Dietary Galactooligosaccharide Research Articles

Prebiotic galactooligosaccharide improves piglet growth performance and intestinal health associated with alterations of the hindgut microbiota during the peri-weaning period

BackgroundWeaning stress reduces growth performance and health of young pigs due in part to an abrupt change in diets from highly digestible milk to fibrous plant-based feedstuffs. This study investigated whether dietary galactooligosaccharide (GOS), supplemented both pre- and post-weaning, could improve growth performance and intestinal health via alterations in the hindgut microbial community.MethodsUsing a 3 × 2 factorial design, during farrowing 288 piglets from 24 litters received either no creep feed (FC), creep without GOS (FG–) or creep with 5% GOS (FG+) followed by a phase 1 nursery diet without (NG–) or with 3.8% GOS (NG+). Pigs were sampled pre- (D22) and post-weaning (D31) to assess intestinal measures.ResultsCreep fed pigs grew 19% faster than controls (P < 0.01) prior to weaning, and by the end of the nursery phase (D58), pigs fed GOS pre-farrowing (FG+) were 1.85 kg heavier than controls (P < 0.05). Furthermore, pigs fed GOS in phase 1 of the nursery grew 34% faster (P < 0.04), with greater feed intake and efficiency. Cecal microbial communities clustered distinctly in pre- vs. post-weaned pigs, based on principal coordinate analysis (P < 0.01). No effects of GOS were detected pre-weaning, but gruel creep feeding increased Chao1 α-diversity and altered several genera in the cecal microbiota (P < 0.05). Post-weaning, GOS supplementation increased some genera such as Fusicatenibacter and Collinsella, whereas others decreased such as Campylobacter and Frisingicoccus (P < 0.05). Changes were accompanied by higher molar proportions of butyrate in the cecum of GOS-fed pigs (P < 0.05).ConclusionsGruel creep feeding effectively improves suckling pig growth regardless of GOS treatment. When supplemented post-weaning, prebiotic GOS improves piglet growth performance associated with changes in hindgut microbial composition.

Galacto-oligosaccharides fed during gestation increase Rotavirus A specific antibodies in sow colostrum, modulate the microbiome, and reduce infectivity in neonatal piglets in a commercial farm setting.

Rotavirus A is a major cause of acute dehydrating diarrhea in neonatal pigs resulting in significant mortality, morbidity, reduced performance and economic loss. Commercially available prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides are similar to those of mammalian milk and stimulate the development of the microbiota and immune system in neonates. Little is known about the effects of supplementing sows' diets with galacto-oligosaccharides during gestation. This study aimed to determine if dietary galacto-oligosaccharide supplementation during gestation could improve immunity, reduce rotavirus infection and modulate the microbiota in sows and neonates in a commercial farm setting with confirmed natural endemic rotavirus challenge. In a randomized controlled trial, control sows received lactation diet with no galacto-oligosaccharide supplementation and test sows received lactation diet with 30 g/day galacto-oligosaccharide top-dressed into feed daily, seven days before farrowing. Colostrum was collected from sows 24 hours post-partum and tested for rotavirus specific antibodies. Fecal samples were collected from sows and piglets three days post-partum, tested for rotavirus A by qPCR and the microbiome composition assessed by 16s rRNA gene sequencing. Supplementation with galacto-oligosaccharides during gestation significantly increased rotavirus-specific IgG and IgA in sow colostrum and reduced the number of rotavirus positive piglet fecal samples. Abundance of potential pathogens Treponema and Clostridiales were higher in fecal samples from non-galacto-oligosaccharide fed sows, their piglets and rotavirus positive samples. This study demonstrates that galacto-oligosaccharide supplementation during gestation significantly increases rotavirus specific IgG and IgA in sow colostrum thereby reducing neonatal rotavirus infection and suppresses potential pathogenic bacteria in nursing sows and neonatal piglets.

