Microencapsulated essential oils combined with organic acids improves immune antioxidant capacity and intestinal barrier function as well as modulates the hindgut microbial community in piglets

Abstract Background The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of a combination of microencapsulated essential oils and organic acids (MOA) on growth performance, immuno-antioxidant status, intestinal barrier function and microbial structure of the hindgut in piglets. A total of 120 piglets (Duroc × [Landrace × Yorkshire]; weighted 7.66 ± 1.79 kg, weaned at d 28) were randomly selected and allocated to 3 treatments with 4 replicates per group and 10 piglets per replicate according to the initial body weight and gender. The dietary treatments were as follows: 1) basal diet (Ctrl); 2) Ctrl + chlortetracycline (75 mg/kg) (AGP); 3) Ctrl + MOA (1,500 mg/kg). The experiment period was lasted for 21 d. Results Compared to the Ctrl group, dietary supplemented MOA alleviated (P < 0.05) the diarrhea rate from d 12 to 21, enhanced (P < 0.05) the concentration of serum interlukin-10 and glutathione peroxidase in piglets on d 11 after weaning and serum superoxide dismutase in 21d-piglets. The MOA group also improved (P < 0.05) the apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and gross energy (GE), up-regulated (P < 0.05) the mRNA expression level of occludin, claudin-1 and mucin-2 in ileum and increased (P < 0.05) the contents of propionic and butyric acids in the cecum of piglets. The MOA group modulated the cecal and colonic microbial community structure and increased (P < 0.05) the abundance of Faecalibacterium and Muribaculaceae in cecum and Streptococcus and Weissella in colon. Additionally, AGP group decreased (P < 0.05) apparent digestibility of DM, OM and GE as well as down-regulated (P < 0.05) relative gene expression level of claudin-1 in duodenum and jejunum, ZO-1 and mucin-1 in jejunum of piglets. Conclusion In brief, dietary supplemented MOA alleviated diarrhea and improved nutrient apparent digestibility in piglets via enhancing immuno-antioxidant properties, increasing digestive enzyme activity, up-regulating the expression of intestinal barrier-related genes, and modifying the microbial community structure of the cecum and colon. Therefore, dietary supplementation with MOA as an alternative to antibiotics was feasible to improve intestinal health of piglets in practical production.