Project description:Submerged cultivation using low-value agro-industrial side streams allows large-scale and efficient production of fungal mycelia, which has a high nutritional value. As the dietary properties of fungal mycelia in poultry are largely unknown, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of feeding a Pleurotus sapidus (PSA) mycelium as a feed supplement on growth performance, composition of the cecal microbiota and several physiological traits including gut integrity, nutrient digestibility, liver lipids, liver transcriptome and plasma metabolome in broilers. 72 male, 1-day-old Cobb 500 broilers were randomly assigned to three different groups and fed three different adequate diets containing either 0% (PSA-0), 2.5% (PSA-2.5) and 5% (PSA-5.0) P. sapidus mycelium in a three-phase feeding system for 35 days. Each group consisted of 6 cages (replicates) with 4 broilers/cage. Body weight gain, feed intake and feed:gain ratio and apparent ileal digestibility of crude protein, ether extract and amino acids were not different between groups. Metagenomic analysis of the cecal microbiota revealed no differences between groups, except that one α-diversity metric (Shannon index) and the abundance of two low-abundance bacterial taxa (Clostridia UCG 014, Eubacteriales) differed between groups (P < 0.05). Concentrations of total and individual short-chain fatty acids in the cecal digesta and concentrations of plasma lipopolysaccharide and mRNA levels of proinflammatory genes, tight-junction proteins, and mucins in the cecum mucosa did not differ between groups. None of the plasma metabolites analyzed using targeted-metabolomics differed across the groups. Hepatic transcript profiling revealed a total of 144 transcripts to be differentially expressed between group PSA-5.0 and group PSA-0 but none of these genes was regulated greater 2-fold. Considering either the lack of effects or the very weak effects of feeding the P. sapidus mycelium in the broilers it can be concluded that inclusion of a sustainably produced fungal mycelium in broiler diets at the expense of other feed components has no negative consequences on broilers´ performance and metabolism.
Project description:We have previously demonstrated that the gut microbiota can play a role in the pathogenesis of conditions associated with exposure to environmental pollutants. It is well accepted that diets high in fermentable fibers such as inulin can beneficially modulate the gut microbiota and lessen the severity of pro-inflammatory diseases. Therefore, we aimed to test the hypothesis that hyperlipidemic mice fed a diet enriched with inulin would be protected from the pro-inflammatory toxic effects of PCB 126.
Project description:An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary inclusion of rye, a model ingredient to increase gut viscosity, between 14 and 28 days of age on immune competence related parameters and performance of broiler. A total number of 960 one-day-old male Ross 308 chicks were weighed and randomly allocated to 24 pens (40 birds per pen), and the birds in every 8 replicate pens were assigned to one of three experimental diets including graded levels, 0%, 5%, and 10% of rye. Tested immune competence related parameters were composition of the intestinal microbiota, genes expression in gut tissue, and gut morphology. The inclusion of 5% or 10% rye in the diet (d14-28) resulted in decreased performance and litter quality, but in increased villus height and crypt depth in the small intestine (jejunum) of the broilers. Relative bursa and spleen weights were not affected by dietary inclusion of rye. In the jejunum, no effects on number and size of goblet cells, and only trends on microbiota composition in the digesta were observed. Dietary inclusion of rye affected expression of genes involved in cell cycle processes of the jejunal enterocyte cells, thereby influencing cell growth, cell differentiation and cell survival, which in turn were consistent with the observed differences in the morphology of the gut wall. In addition, providing rye-rich diets to broilers affected the complement and coagulation pathways, which are parts of the innate immune system. These pathways are involved in eradicating invasive pathogens. Overall, it can be concluded that inclusion of 5% or 10% rye to the grower diet of broilers had limited effects on performance. Ileal gut morphology, microbiota composition of jejunal digesta, and gene expression profiles of jejunal tissue, however, were affected by dietary rye inclusion level, indicating that rye supplementation to broiler diets might affect immune competence of the birds.
