Effects of Glutamine on Growth Performance, Intestinal Morphology and Intestinal Barrier Function of Broilers

Author(s):  
Q. J. Wu ◽  
Z. H. Liu ◽  
C. Jiao ◽  
B. Y. Cheng ◽  
D. D. Zhu ◽  
...  

The effect of glutamine (Gln) on growth performance, intestinal morphology and intestinal barrier function were evaluated in broilers. A total of 320 birds were divided into a control group (CON) and three experimental groups (Gln 1, Gln 2 and Gln 3). Broilers of group CON received basal diet; broilers in group Gln 1, Gln 2 and Gln 3 were supplemented with 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5 % Gln, respectively, for 42 days. The results indicated that Gln has no influence on the average daily gain (ADG) among the treatments in the periods of 1 to 21 d, 22 to 42 d and 1 to 42 d (P > 0.05). However, Gln improved average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed intake: average daily gain (F: G), increased the villus height, villus height to crypt depth ratio (V/C) and the activities of sucrose, the ZO1, claudin-1 and occluding mRNA expression levels (P 0.05). Moreover, Gln decreased the crypt depth of jejunum and ileum in broilers at days 21 and 42 (P 0.05). In conclusion, Gln had a positive effect on growth performance and gut parameters by modifying the function of the intestinal mucosa barrier.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
xiao xu ◽  
Shunli Yang ◽  
Joshua Seun Olajide ◽  
Zigang Qu ◽  
Zhenxing Gong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Necrotic enteritis (NE), which is caused by Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens), is an economically important disease in broiler. Among normal flora in the broiler intestinal, Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) has been identified as a probiotic agent that reduces the susceptibility of broilers to C. perfringens. It also promotes the repair of broiler intestinal damage from harmful intestinal pathogens. However, the effects of C. butyricum infection on broiler intestinal integrity during NE are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of C. butyricum on the growth performance, intestinal morphology and barrier function, and the functions of immune-related cytokines under NE in broilers. Results Infected group (PC) showed significant decrease in the average daily gain (ADG, p < 0.01) and increase in feed conversion ratio (FCR, p < 0.01) compared with C. butyricum (NECB1 and NECB2) through dietary supplement. Supplementation of C. butyricum (NECB1 and NECB2) restored the intestinal villus height, increased the crypt depth, and reduced the intestinal damage under NE. Furthermore, broilers infected with NE (PC) had higher serum IgA and endotoxin content, and after addition with C. butyricum (NECB1 and NECB2) returned to normal level. In addition, compared with PC, supplementation of C. butyricum (NECB1 and NECB2) restored intestinal barrier function-related genes (such as CLDN-1, CLDN-3, OCLN, MUC2, ZO-1, and CLDN5), cytokines (such as TNF-α, IL-10, IL-6, and TGFB1) and C. perfringens plc gene expression. Moreover, C. butyricum (NECB1 and NECB2) could restore the decrease in Gt (p < 0.01) and Isc caused by NE (PC). In addition, NECB2 reduced the upregulation of FD4 flux caused by NE infection (p < 0.01). Conclusion Dietary supplementation of C. butyricum into broilers with NE improved chicken growth performance, intestinal morphology, intestinal barrier function, and immune function. Notably, no statistical difference was observed with the addition of C. butyricum at different time points.


