Dietary Probiotics or Synbiotics Supplementation During Gestation, Lactation, and Nursery Periods Modifies Colonic Microbiota, Antioxidant Capacity, and Immune Function in Weaned Piglets.

Kai Wang,Md Abul Kalam Azad,Yuzhong Zheng,Qian Zhu,Qinghua He,Mingtong Song,Xiangfeng Kong,Liang Xiong

doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.597832

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary probiotics or synbiotics supplementation on colonic microbiota, antioxidant capacity, and immune function in weaned piglets. A total of 64 pregnant Bama mini-sows and then 128 of their weaned piglets were randomly assigned into control group, antibiotics group, probiotics group, or synbiotics group. The results showed that colonic Firmicutes and Bifidobacterium abundances in the probiotics group and total bacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Lactobacillus abundances in the synbiotics group were increased (P < 0.05), while Escherichia coli abundance in the synbiotics group was decreased (P = 0.061) compared with the control group. Firmicutes, Bifidobacterium, and total bacteria abundances were increased (P < 0.05) in the probiotics and synbiotics groups compared with the antibiotics group. Probiotics supplementation up-regulated (P < 0.05) the mRNA expression of GPR109A compared with the control and antibiotics groups. Dietary probiotics or synbiotics supplementation improved the antioxidant capacity by increasing (P < 0.05) the colonic CAT, GSH-Px, SOD, and T-AOC levels and plasma CAT, GSH, GSH-Px, and SOD levels and by decreasing (P < 0.05) the colonic and plasma MDA and H2O2 levels. Compared to the control group, the colonic IL-10, IFN-α, and sIgA concentrations and plasma IgA and IgM concentrations were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the probiotics and synbiotics groups. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that the changed colonic microbiota, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were correlated with the alteration of antioxidant indexes, cytokines, and immunoglobulins. In conclusion, dietary probiotics or synbiotics supplementation during gestation, lactation, and nursery periods could be used as an alternative for antibiotics in terms of gut health of weaned piglets.

Highlights

Weaning is a stressful event in the life cycle of pigs and is associated with the rapid shift in gut microbiota composition, reducing antioxidant ability and intestinal functions, eventually resulting in indigestion, diarrhea incidence, growth retardation, and even death [1, 2]
The results showed that dietary probiotics or synbiotics supplementation during gestation, lactation, and nursery periods could increase the abundances of generally beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus), decrease E. coli, and enhance the immunity and antioxidant capacity in the colon and plasma of offspring weaned piglets
Based on the colonic microbiota analyses, we found that dietary probiotics or synbiotics supplementation significantly increase the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes

Summary

Introduction

Weaning is a stressful event in the life cycle of pigs and is associated with the rapid shift in gut microbiota composition, reducing antioxidant ability and intestinal functions, eventually resulting in indigestion, diarrhea incidence, growth retardation, and even death [1, 2]. Several studies demonstrated that the provision of probiotics could optimize the intestinal microbiota composition, present significant antioxidant abilities, and improve immune function in weaned piglets [8,9,10]. Dietary supplementation with Bacillus subtilis C-3102 to sows during gestation and lactation periods and to progeny after weaning modified the fecal microbiota population in sows and nursery piglets [13]. Plantarum B90 and S. cerevisiae P11) or synbiotics (compound probiotics + XOS) during pregnancy and lactation periods can improve piglet’s survival and lipid metabolism by altering gut microbiota diversity and composition [14, 15]. The long-term effect of providing probiotics or synbiotics to sows and their offspring on the colonic microbiota, antioxidant capacity, and immune function in weaned piglets is still unclear

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