Influence of Sodium Humate on the Growth Performance, Diarrhea Incidence, Blood Parameters, and Fecal Microflora of Pre-Weaned Dairy Calves

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the administration of sodium humate (NaH) on the growth performance, diarrhea incidence, and fecal microflora of pre-weaned Holstein calves. In a 53-day experiment, forty healthy newborn female calves were randomly allocated to the following four treatment groups: (1) control (basal diet); (2) 1-gram NaH (basal diet extra orally supplemented with 1 g of NaH dissolved in 100 mL of milk or milk replacer daily); (3) 3-gram NaH (basal diet extra orally supplemented with 3 g of NaH dissolved in 100 mL of milk or milk replacer daily); and (4) 5-gram NaH (basal diet extra orally supplemented with 5 g of NaH dissolved in 100 mL of milk or milk replacer daily). NaH was mixed with milk (d 2–20) or milk replacer (d 21–53). Calves in the 5-gram NaH group had a higher ADG during d 1 to 21 and d 21 to 53 than the other groups did (p < 0.05). Fecal scores and diarrheal incidence were significantly lower in the 3-gram and 5-gram NaH groups than the 1-gram NaH and control groups during d 1 to 20 (p < 0.05). The serum IgA, IgG and IL-4 concentrations, and T-SOD and T-AOC activities were higher, and the serum IL-6, TNF-α, D-lactic acid, and MDA concentrations were lower in the 5-gram NaH group than the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, NaH supplementation increased the abundances of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus but decreased the abundance of Escherichia coli in feces (p < 0.05). These encouraging findings indicated that supplementation with 5 g of NaH effectively improved the immune status, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal beneficial bacteria, and further improved the growth performance and reduced the diarrhea incidence of the pre-weaned dairy calves.

Colonization and Development of the Fecal Microflora of South China Tiger Cubs (Panthera tigris amoyensis) by Sequencing of the 16S rRNA Gene

Postnatal colonization and development of the gut microbiota is linked to health and growth. A comprehensive understanding of the postnatal compositional changes and development of the microbial community is helpful to understand the gut health and improve the survival rate of South China tiger cubs (<i>Panthera tigris amoyensis</i>). Fecal samples from three tiger cubs were collected on the day of birth in 2018 (June 17–21 [G0], July 18 [G1], July 31 [G2], and August 7 [G3]). The 16S rRNA genes of the fecal microflora were sequenced. Results showed that 38 phyla, 58 classes, 134 orders, 272 families, and 636 genera of bacteria from 3,059 operational taxonomic units were identified from 12 fecal samples. The diversity and abundance of species of group G0 were significantly higher (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05 or 0.01) than those of groups G2 and G3. The predominant phylum was Proteobacteria in groups G0 and G1 (38.85% and 48%, respectively) and Firmicutes in groups G2 and G3 (71.42% and 75.29%, respectively). At the phylum level, the abundance of Deinococcus-Thermus was significantly decreased in groups G1, G2, and G3 as compared to group G0 (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05), while that of Firmicutes was significantly increased in groups G2 and G3 (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). At the genus level, the abundance of <i>Faecalibacterium</i>, <i>Ralstonia</i>, and unidentified <i>Rickettsiales</i> was significantly decreased in groups G1, G2, and G3 as compared with group G0 (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05), while that of <i>Pseudomonas</i> was significantly decreased in groups G2 and G3 (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). The composition and structure of fecal microbiota of South China tiger cubs changed after birth.