Author(s):  
Yuxia Chen ◽  
Yining Xie ◽  
Ruqing Zhong ◽  
Hui Han ◽  
Lei Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) supplementation on growth performance, serum parameters, small intestinal morphology, intestinal mucosal integrity, and immune function in weaned piglets. A total of 240 weaned piglets with an average body weight (BW) of 8.82 ± 0.05 kg (28 d of age) were assigned randomly to 4 dietary treatments in a 28-d trial, including a control diet (CON), 3 diets with XOS supplementation at the concentration of 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg (XOS100, XOS500, and XOS1000). There were 4 replicates per treatment with 15 pigs per pen. From d 1 to 14, there were no differences (P &gt; 0.05) in average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain to feed ratio (G:F) during the different treatments. The different doses of XOS showed a quadratic effect on BW on d 28, ADG and G:F d 1-28 of piglets (P &lt; 0.05). From d 15 to 28, ADG of pigs fed the XOS500 diet was higher (P &lt; 0.05) than pigs fed the CON diet. During the overall period (d 1 to 28), pigs fed the XOS500 diet had a higher BW, ADG and G:F than pigs fed the CON diet (P &lt; 0.05). In addition, compared with the CON group, the XOS500 group had significantly higher serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) levels on d 14 and 28 (P &lt; 0.05). The serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration in the XOS500 group was also significantly higher compared with the CON group on d 14 and 28 (P &lt;0.05). However, serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were not affected by the dietary treatments. Supplementation of XOS500 to the feed significantly increased the villus height (VH) and villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH:CD) in the jejunum and ileum in comparison with the CON and XOS1000 group. Moreover, the XOS500 group significantly elevated the expression levels of Occludin and zonula occludens protein-1 (ZO-1) in the ileum compared to the CON group. The ileal interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-8 and interferon (IFN)-γ mRNA expression levels in the XOS100 and XOS500 group were markedly lower than in the CON group. In contrast, the ileal IL-10 mRNA expression levels were remarkably higher in the XOS500 than CON group. In conclusion, xylo-oligosaccharides have a beneficial effect on growth performance by improving serum antioxidant defense system, serum IgG, small intestinal structure and intestinal barrier function in weaned piglets.


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengmeng Xu ◽  
Long Che ◽  
Kaiguo Gao ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
Xuefen Yang ◽  
...  

Birth is one of the most important events of animal production agriculture, as newborns are abruptly forced to adapt to environmental and nutritional disruptions that can lead to oxidative damage and delay in growth. Taurine (Tau) is an important regulator of oxidative stress and possesses growth-enhancing properties. In the present study, we investigated the effects of dietary Tau supplementation in gilts during late gestation and lactation on the growth performance of piglets by assessing intestinal morphology and barrier function, and oxidative stress status. Sixteen gilts were randomly allocated to the Con (basal diet) and Tau (basal diet with 1% Tau) groups from 75 d of gestation to weaning. Maternal dietary Tau supplementation significantly increased weaning weight and average daily gain weight in piglets. Piglets in the Tau group had higher villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (VCR), ZO-1 protein expression, and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) content in the jejunum. Meanwhile, Tau bebeficial affected the milk quality of gilts, as indicated by decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and increased total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), total antioxidative capability (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) activity. Furthermore, Tau supplementation increased T-SOD activity in plasma and SOD2 protein expression in the jejunum in the piglets. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that dietary Tau supplementation to gilts improves growth performance in piglets, owing to improved intestinal morphology and barrier function, as well as inhibition of oxidative stress.


mSystems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Sun ◽  
Yalei Cui ◽  
Yingying Su ◽  
Zimin Gao ◽  
Xinying Diao ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Weaning of piglets is accompanied by intestinal inflammation, impaired intestinal barrier function, and intestinal microflora disorder. Regulating intestinal microflora structure can directly or indirectly affect intestinal health and host growth and development. However, whether dietary fiber (DF) affects the inflammatory response and barrier function by affecting the intestinal microflora and its metabolites is unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of intestinal microflora in relieving immune stress and maintaining homeostasis using piglets with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal injury as a model. DF improved intestinal morphology and barrier function, inhibited the expression of inflammatory signal pathways (Toll-like receptor 2 [TLR2], TLR4, and NF-κB) and proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1β [IL-1β], IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α]), and upregulated the expression of barrier-related genes (encoding claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1). The contents of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and the activity of diamine oxidase in plasma were decreased. Meanwhile, DF had a strong effect on the composition and function of intestinal microflora at different taxonomic levels, the relative abundances of cellulolytic bacteria and anti-inflammatory bacteria were increased, and the concentrations of propionate, butyrate, and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in intestinal contents were increased. In addition, the correlation analysis also revealed the potential relationship between metabolites and certain intestinal microflora, as well as the relationship between metabolites and intestinal morphology, intestinal gene expression, and plasma cytokine levels. These results indicate that DF improves intestinal barrier function, in part, by altering intestinal microbiota composition and increasing the synthesis of SCFAs, which subsequently alleviate local and systemic inflammation. IMPORTANCE Adding DF to the diet of LPS-challenged piglets alleviated intestinal and systemic inflammation, improved intestinal barrier function, and ultimately alleviated the growth retardation of piglets. In addition, the addition of DF significantly increased the relative abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria and the production of SCFAs. We believe that the improvement of growth performance of piglets with LPS-induced injury can be attributed to the beneficial effects of DF on intestinal microflora and SCFAs, which reduced the inflammatory response in piglets, improving intestinal barrier function and enhancing body health. These research results provide a theoretical basis and guidance for the use of specific fiber sources in the diet to improve intestinal health and growth performance of piglets and thus alleviate weaning stress. Our data also provide insights for studying the role of DF in regulating gastrointestinal function in human infants.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quanhang Xiang ◽  
Xiaoyu Wu ◽  
Ye Pan ◽  
Liu Wang ◽  
Yuwei Guo ◽  
...  

