Abstract
BackgroundThe constant interaction between diet and intestinal barrier has a crucial role in determining gut health in pigs. Hermetia illucens (HI) meal (that represents a promising, alternative feed ingredient for production animals) has recently been demonstrated to influence colonic microbiota, bacterial metabolite profile and mucosal immune status of pigs, but no data about modulation of gut mucin dynamics are currently available. The present study evaluated the effects of dietary HI meal inclusion on the small intestinal mucin composition of piglets, as well as providing insights into the cecal microbiota and the mucosal infiltration with immune cells.ResultsA total of 48 weaned piglets were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments (control diet [C] and 5% or 10% HI meal inclusion [HI5 and HI10], with 4 replicate boxes/treatment and 4 animals/box) and slaughtered after 61 days of trial (3 animals/box, 12 piglets/diet). The cecal microbiota assessment by 16S rRNA amplicon based sequencing showed higher beta diversity in the piglets fed the HI-based diets than the C (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the HI-fed animals showed increased abundance of Blautia, Chlamydia, Coprococcus, Eubacterium, Prevotella, Roseburia, unclassified members of Ruminococcaceae, Ruminococcus and Staphylococcus when compared to the C group (FDR < 0.05). The gut of the piglets fed the HI-based diets showed greater neutral mucin percentage than the C (P < 0.05), with the intestinal neutral mucins of the HI-fed animals being also higher than the sialomucins and the sulfomucins found in the gut of the C group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the piglets fed the HI-based diets displayed lower histological scores in the jejunum than the other gut segments (ileum [HI5] or ileum and duodenum [HI10], P < 0.05).ConclusionsDietary HI meal utilization positively influenced the cecal microbiota and the small intestinal mucin dynamics of the piglets in terms of selection of potentially beneficial bacteria and preservation of mature mucin secretory architecture, without determining the development of gut inflammation. These findings further confirm the suitability of including insect meal in swine diets.
Highlights
In the swine industry, which represents one of the major meat source for humans [1], the feed efficiency is a critical aspect, since feed accounts for the majority of the total production costs [2]
The crucial role of the diet is related to its constant interaction with the gut barrier, which is constituted by microbiota and their products, mucus layers, host-derived antimicrobial compounds, epithelium, and underlying immune tissue [4]
Based on the above reported background, the present study aims to evaluate the effects of dietary Hermetia illucens (HI) meal inclusion on gut microbiota, mucin composition and infiltration with immune cells of weaned piglets
Summary
In the swine industry, which represents one of the major meat source for humans [1], the feed efficiency is a critical aspect, since feed accounts for the majority of the total production costs [2]. Mucins are multifunctional glycoproteins that compose the gut mucus layer and are mainly involved in the intestinal protection and nutrient digestion and absorption [9] Investigating both the gut microbiota and the mucins seems to be fundamental in finding effective strategies for the improvement of pig intestinal health and feed efficiency, especially when a novel feed ingredient is tested. Another important aspect to consider is that piglets, especially in the postweaning period, are under great environmental pressure, causing a decline in their immune function and, in turn, development of gut inflammation. The present study evaluated the effects of dietary HI meal inclusion on the small intestinal mucin composition of piglets, as well as providing insights into the cecal microbiota and the mucosal infiltration with immune cells
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