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Special Issue "The Important Role of Gut Microbiota Modulation through Animal Nutrition on Health, Production and Welfare"

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A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Farm Animal Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2023 | Viewed by 6545

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mihaela Saracila

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Guest Editor

National Research and Development Institute for Animal Biology and Nutrition Balotești, 077015 Ilfov, Romania
Interests: monogastric animals; phytoadditives; by-products; gut microbiota; heat stress; hydrophilic antioxidants; oxidative stress, meat quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Arabela Elena Untea

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Guest Editor

National Research and Development Institute for Animal Biology and Nutrition Balotești, 077015 Ilfov, Romania
Interests: meat quality; egg nutrients; liposoluble antioxidants; minerals; oxidative stability; feed quality; shelf life of animal products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Petru Alexandru Vlaicu

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Guest Editor

National Research and Development Institute for Biology and Animal Nutrition, Balotesti, Romania
Interests: food quality; bioactive compounds; fatty acids; antioxidants; functional foods; feed; food; animals; nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A balanced gut microbiota is crucial for the host’s health. The digestive tract does not only constitute the protective intestinal barrier, but also has the function of absorbing nutrients from feed, which has the strongest influence on animal health, welfare, and products. In certain stress situations (thermal, density, etc.) or in different physiological states (weaning, post-hatching, etc.), the intestinal microbiota of farm animals is compromised, causing chronic diseases that affect health and productivity, and pose a risk to the safety of products of animal origin. Given that the diet has a critical role in modifying the microbiome, therefore, nutritional strategies may be among the effective solutions to counteract intestinal damage caused by oxidative stress and other factors. Thus, due to the antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects of some dietary bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, prebiotics, probiotics, and fatty acids, they can influence microbial populations, restoring the balance of intestinal microflora. However, it is difficult to modulate the microbiota into a desired one, and for this we need to better understand the interaction between the gut microbiota and ingested bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-oxidant properties. Therefore, the intestinal microbial composition, mechanism of action, and their effects in animals will be investigated to provide advances in research into newly discovered nutrient sources with health benefits.

The fields relevant to this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, agriculture, animal nutrition, and biotechnology. This Special Issue will comprise original research (in vitro and in vivo studies) and reviews on the abovementioned research fields.

We look forward to your contribution.

Dr. Mihaela Saracila
Dr. Arabela Elena Untea
Dr. Petru Alexandru Vlaicu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

diet
animal health
products safety
digestibility
gut microbiota
bioactive compounds
antioxidants
stress factors
potential use of fruit and vegetable by-products

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1767 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Dietary Zinc and/or an Herbal Mixture on Intestinal Microbiota and Barrier Integrity in Lambs

and

Agriculture 2023, 13(9), 1819; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13091819 - 16 Sep 2023

Viewed by 670

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the impact of feed supplementation with organic zinc and/or a medicinal plants mixture on the composition and enzymatic activity of intestinal microflora as well as on the duodenal and jejunal barrier integrity in lambs. A total of 28 lambs were randomly allocated into 4 dietary treatments (n = 7) and were fed an unsupplemented basal diet (BD), or the BD enriched with organic Zn (Zn, 70 mg/kg diet), an herbal mixture (Herbmix, 100 g/day) or a combination of both additives (Zn+Herbmix). The Herbmix contained 33% each of Fumaria officinalis, Malva sylvestris, Matricaria chamomilla and 1% Artemisia absinthium. No significant effect on the fecal microbiota composition was observed due to the 35-day or 70-day dietary treatment. The intake of Zn alone resulted in decreased bacterial enzyme activities, such as β-glucuronidase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, β-galactosidase and β-glucosidase. The transepithelial electrical resistance of the small intestinal mucosa was not influenced by the dietary treatment, whereas simultaneous feeding of Zn and Herbmix exhibited higher claudin-1 and occludin levels in the jejunal mucosa. These results indicate that dietary intake of organic zinc and/or medicinal plants in the mentioned dosage did not alter the diversity of intestinal bacteria in growing lambs but did significantly influence bacterial enzyme activity. Supplementing the zinc and herbs combination showed the potential to regulate intestinal permeability by increasing the level of tight junction proteins in the jejunal mucosa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Important Role of Gut Microbiota Modulation through Animal Nutrition on Health, Production and Welfare)

