Curcumin alleviates cecal oxidative injury in diquat-induced broilers by regulating the Nrf2/ARE pathway and microflora.

This study evaluated the alleviative effect of curcumin (CUR) on the diquat (DQ)-induced cecal injury in broilers. A total of 320 one-day-old Cobb broilers were selected and randomly divided into 4 treatments, namely control, DQ, CUR 100, and CUR150 groups. The control and DQ groups were fed a basal diet, while the CUR 100 and CUR150 groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 100 and 150 mg/kg CUR, respectively. Each group had 8 replicates, with 10 broilers per replicate. On day 21 of the experiment, 1 broiler was selected from each replicate and intraperitoneally injected 20 mg/kg body weight of DQ for DQ, CUR 100, and CUR 150 groups. Broilers in control group received equivalent volume of saline. Broilers were euthanized 48h postinjection for tissue sampling. The results showed that DQ injection could cause oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions in the cecum, affecting the fatty acid production and flora structure, thus leading to cecum damage. Compared with the DQ group, the activity of superoxide dismutase, the level of interleukin 10, acetic acid, and total volatile fatty, and the abundance of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2, copper and zinc superoxide dismutase and catalase mRNA in the cecal mucosa of broilers in the CUR group increased significantly (P < 0.05). However, the levels of malondialdehyd, reactive oxygen species, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and the expression of cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in the CUR group. In addition, CUR treatment alleviated the damage to the cecum and restored the flora structure, and Lactobacillus and Lactobacillaceae promoted the alleviative effect of CUR on DQ. In summary, CUR could alleviate the cecal injury caused by DQ-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory reactions by regulating the Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway and intestinal flora, thus protecting the cecum.

Red osier dogwood extract vs. trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (Part 2). Pharmacodynamic effects on ileal and cecal microbiota of broiler chickens challenged orally with Salmonella Enteritidis.

With the subsisting restrictions on the use of antibiotics in poultry production, the use of plant extracts has shown some promising antimicrobial capacity similar to antibiotics; however, such capacity is largely dependent on their total polyphenol concentration and profile. Given the emerging antimicrobial potential of red osier dogwood (ROD) extract, the study aimed to investigate the pharmacodynamic effect of ROD extract on the ileal and cecal microbiota of broiler chickens challenged orally with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE). A 21 d 4 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted based on 2 main factors, including diets and SE challenge. A total of 384 one-day-old mixed-sex Cobb-500 broiler chicks were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments; Negative control (NC), NC + 0.075 mg trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (TMP/SDZ)/kg of diet, and NC containing either 0.3 or 0.5% ROD extract. On d 1, half of the birds were orally challenged with 0.5 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (Noninfected group) and the remaining half with 0.5 mL of 3.1 × 105 CFU/mL SE (Infected group). Dietary treatments were randomly assigned to 8 replicate cages at 6 birds/cage. On d 21, 10 birds/treatment were euthanized and eviscerated to collect ileal and cecal digesta for gut microbiota analysis. The ileal and cecal microbiota was dominated by phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteriota. The SE infection decreased (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota in the ileum and ceca, respectively, however, it increased (P < 0.05) Proteobacteria in the ceca. Both 0.3 and 0.5% ROD extracts (P < 0.05) depressed the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota in the ileum but marginally improved (P < 0.05) it in the ceca compared to the TMP/SDZ treatment. Dietary TMP/SDZ increased (P < 0.05) genus Bifidobacterium at the ileal and cecal segments compared to other treatments. Dietary 0.3 and 0.5% marginally improved (P < 0.05) Bifidobacterium in the ceca and depressed (P < 0.05) Weissella and was comparably similar to TMP/SDZ in the ileum. Regardless of the dietary treatments and SE infection, alpha diversity differed (P < 0.05) between ileal and cecal microbiota. Beta diversity was distinct (P < 0.05) in both ileal and cecal digesta along the SE infection model. Conclusively, both ROD extract levels yielded a pharmacodynamic effect similar to antibiotics on ileal and cecal microbiota.

Sources and levels of copper affect liver copper profile, intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota population of broiler chickens fed wheat-soybean meal diets.

