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. 2022 Jan 12;13(1):10.
doi: 10.1186/s40104-021-00655-2.

Supplementation of oligosaccharide-based polymer enhanced growth and disease resistance of weaned pigs by modulating intestinal integrity and systemic immunity

Kwangwook Kim  1 , Yijie He  1 , Cynthia Jinno  1 , Lauren Kovanda  1 , Xunde Li  2 , David Bravo  3 , Eric Cox  4 , Yanhong Liu  5
Affiliations

Supplementation of oligosaccharide-based polymer enhanced growth and disease resistance of weaned pigs by modulating intestinal integrity and systemic immunity

Kwangwook Kim et al. J Anim Sci Biotechnol. .

Abstract

Background: There is a great demand for antibiotic alternatives to maintain animal health and productivity. The objective of this experiment was to determine the efficacy of dietary supplementation of a blood group A6 type 1 antigen oligosaccharides-based polymer (Coligo) on growth performance, diarrhea severity, intestinal health, and systemic immunity of weaned pigs experimentally infected with an enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), when compared with antibiotics.

Results: Pigs in antibiotic carbadox or Coligo treatment groups had greater (P < 0.05) body weight on d 5 or d 11 post-inoculation (PI) than pigs in the control group, respectively. Supplementation of antibiotics or Coligo enhanced (P < 0.05) feed efficiency from d 0 to 5 PI and reduced (P < 0.05) frequency of diarrhea throughout the experiment, compared with pigs in the control group. Supplementation of antibiotics reduced (P < 0.05) fecal β-hemolytic coliforms on d 2, 5, and 8 PI. Pigs in antibiotics or Coligo groups had reduced (P < 0.05) neutrophil counts and serum haptoglobin concentration compared to pigs in the control group on d 2 and 5 PI. Pigs in Coligo had reduced (P < 0.05) total coliforms in mesenteric lymph nodes on d 5 and 11 PI, whereas pigs in antibiotics or Coligo groups had reduced (P < 0.05) total coliforms in spleen on d 11 PI compared with pigs in the control group. On d 5 PI, pigs in the Coligo group had greater (P < 0.05) gene expression of ZO1 in jejunal mucosa, but less (P < 0.05) mRNA expression of IL1B, IL6, and TNF in ileal mucosa, in comparison with pigs in the control group. Supplementation of antibiotics enhanced (P < 0.05) the gene expression of OCLN in jejunal mucosa but decreased (P < 0.05) IL1B and IL6 gene expression in ileal mucosa, compared with the control. On d 11 PI, supplementation of antibiotics or Coligo up-regulated (P < 0.05) gene expression of CLDN1 in jejunal mucosa, but Coligo reduced (P < 0.05) IL6 gene expression in ileal mucosa compared to pigs in the control group.

Conclusions: Supplementation of Coligo improved growth performance, alleviated diarrhea severity, and enhanced gut health in weaned pigs infected with ETEC F18 in a manner similar to in-feed antibiotics.

Keywords: Enterotoxigenic E. coli; Growth rate; Intestinal barrier function; Oligosaccharide-based polymer; Systemic immunity; Weaned pigs.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Daily diarrhea score of ETEC-infected weaned pigs fed diets supplemented with oligosaccharide-based polymer (Coligo) or antibiotics. Diarrhea score = 1, normal feces, 2, moist feces, 3, mild diarrhea, 4, severe diarrhea, 5, watery diarrhea. Each least squares mean from d 0 to d 5 post-inoculation (PI) represents 12 observations. Each least squares mean from d 6 to d 11 PI represents 6 observations. *Significant differences were observed among dietary treatment: P < 0.05. LOW = Low dose blood group A6 type 1-based polymer (Coligo); HIGH = High dose blood group A6 type 1-based polymer (Coligo); CAR = Carbadox
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The percentage (%) of β-hemolytic coliform in fecal samples of ETEC-infected pigs fed diets supplemented with oligosaccharide-based polymer (Coligo) or antibiotics. Each least squares mean from d 0 to d 5 post-inoculation (PI) represents 12 observations. Each least squares mean from d 6 to d 11 PI represents 6 observations. a,bMeans without a common superscript differ (P < 0.05). LOW = Low dose blood group A6 type 1-based polymer (Coligo); HIGH = High dose blood group A6 type 1-based polymer (Coligo); CAR = Carbadox
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Bacterial counts (CFU/g) in lymph node and spleen of ETEC-infected weaned pigs fed diets supplemented with oligosaccharide-based polymer (Coligo) or antibiotics. Each least squares mean from d 0 to d 5 post-inoculation (PI) represents 12 observations. Each least squares mean from d 6 to d 11 PI represents 6 observations. a,bMeans without a common superscript differ (P < 0.05). LOW = Low dose blood group A6 type 1-based polymer (Coligo); HIGH = High dose blood group A6 type 1-based polymer (Coligo); CAR = Carbadox
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Gene expression profiles in jejunal mucosa of ETEC-infected weaned pigs fed diets supplemented with oligosaccharide-based polymer (Coligo) or antibiotics on d 5 or 11 post-inoculation (PI). a,bMeans without a common superscript differ (P < 0.05). Each least squares mean represents 6 observations. LOW = Low dose blood group A6 type 1-based polymer (Coligo); HIGH = High dose blood group A6 type 1-based polymer (Coligo); CAR = Carbadox; MUC2 = Mucin-2; CLDN1 = Claudin-1; ZO-1 = Zonula occludens-1; OCDN = Occludin
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Gene expression profiles in ileal mucosa of ETEC-infected weaned pigs fed diets supplemented with oligosaccharide-based polymer (Coligo) or antibiotics on d 5 or 11 post-inoculation (PI). a,bMeans without a common superscript differ (P < 0.05). Each least squares mean represents 6 observations. LOW = Low dose blood group A6 type 1-based polymer (Coligo); HIGH = High dose blood group A6 type 1-based polymer (Coligo); CAR = Carbadox; IL1B: Interleukin-1 beta; IL6: Interleukin-6; TNF = Tumor necrosis factor; PTGS2: Cyclooxygenase-2
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