Functional roles of xylanase enhancing intestinal health and growth performance of nursery pigs by reducing the digesta viscosity and modulating the mucosa-associated microbiota in the jejunum

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the functional roles of an endo-β-1,4-xylanase on the intestinal health and growth performance of nursery pigs. Sixty pigs (at 21 d old, 6.9 ± 0.8 kg BW) were allotted based on a randomized complete block design with sex and initial BW as blocks. Dietary treatments had nutrients meeting the requirements with increasing levels of endo-β-1,4-xylanase [0, 220, 440, 880, 1,760 xylanase unit (XU)/kg feed] and fed to pigs in three phases (phase 1/2/3 for 10/14/14 d, respectively). Titanium dioxide (0.4%) was added to the phase 3 diets as an indigestible marker. On d 38, all pigs were euthanized to collect ileal digesta to measure apparent ileal digestibility (AID), jejunal digesta to measure viscosity, jejunal mucosa to evaluate intestinal health. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure for polynomial contrasts and the NLMIXED procedure for broken line analysis of SAS. Increasing xylanase in the nursery diets reduced (linear, P < 0.05) the digesta viscosity in the jejunum. Increasing xylanase tended to reduce the relative abundance of Cupriavidus (P = 0.073) and Megasphaera (P = 0.063); tended to increase the relative abundance of Succinivibrio (P = 0.076) and Pseudomonas (P = 0.060); and had a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) on the relative abundance of Acinetobacter (maximum: 2.01% at 867 XU/kg feed). Xylanase from 0 to 1,087 XU/kg feed reduced (P < 0.05) jejunal malondialdehyde (MDA). Xylanase from 0 to 1,475 XU/kg feed increased (P < 0.05) the AID of neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Increasing xylanase increased (P < 0.05) the AID of ether extract (EE) and tended to increase (P = 0.058) the AID of crude protein (CP). Increasing xylanase did not affect growth performance on overall period, whereas xylanase from 0 to 736 XU/kg feed increased (P < 0.05) ADG during d 31 to 38. In conclusion, xylanase supplementation showed benefits on intestinal health by reducing digesta viscosity, the relative abundance of potentially harmful bacteria, and the oxidative stress in the jejunal mucosa, collectively enhancing intestinal morphology and the AID of nutrients. Xylanase supplementation at a range of 750 to 1,500 XU/kg feed provided benefits associated with reduced oxidative stress, increased nutrient digestibility, resulting in potential improvement on growth performance of nursery pigs by increasing the ADFI and moderately improving the ADG throughout the last week feeding.

Soy protein concentrate replacing animal protein supplements and its impacts on intestinal immune status, intestinal oxidative stress status, nutrient digestibility, mucosa-associated microbiota, and growth performance of nursery pigs

“…In this study, pigs were housed individually to determine the changes in growth performance, immune status, oxidative stress status, intestinal morphology, nutrient digestibility, mucosa-associated microbiota of nursery pigs by measuring the accurate SPC intake of pigs as suggested by previous studies ( Jang and Kim, 2019 ; Moita et al, 2022 ; Xu et al, 2022 ). However, various environmental factors including housing patterns, interaction with other feedstuffs in feeds and ages could affect the impacts of SPC on intestinal oxidative stress, intestinal immune status, intestinal morphology, and nutrient digestibility of nursery pigs.…”

Phytobiotics from Oregano Extracts Enhance the Intestinal Health and Growth Performance of Pigs

“…Tissues (10 cm) from the duodenum (5 cm after the pyloric duodenal junction) and distal jejunum (20 cm before the ileum) were flushed with sterile saline solution and fixed in 10% formalin. Fixed tissues were used for Ki-67 staining, as an indicator of the crypt cell proliferation rate, and for assessments of intestinal morphology by measuring villus height, villus width, crypt depth, and the villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH:CD) [ 12 ].…”

“…The restricted use of AGP has increased the challenges to the swine industry and researchers to maintain the productivity of pigs fed AGP-free diets. Numerous strategies have been attempted to overcome these challenges and produce healthy animals [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Among those alternatives, phytobiotics are bioactive compounds extracted from plants and algae with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, which can be used in animal feeds to enhance health growth performance [ 13 ].…”

Nutritional and Functional Roles of Phytase and Xylanase Enhancing the Intestinal Health and Growth of Nursery Pigs and Broiler Chickens

“…It is usually described as based on a combination of different parameters from different metabolic and physiological reactions that can impact the overall growth and health [ 1 ]. According to the literature, some of those parameters could be the quantification of anti and proinflammatory cytokines, immunoglobulins, and oxidative damage products in the digestive tract; assessment of intestinal morphology; and relative abundance and diversity quantification of the mucosa-associated microbiota in the jejunum [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”

“…Corn and soybean meal are the most commonly used plant-based feedstuffs in diets for nursery pigs and broiler chickens, which can contain antinutritional and allergic compounds, such as phytic acid, non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), glycinin, and β-conglycinin [ 11 , 12 ]. The negative effects associated with phytic acid and NSP altering the digestion process may also lead to negative impacts in the intestinal health and intestinal microbiota of the animals, such as increases in the oxidative stress and increases in the abundance of pathogenic bacteria, which can be determinant for the intestinal health and subsequent growth of animals [ 5 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”