• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.1263-1276
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• 2024

Objective: Pine needles are rich in many nutrients and exhibit antibacterial and antioxidant biological activities; however, the effects of different production methods of pine needle additives on the growth performance and intestinal flora of broiler chickens are not known. Methods: Normal diets were supplemented with pine needle fermentation juice (PNF), pine needle soaking juice (PNS), or pine needle powder (PNP), and the associated effects on growth performance, relative organ weights, intestinal development, intestinal histological morphology, intestinal flora, meat quality, and serum indicators in broiler chickens were observed. Results: The results showed that PNF, PNS, and PNP all significantly improved feed utilization and promoted the growth and development of broilers. All three additives also significantly improved the structure of the intestinal flora, specifically increasing the diversity of bacteria; increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium, Rikenella, and Blautia; and decreasing the abundance of harmful bacteria, such as Staphylococcus. The antioxidant properties of pine needles were also found to intensify lipid metabolic reactions in the blood, thus leading to lower triglycerides and total cholesterol. Meanwhile, high doses of PNF reduced jejunum and ileum weights and also increased meat yellowness. Lastly, none of PNF, PNS, or PNP had an effect on relative organ weights or intestinal histological morphology. Conclusion: The addition of pine needles to the diet of broiler chickens can effectively promote their growth performance as well as improve their intestinal flora and serum status without side effects; in particular, the dose of 0.2% of either PNF and PNS is expected to have the capacity to replace growth-promoting antibiotics as diet additives.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.443-447
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• 1997

As the growth factor of lactic acid bacteria, LD (trehalose) was isolated from Lentinus edode5 by using silica gel column chromatography. LD induced the growth of Bifidobacteria breve and Lactobacillus brevis, which were isolated from human feces. LD selectively induced the growth of lactic acid bacteria among total microflora. When total intestinal microflora were cultured in the medium containing LD, it stimulated the growth of lactic acid bacteria and inhibited harmful enzymes, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, ${\beta}$-glucuronidase, and tryptophanase, of intestinal bacteria. LM, which was a monosaccharide from L. edooles, induced the growth of lactic acid bacteria but it seems to be invaluable in vivo. LH isolated from L. edodes by Sephadex G-100 column chromatography was not effective for the growth of lactic acid bacteria.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.755-760
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• 2009

The growth-inhibiting activities of persimmon roots-derived materials against intestinal bacteria were evaluated and compared with that of 1,4-naphthoquinone as a positive control. The active constituent isolated from persimmon roots was characterized as 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone using various spectroscopic analyses. Treatment with 1,4-naphthoquinone at a dose of 1.0 mg/disc strongly inhibited the growth of 6 intestinal bacteria. Furthermore, when the structure-activity relationships of 1,4-naphthoquinone's derivatives were evaluated, 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone and 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone were found to strongly inhibit the growth of Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, and Escherichia coli without adversely affecting the growth of Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium longum, and Lactobacillus acidophilus. Additionally, 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone strongly inhibited the growth of C. difficile and C. perfringens, but did not inhibit the growth of E. coli. Taken together, these results indicate that persimmon roots-derived materials and some of 1,4-naphthoquinone's derivatives could be useful preventive agents against diseases caused by harmful intestinal bacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.1286-1289
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• 2008

The ability of Lactococcus strains to inhibit the growth of intestinal bacteria was examined. In in vitro cocultures, we observed that among eighteen Lactococcus strains tested, the ability to inhibit growth of Escherichia coli varied, with the L. lactis N7 showing the greatest growth inhibition. Strain N7 ($8.94\times10^{10}$ CFU/day for 7 days) was orally administered to mice, and the viable count of strain N7 in feces appeared at a level of $10^{4-5}$ CFU/g. After administration, the proportion of Bacteroidaceae to total intestinal bacteria decreased. Lactococci may act as probiotic bacteria by inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.11-15
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• 2001

This research was carried out to improve the utilization of agar by evaluating the effect of agarooligosaccharides on the intestinal microflora. Medium containing 0.2% agarooligosaccharides remarkably enhanced the growth of Bifidobacterium infanits; however, agarooligosaccharides did not influence the growth of Clostridium perflingens. Agarooligosaccharides affected intestinal microflora to different extent by various pH and NaCl concentration. The growth of B. infantis enhanced over pH 4.5. Within 1% NaCl concentration, addition of agarooligosaccharides enhanced the growth of B. infantis. In contract, NaCl did not affect the growth of Cl. perflingens at all concentrations tested. Therefore, agarooligosacchariedes improved the benevolent intestinal microflora and depressed to the level of bacteria causing putrefaction and food poisoning.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.3_spc
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• pp.338-344
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• 2021

In the modern pig production, pigs are weaned at early age with immature intestine. Dietary and environmental factors challenge the intestine, specifically the jejunum, causing inflammation and oxidative stress followed by destruction of epithelial barrier and villus structures in the jejunum. Crypt cell proliferation increases to repair damages in the jejunum. Challenges to maintain the intestinal health have been shown to be related to changes in the profile of mucosa-associated microbiota in the jejunum of nursery pigs. All these processes can be quantified as biomarkers to determine status of intestinal health related to growth potential of nursery pigs. Nursery pigs with impaired intestinal health show reduced ability of nutrient digestion and thus reduced growth. A tremendous amount of research effort has been made to determine nutritional strategies to maintain or improve intestinal health and microbiota in nursery pigs. A large number of feed additives have been evaluated for their effectiveness on improving intestinal health and balancing intestinal microbiota in nursery pigs. Selected prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and other bioactive compounds can be used in feeds to handle issues with intestinal health. Selection of these feed additives should aim modulating biomarkers indicating intestinal health. This review aims to define intestinal health and introduce examples of nutritional approaches to handle intestinal health in nursery pigs.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.605-613
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• 2022

