Influence of high- and low-fermentable dietary fibres in sows' diet on the colostrum potential against Clostridioides difficile toxin-induced effects in IPEC-J2 cells.

Sow colostrum has been reported to protect the IPEC-J2 cells and piglet colon tissues from detrimental effect of Clostridioides difficile toxins. Since dietary fibre can influence the colostrum composition in sows, we hypothesised that it can also differentially affect the colostrum potential against C. difficile toxin-induced effects in IPEC-J2.

Clostridioides difficile-mesocolonic oedema in neonatal suckling piglets develops regardless of the fibre composition in sow's diets.

Maternal dietary factors have been reported to influence Clostridioides difficile colonisation in the offspring. Twenty suckling piglets from sows fed diets supplemented with high-fermentable sugar beet pulp (SBP) or low-fermentable lignocellulose (LNC) fibres during gestation and lactation were dissected in the first week after birth. Postmortem analysis included clinical mesocolon and faecal scoring, concentration of C.

A High-Energy Diet and Spirulina Supplementation during Pre-Gestation, Gestation, and Lactation do Not Affect the Reproductive and Lactational Performance of Primiparous Sows.

Feeding high-energy (HED) or high-fat diets during gestation and lactation to pigs may help cover the energy requirements of high-prolific sows but may also adversely affect their reproductive performance. The microalga (Sp), rich in bioactive compounds, has been described to exert beneficial health effects. The present study investigated the effects of HED and Sp intake during gestation and lactation in pigs.

Fiber Composition in Sows' Diets Modifies Clostridioides difficile Colonization in Their Offspring.

Dietary fiber has a potential to modulate the gut microbiota in sows. We hypothesized that a maternal diet rich in either high- or low-fermentable fiber during gestation and lactation influences Clostridioides difficile gut colonization in suckling piglets. Twenty sows were fed gestation and lactation diets enriched with either high-fermentable sugar beet pulp (SBP) or low-fermentable lignocellulose (LNC) fibers.

Porcine and Chicken Intestinal Epithelial Cell Models for Screening Phytogenic Feed Additives-Chances and Limitations in Use as Alternatives to Feeding Trials.

Numerous bioactive plant additives have shown various positive effects in pigs and chickens. The demand for feed additives of natural origin has increased rapidly in recent years to support the health of farm animals and thus minimize the need for antibiotics and other drugs. Although only in vivo experiments can fully represent their effect on the organism, the establishment of reliable in vitro methods is becoming increasingly important in the goal of reducing the use of animals in experiments.

A Preliminary Survey of the Distribution of Segmented Filamentous Bacteria in the Porcine Gastrointestinal Tract.

Segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) are present in various animal species including pigs. The aim of this work was to analyze the occurrence of SFB in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract of piglets of different ages. A total of 377 DNA extracts from stomach, jejunum, ileum, cecum and colon digesta, and from feces collected on different time points, originating from 155 animals, were screened by qPCR method with primers specific for the SFB.

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Porcine Colostrum Protects the IPEC-J2 Cells and Piglet Colon Epithelium against (syn. ) Toxin-Induced Effects.

toxins are one of the main causative agents for the clinical symptoms observed during infection in piglets. Porcine milk has been shown to strengthen the epithelial barrier function in the piglet's intestine and may have the potential to neutralise clostridial toxins. We hypothesised that porcine colostrum exerts protective effects against those toxins in the IPEC-J2 cells and in the colon epithelium of healthy piglets.

Distinct patterns of microbial metabolic fingerprints in sows and their offspring: a pilot study.

Microbial metabolism and growth in the intestinal tract depend on the composition of substrates present in the digesta and their ability to be metabolised by the microorganisms. The aim of this pilot study was to characterise potential hindgut microbial activity during perinatal period in sows and their offspring. Rectal samples from three sows (1-3 weeks before and after birth) and three of their piglets (1-5 weeks after birth), were subjected to assays using BIOLOG GEN III microplates to produce metabolic fingerprints for each animal.

Developing Gut Microbiota Exerts Colonisation Resistance to syn. in Piglets.

(syn. ) is considered a pioneer colonizer and may cause gut infection in neonatal piglets. The aim of this study was to explore the microbiota- associations in pigs.

Storage procedures and time influence the detectability of toxin A but not toxin B in porcine fecal specimens.