Project description:The indigenous human gut microbiota is a major contributor to the human superorganism with established roles in modulating nutritional status, immunity, and systemic health including diabetes and obesity. The complexity of the gut microbiota consisting of over 1012 residents and approximately 1000 species has thus far eluded systematic analyses of the precise effects of individual microbial residents on human health. In contrast, health benefits have been shown upon ingestion of certain so-called probiotic Lactobacillus strains in food products and nutritional supplements, thereby providing a unique opportunity to study the global responses of a gut-adapted microorganism in the human gut and to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial modulation of intestinal physiology, which might involve alterations in the intestinal physico-chemical environment, modifications in the gut microbiota, and/or direct interaction with mucosal epithelia and immune cells. Here we show by transcriptome analysis using DNA microarrays that the established probiotic bacterium, L. plantarum 299v, adapts its metabolic capacity in the human digestive tract for carbohydrate acquisition and expression of exo-polysaccharide and proteinaceous cell surface compounds. This report constitutes the first application of global gene expression profiling of a gut-adapted commensal microorganism in the human gut. Comparisons of the transcript profiles to those obtained for L. plantarum WCFS1 in germ-free mice revealed conserved L. plantarum responses indicative of a core transcriptome expressed in the mammalian gut and provide new molecular targets for determining microbial-host interactions affecting human health. Hybridization of the samples against a common reference of gDNA isolated from L. plantarum 299v
Project description:Feed additives aiming to improve gastrointestinal health are frequently supplied to piglets after weaning but might be more effective when administered before weaning. In this period, feed additives can either be administered directly to neonates, or indirectly via sow’s feed. It is yet unknown what the effect of the administration route is on gut functionality and health. Therefore, we compared the effect of different dietary interventions on gut functionality after maternal administration (lactation feed) to the neonatal administration route (oral gavage). These feed interventions included medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), beta-glucans (BG), and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). We measured intestinal gene expression and microbiota composition after birth (d1) and after weaning (d31). Our results show that the type of intervention and the administration route influence gut functionality (microbiome and gene expression profiles). MCFA administration led to a more differentially orchestrated response when comparing the neonatal and maternal administration route then the other two additives, indicating the route of administration of the feed interventions is determinative for the outcome. This implies that for each nutritional intervention in early life of a pig the optimal route of administration needs to be determined.
Project description:Adding lysolecithin to feed has reportedly improved the performance of broiler chickens. Lysolecithin is generated by phospholipase catalyzed hydrolysis of lecithin. The enzymatic reaction converts phospholipids into lysophospholipids, with lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) the primary product. Here we compared supplementation with a commercial lysolecithin (Lysoforte(R) Kemin Industries, Inc., Des Moines, IA) with comparable levels of purified LPC for effects on broilers. Despite no differences in weight gain during the starter period, we discovered a significant increase in average villus length in the jejunum with lysolecithin, but not with LPC. High-throughput gene expression microarray analyses revealed many more genes were regulated in the epithelium of jejunum by lysolecithin compared to LPC. The most upregulated genes and pathways were for collagen, extracellular matrix and integrins. Staining sections of jejunum with Sirius Red confirmed the increased deposition of collagen fibrils in villi of broilers fed lysolecithin but not LPC. Thus, lysolecithin elicits gene expression in the intestinal epithelium leading to enhanced collagen deposition and villus length. LPC alone as a supplement does not mimic these responses. Feed supplementation with lysolecithin triggers changes in the intestinal epithelium with the potential to improve overall gut health and performance.
Project description:The gut microbiota is an essential contributor to human health and disease and offers an extensive resource of enzymes. Although functional metagenomics methods could predict a correlation between enzyme abundance and functional activity, many enzymes in the microbiome still remain uncharacterized. To discover the differing activities between similar annotated proteins in microbiome, approaches capable of detecting biochemical activity with identification of responsible microbes and enzymes are needed. α-Galactosidases (AGALs) are abundant in the host gut microbiota for hydrolysis of galactooligosaccharides, galactose-containing polysaccharides and glycoconjugates, and have multiple biotechnological applications with increasing demand of global AGAL market, such as food ingredients, animal feed, and biomedical sectors. However, many gut microbial AGALs still lack functional biochemical identification, which limits their usage in industrial and therapeutic applications.
Project description:Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a widespread heart condition caused by atherosclerosis and influences millions of people worldwide. Early detection of CAD is challenging due to the lack of specific biomarkers. The gut microbiota and host-microbiota interactions have been well documented to affect human health. However, investigation that reveals the role of gut microbes in CAD is still limited. This study aims to uncover the synergistic effects of host genes and gut microbes associated with CAD through integrative genomic analyses.
Project description:Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a widespread heart condition caused by atherosclerosis and influences millions of people worldwide. Early detection of CAD is challenging due to the lack of specific biomarkers. The gut microbiota and host-microbiota interactions have been well documented to affect human health. However, investigation that reveals the role of gut microbes in CAD is still limited. This study aims to uncover the synergistic effects of host genes and gut microbes associated with CAD through integrative genomic analyses.