The protein ingredient quality of infant formula influences colonic physiology and microbiota and the serum metabolomic profile in neonatal mini-piglets.

Despite the WHO recommendations in favor of breastfeeding, most infants receive infant formulas (IFs), which are complex matrices involving numerous ingredients and processing steps. Our aim was to understand the impact of the quality of the protein ingredient in IFs on gut microbiota and physiology, blood metabolites and brain gene expression. Three IFs were produced using whey proteins (WPs) from cheese whey (IF-A) or ideal whey (IFs-C and -D) and caseins, either in a micellar form (IFs-A and -C) or partly in a non-micellar form (IF-D).

SPARTA: Interpretable functional classification of microbiomes and detection of hidden cumulative effects.

The composition of the gut microbiota is a known factor in various diseases and has proven to be a strong basis for automatic classification of disease state. A need for a better understanding of microbiota data on the functional scale has since been voiced, as it would enhance these approaches' biological interpretability. In this paper, we have developed a computational pipeline for integrating the functional annotation of the gut microbiota into an automatic classification process and facilitating downstream interpretation of its results.

Protein Ingredient Quality within Infant Formulas Impacts Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations in Neonatal Minipiglets.

Background: Infant formulas (IFs), the only adequate substitute to human milk, are complex matrices that require numerous ingredients and processing steps that may impact protein digestion and subsequent amino acid (AA) absorption.

Objectives: The objective was to understand the impact of the protein ingredient quality within IFs on postprandial plasma AA profiles.

Methods: Four isonitrogenous and isocaloric IFs were produced at a semi-industrial scale using whey proteins from different origins (cheese compared with ideal whey) and denaturation levels (IF-A, -B, -C), and caseins with different supramolecular organizations (IF-C, -D).

Two human milk-like synthetic bacterial communities displayed contrasted impacts on barrier and immune responses in an intestinal quadricellular model.

The human milk (HM) microbiota, a highly diverse microbial ecosystem, is thought to contribute to the health benefits associated with breast-feeding, notably through its impact on infant gut microbiota. Our objective was to further explore the role of HM bacteria on gut homeostasis through a "disassembly/reassembly" strategy. HM strains covering the diversity of HM cultivable microbiota were first characterized individually and then assembled in synthetic bacterial communities (SynComs) using two human cellular models, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and a quadricellular model mimicking intestinal epithelium.

Protein ingredient quality of infant formulas impacts their structure and kinetics of proteolysis under in vitro dynamic digestion.

Infant formula (IF) is a complex matrix requiring numerous ingredients and processing steps. The objective was to understand how the quality of protein ingredients impacts IF structure and, in turn, their kinetics of digestion. Four powdered IFs (A/B/C/D), based on commercial whey protein (WP) ingredients, with different protein denaturation levels and composition (A/B/C), and on caseins with different supramolecular organisations (C/D), were produced at a semi-industrial level after homogenization and spray-drying.

Ileal Digestibility of Nitrogen and Amino Acids in Human Milk and an Infant Formula as Determined in Neonatal Minipiglets.

Background: Infant formula (IF) has to provide at least the same amount of amino acids (AAs) as human milk (HM). AA digestibility in HM and IF was not studied extensively, with no data available for tryptophan digestibility.

Objectives: The present study aimed to measure the true ileal digestibility (TID) of total nitrogen and AAs in HM and IF to estimate AA bioavailability using Yucatan mini-piglets as an infant model.

Exploration of fMRI brain responses to oral sucrose after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in obese yucatan minipigs in relationship with microbiota and metabolomics profiles.

Background & Aims: In most cases, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) is an efficient intervention to lose weight, change eating behavior and improve metabolic outcomes in obese patients. We hypothesized that weight loss induced by RYGBP in obese Yucatan minipigs would induce specific modifications of the gut-brain axis and neurocognitive responses to oral sucrose stimulation in relationship with food intake control.

Methods: An integrative study was performed after SHAM (n = 8) or RYGBP (n = 8) surgery to disentangle the physiological, metabolic and neurocognitive mechanisms of RYGBP.

