Consumption of Dietary Fiber with Different Physicochemical Properties during Late Pregnancy Alters the Gut Microbiota and Relieves Constipation in Sow Model

Abstract

Constipation is a common problem in sows and women during late pregnancy. Dietary fiber has potential in the regulation of intestinal microbiota, thereby promoting intestinal motility and reducing constipation. However, the effects of fibers with different physicochemical properties on intestinal microbe and constipation during late pregnancy have not been fully explored. In this study, a total of 80 sows were randomly allocated to control and one of three dietary fiber treatments from day 85 of gestation to delivery: LIG (lignocellulose), PRS (resistant starch), and KON (konjaku flour). Results showed that the defecation frequency and fecal consistency scores were highest in PRS. PRS and KON significantly increased the level of gut motility regulatory factors, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), motilin (MTL), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in serum. Moreover, PRS and KON promoted the IL-10 level and reduced the TNF-α level in serum. Furthermore, maternal PRS and KON supplementation significantly reduced the number of stillborn piglets. Microbial sequencing analysis showed that PRS and KON increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing genera Bacteroides and Parabacteroides and decreased the abundance of endotoxin-producing bacteria Desulfovibrio and Oscillibacter in feces. Moreover, the relative abundance of Turicibacter and the fecal butyrate concentration in PRS were the highest. Correlation analysis further revealed that the defecation frequency and serum 5-HT were positively correlated with Turicibacter and butyrate. In conclusion, PRS is the best fiber source for promoting gut motility, which was associated with increased levels of 5-HT under specific bacteria Turicibacter and butyrate stimulation, thereby relieving constipation. Our findings provide a reference for dietary fiber selection to improve intestinal motility in late pregnant mothers.

Impact of pH, temperature, and hydraulic residence time on the acidogenic fermentation of fruit and vegetable waste and microbial community analysis

“…The dominant genera in the inoculum were norank_f_Prolixibacteraceae , DMER64 , norank_f_Bacteroidetes_vadinHA17 , Turicibacter , unclassified_f_Peptostreptococcaceae , Smithella , norank_f_Anaerolineaceae , Thermovirga , Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 , and norank_f_Synergistaceae . These microorganisms are reported to be involved in hydrolysis, acidogenesis and acetogenesis to produce VFAs, which provide nutrients to methanogenic bacteria 37‐43 …”

“…These microorganisms are reported to be involved in hydrolysis, acidogenesis and acetogenesis to produce VFAs, which provide nutrients to methanogenic bacteria. [37][38][39][40][41][42][43] In R0, the Bifidobacterium (48.09%), Lactobacillus (26.04%), Prevotella (13.66%), Clostridium_sensu_stricto_12 (6.19%), and Olsenella (5.14%) genera were the dominant microorganisms in the final start-up period. Lactic bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus accounted for lactic acid production, while the other prevalent bacteria were associated with VFA production.…”

Effects from supplementary feeding of bamboo powder in perinatal period on farrowing process, serum biochemical indexes, and fecal microbes of sows and offspring piglets

“…A study compared the application effects of lignocellulose, resistant starch, and konjac flour on sows in late pregnancy. The highest scores of defecation frequency and stool consistency were found in sows of the resistant starch group ( Lu et al, 2022 ). The above results indicated that both fiber adsorption capacity and regulation of intestinal microbiota might affect fecal pH values.…”

Dietary supplementation with resistant starch contributes to intestinal health

“…High-amylose corn starch (RS2) increased the abundance of Bacteroides and the circulating levels of conjugated, primary, and secondary bile acids in obese mice, and higher levels of circulating bile acids have been related to improved energy homeostasis [19]. Resistant starch was found to increase the relative abundance of Turicibacter and strengthened gut barrier and facilitated 5-HT release from gut cells [31]. Resistant starch might also reduce the risk of dietary protein-induced colonocyte DNA damage via the regulation of fecal concentrations of the protein metabolite p-cresol; the fecal abundance of a p-cresol-producing bacterium, Clostridium from the Peptostreptococcaceae family, was reduced by resistant starch from high-amylose wheat [30].…”