Inulin and isomalto-oligosaccharide alleviate constipation and improve reproductive performance by modulating motility-related hormones, short-chain fatty acids, and feces microflora in pregnant sows

Constipation in gestating and lactating sows is common and the inclusion of dietary fiber may help to alleviate this problem. We investigated the effects of inulin (INU) and isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO), two sources of soluble dietary fiber, on gastrointestinal motility-related hormones, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), fecal microflora, and reproductive performance in pregnant sows. On day 64 of gestation, 30 sows were randomly divided into three groups and fed as follows: a basal diet, a basal diet with 0.5% INU, and a basal diet with 0.5% IMO. We found that INU and IMO significantly modulated the levels of gastrointestinal motility-related hormones, as evidenced by an increase in substance P (P &lt; 0.05), and a decrease in the vasoactive intestinal peptide concentrations (P &lt; 0.05), indicating the capacity of INU and IMO to alleviate constipation. Furthermore, IMO enhanced the concentrations of acetic, propionic, isobutyric, butyric, isovaleric, and valeric acids in the feces (P &lt; 0.05). High-throughput sequencing showed that IMO and INU increased the fecal microflora α- and β-diversity (P &lt; 0.05). Methanobrevibacter was more abundant (P &lt; 0.05), whereas the richness of Turicibacter was lower in the INU and IMO groups than in the control group (P &lt; 0.05). In addition, IMO significantly increased litter size (P &lt; 0.05). Overall, our findings indicate that INU and IMO can relieve constipation, optimize intestinal flora, and promote reproductive performance in pregnant sows.

Intestinal Microbiocenosis Disorders Correction With Intestinal Lavage in Patients With Acute Poisoning

Background. In acute poisoning, accompanied by a violation of microbiocenosis, the problem of its correction has not been studied enough.Aim of study. Evaluate the possibility of correcting violations of microbiocenosis using intestinal lavage in cases of poisoning with psychopharmacological preparations and cauterizing substances.Material and methods. 50 male (76.4%) and female (23.6%) patients aged 42 (36; 52) years with psychopharmacological drugs and cauterizing substances poisoning were examined, the composition of the fecal microflora was studied. A total of 100 studies of up to 10 species of microorganisms were conducted. In order to correct violations of the species composition of microbiocenosis, 30 patients underwent intestinal lavage. The comparison group included 20 patients who did not use intestinal lavage.Results. In patients with these poisonings, violations of the specific microbial composition of feces were detected. Intestinal lavage, in contrast to standard therapy, had a corrective effect on fecal microbiocenosis.Conclusion. With the help of intestinal lavage, it is possible to correct violations of microbiocenosis in acute poisoning in a short time.

Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) continues as the main cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Interestingly, emerging evidence highlights the role of gut microbiota in regulating the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease, but few studies have systematically assessed the alterations and influence of gut microbiota in AMI patients. As one approach to address this deficiency, in this study the composition of fecal microflora was determined from Chinese AMI patients and links between gut microflora and clinical features and functional pathways of AMI were assessed. Fecal samples from 30 AMI patients and 30 healthy controls were collected to identify the gut microbiota composition and the alterations using bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We found that gut microflora in AMI patients contained a lower abundance of the phylum Firmicutes and a slightly higher abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes compared to the healthy controls. Chao1 (P = 0.0472) and PD-whole-tree (P = 0.0426) indices were significantly lower in the AMI versus control group. The AMI group was characterized by higher levels of the genera Megasphaera, Butyricimonas, Acidaminococcus, and Desulfovibrio, and lower levels of Tyzzerella 3, Dialister, [Eubacterium] ventriosum group, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Lachnospiraceae ND3007 group as compared to that in the healthy controls (P &lt; 0.05). The common metabolites of these genera are mostly short-chain fatty acids, which reveals that the gut flora is most likely to affect the occurrence and development of AMI through the short-chain fatty acid pathway. In addition, our results provide the first evidence revealing remarkable differences in fecal microflora among subgroups of AMI patients, including the STEMI vs. NSTEMI, IRA-LAD vs. IRA-Non-LAD and Multiple (≥2 coronary stenosis) vs. Single coronary stenosis groups. Several gut microflora were also correlated with clinically significant characteristics of AMI patients, including LVEDD, LVEF, serum TnI and NT-proBNP, Syntax score, counts of leukocytes, neutrophils and monocytes, and fasting serum glucose levels. Taken together, the data generated enables the prediction of several functional pathways as based on the fecal microfloral composition of AMI patients. Such information may enhance our comprehension of AMI pathogenesis.

