Inulin and isomalto-oligosaccharide alleviate constipation and improve reproductive performance by modulating motility-related hormones, short-chain fatty acids, and feces microflora in pregnant sows.

Abstract

Constipation in gestating and lactating sows is common and the inclusion of dietary fiber may help to alleviate this problem. We investigated the effects of inulin (INU) and isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO), two sources of soluble dietary fiber, on gastrointestinal motility-related hormones, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), fecal microflora, and reproductive performance in pregnant sows. On day 64 of gestation, 30 sows were randomly divided into three groups and fed as follows: a basal diet, a basal diet with 0.5% INU, and a basal diet with 0.5% IMO. We found that INU and IMO significantly modulated the levels of gastrointestinal motility-related hormones, as evidenced by an increase in substance P (P < 0.05), and a decrease in the vasoactive intestinal peptide concentrations (P < 0.05), indicating the capacity of INU and IMO to alleviate constipation. Furthermore, IMO enhanced the concentrations of acetic, propionic, isobutyric, butyric, isovaleric, and valeric acids in the feces (P < 0.05). High-throughput sequencing showed that IMO and INU increased the fecal microflora α- and β-diversity (P < 0.05). Methanobrevibacter was more abundant (P < 0.05), whereas the richness of Turicibacter was lower in the INU and IMO groups than in the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, IMO significantly increased litter size (P < 0.05). Overall, our findings indicate that INU and IMO can relieve constipation, optimize intestinal flora, and promote reproductive performance in pregnant sows.

• Authors: Xiaorong Yu, Chunsheng Fu, Zhenchuan Cui, Guangyong Chen, Yinglei Xu, Caimei Yang
• Journal: Journal of animal science (J Anim Sci) Vol. 99 Issue 10 (Oct 01 2021) ISSN: 1525-3163 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34487146 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Veterinary)
• Copyright: © The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected].

Chemical References

• Fatty Acids, Volatile
• Hormones
• Oligosaccharides
• Inulin

Topics

• Animals
• Constipation (drug therapy, veterinary)
• Fatty Acids, Volatile
• Feces
• Female
• Gastrointestinal Microbiome
• Hormones
• Inulin (pharmacology)
• Lactation
• Oligosaccharides (pharmacology)
• Pregnancy
• Swine