epiglucan and Diarrhea

Studies have shown that β-glucans extracted from the cell wall of cereals, algae, and yeasts have been associated with improved immune function. However, it is unknown whether algae β-glucan supplementation affects the performance, blood metabolites, or cell counts of immune cells in dairy calves. The objective of this randomized clinical trial was to evaluate whether supplementation of β-glucans to milk replacer in dairy calves fed 6 L/d improved growth performance and fecal status and altered the blood metabolite profile. In this trial, we enrolled Holstein calves (n = 34) at birth (body weight 36.38 ± 1.33 kg; mean ± standard deviation) to receive, from 1 d of age, either 2 g/d algae β-glucans mixed into 6 L/d of milk replacer (22.4% crude protein and 16.2% fat) or an unsupplemented milk replacer (control). The calves were blocked in pairs according to birth weight, sex, and date of birth (up to 5 d difference). Calves were housed individually, and calf starter (24.7% crude protein and 13.9% neutral detergent fiber) was offered ad libitum based on orts of the previous day until 56 d of age (end of the trial). Body weight was measured weekly, and health checks and daily fecal consistency were evaluated daily in every calf by the same observer. Calves with 2 consecutive days of loose feces that sifted through bedding were considered diarrhea positive. We used a linear mixed effects model to evaluate the effects of β-glucan supplementation fed during the preweaning period on performance (average daily gain), final weight, feed efficiency (FE), white blood cell count, and selected blood metabolites, repeated by time. A generalized linear mixed effects model was also run to evaluate the likelihood of a diarrhea bout in the first 28 d of life, controlling for the calf as the subject with a logistic distribution. We included age, serum total protein at 48 h, and birth weight as covariates. At 56 d, β-glucan-supplemented calves weighed more than control calves (56.3 vs. 51.5 kg). Treatment had no effect on total starter intake, but there was a treatment by age interaction for FE, with greater FE for β-glucan-supplemented calves in wk 3 and 5 of age. There was only a tendency for average daily gain to be greater in supplemented calves than in control calves for the duration of the study. Furthermore, control calves had 14.66 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 9.87-21.77] times greater odds of having a diarrheal bout than β-glucan-supplemented calves. Control ca

Topics: Albumins; Animal Feed; Animals; beta-Glucans; Birth Weight; Body Weight; Cattle; Creatinine; Detergents; Diarrhea; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Glucose; Milk; Weaning

Nutrients such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), prebiotics and β-glucan have been associated with reduced incidence of respiratory illnesses and allergic manifestations (AM). Our objective was to assess if consumption of a cow's milk-based beverage with these and other nutrients supports respiratory, gastrointestinal, and skin health in otherwise well-nourished, healthy children.. In this double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, healthy children (1-4 years of age) from two daycare centers in Brazil were fed three servings/day of a cow's milk-based beverage (CMBB; n = 125) containing DHA, the prebiotics polydextrose (PDX) and galactooligosaccharides (GOS), β-glucan, and other key nutrients, or a control cow's milk-based beverage (control; n = 131) for up to 28 weeks. Occurrence of respiratory infections, diarrheal disease and AM was assessed by study pediatricians and the number of episodes were analyzed with the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test and the Andersen-Gill model.. The CMBB group had fewer episodes of AM, which included allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis, wheezing, allergic cough, eczema and urticaria, compared to the control group (p = 0.021). The hazard ratio for increased number of episodes of AM was lower in the CMBB group compared to control (HR, 0.64; 95 % CI 0.47-0.89; p = 0.007). There was no difference in the incidence of respiratory infections and diarrheal disease between groups.. A cow's milk-based beverage containing DHA, PDX/GOS, and yeast β-glucan, and supplemented with micronutrients, including zinc, vitamin A and iron, when consumed 3 times/day for 28 weeks by healthy 1- to 4-year-old children was associated with fewer episodes of allergic manifestations in the skin and the respiratory tract.. registration number: NCT01431469.

Topics: Animals; beta-Glucans; Beverages; Biomarkers; Brazil; Child, Preschool; Diarrhea; Dietary Supplements; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Double-Blind Method; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Incidence; Infant; Interleukin-10; Male; Micronutrients; Milk; Prebiotics; Prospective Studies; Respiratory Tract Infections; Socioeconomic Factors; Transforming Growth Factor beta1; Treatment Outcome; Trisaccharides

The effect of orally administered beta-glucans in protecting pigs against an ETEC infection after weaning was analysed in this study. Three beta-glucans that differed in origin (Saccharomyces cerevisiae (MCG (Macrogard) and G2) or Sclerotium rolfsii (G3)) and/or extraction procedure were tested. Pigs fed for 2 weeks after weaning with these glucans were less susceptible to an F4+ ETEC infection in comparison with the control group. This was evidenced by a reduction in the faecal excretion of F4+ Escherichia coli as well as a reduced F4-specific serum antibody response. This decrease in faecal excretion was statistically significant for pigs fed with the MCG glucan in a first experiment and with the G3 glucan in a second experiment; diarrhoea was milder in the glucan-supplemented groups and was significantly reduced in the MCG-supplemented group. Furthermore, a lower amount of F4-specific IgM antibody-secreting cells (ASC) was found in the lymphoid tissues of pigs fed with G2 or G3 glucans in comparison with the control pig, as well as lower F4-specific IgA ASC in G3-fed pigs in comparison with the control pig. This study showed that beta-glucans can protect against an ETEC infection. Both MCG from S. cerevisiae and G3 from S. rolfsii, resulted in significant effects. To our knowledge, this is the first in vivo study, in which the use of beta-glucans as feed ingredient for just-weaned piglets was tested for their protective effects against ETEC infection.

Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; beta-Glucans; Diarrhea; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Infections; Immunoglobulins; Swine; Swine Diseases; Weaning

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is currently used as a dietary supplement to support gut homeostasis during the standard 'abrupt' weaning practices in commercial pig production. However, a replacement is urgently required as a ban on ZnO usage is imminent. The objective of this study was to explore the potential of a bovine casein hydrolysate (5kDaR) and yeast β-glucan, and their combination, as an alternative to ZnO. Eighty 21d old male piglets received a basal diet or supplemented with 5kDaR and yeast β-glucan alone or in combination, or ZnO from the day of weaning and were monitored for 10 days (n = 8/group; dietary groups: control diet; control diet + 5kDaR; control diet + yeast β-glucan; control diet + 5kDaR + yeast β-glucan; control diet + ZnO). Individually, supplement yeast β-glucan or 5kDaR did not improve gut health. In contrast, the yeast β-glucan + 5kDaR combination supplement supported a healthy gut, indicated by healthy faecal scores and improved growth parameters; similar to ZnO inclusion (P > 0.05). There was no negative effect on the gut microbiota with yeast β-glucan + 5kDaR supplementation; while ZnO negatively affected the Bifidobacterium spp. abundance (P < 0.05). The inflammatory NFκB pathway was suppressed by yeast β-glucan + 5kDaR supplementation, similar to ZnO (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the dietary supplement yeast β-glucan + 5kDaR restored homeostasis of the newly weaned piglet gut similar to the widely used ZnO, and can potentially replace ZnO.

Topics: Animals; beta-Glucans; Caseins; Cattle; Diarrhea; Dietary Supplements; Male; Random Allocation; Swine; Weaning; Zinc Oxide

Gastrointestinal (GI) leakage in Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is well known but is not routinely assessed in clinical practice. Serum (1→3)-β-D-glucan (BG), a fungal cell wall component used as a biomarker for invasive fungal disease, was tested in a CDAD mouse model with and without probiotics. Higher serum fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-dextran) and spontaneous gram-negative bacteremia, GI leakage indicators, were frequently found in CDAD mice, which died compared with those which survived. BG, serum macrophage inflammatory protein-2 and FITC-dextran but not quantitative blood bacterial count differentiated the clinical severity. Interestingly, a specific dose of Lactobacillus rhamnosus L34 attenuated CDAD and decreased serum BG and FITC-dextran, but not other parameters. BG also showed a higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for 7-day mortality than FITC-dextran. Fifty-five percent of CDAD mice with BG ≥ 60 pg/ml (the human negative cut-off value for invasive fungal disease) at 1 day after C. difficile gavage died within 7 days. In conclusion, S: erum BG was elevated in mice with severe CDAD, an established model of GI leakage with a strong association with mortality rate. BG monitoring in patients with CDAD is of interest as both a potential prognostic tool and a therapeutic efficacy indicator.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; beta-Glucans; Biomarkers; Chemokine CXCL2; Clostridioides difficile; Diarrhea; Disease Models, Animal; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous; Gastrointestinal Tract; Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Permeability; Probiotics; ROC Curve

Ulcerative colitis is a major inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), characterized by inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract through chronic or relapsing immune system activation. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential protective effect of oat β-glucan (βG) against colitis induced by DSS in mice. Eighty mice were randomly divided into the control group (no DSS, no βG), DSS group (DSS only), DSS + L-βG group (DSS plus 500 mg per kg βG), and DSS + H-βG group (DSS plus 1000 mg per kg βG). Compared with the DSS group, administration of βG significantly reduced clinical symptoms with less weight loss, diarrhea and shortening of the colon, the severity of colitis was significantly inhibited as evidenced by the reduced disease activity index (DAI) and degree of histological damage in colon. Moreover, treatment with βG not only decreased myeloperoxidase activity (MPO), and nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, but also inhibited mRNA and protein expression of pro-inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and iNOS. This suggests that oat βG in diet might exhibit an anti-inflammatory function against colitis through inhibition of expression of pro-inflammatory factors.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Avena; beta-Glucans; Colitis, Ulcerative; Colon; Cytokines; Dextran Sulfate; Diarrhea; Male; Malondialdehyde; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Nitric Oxide; Peroxidase; Phytotherapy; Protective Agents; Random Allocation; RNA, Messenger; Spleen; Weight Loss

The present study aimed to determine the effect of oral β-glucan on mucositis and leukopenia in 62 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer treated with an adjuvant FOLFOX-4 regimen. The patients were retrospectively evaluated in 2 groups: one group received β-glucan and the other did not (control group). Leucocytes, neutrophils, and platelets were evaluated before and 1 week after chemotherapy and oral mucositis and diarrhea were noted. Leucocyte and neutrophil counts after chemotherapy in the β-glucan group were 7,300/mm3 and 3,800/mm3, respectively, and the reductions, as compared to baseline, were not significant (p=0.673 and 0.784). The median platelet count was 264,000/mm3 after chemotherapy in the β-glucan group and the reduction, as compared to baseline, was borderline significant (p=0.048). In the control group, reduction in leucocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts was statistically significant. Oral mucositis and diarrhea were less common in the β-glucan group. We conclude that β-glucan can be used to reduce the adverse effects of chemotherapy.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Administration, Oral; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; beta-Glucans; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Cohort Studies; Colorectal Neoplasms; Diarrhea; Female; Fluorouracil; Humans; Leucovorin; Leukocyte Count; Leukopenia; Male; Middle Aged; Mucositis; Organoplatinum Compounds; Platelet Count; Retrospective Studies; Stomatitis; Treatment Outcome