Probiotics-fermented Massa Medicata Fermentata ameliorates weaning stress in piglets related to improving intestinal homeostasis

Abstract

Weaning stress has serious negative effects on piglets’ health and the swine industry. Probiotics-fermented Chinese herbal medicines are potential feed additives to ameliorate weaning stress. In this study, the effects of probiotics-fermented Massa Medicata Fermentata (MMFP) on intestinal homeostasis were evaluated in weaning piglets. Dietary supplementation with MMFP promoted the development of the intestinal structure and elevated the concentrations of lactic acid and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestinal contents and antioxidant capacities in serum. MMFP reduced the levels of inflammatory factors in the intestinal mucosa. Microbial community analysis demonstrated that MMFP led to the selective and progressive enrichment of lactic acid- and SCFA-producing bacteria along the gastrointestinal tract, in particular, OTUs corresponding to Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Acetitomaculum, Roseburia, and Eubacterium xylanophilum group, while MMFP reduced the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria. On the contrary, antibiotics had negative effects on intestinal histology and increased the relative abundance of pro-inflammatory bacterium, such as Marvinbryantia, Peptococcus, Turicibacter, and Blautia. Correlation analysis reflected that the bacteria enriched in MMFP group were positively correlated with enhanced intestinal homeostasis, which suggested that dietary supplementation with MMFP enhanced host intestinal homeostasis by modulating the composition of gut microbiota and the levels of beneficial SCFAs, thus ameliorating weaning stress in piglets.