Prebiotics and probiotics are frequent considerations for multimodal therapies in monogastrics, regardless of species
It can be difficult to remain objective about their benefits, but the growing body of work indicates that considering the microbiome will become more prevalent in managing disease risk and potential treatments. We gathered several references for consideration.
The gut, or gastrointestinal tract, has been understood to be where the body takes in food, absorbs nutrients and eliminates waste. But the functions of its resident microbiota are intruigingly more complex. While researchers seek more definitive answers, current options available to influence the gut microbiome include prebiotics, probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).
Besides what the gut microbiome affects, research is also looking at what affects the microbiome.
Source: AAHA Trends, February 2019. Link.
“The gut microbiome has a great impact on the host metabolism because the microbiota produce myriad metabolites, and these metabolites may influence metabolic processes taking place in other organs,” said Frederic Gaschen, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA. Those impacts may include metabolic diseases and even some neurological diseases.
Also see: Feeding the patient and its microbiome, NAVC Spark, Hills Pet Nutrition sponsored video, March 15, 2019. Link.
Also see: Gut health, young animal nutrition and Agtech on Cargill’s radar, FeedNavigator, March 12, 2019. Link.
Focusing on young animal nutrition, boosting gut health and the sustainability of the livestock and poultry sectors are some of the ways Cargill is seeking to address current and future industry challenges, says managing director.
Also see: How the microbiome could be the key to new cancer treatments, Smithsonian, March 7, 2019. Link.
Although at least 70 percent of immune cells are believed to reside in the gut—often called the “second brain”—scientists didn’t become particularly interested in the human microbiome until 2005.
Also see: Innate immunity in the small intestine, NCBI – NIH, March 2012. Link. The small intestine is most commonly affected by diseases such as Crohn’s disease or chronic infection as a result of defects in the innate immune response. Because of the dependence of the host on adequate nutrient absorption, the small intestine must be able to protect against pathogenic infection but not interfere with this important process.
Also see: Managing pig gut health, an overview. Farm Progress, via National Hog Farmer. Link.
This paper outlines four aspects of gut health science that can help the operator maximize herd health: weaning-age, antibiotic use, inclusion of fermentable fiber, as well as the aim of current research, to develop a clearer picture of the overall microbiome in the pig gut, with an increasing understanding of which gut flora and fauna perform what role in digestion, immune response and other functions.
INSIGHTS: From an immune function standpoint, the small intestine is a primary area of focus.