Dietary xylo-oligosaccharide supplementation alters gut microbial composition and activity in pigs according to age and dose

Xingguo Huang,Peifeng Xie,Francois Blachier,Jie Yin,Jie Pan,Kai Zhang,Hao Ding,Xiangfeng Kong

doi:10.1186/s13568-019-0858-6

Abstract

This study explored the effect of dietary xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS) supplementation on the gut microbial composition and activity in pigs of different ages. Eighty pigs with an average body weight (BW) of 30 kg were randomly divided into eight groups: A control group, a group that received antibiotic treatment, and six groups fed diets supplemented with 100, 250, and 500 g/t XOS, of which three groups were in the growing period (GP, 30–65 kg BW) and three groups in the growing and fattening period (GFP, 30–100 kg BW). At the end of the experiment, the intestinal contents were sampled for analyses of gut microbiota and bacterial metabolites including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bioamines. The results showed that 100 g/t XOS supplementation during the GFP significantly reduced the relative abundances of presumably pathogenic bacteria (Proteobacteria and Citrobacter), but enhanced the relative abundances of likely beneficial bacteria (Firmicutes and Lactobacillus). However, XOS supplementation during the GP showed little effect on the gut microbiota when pigs were killed at 100 kg BW. Meanwhile, 100 g/t XOS supplementation during the GFP decreased the level of 1,7-heptane diamine and increased the acetic acid, straight-chain fatty acids, and total SCFAs concentrations in the intestinal contents. Statistical analysis showed that both the dose and exposure time to XOS supplementation affected the microbial communities. In summary, 100 g/t XOS supplementation during the GFP modified the gut microbiota composition and metabolic activity. Possible consequences of such changes for the host are discussed.

Highlights

Feed antibiotics have been widely used to promote animal growth and feed conversion rates, with the serious risk of generating antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes (Yan et al 2018)
Our data clearly showed that dietary supplementation with 100 g/t XOS during the GFP increased the relative abundance of certain bacteria, e.g., Lactobacilli, with presumably beneficial effects for the host, and increased several bacterial metabolite concentrations, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bioamines, in pigs
Alpha diversity refers to diversity within a particular region or ecosystem and has been considered to be a comprehensive indicator of species richness and Generally, Firmicutes, Bacteroides, Proteobacteria, and Fusobacterium occupy the dominant phyla of mammalian guts (Guevarra et al 2018)

Summary

Introduction

Feed antibiotics have been widely used to promote animal growth and feed conversion rates, with the serious risk of generating antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes (Yan et al 2018). Previous studies demonstrated that prebiotics may selectively lead to an increase in the abundance of bacteria, such as Firmicutes, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus, which are often considered as beneficial in terms of their capacity to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) (Yin et al 2018b). These bacterial metabolites have been shown to be used as fuel by the absorptive colonic epithelial cells (Ferreira-Lazarte et al 2018). The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that dietary supplementation with different doses of XOS alters the gut microbiome composition and activity in different growth stages of pigs

Methods

Results

Conclusion