Effects of Pea (Pisum sativum) Prebiotics on Intestinal Iron-Related Proteins and Microbial Populations In Vivo (Gallus gallus)

Abstract

Iron deficiency remains a public health challenge globally. Prebiotics have the potential to improve iron bioavailability by modulating intestinal bacterial population, increasing SCFA production, and stimulating expression of brush border membrane (BBM) iron transport proteins among iron-deficient populations. This study intended to investigate the potential effects of soluble extracts from the cotyledon and seed coat of three pea (Pisum sativum) varieties (CDC Striker, CDC Dakota, and CDC Meadow) on the expression of BBM iron-related proteins (DCYTB and DMT1) and populations of beneficial intestinal bacteria in vivo using the Gallus gallus model by oral gavage (one day old chicks) with 1 mL of 50 mg/mL pea soluble extract solutions. The seed coat treatment groups increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium compared to the cotyledon treatment groups, with CDC Dakota seed coat (dark brown pigmented) recording the highest relative abundance of Bifidobacterium. In contrast, CDC Striker Cotyledon (dark-green-pigmented) significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus (p < 0.05). Subsequently, the two dark-pigmented treatment groups (CDC Striker Cotyledon and CDC Dakota seed coats) recorded the highest expression of DCYTB. Our study suggests that soluble extracts from the pea seed coat and dark-pigmented pea cotyledon may improve iron bioavailability by affecting intestinal bacterial populations.

Keywords: Gallus gallus; brush boarder membrane; gut microbiome; iron bioavailability; microbial population; pea seed coat; prebiotics.

Figure 1

A photograph depicting pea seed coats and cotyledons used in assessing the iron bioavailability of three pea varieties.

Figure 2

Heatmap showing the effect of soluble pea extract administration on intestinal gene expression of iron-related proteins. Values are the means (AU: arbitrary units) ± standard error mean (n = 7). Treatment groups not indicated by the same letter are significantly different (p < 0.05) as assessed by ANOVA followed by the Duncan post hoc test. DMT-1, Divalent metal transporter-1; DCYTB, duodenal cytochrome b.

Figure 3

Heatmap showing genera-level bacteria population from cecal content of gavaged day-old chicks. Values are recorded as means (AU: arbitrary units) ± standard error means (n = 7). Treatment groups not indicated by the same letter are significantly different (p < 0.05) as assessed by ANOVA followed by the Duncan post hoc test.