Super dosing copper (Cu) has long been used as an alternative to antibiotic growth-promoters in broiler chickens' diet to improve gut health. This study was designed to compare nutritional and growth-promoting levels of Cu hydroxychloride (CH) with CuSO4 on gut health bio-markers and liver mineral profile of broiler chickens. Ross 308 chicks (n = 864) were randomly assigned to eight treatments, as basal diet containing no supplemental Cu; the basal diet with 15 or 200 mg/kg Cu as CuSO4; or 15, 50, 100, 150 or 200 mg/kg Cu from CH. The highest liver Cu content was observed in birds fed the diets with 200 mg/kg CuSO4 (P < 0.01). Serum FITC-d concentration as the leaky gut marker, and liver malondialdehyde concentration were not affected. Copper level or source had no effect on cecal short chain fatty acid and the mRNA expression of five jejunal genes involved in gut integrity. Negative linear responses of Cu were observed on Lactobacillus (P = 0.032), Bacteroides (P = 0.033), and Enterobacteriaceae (P = 0.028) counts. The jejunal villus height increased in birds fed CH at 200 and 100 mg/kg (P < 0.05). Increasing Cu levels, linearly and quadratically (P < 0.001), increased Cu excretion.

Dietary inulin supplementation modulates the composition and activities of carbohydrate-metabolizing organisms in the cecal microbiota of broiler chickens.

Inulin is a highly effective prebiotic and an attractive alternative to antibiotic growth promoters for increasing production and maintaining health in chickens. However, how inulin elicits its effects on members of the intestinal microbiota is unknown, even though their importance for energy metabolism and the health of chickens is well documented. A combination of 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing and transcriptomic analysis was used to investigate the effects of supplementing a corn-based basal diet with 1, 2, or 4% inulin or 400 ppm bacitracin on the composition, diversity and activities of carbohydrate-metabolizing organisms (CMOs) in the cecal microbiota of broiler chickens. We found that members of Bacteroides were the most abundant non-starch degrading CMOs, contributing 43.6-52.1% of total glycoside hydrolase genes and 34.6-47.1% activity to the meta-transcriptomes of chickens in the different dietary groups, although members of Parabacteroides, Prevotella, Alistipes, Clostridium, Barnesiella, Blastocystis, Faecalibacterium and others were also actively involved. Inulin and bacitracin inclusion in the basal diet did not change significantly the composition or diversity of these CMOs. Inulin supplementation at three levels promoted the activities of Bacteroides, Prevotella and Bifidobacterium, and 2% level appears to be the most optimal dosage for bifidobacterial activity.

Beneficial effects of inorganic nitrate in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the hepatic representation of the metabolic disorders. Inorganic nitrate/nitrite can be converted to nitric oxide, regulate glucose metabolism, lower lipid levels, and reduce inflammation, thus raising the hypothesis that inorganic nitrate/nitrite could be beneficial for improving NAFLD. This study assessed the therapeutic effects of chronic dietary nitrate on NAFLD in a mouse model. 60 ApoE-/- mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks to allow for the development of atherosclerosis with associated NAFLD. The mice were then randomly assigned to different groups (20/group) for a further 12 weeks: (i) HFD + NaCl (1 mmol/kg/day), (ii) HFD + NaNO3 (1 mmol/kg/day), and (iii) HFD + NaNO3 (10 mmol/kg/day). A fourth group of ApoE-/- mice consumed a normal chow diet for the duration of the study. At the end of the treatment, caecum contents, serum, and liver were collected. Consumption of the HFD resulted in significantly greater lipid accumulation in the liver compared to mice on the normal chow diet. Mice whose HFD was supplemented with dietary nitrate for the second half of the study, showed an attenuation in hepatic lipid accumulation. This was also associated with an increase in hepatic AMPK activity compared to mice on the HFD. In addition, a significant difference in bile acid profile was detected between mice on the HFD and those receiving the high dose nitrate supplemented HFD. In conclusion, dietary nitrate attenuates the progression of liver steatosis in ApoE-/- mice fed a HFD.

Pectins that Structurally Differ in the Distribution of Methyl-Esters Attenuate Citrobacter rodentium-Induced Colitis.

