AUTHOR=Fan Jiaqi , Li Chong , Han Wenxiao , Wu Fengyang , Fan Huimin , Fan Dongfeng , Liu Yajuan , Gu Zilin , Wang Yuanyuan , Chen Saijuan , Chen Baojiang 

TITLE=Yeast peptides alleviate lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal barrier damage in rabbits involving Toll-like receptor signaling pathway modulation and gut microbiota regulation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1393434

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2024.1393434

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Introduction</title><p>Yeast peptides have garnered attention as valuable nutritional modifiers due to their potential health benefits. However, the precise mechanisms underlying their effects remain elusive. This study aims to explore the potential of yeast peptides, when added to diets, to mitigate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal damage and microbiota alterations in rabbits.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 160 35-day-old Hyla line rabbits (0.96 ± 0.06 kg) were randomly assigned to 4 groups. These groups constituted a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: basal diet (CON), 100 mg/kg yeast peptide diet (YP), LPS challenge + basal diet (LPS), LPS challenge +100 mg/kg yeast peptide diet (L-YP). The experiment spanned 35 days, encompassing a 7-day pre-feeding period and a 28-day formal trial.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>The results indicated that yeast peptides mitigated the intestinal barrier damage induced by LPS, as evidenced by a significant reduction in serum Diamine oxidase and D-lactic acid levels in rabbits in the L-YP group compared to the LPS group (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, in the jejunum, the L-YP group exhibited a significantly higher villus height compared to the LPS group (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). In comparison to the LPS group, the L-YP rabbits significantly upregulated the expression of <italic>Claudin-1</italic>, <italic>Occludin-1</italic> and <italic>ZO-1</italic> in the jejunum (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Compared with the CON group, the YP group significantly reduced the levels of rabbit jejunal inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) and decreased the relative mRNA expression of jejunal signaling pathway-associated inflammatory factors such as <italic>TLR4</italic>, <italic>MyD88</italic>, <italic>NF-κB</italic> and <italic>IL-1β</italic> (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Additionally, notable changes in the hindgut also included the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) of the YP group was significantly higher than that of the CON group (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). 16S RNA sequencing revealed a substantial impact of yeast peptides on the composition of the cecal microbiota. Correlation analyses indicated potential associations of specific gut microbiota with jejunal inflammatory factors, tight junction proteins, and SCFA.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>In conclusion, yeast peptides have shown promise in mitigating LPS-induced intestinal barrier damage in rabbits through their anti-inflammatory effects, modulation of the gut microbiota, and maintenance of intestinal tight junctions.</p></sec>