Abstract
This study was to investigate the effects of chitosan-chelated zinc on ileal microbiota, inflammatory response, and barrier function in weaned piglets challenged with Escherichia coli K88. Piglets of the chitosan-chelated zinc treatment (Cs-Zn; 100 mg zinc + 766 mg chitosan/kg basal diet, from chitosan-chelated zinc) and the chitosan treatment (CS, 766 mg chitosan/kg basal diet) had significantly increased ileal villus height and the ratio of villi height to crypt depth. CS-Zn group piglets had a higher abundance of Lactobacillus in the ileal digesta, while the abundance of Streptococcus, Escherichia shigella, Actinobacillus, and Clostridium sensu stricto 6 was significantly decreased. The concentrations of propionate, butyrate, and lactate in the CS-Zn group piglets were significantly increased, while the pH value was significantly decreased. Furthermore, the concentrations of IL-1β, TNF-α, MPO, and INF-γ in the ileal mucosa of the CS-Zn and the H-ZnO group (pharmacological dose of 1600 mg Zn/kg basal diet, from ZnO) were significantly lower than those of the control group fed with basal diet, and the mRNA expression of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB of the CS-Zn group was also reduced. In addition, the mRNA expression of IGF-1 was increased, the protein expression of occludin and claudin-1 was enhanced, while the mRNA expression of caspase 3 and caspase 8 was decreased in the CS-Zn group. These results suggest CS-Zn treatment could help modulate the composition of ileal microbiota, attenuate inflammatory response, and maintain the intestinal function in weaned piglets challenged with Escherichia coli K88.
Graphical abstract
Key points
• Chitosan-chelated zinc significantly modulated ileal microbiota.
• Chitosan-chelated zinc can improve ileal health.
• The ileal microbiota plays an important role in host health.
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The authors thank the National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition for the financial support.
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This study was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China 2017YFD0500505.
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GJ H and MY Z led the design and performance of the experiments, the analysis of the data, and the writing of the paper. J W and WY Z participated in designing the experiments and editing the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Hou, G., Zhang, M., Wang, J. et al. Chitosan-chelated zinc modulates ileal microbiota, ileal microbial metabolites, and intestinal function in weaned piglets challenged with Escherichia coli K88. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 105, 7529–7544 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-021-11496-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-021-11496-4