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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1415860
This article is part of the Research Topic Insights into the Gut Microbiota in Companion Animals View all 9 articles

Effects of Chenpi (Citrus Reticulata cv. Chachiensis) on Serum Antioxidant Enzymes, Inflammatory Factors, and Intestinal Health in Beagle Dogs

Provisionally accepted
Wencan Wang Wencan Wang 1,2Ling Xu Ling Xu 2*Yan Zhang Yan Zhang 3*Yong Cao Yong Cao 4*Yixue Yang Yixue Yang 2*Guo Liu Guo Liu 4,5*Xin Mao Xin Mao 2*
  • 1 Other, Chongqing, China
  • 2 chongqing sweet pet products co., ltd, Chongqing, China
  • 3 College of Biological Engineering, Sichuan Water Conservancy Vocational College, Chengdu, China
  • 4 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
  • 5 College of Light Industry and Food Science, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Ensuring companion animal welfare is a top priority for the pet industry and owners alike. The health of the pets can be directly and effectively improved through diet. Chenpi includes beneficial ingredients with proven anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. The present investigation involved feeding snacks infused with Chenpi powder (CPP) to dogs for 42 days to examine the potential health benefits of CPP. The research evidenced a notable increase in serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in dogs, accompanied by a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) level. Additionally, CPP increased fecal scores and significantly reduced fecal odors due to inhibition of 3-methylindole, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and ammonia nitrogen (NH4 + -N), and also raised the levels of fecal secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA). Analysis of the microbial composition via 16S rRNA sequencing showed that CPP increased Bacteroidota and decreased Firmicutes in the gut flora at the phylum level. Functional prediction study of microbial communities also showed that the CPP group enriched metabolic and genetic information processing pathways. In addition, there were significant correlations between serum indicators and several significantly altered microorganisms. These findings suggest that CPP can potentially enhance the overall health of dogs by reducing fecal odorants, enhancing antioxidant and immunological capabilities, and modulating intestinal flora. This study establishes a solid scientific foundation regarding the application of CPP in functional pet foods.

    Keywords: Chenpi, intestinal flora, Pet health, Functional Foods, dog

    Received: 11 Apr 2024; Accepted: 23 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Xu, Zhang, Cao, Yang, Liu and Mao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Ling Xu, chongqing sweet pet products co., ltd, Chongqing, China
    Yan Zhang, College of Biological Engineering, Sichuan Water Conservancy Vocational College, Chengdu, China
    Yong Cao, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
    Yixue Yang, chongqing sweet pet products co., ltd, Chongqing, China
    Guo Liu, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
    Xin Mao, chongqing sweet pet products co., ltd, Chongqing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.