INTRODUCTION: Pectins have anti-inflammatory properties on intestinal immunity through direct interactions on Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the small intestine or via stimulating microbiota-dependent effects in the large intestine. Both the degree of methyl-esterification (DM) and the distribution of methyl-esters (degree of blockiness; DB) of pectins contribute to this influence on immunity, but whether and how the DB impacts immunity through microbiota-dependent effects in the large intestine is unknown. Therefore, this study tests pectins that structurally differ in DB in a mouse model with Citrobacter rodentium induced colitis and studies the impact on the intestinal microbiota composition and associated attenuation of inflammation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Both low and high DB pectins induce a more rich and diverse microbiota composition. These pectins also lower the bacterial load of C. rodentium in cecal digesta. Through these effects, both low and high DB pectins attenuate C. rodentium induced colitis resulting in reduced intestinal damage, reduced numbers of Th1-cells, which are increased in case of C. rodentium induced colitis, and reduced levels of GATA3+ Tregs, which are related to tissue inflammation. CONCLUSION: Pectins prevent C. rodentium induced colonic inflammation by lowering the C. rodentium load in the caecum independently of the DB.

Enterococcus faecium PNC01 isolated from the intestinal mucosa of chicken as an alternative for antibiotics to reduce feed conversion rate in broiler chickens.

BACKGROUND: The development and utilization of probiotics had many environmental benefits for replacing antibiotics in animal production. Bacteria in the intestinal mucosa have better adhesion to the host intestinal epithelial cells compared to bacteria in the intestinal contents. In this study, lactic acid bacteria were isolated from the intestinal mucosa of broiler chickens and investigated as the substitution to antibiotic in broiler production. RESULTS: In addition to acid resistance, high temperature resistance, antimicrobial sensitivity tests, and intestinal epithelial cell adhesion, Enterococcus faecium PNC01 (E. faecium PNC01) was showed to be non-cytotoxic to epithelial cells. Draft genome sequence of E. faecium PNC01 predicted that it synthesized bacteriocin to perform probiotic functions and bacteriocin activity assay showed it inhibited Salmonella typhimurium from invading intestinal epithelial cells. Diet supplemented with E. faecium PNC01 increased the ileal villus height and crypt depth in broiler chickens, reduced the relative length of the cecum at day 21, and reduced the relative length of jejunum and ileum at day 42. Diet supplemented with E. faecium PNC01 increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Lactobacillus, decreased the relative abundance of Bacteroides in the cecal microbiota. CONCLUSION: E. faecium PNC01 replaced antibiotics to reduce the feed conversion rate. Furthermore, E. faecium PNC01 improved intestinal morphology and altered the composition of microbiota in the cecum to reduce feed conversion rate. Thus, it can be used as an alternative for antibiotics in broiler production to avoid the adverse impact of antibiotics by altering the gut microbiota.

The effect of dietary supplementation of sage plant extract and Enterocin M on the mucus in the the small intestine and caecum in rabbits.

The aim of this study was to determine the beneficial effect of natural substances - enterocin M (Ent M; the proteinaceous substance produced by Enterococcus faecium CCM8558) and sage plant ( Salvia officinalis L.) extract on the production of mucus in the rabbits small intestine and caecum. Sixty four post-weaned rabbits (meat line M91) were divided into three experimental groups (EG - Ent M; SG - sage extract; ESG - combination Ent M with sage extract) and control group (CG). The experiment lasted for 35 days, the natural substances were administered during the first 21 days, Ent M in EG/ESG, sage extract in SG/ESG. The beneficial effect on mucus production quantity occured in the duodenum (p⟨0.001) and jejunum (p⟨0.01) in ESG compared to that found in CG on day 21, the prolonged effect in EG in the duodenum (p⟨0.001) compared to that observed in CG at the end of the experiment and to that in EG on day 21. The novelty of the study is in the application and monitoring the effect of non-rabbit-derived probiotic strain ( Enterococcus faecium CCM8558) bacteriocin - Enterocin M and sage plant extract on mucus quantity (expressed in gram) in different segments of the rabbit small intestine as well as the caecum. The results obtained indicate that supplementation of selected natural substances in the feed has the potent stimulatory effects on mucus production in the rabbit small intestine.

Effect of Walnut Meal Peptides on Hyperlipidemia and Hepatic Lipid Metabolism in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet.

As a natural active substance that can effectively improve blood lipid balance in the body, hypolipidemic active peptides have attracted the attention of scholars. In this study, the effect of walnut meal peptides (WMP) on lipid metabolism was investigated in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). The experimental results show that feeding walnut meal peptides counteracted the high-fat diet-induced increase in body, liver and epididymal fat weight, and reduce the serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol and hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride content. Walnut meal peptides also resulted in increased HDL-cholesterol while reducing the atherosclerosis index (AI). Additionally, the stained pathological sections of the liver showed that the walnut meal peptides reduced hepatic steatosis and damage caused by HFD. Furthermore, walnut meal peptide supplementation was associated with normalization of elevated apolipoprotein (Apo)-B and reduced Apo-A1 induced by the high-fat diet and with favorable changes in the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism (LCAT, CYP7A1, HMGR, FAS). The results indicate that walnut meal peptides can effectively prevent the harmful effects of a high-fat diet on body weight, lipid metabolism and liver fat content in rats, and provide, and provide a reference for the further development of walnut meal functional foods.

