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Spraying compound probiotics improves growth performance, modulates gut microbiota of suckling piglets
![(a) Shannon diversity index and (b) principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) score plots of probiotic (Pro) and control (Con) groups at 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days of age. Symbols representing samples of the two groups are shown in different colors. (c) Distribution of 12 major SGBs (each of relative abundance > 1%) across the piglets' fecal metagenomes of probiotic and control groups at different time points. Different colors represent changes in the abundance of 12 major SGBs with time. (d) Responsive SGBs showing significant differential abundance between probiotic and control groups at different time points. Light green represents the control group, and orange represents the probiotic group. Credit: Science China Press Spraying compound probiotics improves growth performance and immunity and modulates gut microbiota and blood metabolites of suck](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2023/spraying-compound-prob.jpg)
One factor that shapes the establishment of early neonatal intestinal microbiota is environmental microbial exposure, and probiotic application has been shown to promote health and growth of piglets, but inferences drawn from different studies are largely inconsistent with rather low reproducibility.
In addition, probiotic effects are known to be treatment-specific, largely depending on the applied probiotic strains and dose. On the other hand, host-related physiological and environmental factors may also influence the health-promoting effects of probiotic supplementation.
It is therefore necessary to evaluate the specific effect of candidate probiotics in animal husbandry. This study aimed to investigate the effect of spraying a compound probiotic fermented liquid (CPFL; containing Lactobacillus casei Zhang, Lactobacillus plantarum P-8, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus Probio-M9; 1×109 CFU/mL) into the living environment of piglets on their early growth performance and immunity.
This work included 68 piglets, which were randomized into probiotic and control groups. Blood and fecal samples were collected at 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days of age. Spraying CPFL significantly reshaped the microbiota composition of the delivery room environment, increased piglets' daily weight gain and weaning weight (P<0.001), and modulated piglets' serum cytokine levels (increases in IgA, IgG, and IL-10; decrease in IFN-γ; P<0.05 in each case) in piglets.
![The beneficial effects were accompanied by changes in specific microbial species and blood metabolites. Credit: Science China Press Spraying compound probiotics improves growth performance and immunity and modulates gut microbiota and blood metabolites of suck](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2023/spraying-compound-prob-1.jpg)
Additionally, spraying CPFL during early days of life modified piglets' gut microbiota structure and diversity, increased the abundance of some potentially beneficial bacteria (such as Bacteroides uniformis, Butyricimonas virosa, Parabacteroides distasonis, and Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens) and decreased the abundance of Escherichia coli (P<0.05).
Interestingly, CPFL application also significantly enhanced the gut microbial bioactive potential and levels of several serum metabolites involved in the metabolism of vitamins (B2, B3, B6, and E), medium/long-chain fatty acids (caproic, tetradecanoic, and peptadecanoic acids), and dicarboxylic acids (azelaic and sebacic acids).
The study demonstrated that spraying CPFL significantly could improve piglets' growth performance and immunity, and the beneficial effects are associated with changes in the gut microbiota and host metabolism, expanding our knowledge of managing newborn animals with probiotics-based therapy.
The research is published in the journal Science China Life Sciences.
More information: Weiqiang Huang et al, Spraying compound probiotics improves growth performance and immunity and modulates gut microbiota and blood metabolites of suckling piglets, Science China Life Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2229-1
Journal information: Science China Life Sciences
Provided by Science China Press