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of increasing supplementation of Yarrowia lipolytica (YL) up to 3.0% replacing 1.6% poultry fat and 0.9% blood plasma for growth performance, intestinal health and nutrient digestibility of diets fed to nursery pigs. Methods: Twenty-four pigs weaned at 24 d of age (initial body weight at 7.2±0.6 kg) were allotted to three dietary treatments (n = 8) based on the randomized complete block. The diets with supplementation of YL (0.0%, 1.5%, and 3.0%, replacing poultry fat and blood plasma up to 1.6% and 0.9%, respectively) were fed for 21 d. Feed intake and body weight were recorded at d 0, 10, and 21. Fecal score was recorded at every odd day from d 3 to 19. Pigs were euthanized on d 21 to collect proximal and distal jejunal mucosa to measure intestinal health markers including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-8, immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G. Ileal digesta was collected for apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of nutrients in diets. Data were analyzed using Proc Mixed of SAS. Results: Supplementation of YL (1.5% and 3.0%) replacing poultry fat and blood plasma did not affect growth performance, fecal score and intestinal health. Supplementation of YL at 1.5% did not affect nutrient digestibility, whereas supplementation of YL at 3.0% reduced AID of dry matter (40.2% to 55.0%), gross energy (44.0% to 57.5%), crude protein (52.1% to 66.1%), and ether extract (50.8% to 66.9%) compared to diets without supplementation. Conclusion: Yarrowia lipolytica can be supplemented at 1.5% in nursery diets, replacing 0.8% poultry fat and 0.45% blood plasma without affecting growth performance, intestinal health and nutrient digestibility. Supplementation of YL at 3.0% replacing 1.6% poultry fat and 0.9% blood plasma did not affect growth performance and intestinal health, whereas nutrient digestibility was reduced.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.134-141
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• 2016

To investigate the role of polysaccharide from Acanthopanax senticosus (ASPS) in preventing lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal injury, 18 mice (at 5 wk of age) were assigned to three groups with 6 replicates of one mouse each. Mice were administrated by oral gavage with or without ASPS (300 mg/kg body weight) for 14 days and were injected with saline or LPS at 15 days. Intestinal samples were collected at 4 h post-challenge. The results showed that ASPS ameliorated LPS-induced deterioration of digestive ability of LPS-challenged mice, indicated by an increase in intestinal lactase activity (45%, p<0.05), and the intestinal morphology, as proved by improved villus height (20.84%, p<0.05) and villus height:crypt depth ratio (42%, p<0.05), and lower crypt depth in jejunum (15.55%, p<0.05), as well as enhanced intestinal tight junction proteins expression involving occludin-1 (71.43%, p<0.05). ASPS also prevented intestinal inflammation response, supported by decrease in intestinal inflammatory mediators including tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$ (22.28%, p<0.05) and heat shock protein (HSP70) (77.42%, p<0.05). In addition, intestinal mucus layers were also improved by ASPS, as indicated by the increase in number of goblet cells (24.89%, p<0.05) and intestinal trefoil peptide (17.75%, p<0.05). Finally, ASPS facilitated mRNA expression of epidermal growth factor (100%, p<0.05) and its receptor (200%, p<0.05) gene. These results indicate that ASPS can prevent intestinal mucosal barrier injury under inflammatory conditions, which may be associated with up-regulating gene mRNA expression of epidermal growth factor and its receptor.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.633-640
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• 1995

As a result of screening the medicinal herbs which selectively control human intestinal microflora, water extract of Akebia quinata Decaisne was proved to have a strong inhibitory activity against the growth of Clostridium pefringens, a major harmful intestinal bacterium. The anti-bacte-rial activity was stable under the thermal treatment at 100$\circ$C for 120 min and in a range of pH 1 to 11. In addition, the water extract of Akebia quinata Decaisne showed the antibacterial activities against five different strains of Clostridia including C. perfringens. On the contrary, the extract did not inhibit the growths of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis. The extract, however, suppressed markedly the growth of Bacteroides fragilis and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. Alike in the mixed culture inoculated with human feces as starter, in vivo tests using rats showed that the extract tends to increase the numbers of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in the intestinal microflora of rats, whereas those of Clostridia were attenuated.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.363-371
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• 2007

Schizandrae Fruits has been used as a traditional Oriental medicine for treatment of many stress-induced diseases. In the present study, we investigated inhibitory activity of enzymatic hydrolysate of Schizandrae fructus (SC-EX) in growth of tested intestinal microorganism and activity of bowel inflammation related enzyme. SC-EX was added to the proteose peptone-yeast extract-fildes (PYF) media to investigation the effect on the growth of type culture of intestinal microorganism. The growth of lactic acid bacteria such as Bifidobacterium species and Lactobacillus species was accelerated by more than 3% concentration of SC-EX. But, growth of harmfulness bacteria such as E.coli, Clostridium sp. Staphylococcus sp. Streptococcus sp. was inhibited by more than 3% concentration of SC-EX. Also, SC-EX was exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibitory activity of the bowel inflammation related enzymes. The SC-EX was showed 76% and 92% inhibitory activity of 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooygenase at 5% additional concentration respectively. Our results indicated that SC-EX may possess improvement effect on the intestinal flora and Anti-inflammatory effect on the bowel.