Alteration of Porcine Intestinal Microbiota in Response to Dietary Manno-Oligosaccharide Supplementation

Manno-oligosaccharide (MOS) is a prebiotic derived from natural plants or yeasts. Here, we explored the response of intestinal microbiota and epithelial functions after ingestion of MOS in a porcine model. Sixteen pigs were randomly assigned into two treatments and fed with basal or MOS-containing (0.3% MOS) diet for 21 days. Results showed that MOS supplementation increased the cecal acetate content and ileal 16S rRNA gene copies (p < 0.05). Importantly, MOS decreased the abundance of phylum Proteobacteria in cecal digesta (p < 0.05). Moreover, MOS elevated the expression level of SCL5A8 and GPR109A but decreased the expression levels of HDAC1 and TNF-alpha in the ileal and cecal mucosa (p < 0.05). MOS upregulated the expression levels of tight-junction protein (ZO-1, claudin-1, and occludin) and IGF-1 in the ileum and cecum (p < 0.05). This study presents the alteration of intestinal microbiota composition and intestinal barrier function after MOS administration, and facilitates our understanding of the mechanisms behind the dietary MOS-modulated intestinal microbiota and health.