The ghrelin system follows a precise post-natal development in mini-pigs that is not impacted by dietary medium chain fatty-acids.

The ghrelin-ghrelin receptor (GHSR1) system is one of the most important mechanisms regulating food intake and energy balance. To be fully active, ghrelin is acylated with medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) through the ghrelin-O-acetyl transferase (GOAT). Several studies reported an impact of dietary MCFA on ghrelin acylation in adults.

Infant nutrition affects the microbiota-gut-brain axis: Comparison of human milk vs. infant formula feeding in the piglet model.

Early nutrition plays a dominant role in infant development and health. It is now understood that the infant diet impacts the gut microbiota and its relationship with gut function and brain development. However, its impact on the microbiota-gut-brain axis has not been studied in an integrative way.

A pilot study about the development and characterization of a Roux en Y gastric bypass model in obese Yucatan minipigs.

Performing the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) in obese Yucatan minipigs provides an opportunity to explore the mechanisms behind the effects of this surgery in controlled environmental and nutritional conditions. We hypothesized that RYGBP in these minipigs would induce changes at multiple levels, as in obese humans. We sought to characterize RYGBP in a diet-induced obese minipig model, compared with a pair-fed sham group.

New Insights Into Microbiota Modulation-Based Nutritional Interventions for Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Infants.

Gut microbiota and the central nervous system have parallel developmental windows during pre and post-natal life. Increasing evidences suggest that intestinal dysbiosis in preterm infants predisposes the neonate to adverse neurological outcomes later in life. Understanding the link between gut microbiota colonization and brain development to tailor therapies aimed at optimizing initial colonization and microbiota development are promising strategies to warrant adequate brain development and enhance neurological outcomes in preterm infants.

The Relationship Between Breast Milk Components and the Infant Gut Microbiota.

The assembly of the newborn's gut microbiota during the first months of life is an orchestrated process resulting in specialized microbial ecosystems in the different gut compartments. This process is highly dependent upon environmental factors, and many evidences suggest that early bacterial gut colonization has long-term consequences on host digestive and immune homeostasis but also metabolism and behavior. The early life period is therefore a "window of opportunity" to program health through microbiota modulation.

Addition of Dairy Lipids and Probiotic in Infant Formulas Modulates Proteolysis and Lipolysis With Moderate Consequences on Gut Physiology and Metabolism in Yucatan Piglets.

Breast milk is the gold standard in neonatal nutrition, but most infants are fed infant formulas in which lipids are usually of plant origin. The addition of dairy lipids and/or milk fat globule membrane extracts in formulas improves their composition with beneficial consequences on protein and lipid digestion. The probiotic (Lf) was reported to reduce transit time in rat pups, which may also improve digestion.

Maternal Supplementation of Food Ingredient (Prebiotic) or Food Contaminant (Mycotoxin) Influences Mucosal Immune System in Piglets.

The early life period is crucial for the maturation of the intestinal barrier, its immune system, and a life-long beneficial host-microbiota interaction. The study aims to assess the impact of a beneficial dietary (short-chain fructooligosaccharides, scFOS) supplementation vs. a detrimental dietary environment (such as mycotoxin deoxynivalenol, DON) on offspring intestinal immune system developmental profiles.

Addition of dairy lipids and probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum in infant formula programs gut microbiota and entero-insular axis in adult minipigs.

Clinical and animal studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of early consumption of dairy lipids and a probiotic, Lactobacillus fermentum (Lf), on infant gut physiology. The objective of this study was to investigate their long-term effects on gut microbiota and host entero-insular axis and metabolism. Piglets were suckled with a milk formula containing only plant lipids (PL), a half-half mixture of plant lipids and dairy lipids (DL), or this mixture supplemented with Lf (DL + Lf).

Perinatal short-chain fructooligosaccharides program intestinal microbiota and improve enteroinsular axis function and inflammatory status in high-fat diet-fed adult pigs.

