Effects of Cortex Phellodendri extract on post‐weaning piglets diarrhoea

• Published in: Veterinary medicine and science 2020-11, Vol.6 (4), p.901-909
• Main Authors: Xu, Xiaofan, Pan, Yunxin, Xu, Baoyang, Yan, Yiqin, Yin, Boqi, Wang, Yanqing, Hu, Shuxin, Ma, Libao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Cell adhesion; Cell adhesion & migration; Cortex; cortex phellodendri extract; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Diarrhea; diarrhoea; Diet; DNA; E coli; Escherichia coli; Experiments; Hogs; Infections; Intestinal microflora; Microbiota; Oral administration; Original; Oxytetracycline; Pathogens; Pili; rRNA 16S; Standard scores; Weaning; weaning piglets
• ISSN: 2053-1095; 2053-1095
• DOI: 10.1002/vms3.304

The diarrhoea incidence rate is often high among weaning piglets. In light of the fact that Cortex phellodendri has long been used to treat diarrhoea in China, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of Cortex Phellodendri Extract (CPE) on diarrhoea in weaning piglets and the mechanism behind such effects. In the first trial, 36 diarrhoeal weaning piglets were randomly divided into three groups. The control group was injected with 20 mg oxytetracycline/kg BW, while the two treatment groups were orally administered with 10 mg and 20 mg CPE/kg BW respectively. In the second trial, 96 weaning piglets were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was fed basal diet, while 300 mg CPE/kg BW was added to the diet of the treatment group. The pathogenic bacteria were then isolated and identified from the diarrhoeal faecal samples. Cell adhesion and RT‐PCR tests were used to investigate the effect of CPE on the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria to IPEC‐J2 cells. 16S rDNA‐based high‐throughput sequencing was used to analyse faecal microflora. The results showed that CPE reduced the diarrhoea incidence rate (p < 0.05) and diarrhoea index (p < 0.05) compared to control group, and increased the richness and evenness of weaning piglets’ gut microbiota. Escherichia coli (E. coil) was identified as the causative organism. Cell adhesion and RT‐PCR tests suggested that CPE reduced the adhesion of E. coli to IPEC‐J2 cells (p < 0.05) and the expression of fae and faeG gene (p < 0.05) responsible for encoding E. coli fimbriae protein. Cortex Phellodendri Extract by reducing E. coli adhered to the intestinal epithelial cell for its colonization to protect weaned piglets.