BackgroundHeat stress (HS) jeopardizes intestinal barrier functions and augments intestinal permeability in pigs. However, whether HS-induced maternal microbial and metabolic changes in primiparous sows during late gestation remains elusive. We present here, a study investigating the fecal microbial and metabolic responses in late gestational primiparous sows when exposed to HS.MethodsTwelve first-parity Landrace × Large White F1 sows were randomly assigned into two environmental treatments including the thermoneutral (TN) (18–22 °C; n = 6) and HS (28–32 °C; n = 6) conditions. Both treatments were applied from 85 d of gestation to farrowing. The serum and feces samples were collected on d 107 of gestation, for analyses including intestinal integrity biomarkers, high-throughput sequencing metagenomics, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiles and nontargeted metabolomics.ResultsOur results show that HS group has higher serum Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels. The gut microbial community can be altered upon HS by using β-diversity and taxon-based analysis. In particular, the relative abundance of genera and operational taxonomic units (OTUs) related to Clostridiales and Halomonas are higher in HS group, the relative abundance of genera and OTUs related to Bacteroidales and Streptococcus, however, are lower in HS group. Results of metabolic analysis reveal that HS lowers the concentrations of propionate, butyrate, total SCFA, succinate, fumarate, malate, lactate, aspartate, ethanolamine, β-alanine and niacin, whereas that of fructose and azelaic acid are higher in HS group. These metabolites mainly affect propanoate metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism. Additionally, correlation analysis between significant microbes and metabolites indicated that the HS-induced microbiota shift is likely the cause of changes of intestinal metabolism.ConclusionsTaken together, we reveal characteristic structural and metabolic changes in maternal gut microbiota as a result of late gestational HS, which could potentially provide the basis for further study on offspring gut microbiota and immune programming.

Unabsorbed copper accumulates in the hindgut of pigs that consume high levels of dietary copper, which enhances the coselection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and is considered detrimental to the environment and to porcine health. In our study, a combination of 16S rRNA pyrosequencing and nontargeted metabolomics was used to investigate the microbiome-metabolome responses to dietary copper levels in the hindgut of suckling piglets. The results showed that the dietary copper level affected the abundance of several Clostridia genera and that the relative abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria, such as Coprococcus , Roseburia , and Acidaminococcus , was reduced in the 300 mg kg −1 (high) Cu group. Metabolomic analysis revealed that dietary copper levels affected protein and carbohydrate metabolites, protein biosynthesis, the urea cycle, galactose metabolism, gluconeogenesis, and amino acid metabolism (including the metabolism of arginine, proline, β-alanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and methionine). Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that the abundance levels of Coprococcus (family Lachnospiraceae ) and operational taxonomic unit (OTU) 18 (family Ruminococcaceae ) were positively correlated with energy metabolism pathways (gluconeogenesis, glycolysis, and the pentose phosphate pathway). The abundance of Streptococcus was negatively correlated with amino acid metabolism pathways (protein biosynthesis, glycine, serine, threonine, methionine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine metabolism), and OTU583 and OTU1067 (family Rikenellaceae ) were positively correlated with amino acid metabolism pathways. These results suggest that the copper levels consumed by LC (low-copper group) versus HC (high-copper group) animals alter the composition of the gut microbiota and modulate microbial metabolic pathways, which may further affect the health of suckling piglets. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00253-018-9533-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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The present study was aimed to compare growth performance, gonadal development, carcass characteristic and meat quality among SuHuai entire, immunocastrated and surgically castrated female pigs. Eighty 12-week-old SuHuai gilts were randomly assigned to the following four treatment groups with four pigs per pen and five replicate pens per treatment: control (PBS injection), two-dose Improvac regimen (V2), three-dose Improvac regimen (V3) and surgical castration (S). All pigs had ad libitum access to standard diets and water. The performance and occurrence of oestrus were recorded in the trial. Backfat thickness and loin eye muscle area were recorded ultrasonically. The pigs were slaughtered to measure the weight and size of the uterus, and the weight and activity of the ovaries, to determine the serum concentrations of progesterone, and to evaluate the quality of carcass and meat. There were no significant differences in growth performance among the four groups, except for the V2, which had a better average daily feed intake (P < 0.05). Carcass and meat quality were comparable among the four groups; however, the intramuscular fat in control was higher than the V2 and V3 (P < 0.01). Mean ovary and uterus weights and oestrus of female pigs in V2 and V3 were significantly (P < 0.01) lower than in control, but the difference between the V2 and V3 was not significant. The concentration of progesterone in the control was significantly higher than that in the V2, V3 and S (P < 0.05). These results indicated that immunocastration successfully suppressed gonadal development and had no adverse effects on growth performance, or carcass or meat-quality traits in Chinese SuHuai female pigs.

