Gastrointestinal and immunological responses of senior dogs to chicory and mannan-oligosaccharides

Abstract

Thirty-four senior dogs (pointers 8-11 years, beagles 9-11 years) were used to evaluate the effects of oligosaccharides on nutritional and immunological characteristics. Dogs were randomly allotted to treatments [1% chicory (CH), 1% mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS), 1% chicory + 1% MOS (CM), or no supplementation (control, CON)] in a parallel design with a 4 week baseline period followed by a 4 week treatment period. Dietary supplementation with MOS or CM tended (P = 0.07) to increase food intake due, in part, to an increase in fermentable fibre and a decrease in energy content of the diet. Although wet faecal output increased (P < 0.05) for dogs supplemented with MOS or CM, when corrected for food intake, no differences were noted. The CM treatment increased (P < 0.05) faecal score (1 = hard and dry, 5 = watery liquid), although these scores remained in a desirable range (3 to 3.5). Chicory supplementation increased (P = 0.07) fat digestibility. Chicory or MOS increased (P < or = 0.05) faecal bifidobacteria concentrations 0.4 and 0.5 log10 cfu/g DM, respectively, compared to the CON, while MOS decreased (P < 0.05) faecal E. coli concentrations. Oligosaccharides did not affect white blood cell (WBC) concentrations, but CH and CM tended to increase (P = 0.10) neutrophil concentrations compared to control dogs. Peripheral lymphocyte concentrations were decreased in dogs supplemented with MOS (P = 0.06) and CM (P < 0.05). Chicory and MOS alter faecal microbial populations and certain indices of the immune system of senior dogs.

Immune stimulation and improved infection resistance in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fed mannan oligosaccharides

“…A positive correlation was also observed for sea bass between the dietary MOS inclusion level and feed intake, in agreement with the results found in neonatal dairy calves [33] and senior dogs [34]. Besides increasing feed intake, MOS has been found also to reduce by 20% cholesterol absorption in rats [35] and increase bile salt excretion [36,37].…”

A review of 733 published trials on Bio-Mos®, a mannan oligosaccharide, and Actigen®, a second generation mannose rich fraction, on farm and companion animals.

“…Older dogs tend to have reduced concentrations of Bifidobacteria spp. (Grieshop et al, 2004), although a significant increase in Bifidobacteria spp. concentration was noted with MOS supplementation of diets for senior dogs, thus counteracting the negative effects of age on colonic health (Grieshop et al, 2004).…”

“…MOS has been shown to reduce faecal E. coli and C. perfringens and tended to promote greater concentrations of beneficial Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria spp. (Strickling et al, 2000;Swanson et al, 2002a;Grieshop et al, 2004;Gouveia et al, 2006). Older dogs tend to have reduced concentrations of Bifidobacteria spp.…”

Nutracêuticos imunomoduladores com potencial uso clínico para cães e gatos

“…Esta não é digerida pelo organismo animal, sendo fermentada no intestino grosso propiciando formação de ácidos graxos de cadeia curta (CALABRO et al, 2013). Apesar de a literatura sugerir que a PCL altere positivamente a microbiota intestinal promovendo aumentos de lactobacilos e bifidobacteria e redução de salmonela e E. coli, GOMES, 2010), os estudos em cães têm apresentados muita inconsistência de resultados, algum demonstrando tendência a este efeito (SWANSON et al, 2002b;GRIESHOP et al, 2004;BIGGS;PARSONS;FAHEY JUNIOR, 2007;YANG et al, 2008), enquanto outros não corroboraram este fato (STRICKLING et al, 2000;SWANSON et al, 2002a;WHITE et al, 2002;MORALES-LÓPEZ et al, 2010 (ZAINE, 2010). Em outras espécies estes efeitos também já foram bastante relatados.…”