Voluntary binge-patterned alcohol drinking and sex-specific influences on monoamine-related neurochemical signatures in the mouse gut and brain.

BACKGROUND: Altered monoamine (i.e., serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine) activity following episodes of alcohol abuse plays key roles not only in the motivation to ingest ethanol, but also physiological dysfunction related to its misuse. Although monoamine activity is essential for physiological processes that require coordinated communication across the gut-brain axis (GBA), relatively little is known about how alcohol misuse may affect monoamine levels across the GBA. Therefore, we evaluated monoamine activity across the mouse gut and brain following episodes of binge-patterned ethanol drinking. METHODS: Monoamine and select metabolite neurochemical concentrations were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography in gut and brain regions of female and male C57BL/6J mice following "Drinking in the Dark" (DID), a binge-patterned ethanol ingestion paradigm. RESULTS: First, we found that alcohol access had an overall small effect on gut monoamine-related neurochemical concentrations, primarily influencing dopamine activity. Second, neurochemical patterns between the small intestine and the striatum were correlated, adding to recent evidence of modulatory activity between these areas. Third, although alcohol access robustly influenced activity in brain areas in the mesolimbic dopamine system, binge exposure also influenced monoaminergic activity in the hypothalamic region. Finally, sex differences were observed in the concentrations of neurochemicals within the gut, which was particularly pronounced in the small intestine. CONCLUSION: Together, these data provide insights into the influence of alcohol abuse and biological sex on monoamine-related neurochemical changes across the GBA, which could have important implications for GBA function and dysfunction.

Supplementing chestnut tannins in the broiler diet mediates a metabolic phenotype of the ceca.

As the demand for alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) increases in food animal production, phytobiotic compounds gain popularity because of their ability to mimic the desirable bioactive properties of AGP. Chestnut tannins (ChT) are one of many phytobiotic compounds used as feed additives, particularly in South America, for broilers because of its favorable antimicrobial and growth promotion capabilities. Although studies have observed the microbiological and immunologic effects of ChT, there is a lack of studies evaluating the metabolic function of ChT. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the cecal metabolic changes induced by ChT inclusion and how they relate to growth promotion. A total of 200 day-of-hatch broiler chicks were separated into 2 feed treatment groups: control and 1% ChT. The ceca from all the chicks in the treatment groups were collected on day 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 after hatch. The cytokine mRNA quantitative RT-PCR was determined using TaqMan gene expression assays for IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and interferon gamma quantification. The cytokine expression showed highly significant increased expressions of IL-6 and IL-10 on day 2 and 6, whereas the other proinflammatory cytokines did not have significantly increased expression. The results from the kinome array demonstrated that the ceca from birds fed with 1% ChT had significant (P < 0.05) metabolic alterations based on the number of peptides when compared with the control group across all day tested. The increased expression of IL-6 appeared to be strongly indicative of altered metabolism, whereas the increased expression of IL-10 indicated the regulatory effect against other proinflammatory cytokines other than IL-6. The ChT initiate a metabolic mechanism during the first 10 d in the broiler. For the first time, we show that a phytobiotic product initially modulates metabolism while also potentially supporting growth and feed efficiency downstream. In conclusion, a metabolic phenotype alteration in the ceca of chickens fed ChT may indicate the importance of enhanced broiler gut health.

Rumex nervosus leaves meal improves body weight gain, duodenal morphology, serum thyroid hormones, and cecal microflora of broiler chickens during the starter period.