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23 pages, 1527 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Piglets Tract and Encapsulation of Selected Probiotic Cells

Mihaela Dumitru

Nicoleta Aurelia Lefter

Sergiu Emil Georgescu

and

Andreea Dudu

Agriculture 2023, 13(5), 1098; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13051098 - 21 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1244

Abstract

Fourteen lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from the intestinal tract and feces of piglets. Among these isolates, only twelve were biochemically (API 50 CHL and ABIS online for bacterial identification) and genetically (16S rRNA sequencing) confirmed as Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Experiments to evaluate the probiotic potential of the isolates including pH tolerance (pH 2.0 and 3.0), bile salts (0.3% ox gall) resistance, hemolysis activity, antibiotic susceptibility, and high-temperature resistance were tested. Only two isolates from identified strains exhibited high survival rates when exposed to low pH and bile salts, these were L. acidophilus IBNA 76 and L. plantarum IBNA 84. The antibiotic test presented 100% resistance of both strains to gentamicin, kanamycin, lincomycin, colistin sulfate, erythromycin, amikacin, oxytetracycline, enrofloxacin, streptomycin, and tilmicosin, lower than the 0.6 mm inhibition zone diameter. Promising isolates (L. acidophilus IBNA 76 and L. plantarum IBNA 84) were exposed to the spray-drying technique based on visible probiotic potential and survival rates. Carrier matrix material was used as a maltodextrin-glucose solution. The encapsulation probiotic isolated survived both over 67% and 77%, corresponding to a decrease in strain viability from 10⁹ to 10⁷ CFU/g. After further in vitro evaluations, the findings of this study showed that, from all LAB strains, L. acidophilus IBNA 76 and L. plantarum IBNA 84 may be considered probiotic candidates for animal nutrition and may have promising performance in piglet feed due to their origin of isolation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Important Role of Gut Microbiota Modulation through Animal Nutrition on Health, Production and Welfare)

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14 pages, 728 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Basil, Thyme and Sage Essential Oils as Phytogenic Feed Additives on Production Performances, Meat Quality and Intestinal Microbiota in Broiler Chickens

Petru Alexandru Vlaicu

Arabela Elena Untea

Tatiana Dumitra Panaite

Mihaela Saracila

Raluca Paula Turcu

and

Mihaela Dumitru

Agriculture 2023, 13(4), 874; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13040874 - 15 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1161

Abstract

As the use of antibiotics has been banned or reduced in certain countries in animal industries, the search for new alternatives to antibiotics has been and will continue to be a research subject in poultry for several years. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of basil, thyme and sage essential oils (EO) in broiler chickens’ diets. A total of 120 Cobb 500 broiler chickens aged 12 days were distributed into four homogeneous groups of thirty chickens with six replicates of five broilers each, raised until 42 days of age. For the diets, corn, soybean meal, corn gluten and wheat were used as the main ingredients for the control diet (CON), and three experimental diets were formulated as follows: a diet containing 0.05% essential oil from basil (EOB), a diet containing 0.05% essential oil from thyme (EOT), and a diet containing 0.05% essential oil from sage (EOS). The results showed that production performances, European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF), European Broiler Index (EBI) and carcass weight were improved (p < 0.05) in the experimental groups compared with the control; however, no significant effect in anatomical parts development was observed. Lightness (L *) and hue angle (H *) colorimetric meat parameters were (p < 0.05) altered but without an effect on meat texture. The antioxidant capacity and total polyphenols content in the thigh meat and total n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids were higher in the experimental samples compared with the control. The intestinal microbiota was also significantly altered with a lowering of Escherichia coli, Coliforms and staphylococci in the small intestine and caecum and an increased lactobacilli count in the experimental groups compared with the control. Overall, all EO-supplemented diets showed the potential to improve meat quality; however, EOS was more effective in altering the chicken microbiota in the small intestine and caecum. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Important Role of Gut Microbiota Modulation through Animal Nutrition on Health, Production and Welfare)