Fecal Microbiota Functional Gene Effects Related to Single-Dose Antibiotic Treatment of Travelers’ Diarrhea

Background Travelers’ diarrhea (TD) is common among military personnel deployed to tropical and sub-tropical regions. It remains unclear how TD and subsequent antibiotic treatment impact the resident microflora within the gut, especially given increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance among enteric pathogens and acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms. We examined functional properties of the fecal microflora in response to TD, along with subsequent antibiotic treatment. Methods Fecal samples from US and UK military service members deployed to Djibouti, Kenya, and Honduras that presented with acute watery diarrhea were collected. A sample was collected at acute presentation to the clinic (day 0, prior to antibiotics), as well as 7 and/or 21 days following single dose of antibiotics (azithromycin (500 mg), levofloxacin (500 mg), or rifaximin (1650 mg), all with loperamide). Each stool sample underwent culture and TaqMan RT-PCR analyses for pathogen and antibiotic resistance gene detection. Purified DNA from each sample was analyzed using the HumiChip3.1 functional gene array. Results In total, 108 day 1 samples, 50 day 7 samples, and 94 day 21 samples were available for analysis from 119 subjects. Geographic location and disease severity were associated with distinct functional compositions of fecal samples. There were no overt functional differences between pre- and post-antibiotic treatment samples, nor was there increased acquisition of antibiotic resistance determinants for any of the antibiotic regimens. Conclusions These results indicate that single-dose antibiotic regimens may not drastically alter the functional or antibiotic resistance composition of fecal microflora, which should inform clinical practice guidelines and antimicrobial stewardship.

Impact of Supplementary Microbial Additives Producing Antimicrobial Substances and Digestive Enzymes on Growth Performance, Blood Metabolites, and Fecal Microflora of Weaning Pigs

The present study investigated the effects of microbial additives producing antimicrobial and digestive-enzyme activities on the growth performance, blood metabolites, and fecal microflora of weaning pigs from 21 to 42 d of age. A total of 144 weaning pigs (1:1 ratio of gilt and boar; 21 d of age; 7.40 ± 0.53 kg of average body weight) were randomly distributed into four supplementary levels of microbial additive (0 vs. 0.5 vs. 1.0 vs. 1.5% of fresh weight) with three pens of replication, consisting of 12 weaning pigs per pen. All weaning pigs were maintained with the same basal diet for 21 d. Blood and feces were subsampled at day 21. Feed efficiency tended to increase linearly (p = 0.069) with an increasing supplementation level. Insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1, and blood glucose presented a quadratic effect (p < 0.05) with an increasing supplementation level, and these blood metabolites were highest at the 1% supplementation level. Immunoglobulin G in blood increased linearly by (p < 0.05) increasing the supplementation level. Salmonella and Escherichia coli in feces were decreased linearly by (p < 0.05) increasing the supplementation level. In conclusion, supplementation of microbial additive at 1.0% improved the feed efficiency, blood metabolites, and fecal microflora of weaning pigs.

Prospects for the use of fecal microbiota transplantation in obese patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus for weight loss and improvement of insulin sensitivity

Concerning the uncontrolled growth in the incidence of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), numerous research have been carried out to study the pathogenetic mechanisms of progress of these diseases and development of new methods for their prevention and treatment in recent years. T2DM is known to be a multifactorial disease, in the development of which both lifestyle and various environmental factors, and genetic predisposition are involved. At the same time, in recent years, a theory has been discussed that intestinal dysbiosis, which is caused with quantitative and qualitative changes in the gut microbiota (GM) is one of the mechanisms of obesity and T2DM development. At the moment, various methods have been proposed for restoring the normal composition of GM, including the administration of prebiotics and metabiotics that stimulate the growth of gut flora, as well as probiotics, which directly include the necessary beneficial bacteria (mainly Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus). Fecal microflora transplantation (FMT), which allows transferring an entire microbial community into the recipient's body, rather than individual bacteria is the newest and least studied method of GM normalization. In this connection, this method of GM influencing is of great interest for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases.