Abstract

The use of antibiotics as growth promoters in feed has been fully or partially banned in several countries. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of benzoic acid (A), bacillus coagulans (B) and oregano oil (O) combined supplementation on growth performance and intestinal barrier in piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). Thirty piglets were randomly assigned to 6 treatments: (1) nonchallenged control (CON); (2) ETEC-challenged control (ETEC); (3) antibiotics + ETEC (AT); (4) A + B + ETEC (AB); (5) A + O + ETEC (AO); (6) A + B + O + ETEC (ABO). On day 22, piglets were orally challenged with ETEC or saline. The trial lasted 26 days. Dietary AO and ABO inhibited the reduction of growth performance and the elevation of diarrhoea incidence in piglets induced by ETEC (P<0.05). AB, AO, and ABO prevented the elevation of serum TNF-α and LPS concentrations in piglets induced by ETEC (P<0.05). ABO alleviated the elevation of TNF-α and IL-1β concentrations and the reduction of sIgA level in jejunal mucosa induced by ETEC (P<0.05). Furthermore, ABO upregulated mRNA expressions of Claudin-1 and Mucin2 (P<0.05), downregulated mRNA abundances of TLR4 and NOD2 signaling pathways related genes in jejunal mucosa (P<0.05), and improved the microbiota in jejunal and cecal digesta (P<0.05) compared with ETEC group. These results indicated that benzoic acid, bacillus coagulans, and oregano oil combined supplementation could improve growth performance and alleviate diarrhoea of piglets challenged with ETEC via improving intestinal mucosal barrier integrity, which was possibly associated with the improvement of intestinal microbiota and immune status. The combination of 3000 g/t benzoic acid + 400 g/t bacillus coagulans + 400 g/t oregano oil showed better effects than other treatments in improving growth performance and intestinal health of piglets, which could be used as a viable substitute for antibiotic.

Highlights

  • Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection is a major pathogenic cause of gastroenteritis and diarrhoea in children and young animals [1, 2]

  • ABO upregulated mRNA expressions of Claudin-1 and Mucin2 (P

  • The combination of 3000 g/t benzoic acid + 400 g/t bacillus coagulans + 400 g/t oregano oil showed better effects than other treatments in improving growth performance and intestinal health of piglets, which could be used as a viable substitute for antibiotic

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Summary

Introduction

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection is a major pathogenic cause of gastroenteritis and diarrhoea in children and young animals [1, 2]. The overuse of antibiotics has caused lots of problems, such as drug resistance, environmental pollution, antibiotic-residues in animal products, and inhibition of innate immune function [6, 7]. Considering both the safety of the consumer and the profitability for the farmer, alternatives to antibiotics are desperately needed. Natural alternatives for feed antibiotics with organic acids and their salts, essential oils, probiotics, prebiotics, and oligosaccharides have received much attention due to their antibacterial activities in the gastrointestinal tract of livestock and poultry [8, 9]. Some researchers have proposed that organic acid could improve growth performance and has antibacterial action primarily via decreasing

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