Galacto-Oligosaccharides Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Probiotic Bacteria and Improve Gut Architecture and Goblet Cell Expression in Poorly Performing Piglets, but Not Performance
Poorly performing piglets receiving commercial milk replacers do not benefit from the naturally occurring probiotic galacto-oligosaccharides otherwise found in sow milk. Study objectives were to investigate the effects of complete milk replacer supplemented with galacto-oligosaccharides on the micro...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/2/230 |
| _version_ | 1797447074514468864 |
|---|---|
| author | Adam Lee Stephen C. Mansbridge Lu Liang Ian F. Connerton Kenneth H. Mellits |
| author_facet | Adam Lee Stephen C. Mansbridge Lu Liang Ian F. Connerton Kenneth H. Mellits |
| author_sort | Adam Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Poorly performing piglets receiving commercial milk replacers do not benefit from the naturally occurring probiotic galacto-oligosaccharides otherwise found in sow milk. Study objectives were to investigate the effects of complete milk replacer supplemented with galacto-oligosaccharides on the microbiome, gut architecture and immunomodulatory goblet cell expression of poorly performing piglets that could benefit from milk replacement feeding when separated from sows and housed with fit siblings in environmentally controlled pens. The study is novel in that it is one of the first to investigate the effects of supplementing complete milk replacer with galacto-oligosaccharides in poorly performing piglets. Gastrointestinal tract samples were collected from piglets, and the microbiome composition was assessed by 16s ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing. Gut architectural features, villus/crypt ratio and enumeration of goblet cells in tissues were assessed by histopathological techniques. The most abundant taxa identified at the genus level were <i>Lactobacillus</i>, <i>Streptococcus</i>, <i>Prevotella</i>, <i>Lactococcus</i> and <i>Leuconostoc</i>. Milk replacer plus galacto-oligosaccharides significantly improved gut architectural features and villus/crypt ratio throughout the gastrointestinal tract, increased the number of goblet cells and revealed a differential abundance of beneficial probiotic bacteria, particularly <i>Lactobacillus</i> and <i>Bifidobacterium</i>. In these respects, galacto-oligosaccharide-supplemented milk replacer may be a useful addition to animal husbandry in poorly performing, non-thriving animals when moved to environmentally controlled pens away from sows and fit siblings, thereby modulating the microbiome and gastrointestinal tract performance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:49:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5f773bdc14841bb8a9c4dd73cf3d457 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:49:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5f773bdc14841bb8a9c4dd73cf3d4572023-11-30T20:53:01ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152023-01-0113223010.3390/ani13020230Galacto-Oligosaccharides Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Probiotic Bacteria and Improve Gut Architecture and Goblet Cell Expression in Poorly Performing Piglets, but Not PerformanceAdam Lee0Stephen C. Mansbridge1Lu Liang2Ian F. Connerton3Kenneth H. Mellits4Division of Microbiology, Brewing and Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UKAgriculture and Environment Department, Harper Adams University, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UKDivision of Microbiology, Brewing and Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UKDivision of Microbiology, Brewing and Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UKDivision of Microbiology, Brewing and Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UKPoorly performing piglets receiving commercial milk replacers do not benefit from the naturally occurring probiotic galacto-oligosaccharides otherwise found in sow milk. Study objectives were to investigate the effects of complete milk replacer supplemented with galacto-oligosaccharides on the microbiome, gut architecture and immunomodulatory goblet cell expression of poorly performing piglets that could benefit from milk replacement feeding when separated from sows and housed with fit siblings in environmentally controlled pens. The study is novel in that it is one of the first to investigate the effects of supplementing complete milk replacer with galacto-oligosaccharides in poorly performing piglets. Gastrointestinal tract samples were collected from piglets, and the microbiome composition was assessed by 16s ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing. Gut architectural features, villus/crypt ratio and enumeration of goblet cells in tissues were assessed by histopathological techniques. The most abundant taxa identified at the genus level were <i>Lactobacillus</i>, <i>Streptococcus</i>, <i>Prevotella</i>, <i>Lactococcus</i> and <i>Leuconostoc</i>. Milk replacer plus galacto-oligosaccharides significantly improved gut architectural features and villus/crypt ratio throughout the gastrointestinal tract, increased the number of goblet cells and revealed a differential abundance of beneficial probiotic bacteria, particularly <i>Lactobacillus</i> and <i>Bifidobacterium</i>. In these respects, galacto-oligosaccharide-supplemented milk replacer may be a useful addition to animal husbandry in poorly performing, non-thriving animals when moved to environmentally controlled pens away from sows and fit siblings, thereby modulating the microbiome and gastrointestinal tract performance.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/2/230pigsmicrobiotasucklinggalacto-oligosaccharidesprobioticshistology |
| spellingShingle | Adam Lee Stephen C. Mansbridge Lu Liang Ian F. Connerton Kenneth H. Mellits Galacto-Oligosaccharides Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Probiotic Bacteria and Improve Gut Architecture and Goblet Cell Expression in Poorly Performing Piglets, but Not Performance Animals pigs microbiota suckling galacto-oligosaccharides probiotics histology |
| title | Galacto-Oligosaccharides Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Probiotic Bacteria and Improve Gut Architecture and Goblet Cell Expression in Poorly Performing Piglets, but Not Performance |
| title_full | Galacto-Oligosaccharides Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Probiotic Bacteria and Improve Gut Architecture and Goblet Cell Expression in Poorly Performing Piglets, but Not Performance |
| title_fullStr | Galacto-Oligosaccharides Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Probiotic Bacteria and Improve Gut Architecture and Goblet Cell Expression in Poorly Performing Piglets, but Not Performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Galacto-Oligosaccharides Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Probiotic Bacteria and Improve Gut Architecture and Goblet Cell Expression in Poorly Performing Piglets, but Not Performance |
| title_short | Galacto-Oligosaccharides Increase the Abundance of Beneficial Probiotic Bacteria and Improve Gut Architecture and Goblet Cell Expression in Poorly Performing Piglets, but Not Performance |
| title_sort | galacto oligosaccharides increase the abundance of beneficial probiotic bacteria and improve gut architecture and goblet cell expression in poorly performing piglets but not performance |
| topic | pigs microbiota suckling galacto-oligosaccharides probiotics histology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/2/230 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adamlee galactooligosaccharidesincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialprobioticbacteriaandimprovegutarchitectureandgobletcellexpressioninpoorlyperformingpigletsbutnotperformance AT stephencmansbridge galactooligosaccharidesincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialprobioticbacteriaandimprovegutarchitectureandgobletcellexpressioninpoorlyperformingpigletsbutnotperformance AT luliang galactooligosaccharidesincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialprobioticbacteriaandimprovegutarchitectureandgobletcellexpressioninpoorlyperformingpigletsbutnotperformance AT ianfconnerton galactooligosaccharidesincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialprobioticbacteriaandimprovegutarchitectureandgobletcellexpressioninpoorlyperformingpigletsbutnotperformance AT kennethhmellits galactooligosaccharidesincreasetheabundanceofbeneficialprobioticbacteriaandimprovegutarchitectureandgobletcellexpressioninpoorlyperformingpigletsbutnotperformance |