Storage procedures are known to affect the detectability of toxins in equine and human feces. We assessed the impact of different storage conditions on the detectability of toxins in swine feces. Specimens were inoculated with toxins, 112 ng/g of toxin A (TcdA) and 16 ng/g of toxin B (TcdB) and subjected to the following 3 storage treatments: 4°C, -30°C, repetitive freezing at -30°C and thawing.

Porcine and bovine Clostridium difficile ribotype 078 isolates demonstrate similar growth and toxigenic properties.

Clostridioides (C.) difficile are found in cows, pigs and poultry suggesting that this pathogen is present and more importantly animals could act as a reservoir, via food or environment, of human C. difficile infection.

Formula Feeding Predisposes Neonatal Piglets to Clostridium difficile Gut Infection.

Spontaneous outbreaks of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) occur in neonatal piglets, but the predisposing factors are largely not known. To study the conditions for C. difficile colonization and CDI development, 48 neonatal piglets were moved into isolators, fed bovine milk-based formula, and infected with C.

Impact of dietary fat on gut microbiota and low-grade systemic inflammation: mechanisms and clinical implications on obesity.

Dietary fat strongly affects human health by modulating gut microbiota composition and low-grade systemic inflammation. High-fat diets have been implicated in reduced gut microbiota richness, increased Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, and several changes at family, genus and species levels. Saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA) and conjugated linolenic fatty acids share important pathways of immune system activation/inhibition with gut microbes, modulating obesogenic and proinflammatory profiles.

Milk kefir: nutritional, microbiological and health benefits.

Kefir is fermented milk produced from grains that comprise a specific and complex mixture of bacteria and yeasts that live in a symbiotic association. The nutritional composition of kefir varies according to the milk composition, the microbiological composition of the grains used, the time/temperature of fermentation and storage conditions. Kefir originates from the Caucasus and Tibet.

Physical Pre-Treatment Improves Efficient DNA Extraction and qPCR Sensitivity from Clostridium Difficile Spores in Faecal Swine Specimens.

A considerable fraction of the faecal microbiota is spore-forming. Molecular quantification of bacteria may be underestimated if preceded with nucleic acid extraction without special treatment to extract recalcitrant bacterial spores. The objective of this study was to improve the DNA extraction regarding the presence of Clostridium difficile spores in faecal swine specimens.

Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements Do Not Affect Gut Bifidobacterium Microbiota in Malawian Infants: A Randomized Trial.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of nutritional supplementation with lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) and corn-soy blend flour on Bifidobacterium and Staphylococcus aureus gut microbiota composition in Malawian infants. In addition, the microbiota changes over time were characterized in the study infants.

Methods: Healthy 6-month-old Malawian infants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 intervention schemes for a 6-month period.

Kefir reduces insulin resistance and inflammatory cytokine expression in an animal model of metabolic syndrome.

There is growing evidence that kefir can be a promising tool in decreasing the risk of many diseases, including metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of kefir supplementation in the diet of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR) in which MetS was induced with monosodium glutamate (MSG), and to determine its effect on metabolic parameters, inflammatory and oxidation marker expression and glycemic index control. Thirty animals were used in this experiment.

VESPUCCI: Exploring Patterns of Gene Expression in Grapevine.

Large-scale transcriptional studies aim to decipher the dynamic cellular responses to a stimulus, like different environmental conditions. In the era of high-throughput omics biology, the most used technologies for these purposes are microarray and RNA-Seq, whose data are usually required to be deposited in public repositories upon publication. Such repositories have the enormous potential to provide a comprehensive view of how different experimental conditions lead to expression changes, by comparing gene expression across all possible measured conditions.

Determination of the extent of Clostridium difficile colonisation and toxin accumulation in sows and neonatal piglets.

Clostridium difficile is an important spore-forming, opportunistic pathogen in animal husbandry and health care. In pig farming, only neonatal piglets are affected, and diarrhoea and necrotising lesions are common symptoms leading to dehydration and in some cases death. This study aimed at the assessment of the quantitative development of C.

Gut Bifidobacterium microbiota in one-month-old Brazilian newborns.

Gut colonisation with bifidobacteria in early infancy is essential for the well-being of the infant. Gestational age and mode of delivery are among the factors influencing the colonisation process. The aim was to characterise the bifidobacterial composition in the gut of one-month-old full-term and pre-term Brazilian infants, both being delivered vaginally or by caesarean section.

Microbiota and probiotics in canine and feline welfare.

Dogs and cats have been cohabiting with us for thousands of years. They are the major human companions. Today, dogs and cats live in urban areas.