Antibacterial plant combinations prevent postweaning diarrhea in organically raised piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli F18

Kevin Jerez-Bogota; Martin Jensen; Ole Højberg; Paul Cormican; Peadar G Lawlor; Gillian E Gardiner; Nuria Canibe

doi:10.3389/fvets.2023.1095160

Antibacterial plant combinations prevent postweaning diarrhea in organically raised piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli F18

Front Vet Sci. 2023 Apr 3:10:1095160. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1095160. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Kevin Jerez-Bogota^{1

2}, Martin Jensen¹, Ole Højberg², Paul Cormican³, Peadar G Lawlor⁴, Gillian E Gardiner⁵, Nuria Canibe²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
² Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark.
³ Animal Bioscience Research Centre, Teagasc Grange, Meath, Ireland.
⁴ Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Fermoy, Ireland.
⁵ Department of Science, Eco-Innovation Research Centre, Southeast Technological University, Waterford, Ireland.

Abstract

Antibiotics and zinc oxide restrictions encourage the search for alternatives to combat intestinal pathogens, including enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a major cause of postweaning diarrhea (PWD) in pigs. PWD causes important economic losses for conventional and organic farming. This study investigated the effect of dietary supplementation with garlic and apple pomace or blackcurrant on infection indicators and the fecal microbiota of organic-raised piglets challenged with ETEC-F18. For 21 days, 32 piglets (7-weeks-old) were randomly assigned to one of four groups: non-challenge (NC); ETEC-challenged (PC); ETEC-challenged receiving garlic and apple pomace (3 + 3%; GA); ETEC-challenged receiving garlic and blackcurrant (3 + 3%; GB). ETEC-F18 was administered (8 mL; 10⁹ CFU/ml) on days 1 and 2 postweaning. The 1st week, PC had lower average daily gain than those in the NC, GA, and GB groups (P < 0.05). NC pigs showed neither ETEC-F18 shedding nor signs of diarrhea. The PC group had higher diarrhea incidence and lower fecal dry matter than NC (≈5-10 days; 95% sEBCI). The GA and GB groups showed reduced ETEC-F18 and fedA gene shedding, higher fecal dry matter, and lower diarrhea incidence than the PC (≈5-9 days; 95% sEBCI). The NC, GA, and GB had normal hematology values during most of the study, whereas the PC had increased (P < 0.05) red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit on day 7. Haptoglobin and pig-MAP increased in all groups, peaking on day 7, but PC showed the greatest increase (P < 0.05). The fecal microbiota of PC pigs had reduced α-diversity (day 7; P < 0.05) and higher volatility (days 3-14; P < 0.05). Escherichia, Campylobacter, and Erysipelothrix were more abundant in the PC than in the NC, GB, and GA groups (log₂FC > 2; P < 0.05), whereas Catenibacterium, Dialister, and Mitsoukella were more abundant in the NC, GB, and GA than in the PC group (log₂FC > 2; P < 0.05). Prevotella and Lactobacillus were more abundant in the GB group (log₂FC > 2, P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of GA and GB limited ETEC proliferation, reduced PWD, and beneficially impacted the fecal microbiota's diversity, composition, and stability.

Keywords: Escherichia coli; antibacterial plant; apple pomace; blackcurrant; diarrhea; garlic; microbiota; organic pigs.

Grants and funding

The manuscript is a shared result from cooperation between the two projects MAFFRA II and MonoGutHealth. The MAFFRA II project (Plant cocktails with antibacterial effect against weaning diarrhea in organic piglets—applied proof of concept) has received funding from ORDD4 program from GUDP (Green Development and Demonstration Program) from the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food coordinated by ICROFS with the grant no: 34009-18-1383. The MonoGutHealth project (Training and research for sustainable solutions to support and sustain gut health and reduce losses in monogastric livestock) has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no: 955374. KJB is a Ph.D. student in MonoGuthHealth.