Early intervention with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) improves the growth performance and intestinal barrier function of piglets. Accelerating intestinal oxygen concentration is beneficial for symbiotic bacterial colonization. Saccharomyces boulardii (SB) is an aerobic fungus, which may contribute to the colonization of anaerobic symbiotic bacteria by competing for oxygen. Clostridium butyricum (CB) improves intestinal barrier function and performance, via regulating the gut microbiota composition of piglets. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of early intervention with FMT combining CB and SB on growth performance, diarrhea, and intestinal barrier function in piglets. A total of 77 litters of neonatal piglets assigned to one of six treatments, which treated with antibiotics (AB), placebo (CON), and FMT (FMT), FMT-added CB (FMT+C), FMT-added SB (FMT+S), and FMT-added CB and SB (FMT+C+S), respectively. FMT+C+S treated piglets had higher body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) both in weaning and finial period, and it significantly increased the levels of fecal mucin-2 (MUC2), fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and relative abundance of fecal Lactobacillus spp., and Bifidobacterium genus. Moreover, early intervention with FMT+C+S reduced the diarrhea rate during the experiment. FMT+C+S also decreased the level of plasma diamine oxidase (DAO) and D-lactate (D-LA), and relative abundance of fecal E. coli during the suckling period. In summary, early intervention with FMT combining CB and SB improved the growth performance, intestinal barrier function, fecal SCFAs concentration, and fecal Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium of piglets.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Fengming Chen ◽  
Houjun Wang ◽  
Jiayi Chen ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Wei Wen ◽  
...  

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus delbrueckii (LAB) on intestinal morphology, barrier function, immune response, and antioxidant capacity in weaned piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 36 two-line crossbred (Landrace × large Yorkshire) weaned piglets (28 days old) were divided into three groups: (1) nonchallenged control (CON); (2) LPS-challenged control (LPS); and (3) LAB+LPS treatment (0.2% LAB+LPS). Compared to the LPS piglets, the LAB+LPS piglets improved intestinal morphology, indicated by greater (P<0.05) villus height in the duodenum and ileum; villus height : crypt depth ratio in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, as well as decreased (P<0.05) crypt depth in the jejunum and ileum; and better intestinal barrier function, indicated by upregulated (P<0.05) mRNA expression of tight junction proteins in the intestinal mucosa. Moreover, compared to the LPS piglets, LAB significantly decreased (P<0.05) concentrations of TNF-α and IL-1β in the small intestine and increased (P<0.05) IL-10 levels in the jejunum and ileum. Additionally, LAB increased (P<0.05) T-AOC activities of the colon, GSH concentrations of the jejunum, and mRNA expression of CAT and Cu/Zn-SOD, while reduced (P<0.05) MDA concentrations in the jejunum and ileum in LPS-changed piglets. Collectively, our results indicate that supplementation of LAB improved intestinal integrity and immune response and alleviated intestinal oxidative damage in LPS-challenged piglets.


