Effects of mannan oligosaccharides and Lactobacillus mucosae on growth performance, immune response, and gut health of weanling pigs challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides

Abstract

Addition of pre- and probiotics may confer growth and health benefits when added to the diet of pigs. To determine the effects of feeding mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) and Lactobacillus mucosae (LM) as prebiotic and probiotic sources in weanling pigs under immune challenge, 96 weaned pigs were randomly allotted to 16 experimental pens within a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Control diets with or without 0.1% yeast-derived MOS were randomly assigned to pens and 109 cfu/pig LM broth or a control broth were top-dressed daily. Pigs were fed one of four dietary treatments (control, MOS, LM, and MOS+LM) in Phases I and II (days 0 to 7 and days 7 to 21 postweaning, respectively) and a common diet during Phase III (days 21 to 35 postweaning). On day 14, all pigs were challenged with 100 µg/kg body weight (BW) Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) via intraperitonial injection. Feed disappearance and pig BW were measured weekly. Blood and fecal samples were collected weekly, and additional blood samples were collected on days 1 and 3 post-LPS challenge. On days 15 and 21, one pig per pen was euthanized for collection of ileal mucosa and duodenal and ileal tissue samples. From days 0 to 14, feeding LM decreased gain-to-feed ratio (G:F; P < 0.05). An interaction between LM and MOS was observed for G:F on days 14 to 21 (P < 0.05); G:F in LM (715 g/kg) was greater compared with MOS+LM (P < 0.05; 600 g/kg) and control (P < 0.10; 615 g/kg), but was not different (P > 0.10) from MOS (674 g/kg). After pigs were fed a common diet (days 21 to 35), G:F was decreased (P < 0.05) in the LM treatment groups. Pigs fed diets that included MOS had increased serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G on days 1 and 3 post-LPS challenge and 2 wk after removal of treatments (P < 0.05) and on days 14 and 21 postweaning (P < 0.10) compared with pigs fed diets without MOS. On day 15, mucosal immunoglobulin G was increased (P < 0.05) in control vs. MOS and LM groups. Circulating IL-1β in control and MOS+LM pigs increased (P < 0.05) on day 1 post-LPS challenge but did not change (P > 0.10) in MOS and LM groups. On day 15, pigs fed LM had decreased (P < 0.05) ileal crypt depth compared with pigs fed the control diet. On day 21, fecal propionate and butyrate tended to be lower (P < 0.10) in pigs fed MOS vs. control and MOS+LM diet. These preliminary findings suggest that feeding LM alone improved feed efficiency and ileal morphological structure during the first week of LPS challenge; additionally, feeding LM and MOS may have beneficial effects relative to immune biomarkers.

Keywords: growth; gut health; immunity; pigs; prebiotic; probiotic.

Figure 1.

Effects of feeding mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) and Lactobacillus mucosae (LM) on body surface temperature of pigs challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Supplementation of 0.1% of MOS in the diet and approximately 10⁹ cfu of LM per pig was done in Phase I (days 1 to 14) and Phase II (days 15 to 28). *On day 14, MOS vs. control and MOS+LM, P < 0.10; on day 17, LM vs. MOS+LM, P < 0.05.

Figure 2.

Effect of feeding mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) and Lactobacillus mucosae (LM) on daily feed intake of pigs 1 wk after challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Supplementation of 0.1% of MOS in the diet and approximately 10⁹ cfu of LM per pig was done in Phase I (days 1 to 14) and Phase II (days 15 to 28).

Figure 3.

Effects of feeding mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) and Lactobacillus mucosae (LM) on circulating immunoglobulins in weanling pigs challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Supplementation of 0.1% of MOS in the diet and approximately 10⁹ cfu of LM per pig was done in Phase I (days 1 to 14) and Phase II (days 15 to 28). N = 4 pens per treatment. All pigs were challenged with LPS after the blood collection on day 14. There were four samples per pen from days 0 to 21 and two samples per pen on day 35. The serum immunoglobulins were measured using commercial porcine-specific ELISA kits. The time effects were significant (P < 0.05) for all three immunoglobulins. (a) Serum IgA concentrations. No treatment or treatment by time effects were observed (P > 0.10). *On day 21, LM vs. MOS and MOS+LM, P < 0.05. (b) Serum IgG concentrations. *Main effects (P < 0.05) of MOS were observed on days 15, 17, and 35, respectively; on days 15 and 35, respectively, MOS and MOS+LM vs. LM, P < 0.05. (c) Serum IgM concentrations. No treatment or treatment by time effects were observed (P > 0.10).

Figure 4.

Effect of feeding mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) and Lactobacillus mucosae (LM) on circulating IL-1β concentrations in weanling pigs challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Supplementation of 0.1% of MOS in the diet and approximately 10⁹ cfu of LM per pig was done in Phase I (days 1 to 14) and Phase II (days 15 to 28). (a) Serum IL-1β concentrations. b. Serum IL-1β data plot using day 0 IL-1β concentration as a covariate. n = 4 pens per treatment. All pigs were challenged with LPS after the blood collection on day 14.

Figure 5.

Effect of feeding mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) and Lactobacillus mucosae (LM) on ileal mucosal immunoglobulins and IL-1β concentrations in weanling pigs challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Supplementation of 0.1% of MOS in the diet and approximately 10⁹ cfu of LM per pig was done in Phase I (days 1 to 14) and Phase II (days 15 to 28). a. mucosal IgA; *on day 21, LM vs. MOS+LM: P < 0.10; b. mucosal IgG; c. mucosal IgM; d. mucosal IL-1β; on day 21, 10 out of 16 IL-1β measurements were not detectable and were considered 0 pg/mg of protein. n = 4 pens per treatment.