Effects of dietary galactooligosaccharide on growth, antioxidants, immunity, intestinal morphology and disease resistance against Aeromons hydrophila in juvenile hybrid sturgeon (Acipenser baerii♀ × A. schrenckii♂)

The present study investigated the effects of dietary galactooligosaccharide (GOS) supplementation on growth, antioxidant capacity, immunity, intestinal morphology and resistance to Aeromons hydrophila of hybrid sturgeon (Acipenser baerii♀ × A. schrenckii♂). A total number of 360 fish were randomly distributed into 12 aquaria and fed diets supplemented with GOS at 0%, 1%, 3% and 5% concentrations (designated as control, GOS1, GOS3 and GOS5) for 8 weeks. Then 30 fish from each group were intraperitoneally challenged with A. hydrophila, and mortality was recorded for the next 15 days. The results showed that there were significant differences of final body weight (FBW), weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in sturgeon fed GOS diets. The lysozyme, ACP, AKP and MPO activities in sturgeon serum fed GOS diets were higher than those with control diet. Significant increase of SOD, CAT and GSH-PX capacity and remarkably decrease of MDA content were observed in liver of fish fed GOS diets. Remarkable enhancement of muscular thickness, villus and microvilli height, and goblet cells in mid intestine was observed in GOS supplemented groups. In spiral valve, supplementation of any quantities of GOS promoted an evident increase in the muscular thickness, villus height and goblet cells, while the villus width and crypt depth were relatively invariant. The IL-1β and IL-8 mRNA levels were decreased and TNF-α gene expression was increased by dietary GOS. The challenge test with A. hydrophila resulted in lower mortalities by GOS administration in a dose-dependent manner and the highest relative percent survival (36.67 ± 1.92%) was observed in fish fed GOS5 diet. The study concludes that GOS inclusion at the rate of 3% is recommended to increase the growth performance, antioxidant capability and immunity as well as regulate intestinal morphology and promote resistance against A. hydrophila in hybrid sturgeon.

Photoprotective Effect of Dietary Galacto-Oligosaccharide (GOS) in Hairless Mice via Regulation of the MAPK Signaling Pathway.

This study investigated the suppression of photoaging by galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) ingestion following exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. To investigate its photoprotective effects, GOS along with collagen tripeptide (CTP) as a positive control was orally administered to hairless mice under UVB exposure for 8 weeks. The water holding capacity, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and wrinkle parameters were measured. Additionally, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to determine mRNA expression and protein levels, respectively. The GOS or CTP orally-administered group showed a decreased water holding capacity and increased TEWL compared to those of the control group, which was exposed to UVB (CON) only. In addition, the wrinkle area and mean wrinkle length in the GOS and CTP groups significantly decreased. Skin aging-related genes, matrix metalloproteinase, had significantly different expression levels in the CTP and GOS groups. Additionally, the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases and collagen type I gene expression in the CTP and GOS groups significantly increased. Oral administration of GOS and CTP significantly lowered the tissue cytokine (interleukin-6 and -12, and tumor necrosis factor-α) levels. There was a significant difference in UVB-induced phosphorylation of JNK, p38, and ERK between the GOS group and the CON group. Our findings indicate that GOS intake can suppress skin damage caused by UV light and has a UV photoprotective effect.

Galactooligosaccharide effects as prebiotic on intestinal microbiota of different fish species

Manipulation of the gut microbiota toward potentially beneficial bacteria (probiotics) has beneficial effects on fish physiology and health. The effects of prebiotics on gut microbiota are species specific. The present study aimed at investigation of the effects of galactooligosaccharide (GOS) as prebiotic on intestinal microbiota of Caspian roach and Caspian white fish fingerlings. which are among the most economically valuable species in the Caspian Sea. The study was conducted in a completely randomized design with two set of experiment each of them include three treatments in triplicates in which 0 (control), 1 and 2% GOS were used in diet for 6 weeks. At the end of the period, changes in the intestinal microbiota, including total bacterial count, lactic acid count and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) levels and dominance of LAB in the intestinal microbiota, were measured by culture-based method. Dietary GOS had no significant effect on total bacterial count in both species (P &lt; 0.05). The LAB levels in the intestinal microbiota in the treatments fed with prebiotics was significantly higher than the control group (P &lt; 0.05). LAB bacteria showed the highest increase and dominance in treatments fed with 2% GOS. Also, the highest ratio of lactic acid bacteria to the total number of viable bacteria was observed in the treatment with 2% GOS treatment (P &lt; 0.05). The results of this study indicated the possibility of alterations in the bacterial communities of Caspian roach and Caspian white fish fingerlings gut toward beneficial bacterial communities using GOS as prebiotic.