Author(s):  
Wen-Chao Liu ◽  
Yan Guo ◽  
Zhi-Hui Zhao ◽  
Rajesh Jha ◽  
Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian

This study aimed to determine the efficacy of dietary algae-derived polysaccharides (ADPs) from Enteromorpha on growth performance, intestinal morphology, intestinal permeability, and antioxidant capacity in serum, liver, and intestinal mucosa of broilers. Three hundred and ninety six day-old male chicks were randomly assigned to six dietary treatments containing 0 (Control), 1,000, 2,500, 4,000, 5,500, and 7,000 mg ADP/kg basal diet in a 35 day feeding trial. During day 1–21, compared with the control group, dietary 1,000–7,000 mg/kg ADP supplementation improved the average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (p &lt; 0.05). Overall (day 1–35), dietary inclusion of 1,000 mg/kg ADP increased the final body weight and ADG (p &lt; 0.05). Besides, on day 21, dietary 2,500 mg/kg ADP supplementation increased the serum catalase (CAT) and liver total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activities (p &lt; 0.05), whereas dietary 1,000–5,500 mg/kg ADP supplementation decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in serum and liver (p &lt; 0.05). On day 35, supplementation of 1,000 mg/kg ADP increased the serum glutathione peroxidase and CAT activities and liver T-SOD activities (p &lt; 0.05). It decreased the MDA level of serum and liver (p &lt; 0.05). Also, dietary 2,500 mg/kg ADP increased the villus height of jejunum and ileum on day 21 (p &lt; 0.05), and dietary 4,000 mg/kg ADP increased the villus height of duodenum and ileum on day 35 (p &lt; 0.05). On day 21, dietary 4,000 mg/kg ADP increased the CAT activities of the duodenum and T-SOD activities of jejunum and ileum and decreased the MDA contents in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (p &lt; 0.05). On day 35, dietary inclusion of 1,000–7,000 mg/kg ADP reduced MDA contents of duodenum and jejunum (p &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, dietary inclusion of ADP at 1,000–7,000 mg/kg decreased serum DAO activities at day 21 and day 35 (p &lt; 0.05), and the serum D-lactic acid concentration was reduced by dietary supplementation of 1,000, 2,500, and 7,000 mg/kg ADP on day 21. In conclusion, dietary ADP exerted beneficial effects on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and gut health in broilers; based on the studied parameters, the appropriate recommended dose is 1,000–4,000 mg/kg. These findings provided new insights into the potential application of ADP as natural growth promoters in broilers.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2217
Author(s):  
Shanshan Wang ◽  
Miaomiao Bai ◽  
Kang Xu ◽  
Yirui Shao ◽  
Zhe Yang ◽  
...  

This study aimed to explore the effects of dietary coated cysteamine on oxidative stress and inflammation in diquat-induced weaning pigs. Twenty-four pigs were randomly assigned to three dietary groups with eight replicates: the control (fed base diet), diquat (fed base diet), and coated cysteamine + diquat groups (fed 80 mg/kg cysteamine). The experiment was conducted for 21 d, and consisted of a pre-starter period (14 d) and a starter period (7 d). Coated cysteamine treatment significantly increased (p < 0.05) the final weight and average daily gain (ADG) in pigs. The contents of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), immunoglobulin G (IgG), serine (Ser), and isoleucine (Ile) were elevated (p < 0.05) while the contents of albumin (ALB) and aspartic acid (Asp) were reduced (p < 0.05) in the serum after coated cysteamine supplementation. Coated cysteamine supplementation resulted in greater (p < 0.05) serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, the expression of interleukin-10 (IL-10) mRNA in the colon, and the CuSOD mRNA expression in the jejunum (p < 0.05) and colon (p = 0.073). Coated cysteamine supplementation showed an increasing trend in villus height (p = 0.060), villus height/crypt depth (V/C) (p = 0.056), the expression levels of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) mRNA (p = 0.061), and Occludin mRNA (p = 0.074) in the jejunum. In summary, dietary supplementation with coated cysteamine improves the intestinal barrier function of the jejunum by increasing the immunoglobulin content and the relative expression of intestinal immune factor mRNA in pigs while alleviating oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions caused by diquat.


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