Effects of β-(1→3,1→6)-d-glucan and density of diets on the blood profiles of immunologically challenged weaned piglets

Enhancing Weaned Piglet Health and Performance: The Role of Autolyzed Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and β-Glucans as a Blood Plasma Alternative in Diets

The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of the autolyzed yeast (AY) Saccharomyces cerevisiae with or without an immunomodulator (1,3/1,6 β-glucans) as a total/partial substitute for blood plasma (BP) in the diet of post-weaning piglets; zootechnical performance, intestinal health and microbiota, immune responses and energy metabolism were assessed. A total of 240 castrated male and female piglets, with a mean age of 22 days and mean initial weight of 5.24 ± 0.82 kg, were randomly divided into blocks of four treatments with 12 replicates. The dietary inclusions were blood plasma (BP), autolyzed yeast (AY), autolyzed yeast + immunomodulator (AYI) and 50% BP and 50% AY (BPAY). In pre-initial phase II (29-35 days), piglets fed AY showed better feed conversion (FCR = 1.358) than the piglets in the BP (1.484), AYI (1.379) and BPAY (1.442) groups, i.e., 8.49% (0.126), 1.52% (0.021) and 4.50% (0.084), respectively (p = 0.0293). In the total period (21-42 days), better FCR was observed in the AYI (1.458) group, i.e., 4.64% (0.071), 1.15% (0.017) and 4.58% (0.070), than in the BP (1.529), AY (1.475) and BPAY (1.528) groups, respectively (p = 0.0150). In piglets fed AY (n = 3) and BPAY (n = 2), there was a reduction in the number of medications, i.e., 82.35% (-14n) and 88.23% (-15n), respectively (p = 0.0001), compared with that in the BP group (n = 17). In the AY group (73.83 mg/dL), AYI group (69.92 mg/dL), and BPAY group (69.58 mg/dL), piglets exhibited increases in triglyceride levels of 79.32%, 69.83%, and 69.00%, respectively, in comparison to those in the BP group, which had triglyceride levels of 41.17 mg/dL (p = 0.0400). The beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration in the AY group (79.96 ng/μL) was lower by 31.95%, 22.64%, and 5.89% compared to the BP group (117.50 ng/μL), AYI group (103.36 ng/μL), and BPAY group (84.67 ng/μL), respectively (p = 0.0072). In the AYI group, there was modulation of the microbiota, with an increase in the relative abundance of bacteria of the genera Lactobacillus, Collinsella and Bulleidia. AY, associated or not associated with an immunomodulator, is a potential substitute for BP in diets for piglets in the nursery phase, with positive effects on immune, metabolic, and intestinal microbial performance.

The anti-inflammatory effects of low- and high-molecular-weight beta-glucans from Agrobacterium sp. ZX09 in LPS-induced weaned piglets

The physicochemical characteristics of beta-glucans determine the immune responses of the intestines and whole body. It is hypothesized that glucans with different molecular weights have diverse modes of action on LPS-mediated immune activity. This study aimed to verify the immune-modulatory effects of two types of beta-glucans in LPS-induced weaned piglets. The results indicated that dietary beta-glucan supplementation could prevent losses in body weight gain caused by LPS challenge. Supplementation with different molecular weights of beta-glucans decreased the production of IL-1β and TNF-α and increased IL-10 production, which is likely associated with key factors such as TLR4 and NF-κB. High-molecular-weight beta-glucans seemed to have a strong functional capacity to modulate the innate immune response through the Dectin-1 receptor. Therefore, the results indicate that supplementing piglets with Agrobacterium sp. ZX09 beta-glucans inhibits LPS-mediated depression in the growth performance and plays a protective role during LPS challenge possibly via the Dectin-1 receptor and the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. The results reveal the potential therapeutic activity of purified Agrobacterium sp. ZX09 beta-glucan following experimental LPS infusion.

Dietary supplementation with hydrolyzed yeast and its effect on the performance, intestinal microbiota, and immune response of weaned piglets

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of autolyzed yeast on performance, cecal microbiota, and leukogram of weaned piglets. A total of 96 piglets of commercial line weaned at 21-day-old were used. The experimental design was a randomized block design with four treatments (diets containing 0.0%, 0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.9% autolyzed yeast), eight replicates, and three animals per pen in order to evaluate daily weight gain, daily feed intake, and feed conversion in periods of 0 to 15, 0 to 26, and 0 to 36 days. Quadratic effects of autolyzed yeast inclusion were observed on the feed conversion from 0 to 15 days, on daily weight gain from 0 to 15 days, 0 to 26 days and, 0 to 36 days, indicating an autolyzed yeast optimal inclusion level between 0.4% and 0.5%. No effect from autolyzed yeast addition was observed on piglet daily feed intake, cecal microbiota, and leukogram; however, i.m. application of E. coli lipopolysaccharide reduced the values ​​of total leukocytes and their fractions (neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and rods). Therefore, autolyzed yeast when provided at levels between 0.4% and 0.5% improved weaned piglets' performance.

