β-Carotene prevents weaning-induced intestinal inflammation by modulating gut microbiota in piglets

Objective: Weaning is an important stage in the life of young mammals, which is associated with intestinal inflammation, gut microbiota disorders, and even death. beta-carotene displays anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, which can prevent the development of inflammatory diseases. However, whether beta-carotene can affect intestinal microbiota remains unclear. Methods: Twenty-four piglets were distributed into four groups: the normal suckling group (Con), the weaning group (WG), the weaning+beta-carotene (40 mg/kg) group (LCBC), and the weaning+beta-carotene (80 mg/kg) group (HCBC). The serum, jejunum, colon, and faeces were collected separately from each group. The effects of beta-carotene on the phenotype, overall structure, and composition of gut microbiota were assessed in weaning piglets. Results: The results showed that beta-carotene improved the growth performance and intestinal morphology, and relieved inflammation. Furthermore, beta-carotene significantly decreased the species from phyla Bacteroidetes and the genus Prevotella, and increased the species from the phyla Firmicutes and the genera Blautia, p-75-a5, and Parabacteroides compared to the WG group. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that Prevotella and Blautia were positively correlated, and Parabacteroides and Synergistes were negatively correlated with the levels of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha, while p-75-a5 showed negative correlation with IL-6 in serum samples from piglets. Conclusion: These findings indicate that beta-carotene could alleviate weaning-induced intestinal inflammation by modulating gut microbiota in piglets. Prevotella may be a potential target of beta-carotene in alleviating the weaning-induced intestinal inflammation in piglets.