Ancient grains as novel dietary carbohydrate sources in canine diets

Abstract

Ancient grains are becoming an increasingly abundant carbohydrate source in the pet food market as a result of their popularity and novelty in the human market. Thus, it is imperative to evaluate the characteristics of these ingredients in vivo. Ten adult intact female beagles were used in a replicated 5x5 Latin square design. Five dietary treatments were evaluated containing either: rice (CON), amaranth (AM), white proso millet (WPM), quinoa (QU), or oat groats (OG). All diets were formulated to include 40% of the test grain and to be isonitrogenous, isocaloric, and nutritionally complete and balanced for adult dogs at maintenance. The objectives were (1) to evaluate the effects of the novel carbohydrate sources on total apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), fecal microbiota, and fermentative end-product concentrations and (2) to evaluate the effects of novel carbohydrate sources on the post-prandial glycemic and insulinemic responses in healthy adult dogs. All diets were well-accepted by the dogs and fecal scores remained within ideal range for all treatments. In terms of ATTD, all diets were well-digested by the dogs; WPM had the highest digestibility of dry and organic matter in contrast with dogs fed the other treatments (P < 0.05). Additionally, ATTD of total dietary fiber was highest for WPM (72.6%) in contrast with QU (63.5%) and CON (50.8%) but did not differ from AM (65.7%) and OG (66.6%). Dogs fed AM or OG had greater (P < 0.05) fecal concentrations of total short-chain fatty acids, as well as propionate and butyrate concentrations, than CON. Ancient grain inclusion appears to beneficially shift fecal microbial populations, with increases in relative abundances of butyrogenic bacteria (i.e., members of the Lachnospiraceae family) observed for OG and reductions in Fusobacteriaceae for both AM and OG when compared with CON. Post-prandial glycemic and insulinemic responses did not differ among treatments. Together, these data suggest that ancient grains can be included up to 40% of the diet while eliciting beneficial effects on overall host health without detrimentally affecting nutrient digestibility.

Effects of whole-grain cereals on fecal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids in dogs: a comparison of rye, oats and wheat

“…Previous studies comparing inclusion of whole grains in dog food are scarce. However, in studies on dogs, alpha and beta diversity have been reported to be unaffected both when comparing different ancient grains, one of which was oat groats 8 , and when comparing rye flour to fermented rye or cornmeal added to a vegetarian diet supplemented with feather meal 7 . Effects on fecal microbiota of consumption of whole-grain rye and wheat have been compared in a human study 26 , which found no significant effects on microbial alpha or beta diversity.…”

“…Several studies in dogs have investigated potential promotion of a healthy gut microbiota by specific dietary fiber types 1 – 3 , fiber-rich food by-products, or fiber blends added to the food 4 – 6 . However, few studies have investigated how gut microbiota composition and function are affected by addition of fiber as part of the whole-grain component in dog food 7 , 8 . Whole grains contain several bioactive compounds, such as tocols, phytosterols, alkylresorcinols and other phenolic compounds, which can have additive or even synergistic effects with the gut microbiota on host health according to studies in humans and pigs 9 , 10 .…”

“…A few studies on humans have compared the effects of whole grains from different sources (mostly rye and wheat) on gut health-related parameters such as SCFA concentration and microbial community composition 25 , 26 . In dogs, such effects have been studied when feeding dietary oat groats or a number of other ancient grains 8 , but to our knowledge there is no previous comparative study on dogs fed diets including whole-grain wheat or rye. Therefore, the aim of this study was, to explore the effects of dietary inclusion of three different whole grain types (rye, oats and wheat) on fecal microbiota composition and SCFA production in dogs.…”

Evaluation of Fermented Oat and Black Soldier Fly Larva as Food Ingredients in Senior Dog Diets

“…These results are consistent with those of Freel et al, who reported that the feeding of defatted BSFL meal (5%, 10%, or 20%) and BSFL oil (2.5% or 5%) for 4 weeks did not affect food intake or BW in adult beagle dogs [ 18 ]. In addition, although the focus was not fermented oat, Traughber et al reported that feeding a diet containing 40% oats did not affect food intake or BW compared with the dogs fed a diet containing 40% rice [ 37 ]. Moreover, in dogs fed a diet containing 25% barley, which has a composition similar to oats, there was no effect on daily intake, preference ratio, nutrient digestibility, or stool scores compared to those with a diet containing 25% rice [ 38 ].…”

Progress in research on the effects of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) bioactive compounds and products on intestinal flora

“…In addition to studies on rodents and poultry, researchers have also assessed the intestinal flora-associated effects of quinoa in a range of other hosts. For example, Traughber et al evaluated the effects of five ancient grains (including rice and quinoa) as carbohydrate sources on blood glucose and insulin levels in dogs ( 73 ). The intestinal flora of animals in the quinoa group were found to be characterized by an increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes , and these authors established that diets comprising up to 40% of these grains, would have beneficial effects on overall host health, without adversely influencing nutrient digestibility, and had no significant effects on the levels of blood glucose or insulin in healthy dogs.…”