AUTHOR=Liu Han , Wang Congmin , Gu Xueling , Zhao Jing , Nie Cunxi , Zhang Wenju , Ma Xi 

TITLE=Dietary Montmorillonite Improves the Intestinal Mucosal Barrier and Optimizes the Intestinal Microbial Community of Weaned Piglets

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.593056

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.593056

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The study investigated the impact of dietary montmorillonite on the growth performance, intestinal mucosal barrier, and microbial community in weaned piglets with control group (CON) and dietary supplementation of 0.2% montmorillonite (0.2% M). Compared with the CON group, 0.2% M feed in the diet increased the average daily gain (ADG) on days 15–35 and day 1–35 and the average daily feed intake on days 1–35 (ADFI) (0.05 &lt; <italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.1). Besides, higher villus height of the duodenum and jejunum and lower crypt depth of duodenum and colon were revealed in the 0.2% M group than in the CON group (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). Moreover, the V/C (ratio of the villus height and crypt depth) in the 0.2% M group was increased compared to that in the CON group both from the duodenum and ileum (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). The relative mRNA expression of <italic>mucin-1</italic>, <italic>ITGB1</italic> (<italic>β1-integrins</italic>), and <italic>PKC</italic> (<italic>protein kinase C</italic>) of ileum in the 0.2% M group were upregulated (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) compared to that in the CON group. The digesta sample of ileum from piglets in the 0.2% M group contained greater (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) intestinal bacterial diversity and abundances of probiotics, such as <italic>Streptococcus</italic>, <italic>Eubacterium_rectale_group</italic>, and <italic>Lactobacillus</italic>, which could promote the synthesis of carbon-containing biomolecules. Overall, dietary supplementation of 0.2% M was shown to have a tendency to improve the growth performance of weaned piglets and may enhance their intestinal mucosal barrier function via altering the gut microbiota.</p>