Abstract
The present study was to determine the efficacy of dietary supplementation with oleum cinnamomi (OCM) on growth performance and intestinal functions in piglets. Sixteen piglets (24-day-old) were randomly assigned to the control or OCM groups. Piglets in the control group were fed a basal diet, whereas piglets in the OCM group were fed the basal diet supplemented with 50 mg/kg OCM. On day 20 of the trial, blood samples and intestinal tissues were obtained from piglets. Compared with the control group, dietary OCM supplementation increased (p < 0.05) average daily feed intake, plasma insulin levels, villus width and villous surface area in the duodenum and jejunum, DNA levels and RNA/DNA ratios in the ileum, the abundance of Enterococcus genus and Lactobacillus genus in caecum digesta, mRNA levels for epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), Ras, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2), b-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), villin, junctional adhesion molecule A (JAM-A), myxovirus resistance (MX) 1, MX2 and regenerating islet-derived protein 3 gamma (REG3G), and protein abundances of Ras and claudin-1, but decreased (p < 0.05) diarrhoea incidence; the abundances of Enterobacteriaceae family, Enterococcus genus, Lactobacillus genus, Bifidobacterium genus, and Clostrium coccoides in the colon digesta, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) mRNA levels and caspase-3 protein abundance in the jejunal mucosa of piglets. Taken together, these data indicate that dietary OCM supplementation modulates intestinal microbiota and improves intestinal function in weanling pigs. OCM is an effective feed additive and alternative to feed antibiotics for improving intestinal health in swine.
Highlights
With an increasing concern about the negative impact of certain antibiotic use aspects on public health, many countries are gradually banning the use of antibiotics in animal production
Gowder [7] found that the acute toxicity of cinnamaldehyde is low, with lethal dose 50% (LD50) values ranging from 0.6 to more than 2 g per kg of body weight (BW) in various animal species
Our results indicate the differential effects of dietary Oleum cinnamomi (OCM) on intestinal microorganisms
Summary
With an increasing concern about the negative impact of certain antibiotic use aspects on public health, many countries are gradually banning the use of antibiotics in animal production. Many research reports have been focused on the plant extracts as they are natural and abundant with strong antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activities [1,2]. These phytochemicals can disturb microbial cell structures, increase bacterial cell permeability, and result in bacterial death [2]. One kind of the plant extracts, are commonly obtained by steam distillation and have been used in food preservation, pharmaceutical therapies, alternative medicine, and natural therapies for many years [3]. There is a paucity of literature on the application of OCM in animal production, cinnamaldehyde has been extensively studied in human medicine. To extend the findings of our previous work, the present study was carried out to determine the effects of OCM on intestinal gene expression and function in piglets
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