A total of 192 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were assigned to 4 treatments with 8 replicate cages of 6 chicks (3♀ and 3♂) per cage according to a completely randomized block design. The dietary treatments were a basal diet (control) and a control diet supplemented with 1,000, 3,000, and 5,000 mg/kg Rumex nervosus leaves meal (RN). Gallic acid and some volatile compounds were detected in the RN extract. On day 10 of age, BW was improved (P = 0.016) with supplemental RN (1,000-5,000 mg/kg). On day 14 of age, dietary application of RN up to 3,000 mg/kg increased BWG (P = 0.003) compared with control, while a 1,000 mg/kg RN had the best feed conversion ratio (P = 0.016). On day 10 of age, samples were taken on a single female bird per replicate. The addition of RN (1,000-5,000 mg/kg) increased (P < 0.001) serum albumin and triiodothyronine levels and maximized the relative weight of breast meat (P = 0.003). Feeding a diet with 1,000 mg/kg RN resulted in greater duodenal villus height (P < 0.001) than control and the diet with 5,000 mg/kg RN. Broilers fed diet supplemented with 1,000 mg/kg RN had the best duodenal villus surface area (P < 0.001). Feeding a diet with 1,000 mg/kg RN decreased (P < 0.001) cecal Escherichia coli count compared with control and the diet with 5,000 mg/kg RN. Salmonella spp. count tended to increase with 5,000 mg/kg RN leaves meal (P = 0.069, linear P = 0.026). In conclusion, R. nervosus leaves meal could be considered as a phytogenic feed additive in broiler diets up to a 1,000-mg/kg inclusion rate because of its combined positive effects on BWG, feed conversion ratio, villus height, villus surface area, serum albumin and triiodothyronine hormone, and cecal E. coli during the starter period (day 10-14 of age). Further study is required to elucidate its molecular mechanism.

Effects of dietary organic acids on performance, cecal microbiota, and gut morphology in broilers.

Organic acids have exhibited great potential as an antibiotic replacement and as an additive work tremendously for health maintenance of broiler chicken. To explore more about organic acids, a total of 900 day-old broiler chicks (Cobb-500) were procured from a local hatchery and distributed into 9 treatment groups having 5 replicates of 20 birds each; duration of the biological trial was of 35 days. Group T1 served as control group without any dietary supplementation. Other groups T2 and T3 were boosted with different levels (125 g/ton and 250 g/ton) of enramycin (antibiotic), T4, T5, and T6 were supplemented with different levels (2 kg/ton, 3 kg/ton, and 4 kg/ton) of ammonium formate and ammonium propionate, and T7, T8, and T9 were fed with different levels (2 kg/ton, 3 kg/ton, and 4 kg/ton) of calcium formate and calcium propionate. The findings declared significant improvement (P < 0.05) in body weight gain and FCR in groups T3, T5, and T9 while feed intake was not affected. Carcass evaluation depicted significantly better (P < 0.05) dressed and eviscerated weight along with carcass yield (T5, T7, T8, T9). Broilers fed organic acid supplemented diet had significantly lower (P < 0.05) total bacterial count (T3, T5, T8, T9) and positively improved (P < 0.05) villi length (T5, T6, T9) as compared with control group. However, total protein, globulin, HDL, and LDL levels were determined to be non-significant (P > 0.05) among different organic acids treatments. Hence, organic acids can be utilized as a better replacement for antibiotics. Supplementation of organic acids at a dose rate of 3 kg/ton and 4 kg/ton is recommended for efficient performance of broilers.

Comparative study on glucomannans with different structural characteristics: Functional properties and intestinal production of short chain fatty acids.

Glucomannans (GMs) from abundant natural resources have excellent processing properties and plentiful bioactivities. In current study, functional properties of GMs with different structural characteristics, including KGM from konjac, DOP from dendrobium, AGP40, ASP-4N, ASP-6N, & ASP-8N from aloe were determined. Results suggested that molecular weights (Mw) of GMs were positively correlated with their water absorption capacity, fat absorption capacity, and viscosity, while ratio of mannose/glucose showed negative effect. Higher degree of acetylation (DA) mainly corresponded to higher values of solubility and ζ-potential. Then, effects of the six GMs on general health status, serum biochemicals, and intestinal SCFAs production in mice were evaluated in vivo. Analysis of general health status and levels of serum biochemicals revealed that mice with consecutive supplementation of GMs for 14 days performed normally compared with those in control group. Interestingly, the productions of SCFAs (mainly acetate and butyrate) in the cecal and colonic contents were significantly promoted. Generally, higher concentrations of SCFAs were produced when mice were treated with GMs having higher Mw, ratio of glucose, and DA. The current investigation suggested that both functional and intestinal fermentation property of GMs were jointly determined by the monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and degree of acetylation.

Human Milk Oligosaccharide Supplementation Affects Intestinal Barrier Function and Microbial Composition in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Young Sprague Dawley Rats.

