Abstract
Derivatives of yeast cell wall (YCW) have been studied for their potential prebiotic effects. Recently, new purified and soluble preparations have been developed in an attempt to increase their biological actions. Two YCW preparations, one conventional and another with higher solubility of the mannan oligosaccharide fraction, were evaluated on dogs. One food formulation was used, divided into the following treatments: CON–control, without yeast cell wall addition; YCW–addition of 0.3% of a conventional yeas cell wall extract; YCWs–addition of 0.3% of a yeast cell wall extract with high mannan oligosaccharide solubility. Twenty-four beagle dogs were used, eight per food, distributed on a block design. Blocks lasted 32 days, and TNF-a, IL-6, IL-10, ex vivo production of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide by peripheral neutrophils and monocytes, phagocytic index, and fecal IgA were evaluated at the beginning and end of each period. Additionally, nutrient digestibility, feces production and quality, and fermentation products were quantified. The results were evaluated by analysis of variance and compared using the Tukey test (P<0.05), using the basal immunological parameters as a covariate. The inclusion of YCWs reduced fat digestibility (P<0.05), increased the concentration of butyrate and putrescine, and reduced lactate in feces (P<0.05), showing that mannan oligosaccharide solubilization resulted in higher fermentation of this compound and altered the metabolism of the gut microbiota. Lower IL-6 on serum was verified for dogs fed the YCWs diet (P<0.05), suggesting a reduction in the inflammatory activity of dogs. Higher phagocytic index was verified for peripheral monocytes after the intake of the YCW food, suggesting better innate immunity. In conclusion, the solubilization of the mannooligosaccharide fraction alters its interaction with gut microbiota and biological actions in animals, although both yeast cell wall preparations exhibited prebiotic effects on dogs.
Highlights
The health of the gut is dependent on a dynamic interrelationship between the gut microbiota and gut nutrition [1,2], reflecting directly on the immunological status and general health of dogs [3,4]
The present study evaluated the effects of the incorporation in extruded diets of two preparations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall, differing in solubility in water of mannan oligosaccharides, on nutrient digestibility, microbial fermentation products in feces, and certain immunological parameters of adult dogs
1 CON = control, without yeast cell wall addition; YCW = 0.3% of a standard yeast cell wall extract; YCWs = 0.3% of a yeast cell wall extract with 20% soluble mannan oligosaccharides
Summary
The health of the gut is dependent on a dynamic interrelationship between the gut microbiota and gut nutrition [1,2], reflecting directly on the immunological status and general health of dogs [3,4]. It is postulated that the intestinal microbiota performs at least three main functions: protection, nutrition and metabolic control [5]. Because intestinal microbes subsist on products resulting from the interaction between the host and its diet, food composition is one of the most important factors for gut microbiota maintenance, structure and function [1,6,7]. In this regard, yeast cell wall (YCW) may be an important energy source for intestinal microorganisms [8] and has been studied as a prebiotic candidate for dogs [9,10]. The YCW apparently meets the three essential criteria of a prebiotic [13], it is resistant to gastric acidity and hydrolysis by mammalian enzymes and to gastrointestinal absorption, is fermented by intestinal microbiota, and selectively stimulates the growth and/or activity of intestinal bacteria associated with health and wellbeing [1,14,15]
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