Effects of dietary galactooligosaccharide enriched commercial prebiotic on growth performance, innate immune response, stress resistance, intestinal microbiota and digestive enzyme activity in Narrow clawed crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823)

The present study was carried out to evaluate dietary effects of galactooligosaccharide (GOS) (0, 1, 2 and 3%) on the innate immune response, stress resistance, intestinal microbiota, digestive enzyme activity as well as growth performance of narrow clawed crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus). At the end of a 97-day feeding trial, crayfish fed 2% GOS supplemented diets had significantly higher total haemocyte count (THC), semi-granular cell (SGC) and hyaline cell (HC) counts compared to the other groups (P < .05). Furthermore, the highest catalase (CAT) was in crayfish fed 3% GOS-enriched diet while the highest lysozyme (LYZ) activity was detected in treatments fed 2 and 3% enriched diets (P < .05). Evaluation of autochthonous intestinal microbiota revealed that the total intestinal heterotrophic bacteria (TIHB) counts increased in all GOS fed treatments as well as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) levels in 2 and 3% GOS supplemented groups (P < .05). However, following the replacement of GOS-supplemented diet with the basal diet for 14 days, LAB counts reduced quickly. The highest amylase and lipase activity observed in the groups fed 2 and 3% GOS (P < .05). Moreover, dietary GOS enhanced the THC, SGC and HC count in crayfish fed 1 and 2% GOS as well as CAT activity in 3% GOS-supplemented group (P < .05). These results confirm the advantageous effects of dietary GOS on innate immunity, stress resistance, intestinal microbiota, and digestive enzyme activity in A. leptodactylus, albeit had no significant improvement on the growth performance and survival (P > .05).

Impact of Dietary Galacto-Oligosaccharide (GOS) on Chicken's Gut Microbiota, Mucosal Gene Expression, and Salmonella Colonization.

Preventing Salmonella colonization in young birds is key to reducing contamination of poultry products for human consumption (eggs and meat). While several Salmonella vaccines have been developed that are capable of yielding high systemic antibodies, it is not clear how effective these approaches are at controlling or preventing Salmonella colonization of the intestinal tract. Effective alternative control strategies are needed to help supplement the bird’s ability to prevent Salmonella colonization, specifically by making the cecum less hospitable to Salmonella. In this study, we investigated the effect of the prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) on the cecal microbiome and ultimately the carriage of Salmonella. Day-old pullet chicks were fed control diets or diets supplemented with GOS (1% w/w) and then challenged with a cocktail of Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis. Changes in cecal tonsil gene expression, cecal microbiome, and levels of cecal and extraintestinal Salmonella were assessed at 1, 4, 7, 12, and 27 days post infection. While the Salmonella counts were generally lower in the GOS-treated birds, the differences were not significantly different at the end of the experiment. However, these data demonstrated that treatment with the prebiotic GOS can modify both cecal tonsil gene expression and the cecal microbiome, suggesting that this type of treatment may be useful as a tool for altering the carriage of Salmonella in poultry.

Dietary galactooligosaccharide affects intestinal microbiota, stress resistance, and performance of Caspian roach (Rutilus rutilus) fry

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of galactooligosaccharide (GOS), on the growth performance, stress resistance and intestinal microbiota of Caspian roach (Rutilus rutilus) fry. Specimens (1.36 ± 0.03 g) were fed either a basal control diet (0% GOS, non-supplemented) or the basal diet supplemented with 1% and 2% of GOS. After 7 weeks of the feeding trials, growth factors (final weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, condition factor and food conversion ratio) as well as body composition, resistance to salinity stress and autochthonous intestinal microbiota were assessed. Results demonstrated that at the end of the trial growth factors (final weight, weight gain, SGR, FCR) were significantly higher in 2% GOS fed fish (P < 0.05). In addition, supplementation of GOS significantly increased both survival rate (P < 0.05), and resistance to a salinity stress challenge of prebiotic fed groups (P < 0.05). However, body composition and the total autochthonous intestinal heterotrophic bacteria counts remained unaffected in different treatments (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, autochthonous lactic acid bacteria levels were significantly elevated in fish fed 2% dietary GOS (P < 0.05). These results confirm that GOS improves growth performance, stress resistance and modulates intestinal microbiota by increasing lactic acid bacteria of Caspian roach fry, a very important fish species in the Caspian Sea.

