AUTHOR=Gu Xueling , Li Zhiqing , Wang Jing , Chen Jiashun , Jiang Qian , Liu Nian , Liu Xiang , Zhang Fan , Tan Bie , Li Hao , Ma Xiaokang 

TITLE=Fermented Cottonseed Meal as a Partial Replacement for Soybean Meal Could Improve the Growth Performance, Immunity and Antioxidant Properties, and Nutrient Digestibility by Altering the Gut Microbiota Profile of Weaned Piglets

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.734389

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.734389

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The study investigated the impact of fermented cottonseed meal (FCSM) on growth performance, immunity and antioxidant properties, nutrient digestibility, and gut microbiota of weaned piglets by replacing soybean meal with FCSM in the diet. The experimental piglets were fed with either the soybean meal diet (SBM group) or fermented cottonseed meal diet (FCSM group) for 14days after weaning. The digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), gross energy (GE), amino acids and nitrogen was higher in the FCSM diet than those in the SBM diet (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.05). The piglets in the FCSM group showed greater growth performance and lower diarrhea rate than those in the SBM group (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.05). The concentration of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and antioxidase, intestinal and hepatic antioxidase were increased and the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum was decreased in those piglets in the FCSM group compared to those piglets in the SBM group (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.05). The piglets in the FCSM group had a higher concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in their ileum and cecum and a higher Simpson index of ileum than piglets in the SBM group (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.05). The relative abundance of <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> and <italic>[Ruminococcus]_torques_group</italic> in ileum and <italic>Intestinibacter</italic>, <italic>norank_f_Muribaculaceae</italic>, <italic>unclassified_o_Lactobacillales</italic> and <italic>[Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group</italic> in cecum were enhanced in piglets fed with the FCSM diet, whereas the relative abundance of <italic>Sarcina</italic> and <italic>Terrisporobacter</italic> were increased in piglets fed with the SBM diet. Overall, FCSM replacing SBM improved the growth performance, immunity and antioxidant properties, and nutrient digestibility; possibly <italic>via</italic> the alterant gut microbiota and its metabolism of weaned piglets.</p><p><fig position="float" id="fig4"><label>Graphical Abstract</label><caption><p>Fermented cottonseed meal as a partial replacement for soybean meal could improve the growth performance, immunity and antioxidant properties, and nutrient digestibility by altering the gut microbiota profile of weaned piglets. SBM, soybean meal; FCSM, fermented cottonseed meal.</p></caption><graphic xlink:href="fmicb-12-734389-g004.tif" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" /></fig></p>