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13 pages, 1228 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Dietary Salicin Standardized Extract from Salix alba Bark on Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Intestinal Microflora of Broiler Chickens Exposed to Heat Stress

Mihaela Saracila

Tatiana Dumitra Panaite

Nicoleta Corina Predescu

Arabela Elena Untea

and

Petru Alexandru Vlaicu

Agriculture 2023, 13(3), 698; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13030698 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1271

Abstract

The implication of heat stress (HS) in the oxidative stress phenomenon and its related diseases in chickens has been widely reported. Salicin is a precursor for the synthesis of salicylic acid and aspirin obtained from the bark of Salix alba, with an undeniable anti-inflammatory effect. However, little attention has been paid to salicin’s antioxidant/oxidative stress-reducing effect compared to its well-known anti-inflammatory effect. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of dietary salicin standardized extract from Salix alba bark (SAB) on oxidative stress biomarkers and intestinal microflora of broiler chickens exposed to heat stress. In our study, chickens (14 days) were randomly allocated to three treatment groups (SAB0; SAB25; SAB50), each of which included five replicates with eight birds per replicate. Broilers were exposed to heat stress (32 ± 2 °C) between 14 and 42 days. The liver tissues were collected to analyze oxidative stress biomarkers (total antioxidant capacity, glutathione, catalase, superoxide dismutase). The intestinal content was collected and measurements of the intestinal microbial population were performed (E. coli, staphylococci, lactobacilli). Results indicated that liver malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls activity decreased (p < 0.05) in SAB50 treatment concomitantly with linearly increased total antioxidant capacity, and glutathione concentration. Dietary supplementation with SAB reduced (p < 0.05) the abundance of staphylococci and increased the number of lactobacilli. Taken together, SAB possesses an advantageous effect on liver oxidative status and the balance of intestinal microflora in broilers exposed to heat stress. These findings provide new insight into the potential use of salicin standardized extract from Salix alba bark for liver damage prevention and dysbiosis related to heat stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Important Role of Gut Microbiota Modulation through Animal Nutrition on Health, Production and Welfare)

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12 pages, 2998 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Co-Contamination of Food and Feed with Mycotoxin and Bacteria and Possible Implications for Health

Daniela Eliza Marin

Gina Cecilia Pistol

Cristina Valeria Procudin

and

Ionelia Taranu

Agriculture 2022, 12(11), 1970; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12111970 - 21 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1422

Abstract

Food and feed safety is an issue of great concern for both animal and human health, due to the frequent contamination of food and feed with pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds, and parasites. The present paper assumes the possibility that a mycotoxin contamination could occur at the same time as a bacterial infection and investigates the effects of such co-contamination, in comparison with the individual effects of bacterial challenge. For this purpose, we have investigated the effects of simultaneous contamination of swine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (as a model for bacterial contamination) and mycotoxins (ochratoxin or zearalenone) on cell viability, cell cycles, oxydative stress, and inflammation. Our results show important additive/synergistic effects of co-exposure to fungal and bacterial toxins, and that these effects are more important when the cells are co-exposed to LPS and ochratoxin (OTA). The exposure of PBMCs to both OTA and LPS induced an exacerbation of the increase in the inflammation of concentrations of pro-inflamatory cytokines, compared with that of LPS-challenged cells: IL-1β (4.1 times increase), TNF-α (3.2 times increase), IL-6 (3.1 times increase). There was also a decrease in antioxidant defence (i.e., a significant decrease in the total antioxidant capacity and catalase activity) and a significant increase in the percentage of cells undergoing necrosis (24.3% vs. 15.3% in LPS-treated cells). The exposure to zearalenone (ZEA) and LPS led to less important effects and concerned mainly the parameters related to oxidative stress (i.e., a decrease in total antioxidant capacity). The present study provides important data for risk assessment, as the concomitant contamination with bacteria and mycotoxins can lead to a higher toxicity than that which results after an individual infection with Gram-negative bacteria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Important Role of Gut Microbiota Modulation through Animal Nutrition on Health, Production and Welfare)

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