1. The Role of Milk Oligosaccharides in Enhancing Intestinal Microbiota, Intestinal Integrity, and Immune Function in Pigs: A Comparative Review.
- Author
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Gormley, Alexa, Garavito-Duarte, Yesid, and Kim, Sung Woo
- Subjects
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GUT microbiome , *INTESTINAL infections , *ANIMAL weaning , *AGRICULTURE , *MICROORGANISM populations , *SWINE farms - Abstract
Simple Summary: Young pigs face many challenges associated with weaning, including disruption to a healthy and robust intestinal microbiota, leaving them vulnerable to infection with enteric pathogens. Modern farming practices wean piglets at a younger age than they would outside of artificial rearing, and therefore their immature intestines may not be equipped to handle the challenges associated with weaning. Milk oligosaccharides are prebiotics naturally found in the colostrum and milk of mammals and have been shown to improve intestinal health in young mammals. Milk oligosaccharides can encourage the development of mature intestines, protect the host from pathogens, and modulate host immune responses. Milk coproducts from bovine sources are commonly utilized in nursery pig feeds and can be a source of milk oligosaccharides past the suckling period. However, bovine milk coproducts have a different oligosaccharide composition when compared to those found in porcine milk. This review summarizes the benefits associated with specific milk oligosaccharides for suckling and nursery pigs. The objective of this review was to identify the characteristics and functional roles of milk coproducts from human, bovine, and porcine sources and their impacts on the intestinal microbiota and intestinal immunity of suckling and nursery pigs. Modern pig production weans piglets at 3 to 4 weeks of age, which is earlier than pigs would naturally be weaned outside of artificial rearing. As a result, the immature intestines of suckling and nursery pigs face many challenges associated with intestinal dysbiosis, which can be caused by weaning stress or the colonization of the intestines by enteric pathogens. Milk oligosaccharides are found in sow milk and function as a prebiotic in the intestines of pigs as they cannot be degraded by mammalian enzymes and are thus utilized by intestinal microbial populations. The consumption of milk oligosaccharides during suckling and through the nursery phase can provide benefits to young pigs by encouraging the proliferation of beneficial microbial populations, preventing pathogen adhesion to enterocytes, and through directly modulating immune responses. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the specific functional components of milk oligosaccharides from human, bovine, and porcine sources, and identify potential strategies to utilize milk oligosaccharides to benefit young pigs through the suckling and nursery periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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