Volume 27, Issue 1, July 2015, Pages 46–52
Effects of curcumin on growth performance, jejunal mucosal membrane integrity, morphology and immune status in weaned piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli
Highlights
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- Dietary curcumin supplementation improved growth performance of weaned piglets.
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- The protective effect of curcumin on intestinal mucosa barrier of ETEC-challenged piglets was confirmed.
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- Curcumin could be used as an alternative to antibiotics in diets fed to weaned piglet.
Abstract
The
aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary curcumin
supplementation on growth performance and intestinal mucosal barrier
function of weaned piglets. Fifty piglets, weaned at 21 ± 2 days of age,
were randomly allotted to five treatments for 21 days. The dietary
treatments were the control (basal diet), and the basal diet
supplemented with 50 mg/kg quinocetone, or 200 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg or
400 mg/kg curcumin. The piglets were housed in individual pens and
orally challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)
during the preliminary trial period. The jejunal morphology and
histology analysis were detected under light microscope. The plasma d-lactate
and diamine oxidase (DAO) were determined by using enzymatic
spectrophotometric assay. Immunohistochemistry assays were used to
examine secretory immunoglobulin (sIgA) protein expression. Real-time
PCR was used to determine mRNA levels of cytokine and Toll-like receptor
4 (TLR4) in jejunal mucosa. The results showed that, compared with the
control, dietary addition of 300 mg/kg or 400 mg/kg curcumin decreased (P < 0.05) feed/gain ratio and crypt depth, improved (P < 0.05) villus height and villus height:crypt depth ratio, reduced (P < 0.05) plasma d-lactate and DAO activity, up-regulated the protein expression of sIgA (P < 0.05), increased (P < 0.05) the number of goblet cells (GCs) and reduced (P < 0.05)
the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs). The mRNA levels of
interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and TLR4 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were
also decreased (P < 0.05), but mRNA level of interleukin 10 (IL-10) was increased (P < 0.05).
There was no difference in the above parameters between the 300 mg/kg
and 400 mg/kg curcumin groups. Pigs fed with 50 mg/kg quinocetone also
decreased (P < 0.05) feed/gain ratio, increased villus height:crypt depth ratio (P < 0.05), and reduced (P < 0.05)
crypt depth and mRNA levels of TLR4. In conclusion, curcumin and the
quinocetone have similar effects in improving piglet growth, but dietary
addition of 300 mg/kg or 400 mg/kg curcumin was more effective than
quinocetone in improving intestinal mucosal barrier integrity,
morphology, and immune status of weaned pigs. This indicates that
curcumin could be used as a potential feed additive replacing
quinocetone in weaned piglets.
Abbreviations
- ABC, avidin–biotin–peroxidase complex;
- ADG, average daily gain;
- ADFI, average daily feed intake;
- ANOVA, analysis of variance;
- BW, body weight;
- CFU, colony-forming units;
- DAB, diaminobenzidine;
- DAO, diamine oxidase;
- ETEC, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli;
- F/G, feed/gain ratio;
- GAPDH, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase;
- GCs, goblet cells;
- IECs, intestinal epithelial cells;
- IELs, intraepithelial lymphocytes;
- IL-1β, interleukin 1β;
- IL-10, interleukin 10;
- OD, optical density;
- PBS, phosphate buffered saline;
- SPSS, Statistical Product and Service Solutions;
- SEM, total standard error of means;
- sIgA, secretory immunoglobulin A;
- TLR4, Toll-like receptor 4;
- TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor α
Keywords
- Curcumin;
- Weaned piglets;
- Growth performance;
- Immune status;
- Intestinal mucosae
- Corresponding author. Tel.:
+ 86 898 233 07340.
- 1
- These authors contributed equally to this work.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