Eficácia da suplementação oral com 1,3-1,6 betaglucano proveniente de Saccharomyces cerevisiae no controle da mastite bovina

RESUMO A mastite bovina, uma das principais doenças do rebanho leiteiro, caracteriza-se por um processo inflamatório no úbere. A inviabilidade econômica, o impacto ambiental negativo e os resíduos antimicrobianos têm estimulado a pesquisa de outros tratamentos alternativos para a prevenção e o tratamento de doenças na bovinocultura leiteira. O betaglucano é um agente imunomodulador com potencial ação preventiva para doenças infecciosas, inclusive a mastite. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a eficácia do uso do betaglucano, por meio de administração oral, em animais em lactação. Foram utilizadas 20 vacas lactantes, distribuídas em dois grupos, um controle e um tratamento, com 10 animais em cada grupo. O grupo tratamento recebeu 5g/dia, durante 60 dias, de 1,3-1,6 betaglucano isolado da parede celular de Saccharomyces cerevisiae diluído em ração após a ordenha, enquanto o grupo controle recebia somente a ração. Foram realizados os testes de California Mastitis Test (CMT), contagem de células somáticas (CCS), produção de leite e percentual de gordura e proteína no leite. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos quanto à CCS, ao CMT, à composição do leite ou produção. Não se observou, portanto, eficácia do uso do betaglucano purificado, administrado por via oral, no controle e na prevenção da mastite em vacas leiteiras, quando comparadas com o grupo controle. Atribuem-se esses resultados, principalmente, à degradação ruminal do produto testado. Sugerem-se, portanto, mais pesquisas utilizando o 1,3-1,6 betaglucano purificado de parede de S. cerevisiae por outras vias de administração, tais como intramamária e subcutânea.

Effect of increasing levels of rice distillers' by-product on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profile and colonic microbiota of weaned piglets

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of diets containing different wet rice distillers' by-product (RDP) levels on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles and gut microbiome of weaned piglets.

METHODS

A total of 48 weaned castrated male crossbred pigs, initial body weight 7.54±0.97 kg, and age about 4 wks, were used in this experiment. The piglets were randomly allocated into three iso-nitrogenous diet groups that were fed either a control diet, a diet with 15% RDP, or a diet with 30% RDP for a total of 35 days. Chromium oxide was used for apparent digestibility measurements. On d 14 and d 35, half of the piglets were randomly selected for hemato-biochemical and gut microbiota evaluations.

RESULTS

Increasing inclusion levels of RDP tended to linearly increase (p≤0.07) average daily gain on d 14 and d 35, and decreased (p = 0.08) feed conversion ratio on d 35. Empty stomach weight increased (p = 0.03) on d 35 while digestibility of diet components decreased. Serum globulin concentration decreased on d 14 (p = 0.003) and red blood cell count tended to decrease (p = 0.06) on d 35, parallel to increase RDP levels. Gene amplicon profiling of 16S rRNA revealed that the colonic microbiota composition of weaned pigs changed by inclusion of RDP over the period. On d 14, decreased proportions of Lachnospiraceae_ge, Ruminococcaceae_ge, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, and Bacteroidales_ge, and increased proportions of Prevotellaceae_ge, Prevotella_2, and Prevotella_9 were found with inclusion of RDP, whereas opposite effect was found on d 35. Additionally, the proportion of Lachnospiraceae_ge, Ruminococcaceae_ge, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, and Bacteroidales_ge in RDP diets decreased over periods in control diet but increased largely in diet with 30% RDP.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that RDP in a favorable way modulate gastrointestinal microbiota composition and improve piglet performance despite a negative impact on digestibility of lipids and gross energy.

Yeast β-d-glucans induced antimicrobial peptide expressions against Salmonella infection in broiler chickens

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of yeast β-d-glucans (YG) on gene expression of endogenous β-defensins (AvBDs), cathelicidins (Cath) and liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide-2 (LEAP-2) in broilers challenged with Salmonella enteritidis (SE). 240 day-old Cobb male broilers were randomly assigned to 2×2 factorial arrangements of treatments with two levels of dietary YG (0 or 200mg/kg in diet) and two levels of SE challenge (0 or 1×10(9) SE at 7-9 days of age). The results showed SE infection reduced growth performance,and increased salmonella cecal colonization and internal organs invasion, increased concentration of intestinal specific IgA and serum specific IgG antibody, as compared to uninfected birds. SE challenge differentially regulated AvBDs, Caths and LEAP-2 gene expression in the jejunum and spleen of broiler chickens during the infection period. However, YG supplementation inhibited the growth depression by SE challenge, and further increased level of serum specific IgG and intestinal specific IgA antibody. Higher level of salmonella colonization and internal organs invasion in the SE-infected birds were reduced by YG. SE-induced differentially expression patterns of AMPs genes was inhibited or changed by YG. Results indicated YG enhance chicken's resistance to salmonella infection.