Dietary Mulberry leaf 1-deoxynijirimycin supplementation shortens villus height and improves intestinal barrier in fattening rabbits

Abstract

Objective: The current study investigated the effects of mulberry 1-deoxynijirimycin (DNJ) on the digestion ability, intestinal morphology, and intestinal barrier of rabbits.

Methods: A total of 36 New Zealand White rabbits (male) about 45 days old (mean body weight of 1.05±0.04 kg) were reared and commercial diets were employed, and afterwards divided into three groups (n = 12) with different levels of DNJ extract additive in feed: T0 (0 g/kg), T1 (0.35 g/kg), T2 (0.7 g/kg) for 28 d.

Results: The results demonstrated that T2 decreased the average daily gain (p<0.05). T1 and T2 decreased villus height and inflammatory factor levels as compared with T0 (p<0.05). DNJ significantly decreased the content of valeric acid (p<0.05). The content of acetic acid, propionic acid, iso butyric acid, iso valeric acid in T1 were higher than those in T0 and T2 (p<0.05). The content of butyric acid in T2 was lower than it in T0 and T1 (p<0.05). The content of caproic acid was firstly improved then reduced as the DNJ concentration improved (p<0.05). T2 significantly increased the abundance of dgA-11_gut_group and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group while decreased Bacteroide and Ralstonia as compared with T0 (p<0.05). Compared with T0, T1, and T2 significantly improved the gene expression of JAM2, JAM3, mucin4, mucin6 (p<0.05), T1 significantly decreased the expression of occluding while T2 significantly increased (p<0.05), T2 significantly increased the expression of claudin1 and claudin2 (p<0.05).

Conclusion: DNJ at high level changed microbiome compositions, inhibited inflammation, and improved intestinal barrier while it decreased the growth performance and shorted villus height in rabbit jejunum by regulating short chain fatty acid compositions in rabbits.

Keywords: 1-Deoxynijirimycin (DNJ); Digestion Ability; Gut Health; Microbiome; Mulberry Leaves; Rabbits.

Figure 1

Effects of DNJ extract on the villus height and crypt depth in jejunum. DNJ, 1-deoxynijirimycin. T₀ = 0 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T₁ = 0.35 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T₂ = 0.7 g/kg DNJ extract supplement. ^a–c No letter or the same letter on the top of bars mean the difference is not significant at the level of p>0.05, marking different lowercase letters on the top of bars mean the difference is significant at the level of p<0.05.

Figure 2

The morphology of jejunum segments by hematoxylin and eosin staining (40× microscope). DNJ, 1-deoxynijirimycin. T₀ = 0 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T₁ = 0.35 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T₂ = 0.7 g/kg DNJ extract supplement.

Figure 3

Effects of DNJ extract on inflammatory cytokines content in rabbit jejunum. DNJ, 1-deoxynijirimycin. T₀ = 0 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T₁ = 0.35 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T₂ = 0.7 g/kg DNJ extract supplement. ^a–c No letter or the same letter on the top of bars mean the difference is not significant at the level of p>0.05, marking different lowercase letters on the top of bars mean the difference is significant at the level of p<0.05.

Figure 4

Principal component analysis (PCA) of cecal microbiome in rabbits from three groups. DNJ, 1-deoxynijirimycin. T₀ = 0 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T₁ = 0.35 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T₂ = 0.7 g/kg DNJ extract supplement.

Figure 5

The relative abundance of several genera cecal microbiome at genus level of rabbits in the 3 groups. T0 = 0 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T1 = 0.35 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T2 = 0.7 g/kg DNJ extract supplement.

Figure 6

Effects of DNJ on genes expression of intestinal barrier in rabbit jejunum. DNJ, 1-deoxynijirimycin. T₀ = 0 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T₁ = 0.35 g/kg DNJ extract supplement; T₂ = 0.7 g/kg DNJ extract supplement. No letter or the same letter on the top the bar means the difference is not significant at the level of p>0.05, marking different lowercase letters means the difference is significant at the level of p<0.05.