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Background: Ionomics is a novel method to investigate the mechanism underlying the cross-talk and homeostasis of trace elements in animals. Research has not yet determined the composition and distribution of trace elements in piglets and their variations under diverse dietary high-level copper. Results: In this study, the growth performance was calculated from 180 nursing piglets which access to antibiotic-free creep feed including different copper level: 6, 20, and 300 mg·kg-1 Cu (CuSO4), and offered ad libitum from d 14 until weaning at 40 days of age. In HC (300 mg·kg-1 Cu ) group, the average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) increased during d 14 to 28, but ADG was decreased with extension of feeding time (d 29 to 40). The ionomics profiles (hair, serum, and feces) and the correlations with serum and fecal metabolites were further analyzed. The hair Na, K, Cu, and fecal Cu concentrations were increased in HC group than other groups. The hair Na and K were negatively correlated with serum TNF-α and fecal inosine, while positively correlated with serum insulin-like growth factors-1 (IGF-1); the hair Cu was negatively correlated with serum malondialdehyde (MDA), total bile acid (TBA) and fecal putrescine, glucose-6-phosphate, fumaric acid; the fecal Cu was positively correlated with serum growth hormone, negatively correlated with fecal methionine, pantothenic acid, and uracil. Further metabolic pathway enrichment analysis showed that the hair Cu was negatively correlated with phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism and mitochondrial electron transport chain pathways; fecal Cu was negatively correlated with betaine metabolism, and pantothenate, and CoA biosynthesis pathways. Conclusions: Dietary 300 mg·kg-1 copper promoted growth in the short term, and altered the ion balance, further affected the metabolic homeostasis, harm to the health of piglets; dietary 20 mg·kg-1 copper maintain ion homeostasis due to preservation of the interactions between macro and micro elements and suitable to meet the nutritional needs of nursing piglets. These results may benefit people to understand the molecular mechanism of ionomics effects on human and piglets’ health.

Abstract Background: High levels of dietary copper may enhance co-selection in favor of antibiotic resistant bacteria and promote the spread of antibiotic resistance. This possibility necessitates further assessment of the safety and utility of supplementing feed with copper. Methods: Eighteen Suhuai sows at second parity were divided into 3 experimental groups in which their 180 suckling piglets had access to antibiotic free creep feed with different levels of copper supplementation: low copper diet (LC, 6 mg·kg -1 ), control diet (CON, 20 mg·kg -1 ), and high copper diet (HC, 300 mg·kg -1 ), which was offered ad libitum from day 14 until weaning at day 40. The growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, ionomic profiles (hair, serum, and feces), fecal significant metabolites of suckling piglets, and the correlations were analyzed. Results: In HC group, the average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) increased during d 14 to 28 ( P < 0.05), but ADG was decreased with extension of feeding time (d 29 to 40) ( P < 0.01). Compared with the CON group, the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) ( P < 0.05) was decreased while total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) ( P < 0.05) was increased in HC group. The hair Na ( P < 0.01) and K ( P < 0.01) concentrations were increased in HC group than CON group; hair Cu ( P < 0.01), fecal Cu ( P < 0.01) increased in the HC group than LC group. The hair Na and K were negatively correlated with serum TNF-α and fecal inosine ( P < 0.05), while positively correlated with serum insulin-like growth factors-1 (IGF-1) and T-AOC ( P < 0.05); the hair Cu was negatively correlated with serum malondialdehyde (MDA), total bile acid (TBA) and fecal putrescine, glucose-6-phosphate, fumaric acid ( P < 0.05); the fecal Cu was positively correlated with serum growth hormone ( P < 0.05), negatively correlated with fecal methionine, pantothenic acid, and uracil ( P < 0.05). Further metabolic pathway enrichment analysis showed that the hair Cu was negatively correlated with phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism, and mitochondrial electron transport chain pathways; fecal Cu was negatively correlated with betaine metabolism, and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis pathways. Conclusions: Dietary 300 mg·kg -1 copper altered the ion balance and further affected the body’s redox balance state and metabolic homeostasis, which adverse to the health of piglets; dietary 20 mg·kg -1 copper maintain ion homeostasis and suitable to meet the nutritional needs of suckling piglets than 6 mg·kg -1 dietary copper.