PARTNER FEATURE ▶▶▶
Figure 2 - In vitro effect of high temperature and betaine on the trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) of cells. 115
Control 37⁰ C Control 42⁰ C
110 105 100 95 90 85 0 2 4 Time (h)
substances and pathogenic bacteria that otherwise would cause inflammation. In pigs, a negative effect on the gut bar- rier can occur as a result of mycotoxin contamination of feed or as one of the negative impacts of heat stress. To measure the influence on the barrier effect, in vitro tests on cell lines, measuring trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER), are often used. With the application of betaine, improved TEER was observed in multiple in vitro experiments. When cells are exposed to high temperatures (42°C), there is a decrease in TEER (Figure 2). The addition of betaine in the growth medium of these heat-exposed cells counteracted the decreased TEER, indicating improved heat resistance. Additionally, in vivo research in piglets measured increased expression of tight junction proteins (occludin, claudin-1 and zonula occludens-1), in the jejunal tissue of animals on a diet with 1,250mg/kg betaine compared to control. Also, the marker for intestinal mucosal injury – diamine oxidase activi- ty in the plasma of these pigs – was significantly lower, indi- cating a stronger gut barrier. When betaine was supplement- ed to the diet of growing finishing pigs, increased gut tensile strength was measured at slaughter.
Antioxidative effects Some recent studies link betaine to the antioxidative system and describe reduced free radicals, lower malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and improved glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. A recent study in piglets showed an increase in GSH- Px activity in the jejunum, while MDA was not influenced by dietary betaine.
Microbiota Betaine acts not only as an osmoprotectant in animals. Multiple bacteria can also accumulate betaine by de novo
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0.25 mM Betaine 37⁰ C 0.25 mM Betaine 42⁰ C
synthesis or by transport from the environment. There are in- dications that betaine can have a positive effect on the bacte- rial population of the gastrointestinal tract of weaned piglets. Total ileal bacterial numbers, and specifically the number of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, were increased. Also, lower numbers of enterobacteria were found in the faeces.
Decreased diarrhoea rate A last observed effect of betaine on gut health in weaning piglets is a decrease in diarrhoea rate. This effect could be dos- age-dependent – dietary supplementation of 2,500 mg/kg betaine was more effective than 1,250 mg/kg in decreasing the diarrhoea rate. However, performance of weaned piglets was similar at both supplementation levels. Other research has shown lower diarrhoea rates and morbidity in weaned piglets when betaine was supplemented at 800 mg/kg.
Betaine hydrochloride (HCl) as acidifier Another interesting concept is the potential acidifying ef- fect of betaine HCl as a source of betaine. In human medi- cine, betaine HCl supplements are available, often in combi- nation with pepsin, to support people with stomach problems and digestive troubles. Betaine HCl serves in this case as a safe source of hydrochloric acid. Although no in- formation is available about this property when betaine HCl is included in piglet feed, it could be of great importance. For the young weaning piglet, it is known that gastric pH can be relatively high (pH>4), impairing the activation of the protein-degrading enzyme pepsin from its precursor pepsinogen. Optimal protein digestion is not only impor- tant for good availability of this nutrient for the animal. Undigested protein leads to unwanted proliferation of op- portunistic pathogenic bacteria and increases problems with post-weaning diarrhoea. The low pKa value of ap proxi mately 1.8 for betaine leads to the dissociation of betaine HCl after ingestion, resulting in acidification of the stomach. That transient reacidification has been observed in a pilot study in humans and in a study in dogs. After a single dose of either 750 mg or 1,500 mg betaine HCl, gastric pH of dogs previously medicated with a stomach acid reducing agent severely dropped from an approximate pH 7 to pH 2. In the unmedicated control dogs, however, the stomach pH level was approximately 2, independent of the supplemen- tation with betaine HCl.
Betaine benefits gut health Betaine positively influences gut health of weaning piglets. This review of literature highlights how betaine can support nutrient digestion and absorption, improve the physical barrier of protection, impact microbiota and enhance piglets’ defence.
References available on request (
maele@orffa.com).
TEER (%)
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