Regulation of an antioxidant blend on intestinal redox status and major microbiota in early weaned piglets

doi:10.1016/j.nut.2013.10.018

Nutrition

Volume 30, Issue 5, May 2014, Pages 584-589

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2013.10.018 Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

According to the “antioxidants network” theory, the present study was conducted to evaluate the regulation of an antioxidant blend on intestinal redox status and major microbiota of early-weaned piglets.

Methods

Piglets from 15 litters were randomly allocated by litter to the control group (suckling normally, fed the basal diet, n = 5), the weaning group (weaned at age 21 d, fed the basal diet, n = 5), and the repair group (weaned at age 21 d, fed the basal diet supplemented with an antioxidant blend, n = 5). The redox status and major microbiota in jejunum and colon tracts of 24-d-old piglets were detected, respectively.

Results

Early weaning resulted in significant decreases in jejunum and colon antioxidant capacities, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium counts, and significant increases in levels of jejunum malondialdehyde, colon hydroxyl radicals, jejunum and colon H₂O_2, and Escherichia coli counts in piglets. The observed imbalance of the intestinal redox status and microbiota was significantly restored by the antioxidant blend. Interestingly, intestinal selected antioxidative items presented a positive correlation with potential beneficial bacteria and a negative correlation with E. coli. Nevertheless, selected oxidative items and the bacteria presented an inverse relationship in piglets.

Conclusion

Supplementation of the antioxidant blend effectively restored intestinal redox status and microbiota balance in the porcine intestine in response to early weaning stress, enhancing intestinal health and function of piglets.

Introduction

Young mammals are often challenged by weaning stress, which may induce oxidative stress, injuring intestinal morphology, lowering food intake and performance, decreasing immunity [1], [2], [3], [4], disturbing the dynamic balance of intestinal microbiota [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], and enhancing a risk for diarrhea and inflammation in infants and young animals. As reviewed previously [10], accumulated evidences have shown that supplementation of natural antioxidants such as vitamins E and C, tea polyphenols, and probiotics has been practiced to enhance the antioxidant system, relieve stress, and regulate the dynamic balance of intestinal microbiota in livestock husbandry. However, this approach has demonstrated limited effectiveness; therefore, according to the “antioxidants network” theory, the present study was conducted to investigate the regulation of an antioxidant blend on intestinal redox status and major microbiota of piglets in response to early weaning stress.

Additionally, although weaned piglets have been widely studied, most of the work has been concentrated on either the redox status and immunity in vivo [11], [12], [13], [14] or the state of intestinal microbiota [15], [16]. The underlying relationship between intestinal redox status and microbiota in piglets is still unclear. To our knowledge, the present study was the first conducted to explore the relationship between intestinal redox status and major microbiota of piglets, which is potentially instructive for purposefully enhancing intestinal health and function of piglets.

Section snippets

Animals and experiment design

The experiment was a single-factor randomized block experiment. In all, one hundred and twenty 24-d-old piglets (Duroc × [Large white × Landrace]) from 15 litters were randomly divided by litter to three treatment groups with five litters per group. The treatment groups were designated as control, weaning, and repair groups. The size of every litter is eight piglets. The animal experiment was approved by the Shanghai Jiaotong University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

From 14 to 24

Redox status

After early weaning, the jejunum and colon tissues of 24-d-old piglets exhibited significant decreases in the capacities of T-AOC, GSH-Px, SOD, and significant increases in the H₂O₂ level (P < 0.05). There was also a significant decrease in colon IHR and a significant increase in jejunum MDA concentration (P < 0.05). Inversely, compared with weaned piglets, the piglets with diets supplemented with the antioxidant blend had significantly elevated capacities of T-AOC, GSH-Px, SOD, and reduced MDA

Discussion

Early weaning is a critical and essential stage for young mammals. However, young mammals often are challenged by weaning stress, leading to oxidative stress. Young animals, generally without an appropriate balance and mature antioxidant system in the gastrointestinal tract, are easily exposed to oxidative damage [1], [21], [22]. Previous studies have demonstrated that early weaning stress may lead to villus atrophy, low food intake, and the imbalance of oxidative and antioxidant systems in

Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that supplementation of the antioxidant blend effectively restored redox status and microbiota balance in the porcine intestine in response to early weaning stress, enhancing intestinal health. However, further studies should be conducted to more completely determine the mechanism regulating intestinal environment after weaning.

Acknowledgments

This study was supported financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30972103). The authors acknowledge their colleagues for their helpful discussions and other kind members of the near laboratory for assisting with the sample collection.

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: Congcong Xu and Jianxiong Xu contributed equally to this study.

: Xiaolian Chen is presently affiliated with the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanchang, China.

View full text

Basic nutritional investigationRegulation of an antioxidant blend on intestinal redox status and major microbiota in early weaned piglets

Abstract

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Section snippets

Animals and experiment design

Redox status

Discussion

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

Cell Immunol

Int Immunopharmacol

Vet Microbiol

Mol Cell Probe

Biochem Bioph Res Co

Early Hum Dev

J Nutr

Arch Biochem Biophys

Nutrition

Free Radical Bio Med

BBA

Cell Biol Int

J Biol Chem

Oxidative stress in childhood malnutrition and diarrhoeal diseases

J Diarrheal Dis Res

Micronutrients and the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus infection

Brit J Nutr

Effects of dietary allicin on health and growth performance of weanling piglets and reduction in attractiveness of faeces to flies

Animal

Impact of weaning and an antioxidant blend on intestinal barrier function and antioxidant status in pigs

J Anim Sci

Effect of galactan on selected microbial populations and pH and volatile fatty acids in the ileum of the weanling pig

J Anim Sci

Supplemental vitamin C and yeast cell wall beta-glucan as growth enhancers in newborn pigs and as immunomodulators after an endotoxin challenge after weaning

J Anim Sci

Effects of feeding probiotics during weaning on infections and antibody responses to diphtheria, tetanus and Hib vaccines

Pediatr Allergy Immunol

Effect of dietary tea polyphenols on growth performance and cell-mediated immune response of post-weaning piglets under oxidative stress

Arch Anim Nutr

Effects of food components on intestinal flora, intestinal immune system and their mutualis

Biosci Microflora

Basic nutritional investigation
Regulation of an antioxidant blend on intestinal redox status and major microbiota in early weaned piglets