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are chief maternal milk constituents that feed the intestinal microbiota and drive maturation of the infant gut. Our objective was to determine whether supplementing individual HMOs to a weanling diet alters growth and gut health in rats. Healthy three-week-old Sprague Dawley rat pups were randomized to control, 2'-O-fucosyllactose (2'FL)- and 3'sialyllactose (3'SL)-fortified diets alone or in combination at physiological doses for eight weeks. Body composition, intestinal permeability, serum cytokines, fecal microbiota composition, and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the gastrointestinal tract were assessed. Males fed a control diet were 10% heavier and displayed elevated interleukin (IL-18) (p = 0.01) in serum compared to all HMO-fortified groups at week 11. No differences in body composition were detected between groups. In females, HMOs did not affect body weight but 2'FL + 3'SL significantly increased cecum weight. All female HMO-fortified groups displayed significant reductions in intestinal permeability compared to controls (p = 0.02). All HMO-fortified diets altered gut microbiota composition and mRNA expression in the gastrointestinal tract, albeit differently according to sex. Supplementation with a fraction of the HMOs found in breast milk has a complex sex-dependent risk/benefit profile. Further long-term investigation of gut microbial profiles and supplementation with other HMOs during early development is warranted.

Effects of dietary grape pomace on the intestinal microbiota and growth performance of weaned piglets.

Grape pomace (GP) is an abundant by-product from wine production and is rich in phenolic compounds, unsaturated fatty acids, dietary fibre and beneficial bacteria. In this study, weaned piglets were fed a basic diet supplemented with 5% GP for 4 weeks. Compared with those in the control (CON) group, it was found that the proportion of Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Olsenella umbonata and Selenomonas bovis in the caecum and the villus height and villus height/crypt depth ratio (VCR) of the jejunum were both significantly increased in the GP group (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, at the mRNA expression level, several proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-8, IL-6 and TNF-α) were significantly downregulated (p < 0.05) in piglet caecal tissue, and the short-chain fatty acid receptors (GPR41 and GPR43) were not significantly upregulated. In contrast, the levels of IgG was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the sera of weaned piglets in the GP group. However, no difference in growth performance between the two groups of piglets was detected. These results show that GP had no adverse effects on the growth performance of piglets, but GP can promote the content of some beneficial bacteria in the caecum; this effect is conducive to improving the disease resistance potential of piglets.

Effects of a mannan-rich yeast cell wall-derived preparation on cecal concentrations and tissue prevalence of Salmonella Enteritidis in layer chickens.

Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) has been the most common Salmonella serotype associated with foodborne infections in the last several years. Dietary applications of yeast-based preparations in feed have shown to reduce Salmonella colonization in chickens augmenting SE control strategies. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a mannan-rich yeast cell wall-derived preparation (Actigen®) administered in feed at a rate of 400 g/ton on SE colonization in the cecum and internal organs of commercial layer chickens. Sixteen week-old layer pullets were orally challenged with a selected nalidixic acid resistant SE strain at a dose of 1.7×10^9 colony forming units (CFU) per bird. SE colonization was assessed by evaluating isolation rates from ovary and pooled liver/spleen samples as well as enumeration of SE in cecal pouches one week post-challenge. Recovery rates of SE from the ovaries of directly challenged birds receiving Actigen® were significantly lower (P <0.02) than those in directly challenged birds fed an unsupplemented control diet. Recovery rates of SE from pooled liver/spleen samples were not significantly different between Actigen®-treated pullets and controls (P = 0.22). Using direct plate count methods, cecal SE concentrations were 1 log10 lower (P <0.001) in challenged pullets in the Actigen®-supplemented group than in the challenged controls. The SE concentration distributions in the ceca were similar in groups testing positive and groups testing negative for SE in the ovaries and liver/spleens tissues. As a result, SE concentrations in the ceca could not be directly related to the occurrence or prevalence of SE in these tissues. In conclusion, Actigen® supplementation appears to decrease the prevalence of SE in ovarian tissue and concentrations of SE in cecal contents and may be useful as a tool for reducing the risk of eggshell contamination and transovarian transmission of SE in eggs.

