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The administration of prebiotics into the pig’s diet may regulate the intestinal microbiota and has a long-term health-related impact on the host. Inulin-type fructans can stimulate mineral absorption from the gut and affect renal mechanism of water and electrolyte balance regulation. Additionally, it may regulate energy metabolism, activate enzymatic mechanisms preventing oxidative stress and modulate the cholesterol and triglyceride synthesis in the liver. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to estimate the influence of dietary supplementation with dried chicory root or native chicory inulin on 1) liver histology; 2) liver and kidney lipid metabolism indices, activity of selected enzymes, concentration of macro- and micronutrients and heavy metals; 3) blood plasma, liver and kidney oxidative stress biomarkers and 4) blood plasma water-electrolyte homeostasis indices in growing pigs. The nutritional study was conducted on 24 piglets assigned to 3 dietary groups (n = 8): control (C) fed a basal diet and two experimental groups receiving basal diet supplemented with 2% of inulin (IN) either 4% of dried chicory root (CR). The animals were fed with a group-specific diet for 40 days and then subjected to euthanasia. Subsequently, blood, liver and kidney samples were harvested for further processing.
In the control and experimental groups, no apparent morphological abnormalities in the liver tissues were seen. The percent of periodic acid Schiff positive glycogen liver cells was significantly lower in the CR group as compared to C and IN groups. Chicory root supplementation improved blood plasma prooxidative-antioxidative balance - PAB and liver PAB and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Feeding the CR diet increased calcium and potassium and decreased cadmium content in the liver when compared to the C group. Administration of the CR and IN diets increased selenium (Se) and sodium concentrations, whereas decreased zinc content both in the liver and in the kidney of pigs. Additionally, a higher concentration of lead was observed in the kidney of pigs fed the CR diet.
In conclusion, both dietary supplements had a potential to significantly improve the Se status and oxidoreductive homeostasis in growing pigs.
Lepczyński A, Herosimczyk A, Barszcz M, Ożgo M, Michałek K, Grabowska M, Tuśniob A, Szczerbińskad D, Skomiał J. Diet supplemented either with dried chicory root or chicory inulin significantly influence kidney and liver mineral content and antioxidative capacity in growing pigs. Animal. 2021;15(2): 100129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2020.100129
