Modulation of Pectin on Mucosal Innate Immune Function in Pigs Mediated by Gut Microbiota

Abstract

The use of prebiotics to regulate gut microbiota is a promising strategy to improve gut health. Pectin (PEC) is a prebiotic carbohydrate that enhances the health of the gut by promoting the growth of beneficial microbes. These microbes produce metabolites that are known to improve mucosal immune responses. This study was conducted to better understand effects of PEC on the microbiome and mucosal immunity in pigs. Pigs were fed two diets, with or without 5% apple PEC, for 72 days. Effects of PEC on the microbiota, cytokine expression, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration and barrier function were examined in the ileum and cecum of the pigs. An integrative analysis was used to determine interactions of PEC consumption with bacterial metabolites and microbiome composition and host mucosal responses. Consumption of PEC reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12 and IL-18, and the activation of the pro-inflammatory NF-κB signaling cascade. Expression of MUC2 and TFF and the sIgA content was upregulated in the mucosa of PEC-fed pigs. Network analysis revealed that PEC induced significant interactions between microbiome composition in the ileum and cecum on mucosal immune pathways. PEC-induced changes in bacterial genera and fermentation metabolites, such as Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, Oscillibacter, Lawsonia and butyrate, correlated with the differentially expressed genes and cytokines in the mucosa. In summary, the results demonstrate the anti-inflammatory properties of PEC on mucosal immune status in the ileum and cecum effected through modulation of the host microbiome.

Effects of Fermented Soybean Meal Supplementation on the Growth Performance and Cecal Microbiota Community of Broiler Chickens

“…However, an increased abundance of Proteobacteria has been observed in humans with enteric infections, colorectal cancer, and metabolic syndrome, and may be a microbial signature of dysbiosis in the gut microbiota [ 45 ]. In young pigs, undigested dietary proteins in the gastrointestinal tract enter the hindgut and become a substrate of fermentation by some genera belonging to Proteobacteria , such as E. coli , Klebsiella spp., and Campylobacter spp [ 46 ]. Conversely, these undigested dietary proteins promote the reproduction of these harmful bacteria [ 47 ].…”

Effects of Soybean Meal Fermented by Enterococcus Faecium as a Replacement for Soybean Meal Could Improve the Growth Performance and Nutrient Digestibility by Modulating the Gut Microbiome of Weaning piglets

“…Alpha diversity is characterized as the diversity of species richness in a speci c area or ecosystem [24,25]. In our study, Simpson, Shannon, and Chao1 richness were signi cantly increased in FSBM groups compared with the SBM group, which can explain by the suitable growth ecosystem for the microbes because of the organic acid and probiotic of the FSBM group.…”

Pectin supplement alleviates gut injury potentially through improving gut microbiota community in piglets

“…Over the years, numerous studies have shown the beneficial effects of pectin and its potential to regulate the inflammatory response (Li et al, 2020), cholesterol (Zofou et al, 2019), and blood glucose (Carvalho et al, 2019). Previous study in our laboratory showed that dietary supplementation of pectin could enhance intestinal barrier function (Wen et al, 2022), increase the expression of Claudin-4 and Muc-2 in the cecum of piglets (Wu et al, 2020), and abolish the abnormal expression of ZO-1 and Occludin caused in the acute pancreatitis model (Xiong et al, 2021). In this study, pectin supplementation could improve gut barrier function to alleviate LPS-induced intestinal injury in the cecum by increasing the number of goblet cells, and improving the expression of tight junction proteins and Muc-2.…”

“…Beyond that, the effect of microbial metabolites (short-chain fatty acids) is a non-negligible regulatory pathway. Pectin is mainly a group of acids heteropolysaccharides consisting of D-galacturonic Acids (D-Gal-A) linked by α-1,4-glycosidic bonds (Wu et al, 2020). Besides, it also contains neutral sugars, such as L-rhamnose, D-galactose, and D-arabinose.…”