Abstract
Pyrodextrin (PD) is prepared from starch by heat treatment and is resistant to amylase. We hypothesized that PD might have prebiotic potential affecting the microbiota composition, because it contains a non-digestible portion that may behave as dietary fiber. This study investigated the effects of PD supplementation on growth performance, gut morphology, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and the bacterial community in weaned piglets receiving dietary supplementation of 0.5% PD. The piglets in the PD (treated) groups showed greater antioxidant capacity and feed efficiency (P < 0.05), as well as improved intestinal morphology in comparison with the piglets in the weaned (control) group. Gut microbiota profiles were assessed through 16S rRNA sequencing on the ileum contents and feces of early weaned piglets. Several genus-level enrichments and depletions were observed in response to PD treatment. Of note, PD supplementation decreased the relative abundance of pathogenic organisms, including Defluviicoccus and Gardnerella, while markedly increasing that of commensal bacteria (genera Psychrobacter and Prevotella), which have important roles in nutrient absorption and immune response regulation. The most notable effect in the PD treatment groups was increased production of SCFAs in the feces of PD-treated weaned piglets. Correlation analysis revealed that the improvement in SCFAs was positively correlated with the increase in SCFA-producing bacteria. Overall, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of PD supplementation on the fecal microbial community and the modulation of SCFA production in early weaned piglets, thus indicating that PD can be used to alleviate weaning stress in piglets.
Highlights
Healthy development of piglets provides strong overall benefits in pig production
We found that preventive supplementation with PD decreased the occurrence of diarrhea in early weaned piglets (Supplemental Table S4 and Supplemental Fig. S1)
We focused on changes in growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, and gut microbiota in post-weaning piglets after PD supplementation
Summary
Healthy development of piglets provides strong overall benefits in pig production. The stresses caused by changes in the environment and nutrient sources after weaning in piglets are responsible for substantial losses each year in the swine industry in China, resulting in reduced growth rates and nutrient absorption efficiency and increased susceptibility to gut dysfunction, diarrhea, and high morbidity and mortality (Aumaitre and Corring 1978).In addition, weaning-induced decreased intestinal digestive enzyme activities, damaged tight junction proteins, impaired immune response, and increased cytokines were reported in several papers studying in post-weaning piglets (Boudry et al 2004; Hu et al 2013; Pié et al 2004). Occasionally with acid, causes a modification of polymer structures, resulting in different characteristics such as solubility in cold water, decreased viscosity, and resistance to alpha-amylase. Starches processed through these methods are referred to as pyrodextrins (PDs). PD is water-soluble and expected to behave like dietary fiber, which exerts various physiological functions, including increasing mineral absorption, preventing diarrhea, and improving intestinal bacteria (Sajilata et al 2006). Miyazato et al (2016) found that continuous intake of soluble dietary fiber enhances the intestinal immune response in a dose-dependent manner, resulting in increased total immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels and production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestinal tract of mice. Dietary supplementation with prebiotics can effectively increase the number and proportion of intestinal beneficial bacteria (Gibson 1999), prevent intestinal inflammation, and improve nutrient metabolism (Goetze et al 2008)
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