Effect of fosfomycin, Cynara scolymus extract, deoxynivalenol and their combinations on intestinal health of weaned piglets

Abstract

Weaning is a challenging stage of pig farming. Animals undergo environmental, social and dietary changes leading to weaning stress syndrome. In order to compensate for the detrimental effects of weaning stress, antibiotics and natural extracts are used as feed additives, sometimes without fully understanding the interactions between them or even with low concentrations of mycotoxins that are frequently present in feed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fosfomycin (FOS), Cynara scolymus extract (CSE), deoxynivalenol (DON) and their combined administration on intestinal health of weaned piglets. The experiment was designed as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 3 factors (FOS, CSE and DON treatments), 2 levels each (presence and absence) and 3 repeats. Weaned piglets (n = 24) were randomly divided in groups to receive the different treatments, namely DON administered in diet (50 μg/kg BW), FOS administered into the drinking water (30 mg/kg BW), CSE administered in diet (15 mg/kg BW) and all their combinations. After 15 d, the animals were euthanized and gastrointestinal tract samples were immediately taken to evaluate gastrointestinal pH, Enterobacteriaceae to lactic acid bacteria (E:L) ratio, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, disaccharidase (lactase, sucrase and maltase) activity, histology (intestinal absorptive area [IAA] and goblet cells count) and mucus ability to adhere pathogenic Escherichia coli. From our results, FOS and CSE treatments, individually or combined, produced a lower E:L ratio, an enhanced production of butyrate, increased disaccharidase activity (particularly maltase), and a greater IAA and goblet cells count along with an increase in pathogenic bacteria adherence to intestinal mucus. Deoxynivalenol did not show interactions with the other factors and its administration produced decreases on VFA, disaccharidase activity and goblet cells count. In conclusion, weaning piglets receiving diets containing FOS, CSE or both exhibited evident beneficial intestinal effects compared to animals receiving diets free from these compounds. On the contrary, the presence of DON at sub-toxic concentrations produced detrimental effects on intestinal health. The knowledge of the physiological and pathological gut changes produced by these compounds contributes to understand their potential productive consequences.

The Compromised Intestinal Barrier Induced by Mycotoxins

“…DON-mediated impairment of barrier function in rats and grass carp was associated with the depressed crypt depth ratio and TJ amount in the jejunum, which was associated with Wnt/β-catenin and MLCK signaling pathways [ 108 , 110 , 111 , 113 ]. In addition, DON-treated weaned piglets exhibited lower disaccharidase (maltase, sucrase, and lactase) activity, suggesting detrimental effects on gut health [ 112 ]. Similarly, the effects caused by ZEN in the post-weaning gilts intestinal physical barrier were partially elucidated by ZEN-induced oxidative stress mechanisms [ 120 ].…”

“…Both AMPs and MUC2 mRNA expression levels were inhibited in the intestine of broiler chickens, mice, and juvenile grass carp upon DON exposure [ 110 , 111 , 138 , 139 , 140 ]. Furthermore, reduced goblet cells in the small intestine were observed in OTA and DON treatment [ 107 , 112 , 115 , 121 , 140 , 141 ]. In contrast, no changes in goblet cells and crude mucin production were observed in laying hens and gilts exposed to AFB1, DON, or ZEN [ 133 , 142 ].…”

Phenethyl isothiocyanate as an anti-nutritional factor attenuates deoxynivalenol-induced IPEC-J2 cell injury through inhibiting ROS-mediated autophagy

“…Swine are the most susceptible animals to DON exposure. Numerous studies have confirmed that DON could affect nutrient absorption, disrupt the intestinal barrier integrity, and induce the oxidative stress and inflammation response of pigs ( Liao et al., 2020 ; Martinez et al., 2019 ; Pasternak et al., 2018 ). Regardless of several antioxidants being reported to alleviate DON-induced cytotoxicity, effective treatments for DON oxidative stress and intestinal tight junction require further investigation ( Long et al., 2021 ).…”

Pharmacological Applications and Action Mechanisms of Phytochemicals as Alternatives to Antibiotics in Pig Production

“…Supplement with Cynara scolymus extract (CSE) for 15 days can be considered as a nutritional strategy to prevent enteric disorders and improve intestinal health in post-weaned piglets ( 73 ). 100 mg/kg Forsythia suspensa extract (FSE) or 160 mg/kg chito-oligosaccharide (COS) can increase performance by modulating intestinal permeability, antioxidant status and immune function in younger pigs for lasting 28 days ( 74 ).…”