Supporting gut health with macroalgal extracts
Gut health has become increasingly important in the livestock industry with the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and the urge to limit the use of antibiotics. Macroalgal extracts can play an important role within the reduction of antibiotics use in farms.
BY MARÍA GARCÍA SUÁREZ, FOR FEED PRODUCT SPECIALIST, OLMIX GROUP T
he intestinal mucosa converges various functions: digestion and absorption of nutrients; as well as physical barrier against microbes and toxins thanks to the presence of a protective mucus layer and
tight junction proteins that seal the paracellular space. The intestinal mucosa hosts both gut microbiota and immune cells (70% of the total number of immune cells are residents of the gut mucosa and gut-associated lymphoid tissue). In
modern production systems, the gastrointestinal tract is be- ing challenged and the subtle balance gut health relies on can be impaired. The components that define gut barrier and immune function can be weakened and lead to higher occur- rence of digestive troubles associated with dysbiosis. This dis- balance will trigger local and systemic inflammation, affect- ing the global health status and the growth performance of the animals. The challenge in the industry is to find solutions capable of supporting the epithelial barrier function and the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) in order to maintain a proper gut health and thus ensure good performance with- out the need of antibiotics.
Figure 1 - Seaweed polysaccharides structure responsible of their high biological activities.
Sulphated branched hetero- polysaccharide
Sulphate group S S S Branched hetero-polysaccharide
Unique structural features Parietal polysaccharides of seaweeds present structural com- plexity and a unique composition that confer them high reac- tivity and explain their biological properties when used in an- imals. The complexity and biological reactivity of seaweed polysaccharides derive from the na- ture of the sugar units, which are di- verse and some- times rare, such as uronic acids, xylose and rhamnose; the variety of glycosid- ic bonds leading to their branched structure and the presence of sul- phate groups (Fig- ure 1). Further- more, their
S S S Branched homo-polysaccharide Linear homo-polysaccharide Sugar unit
polyanionic struc- ture and solubility increases their re- activity and facili- tates their recogni- tion by host cells. Sulphated polysac- charides are char- acteristic of mac- roalgae (they are
30 ▶ GUT HEALTH | DECEMBER 2020
StrucBio
turalogic
l coal
a
m ctiv pl
e
it
xit y
y
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124
