Dietary Hermetia illucens Larvae Meal Improves Growth Performance and Intestinal Barrier Function of Weaned Pigs Under the Environment of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88.

Qingsong Tang,Fengying Wang,Qiwen Wu,Zhikang Wang,Zongyong Jiang,Mingfei Xiao,Shuting Cao,Li Wang,Geling Yang,E Xu,Shenglan Hu,Yunxia Xiong,Hongbo Yi

doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.812011

Qingsong Tang, Fengying Wang + Show 11 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.812011

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Hermetia illucens larvae meal (HI) on the growth performance and intestinal barrier function of weaned pigs. To achieve this, 72 weaned pigs [28-day-old, 8.44 ± 0.04 kg body weight (BW)] were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments: basal diet (negative control, NC), zinc oxide-supplemented diet (positive control, PC), and HI-supplemented diet [100% replacement of fishmeal (FM), HI], for 28 days in the presence of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). The results showed that HI and PC increased (p < 0.05) the average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of weaned pigs from day 1 to 14, and decreased diarrhea incidence from day 1 to 28. Additionally, HI increased (p < 0.05) claudin-1, occludin, mucin-1 (MUC-1), and MUC-2 expression, goblet cell number, and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) concentration in the intestine of weaned pigs. Compared with NC, HI downregulated (p < 0.05) interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-8 expression, and upregulated IL-10, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), antimicrobial peptide [porcine β defensin 1 (pBD1), pBD2, protegrin 1-5 (PG1-5)] expression in the jejunum or ileum. Moreover, HI decreased (p < 0.05) toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB (p-NF-κB), and phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-MAPK) expression, and increased sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression in the ileum. Additionally, HI increased histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) expression and acetylation of histone 3 lysine 27 (acH3k27) in the ileum. Furthermore, HI positively influenced the intestinal microbiota composition and diversity of weaned pigs and increased (p < 0.05) butyrate and valerate concentrations. Overall, dietary HI improved growth performance and intestinal barrier function, as well as regulated histone acetylation and TLR2-NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathways in weaned pigs.

Highlights

Fishmeal (FM) is an important protein source in piglet nutrition; marine overfishing has led to soaring FM prices and reduced its availability [1]
From day 1 to 14 of the experiment, there was an increase in the average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of pigs in the Hermetia illucens larvae meal (HI) and PC groups compared with those of pigs in the NC group (Table 4)
NC, basal diet; PC, basal diet supplemented with 1,445 mg zinc/kg of zinc oxide; HI, 100% replacement of FM in basal diet with H. illucens larvae meal. a,bMean values with different superscript letters across rows are significantly different (p < 0.05)

Summary

Introduction

Fishmeal (FM) is an important protein source in piglet nutrition; marine overfishing has led to soaring FM prices and reduced its availability [1]. In 2019, ∼1.420 million tons of FM were imported by China, with a local supply of only 0.699 million tons, indicating that China is extremely dependent on importation to meet its FM demand. To reverse this trend, there is a need for effective, safe, and sustainable alternatives to FM, one of which is Hermetia illucens larvae meal (HI). Studies have reported improved growth performance in Chinese softshelled turtles, chickens, and fattening pigs fed diets containing appropriate levels of H. illucens larvae as the protein source [6,7,8]. HI has been shown to promote the expression of mucins (MUCs) and tight junction (TJ) proteins, and improve intestinal barrier function in juvenile barramundi, broilers, and fattening pigs [9,10,11]

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