakui Li
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Suozhu Liu
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, China
- Tibetan Plateau Feed Processing Engineering Research Center, Nyingchi, China
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Fu G, Zhou Y, Song Y, Liu C, Hu M, Xie Q, Wang J, Zhang Y, Shi Y, Chen S, Hu J, Sun Y. The effect of combined dietary supplementation of herbal additives on carcass traits, meat quality, immunity and cecal microbiota composition in Hungarian white geese. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15316. [PMID: 37180579 PMCID: PMC10174065 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study was performed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with herbal additives on meat quality, slaughter performance and the cecal microbial community in Hungarian white geese. A total of 60 newborn geese were assigned equally into the control group (CON) and the herbal complex supplemented group (HS). The dietary supplementations consisted of Compound Herbal Additive A (CHAA) including Pulsatilla, Gentian and Rhizoma coptidis, and Compound Herbal Additive B (CHAB) containing Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes, Poria cocos and Licorice. The geese in the HS group received a basal diet supplemented with 0.2% CHAA from day 0 to day 42 at the postnatal stage. Then from day 43 to day 70, the geese in HS group were provide a basal diet with 0.15% CHAB. The geese in the CON group were only provided with the basal diet. The results showed that the slaughter rate (SR), half chamber rates (HCR), eviscerated rate (ER) and breast muscle rate (BMR) in the HS group tended to increase slightly compared with the CON group (ns). In addition, the shear force, filtration rate and pH value of breast muscle and thigh muscle in the HS group were slightly enhanced compared to the CON group (ns). Significant increased levels in carbohydrate content, fat content and energy (P < 0.01) and significant decreased levels in cholesterol content (P < 0.01) were observed in the muscle of the HS group. The total amino acid (Glu, Lys, Thr and Asp) content in the muscle increased in HS group than in the CON group (P < 0.01). Dietary herb supplementations significantly increased the levels of IgG in serum (P < 0.05) on day 43 and higher levels of IgM, IgA and IgG (P < 0.01) were also observed in the HS group on day 70. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that herbal additives increased the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibited the proliferation of harmful bacteria in the geese caecum. Altogether, these results offer crucial insights into the potential benefits of incorporating CHAA and CHAB into the diets of Hungarian white goose. The findings indicate that such supplementations could significantly improve meat quality, regulate the immune system and shape the intestinal microbiota composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilin Fu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuxuan Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Yupu Song
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Changchun Animal Husbandry Service, Changchun, China
| | - Manjie Hu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Qiuyu Xie
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Jingbo Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuxin Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Yumeng Shi
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuhao Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Jingtao Hu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Yongfeng Sun
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
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Yin H, Liu W, Ji X, Yan G, Zeng X, Zhao W, Wang Y. Study on the mechanism of Wumei San in treating piglet diarrhea using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1138684. [PMID: 36925608 PMCID: PMC10011153 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1138684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Wumei San (WMS) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely applied in the treatment of piglet diarrhea (PD). However, the mechanism of WMS in PD has not been investigated. In this study, the main active compounds of WMS and the target proteins were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systematic Pharmacology, PubChem, and SwissTargetPrediction databases. The molecular targets of PD were identified using GeneCards, OMIM, and NCBI databases. The common targets of WMS and PD were screened out and converted into UniProt gene symbols. PD-related target genes were constructed into a protein-protein interaction network, which was further analyzed by the STRING online database. Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed to construct the component-target gene-disease network. Molecular docking was then used to examine the relationship between the core compounds and proteins. As a result, a total of 32 active compounds and 638 target genes of WMS were identified, and a WMS-compound-target network was successfully constructed. Through network pharmacology analysis, 14 core compounds in WMS that showed an effect on PD were identified. The targets revealed by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were associated with the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, and other pathways and physiological processes. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the active compounds in WMS spontaneously bind to their targets. The results indicated that WMS may regulate the local immune response and inflammatory factors mainly through the TNF signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, and other pathways. WMS is a promising treatment strategy for PD. This study provides new insights into the potential mechanism of WMS in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Yin
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of China (Guangxi)-ASEAN Cross-Border Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Guangxi Veterinary Research Institute, Nanning, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of China (Guangxi)-ASEAN Cross-Border Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Guangxi Veterinary Research Institute, Nanning, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Liu ✉
| | - Xiaoyu Ji
- Brain Function and Disease Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guoqing Yan
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of China (Guangxi)-ASEAN Cross-Border Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Guangxi Veterinary Research Institute, Nanning, China
| | - Xueyan Zeng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of China (Guangxi)-ASEAN Cross-Border Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Guangxi Veterinary Research Institute, Nanning, China
| | - Wu Zhao
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of China (Guangxi)-ASEAN Cross-Border Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Guangxi Veterinary Research Institute, Nanning, China
| | - Yanhua Wang
- Guangxi Mountain Comprehensive Technology Development Center, Nanning, China
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Xu Q, Cheng M, Jiang R, Zhao X, Zhu J, Liu M, Chao X, Zhang C, Zhou B. Effects of dietary supplement with a Chinese herbal mixture on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and gut microbiota in weaned pigs. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:971647. [PMID: 36072392 PMCID: PMC9442064 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.971647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Weaning stress decreases the growth performance of piglets and is one of the main concerns of pig industries. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines have been used to reduce the adverse effects of weaning stress as both nutritional supplements and antibiotic substitutes. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a Chinese herbal mixture (Kangtaile, which contained Paeonia lactiflora, licorice, dandelion, and tea polyphenols) on the growth performances, immune response, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiota of weaned pigs. A total of 400 weaned pigs [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire)] were randomly allocated into one of four treatments: the CON group, fed with basic diet; the HM1 group, fed with basal diet supplemented with 0.5 g herbal mixture/kg diet; the HM2 group, fed with basal diet supplemented with 1.0 g herbal mixture/kg diet; or the HM3 group, fed with basal diet supplemented with 1.5 g herbal mixture/kg diet. The results revealed that dietary supplementation with the herbal mixture for 28 days improved average daily gain and feed conversion ratio, while decreased the diarrhea rate of weaned pigs. Moreover, dietary supple-mentation with the herbal mixture improved the antioxidant capacity through increasing the activity of catalase (CAT) and the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) level, while decreasing the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum. Pigs supplemented with herbal mixture presented an increased serum immunoglobulin (Ig)M level on day 14 compared with control pigs. The herbal mixture altered the composition of intestinal microbiota by influencing the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes at the phylum level. The relative abundances of the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were significantly related to the body weight gain of pigs. In conclusion, supplementation of herbal mixture to the diet improved growth performance, immunity, and antioxidant capacity and modified the composition of intestinal microbiota in weaning pigs. This study provided new insights into the nutritional regulation effects of the herbal mixtures on weaned pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinglei Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Meng Cheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Rong Jiang
- Wuxi Sanzhi Bio-Tech Co., Ltd., Wuxi, China
| | - Xianle Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianjin Zhu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Mingzheng Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaohuan Chao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chunlei Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Bo Zhou
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