Dietary galactooligosaccharides affect ileal and total-tract nutrient digestibility, ileal and fecal bacterial concentrations, and ileal fermentative characteristics of growing pigs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate dietary galactooligosaccharide (Gal OS) addition on swine nutrient digestibility, ileal and fecal bacterial populations, and ileal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and to determine their impact on ileal fermentative characteristics in vitro. Twelve T-cannulated pigs (BW = 25 kg) were fed a diet free of Gal OS for 21 d. On d 22, ileal digesta samples were collected for an in vitro fermentation experiment (Exp. 1). Substrates included: raffinose/stachyose combination (R + S), soy solubles (SS), and transgalactooligosaccharides (TOS). Also included were the non-OS components of SS and TOS. Nine pigs (three donors per treatment) served as ileal effluent donors. Each substrate was fermented in vitro for 6 h, and pH and SCFA and gas production were determined. Pigs then were allotted to three treatments: a Gal OS-free control diet and the control diet with either 3.5% added Gal OS from SS or TOS. Diets, feces, and digesta samples collected weekly for 6 wk on d 6 (feces) and 7 (digesta) were analyzed for DM, OM, CP, and chromic oxide concentrations. Feces and ileal digesta were analyzed for bifidobacteria and lactobacilli populations. Ileal digesta samples were analyzed for SCFA. On d 64, a second in vitro fermentation experiment (Exp. 2) was conducted using ileal effluent from three pigs per treatment and the same substrates used in Exp. 1. In vivo results showed that ileal and total tract DM and OM digestion were decreased (P < 0.05) by addition of both SS and TOS to the diet. Ileal and total-tract N digestibilities were decreased (P < 0.05) by dietary addition of SS. Fecal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli were increased (P < 0.05) by addition of SS and TOS to the diet. Ileal propionate and butyrate concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) for pigs fed diets containing both sources of Gal OS. In vitro results showed that fermentation data were not affected by donor animal adaptation to treatment. For both in vitro experiments, gas and SCFA production were higher (P < 0.05) for R + S than for SS or TOS. Fermentation of R + S resulted in a higher pH (P < 0.05) than did SS or TOS. Fermentation of non-OS components of SS and TOS resulted in more (P < 0.05) gas and SCFA production, and pH values that did not differ (P > 0.05) compared to SS and TOS. The Gal OS used in this study were prebiotics, increasing beneficial bacteria in vivo and SCFA concentrations both in vivo and in vitro.

Galactooligosaccharide in combination with Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides affects the population of Clostridium perfringens in the intestine of gnotobiotic mice

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of 5% galactooligosaccharide (GOS) on the population of Clostridium perfringens during the development of primary intestinal microflora in gnotobiotic mice. Bifidobacterium breve markedly increased and C. perfringens markedly decreased in populations in the feces of the GOS-fed animals, but not in the controls. Bacteroides vulgatus in association with B. breve depressed the C. perfringens growth with the aid of dietary GOS. The depression of C. perfringens growth, however, depended on the timing of its colonization. This study indicates that Lactobacillus salivarius colonization is stimulated by dietary GOS and that growth of C. perfringens is suppressed by dietary GOS in the combination with anaerobic bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides and facultative anaerobic species during the early development of the bowel microflora, provided bacterial species colonize the gut in appropriate timing.

The Effect of Dietary Galactooligosaccharide on the Formation of the Infant Intestinal Microflora in Gnotobiotic Mouse Models

The Effect of Dietary Galactooligosaccharide on the Formation of the Infant Intestinal Microflora in Gnotobiotic Mouse Models

Effects of dietary galacto-oligosaccharide on azaserine-induced acinar pancreatic carcinogenesis in male Wistar rats

Effects of dietary galacto-oligosaccharide on azaserine-induced acinar pancreatic carcinogenesis in male Wistar rats