Dietary adzuki bean paste dose-dependently reduces visceral fat accumulation in rats fed a normal diet.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dose-dependent effect of adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) paste (ABP) on visceral fat accumulation in rats. ABP is a rich source of indigestible carbohydrates (18.5%) with fiber and resistant starch (RS) contents of 14.5% and 4.0%, respectively. Animals were fed one of the following diets, control (CON), 30% ABP or 58.9% ABP for 28 days. The daily dietary energy intake was lowered (p < 0.05) and reduced visceral fat accumulation and lower serum lipid levels were observed in ABP fed groups. ABP consumption dose-dependently increased (p < 0.05) the daily fecal lipid and fecal acidic sterol excretions. On the other hand, cecal content and fecal moisture content in the 58.9% ABP group were greater (p < 0.05) than the CON group, while there was no significant difference between the two ABP fed groups. Both 30% and 58.9% ABP diets had significantly (p < 0.05) higher contents of cecal acetic, propionic and n-butyric acids, and lowered cecal pH, independently of the ABP dose. Microbial community data of rats fed ABP diets exhibited higher alpha-diversities than the rats fed CON diet, based on the Shannon Index and the number of observed species index, where the two ABP groups exhibited a similar alpha diversity. The weighted UniFrac-based principal coordinate analysis plot of cecal microbial community data showed that the ABP had a substantial effect on the cecal microbial composition. Furthermore, cecal bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the ABP supplemented diets decreased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. These findings suggested that the cecal fermentation of fiber and RS in ABP, might have decreased the energy intake, altered the gut microbiota composition, increased fecal lipid output, and thereby reduced fat accumulation in rats.

Consumption of an Oil Palm Fruit Extract Promotes Large Bowel Health in Rats.

Oil palm fruit is widely used for edible oils, but the health benefits of other components are relatively unknown. We examined if consuming a polyphenol-rich extract of the fruit, from a vegetation by-product of oil processing, which also contains fibre, has gastro-intestinal benefits in rats on a Western-type diet (WD). The oil palm preparation (OPP) was added to food (OPP-F) or drinking water (OPP-D) to provide 50 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/d and compared to effects of high amylose maize starch (HAMS; 30%) in the diet or green tea extract (GT; 50 mg GAE/d) in drinking water over 4 wk. OPP treatments induced some significant effects (P < 0.05) compared to WD. OPP-D increased caecal digesta mass, caecal digesta concentrations of total SCFA, acetate and propionate (OPP-F increased caecal butyrate concentration), the numbers of mucus-producing goblet cells per colonic crypt, and caecal digesta abundance of some bacteria which may provide benefit to the host (Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Akkermansia muciniphila and Ruminococcus gnavus). HAMS induced similar effects but with greater potency and had a broader impact on microbe populations, whereas GT had minimal impacts. These results suggest dietary OPP may benefit the large bowel.

Total alkaloids of Sophora alopecuroides L. ameliorated murine colitis by regulating bile acid metabolism and gut microbiota.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sophora alopecuroides L. is one of the most commonly used plants in traditional medicine for the management conditions including inflammatory and gastrointestinal disease. However, the therapeutic mechanism of Sophora alopecuroides L.particularly in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the treatment effects of total alkaloids of Sophora alopecuroides L. in ulcerative colitis (UC) mice model and explore the therapeutic mechanism of KDZ on UC based on bile acid metabolism and gut microbiota. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Colitis were induced in BALB/c mice by administering 3.5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water for 7 days. The mice were then given KDZ (300, 150 and 75 mg/kg) and the positive drug sulfasalazine (SASP, 450 mg/kg) via oral administration for 7 days. The levels of 23 bile acids in the liver, bile, serum, cecum content and colon were determined through ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The cecum microbiota was characterized through high-throughput Illumina MiSeq sequencing. RESULTS: KDZ treatment significantly decreased the disease activity index (DAI) scores and ameliorated colonic injury in DSS-treated mice. The expression of IL-1ß and TGF-ß1 were suppressed, yet, IL-10 was up-regulated by KDZ and SASP treatment compared with those in the model group. Meanwhile, the serum contents of total bile acid and total cholesterol in the DSS group increased significantly compared with those in the control group, but reversed by SASP and KDZ. The relative abundance of Firmicutes increased after KDZ was administration, whereas the abundance of Bacteroidetes decreased. αMCA, ßMCA, ωMCA and CA in the SASP and KDZ groups did not differ from those in the control group, whereas these parameters significantly increased in the DSS group. CONCLUSIONS: KDZ had a protective effect on DSS-induced colitis by mitigating colonic injury, preventing gut microbiota dysbiosis and regulating bile acid metabolism.