Perinatal nutrition programs physiologic and metabolic functions, with consequences on the susceptibility to develop metabolic diseases in adulthood. The microbiota represents a key factor of such programming. We investigated whether perinatal prebiotic [short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS)] supplementation improved adult metabolic health in association with microbiota changes in pigs used as human model.

Maternal Western diet during gestation and lactation modifies adult offspring's cognitive and hedonic brain processes, behavior, and metabolism in Yucatan minipigs.

This study explores the long-term effects of exposure to a maternal Western diet (WD) vs. standard diet (SD) in the Yucatan minipig, on the adult progeny at lean status ( n = 32), and then overweight status. We investigated eating behavior, cognitive abilities, brain basal glucose metabolism, dopamine transporter availability, microbiota activity, blood lipids, and glucose tolerance.

Effects of infant formula composition on long-term metabolic health.

Early nutrition may have long-lasting metabolic impacts in adulthood. Even though breast milk is the gold standard, most infants are at least partly formula-fed. Despite obvious improvements, infant formulas remain perfectible to reduce the gap between breastfed and formula-fed infants.

Comparing the intestinal transcriptome of Meishan and Large White piglets during late fetal development reveals genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism and immunity as valuable clues of intestinal maturity.

Background: Maturity of intestinal functions is critical for neonatal health and survival, but comprehensive description of mechanisms underlying intestinal maturation that occur during late gestation still remain poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate biological processes specifically involved in intestinal maturation by comparing fetal jejunal transcriptomes of two representative porcine breeds (Large White, LW; Meishan, MS) with contrasting neonatal vitality and maturity, at two key time points during late gestation (gestational days 90 and 110). MS and LW sows inseminated with mixed semen (from breed LW and MS) gave birth to both purebred and crossbred fetuses.

A maternal Western diet during gestation and lactation modifies offspring's microbiota activity, blood lipid levels, cognitive responses, and hippocampal neurogenesis in Yucatan pigs.

A suboptimal early nutritional environment ( excess of energy, sugar, and fat intake) can increase susceptibility to diseases and neurocognitive disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate in nonobese Yucatan minipigs () the impact of maternal diet [standard diet (SD) Western diet (WD)] during gestation and 25 d of lactation on milk composition, blood metabolism, and microbiota activity of sows ( 17) and their piglets ( 65), and on spatial cognition ( 51), hippocampal plasticity ( 17), and food preferences/motivation ( 51) in the progeny. Milk dry matter and lipid content, as well as plasma total cholesterol and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations ( < 0.

Maternal short-chain fructo-oligosaccharide supplementation increases intestinal cytokine secretion, goblet cell number, butyrate concentration and Lawsonia intracellularis humoral vaccine response in weaned pigs.

Prebiotic supplementation modulates immune system development and function. However, less is known about the effects of maternal prebiotic consumption on offspring intestinal defences and immune system responsiveness. We investigated the effects of maternal short-chain fructo-oligosaccharide (scFOS) supplementation on mucin-secreting cells, ileal secretory IgA and cytokine secretion of weaned offspring and their humoral response to an oral vaccine against obligate intracellular Lawsonia intracellularis.

Characterisation of Early-Life Fecal Microbiota in Susceptible and Healthy Pigs to Post-Weaning Diarrhoea.

Early-life microbial exposure is of particular importance to growth, immune system development and long-lasting health. Hence, early microbiota composition is a promising predictive biomarker for health and disease but still remains poorly characterized in regards to susceptibility to diarrhoea. In the present study, we aimed to assess if gut bacterial community diversity and composition during the suckling period were associated with differences in susceptibility of pigs to post-weaning diarrhoea.

A mixture of milk and vegetable lipids in infant formula changes gut digestion, mucosal immunity and microbiota composition in neonatal piglets.

Purpose: Although composition of infant formula has been significantly improved during the last decade, major differences with the composition and structure of breast milk still remain and might affect nutrient digestion and gut biology. We hypothesized that the incorporation of dairy fat in infant formulas could modify their physiological impacts by making their composition closer to that of human milk. The effect of milk fat and milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) fragments in infant formulas on gut digestion, mucosal immunity and microbiota composition was evaluated.