Mixture of Five Fermented Herbs (Zhihuasi Tk) Alters the Intestinal Microbiota and Promotes the Growth Performance in Piglets.

Yong Li,Jie Li,Xiaowen Li,Yuncai Xiao,Zutao Zhou,Wei Li,Tong Qiao,Tiehu Sun,Xin Yang,Yongsheng Wang,Yuxuan Hong,Shi Tang

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.725196

Abstract

To explore the feasibility of using fermented Chinese herbal mixture Zhihuasi Tk (Z. Tk) supplementation to increase the swine production, the protective effect of dietary supplementation with Z. Tk on the intestinal oxidative stress model and the regulation of both growth performance and intestinal microbiota of weaned piglets were investigated in vitro. Our results showed that the addition of Z. Tk increased the cell viability, prevented the decrease of glutathione peroxidase, and significantly increased the total antioxidant capacity and reduced the damage caused by H2O2 to the tight junction proteins of the porcine small intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2). Furthermore, weaned piglets supplemented with either 2 kg/ton zinc oxide (ZnO) or 4 kg/ton of Z. Tk in the diet increased body weight as well as average daily feed intake and daily gain, while the feed conversion rate and diarrhea rate decreased within 0–35 days. Results of the taxonomic structure of the intestinal microbiota showed that, in 21 days after weaning, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in experimental group was increased, while the abundance of beneficial bacteria such, as Lactobacillus, was increased by Z. Tk, showing inhibitory effect on pathogenic bacteria such as members of Proteobacteria. In summary, dietary supplementation with Z. Tk maintained the intestinal microbiota in a favorable state for the host to effectively reduce the abnormal changes in the intestinal microbial structure and improved growth performance of weaned piglets. Therefore, Z. Tk may potentially function as a substitute for ZnO in feed additives for weaned piglets in modern husbandry.

Highlights

In order to meet the production goals in the swine industry, piglets are generally weaned early prior to the establishment of a constant microbiota and a fully developed immune system (Odle et al, 1996)
The expressions of three genes (ZO-1, occludin, and claudin) encoding the tight junction proteins were significantly reduced in The porcine small intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2) cells treated with H2O2 in comparison to the control group, while Z
Results showed that the cell viability was significantly reduced under the treatment of 100 μM H2O2, while the IPEC-J2 cell viability was reduced to below 50% treated by H2O2 of 500–1,000 μM for 24 h in comparison to the control group (Figure 1A)

Summary

Introduction

In order to meet the production goals in the swine industry, piglets are generally weaned early prior to the establishment of a constant microbiota and a fully developed immune system (Odle et al, 1996). As one of the most traumatic stresses in a pig’s life, weaning can disrupt the gut microbial environment and increase susceptibility to post-weaning diarrhea caused by. Due to its high efficiency and appropriate price, zinc is commonly used in the form of ZnO in high doses (2,000–3,000 mg/kg diet) for weaned piglets as an alternative to antibiotics to prevent intestinal inflammation and increase body weight (Hu et al, 2012; Kociova et al, 2020). The large amount of zinc cannot be fully utilized by animals, causing severe environmental pollution (Kociova et al, 2020) and affect the intestinal microbiota by promoting the antimicrobial resistance (Bednorz et al, 2013; Rensing et al, 2018). It is urgent to identify the safe alternatives of zinc to enhance the protection of both animals and environments (Liu et al, 2020)

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