title: Effects of probiotic Bacillus as a substitute for antibiotics on antioxidant capacity and intestinal autophagy of piglets.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (Ba) as a substitute for antibiotics on growth performance, antioxidant ability and intestinal autophagy of piglets. Ninety piglets were divided into three groups: G1 (containing 150 mg/Kg aureomycin in the diet); G2 (containing 75 mg/Kg aureomycin and 1 × 108cfu/Kg Ba in the diet); G3 (containing 2 × 108cfu/Kg Ba in the diet without any antibiotics). Each treatment had three replications of ten pigs per pen. Results showed that Ba replacement significantly increased the daily weight gain of piglets. Moreover, improved antioxidant status in serum and jejunum was noted in Ba-fed groups as compared with aureomycin group. Increased gene expression of antioxidant enzymes and elevated nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) in jejunum was also observed in Ba-fed groups. Besides, Ba replacement significantly decreased jejunal c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation compared with antibiotic group. Western blotting results also revealed that replacing all antibiotics with Ba initiated autophagy in the jejunum as evidenced by increased microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 II (LC3-II) abundance. Taken together, these results indicate that replacing aureomycin with Ba can improve growth performance and antioxidant status of piglets via increasing antioxidant capacity and intestinal autophagy, suggesting a good potential for Ba as an alternative to antibiotics in feed.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Feed Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Feed Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Feed Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
authors.forename: Baikui
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Feed Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
authors.forename: Xuefang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Feed Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
authors.forename: Aikun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Feed Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China. liyali06@163.com.|Animal Nutrition and Human Health Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410006, China. liyali06@163.com.
authors.forename: Yali
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Feed Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China. wfli@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Weifen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Antibiotics; Antioxidation; Autophagy; Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; Piglets