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

Weaning is an important stage in the life of young mammals, which is associated with intestinal inflammation, gut microbiota disorders, and even death. β-carotene displays anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, which can prevent the development of inflammatory diseases. However, whether β-carotene can affect intestinal microbiota remains unclear. Twenty-four piglets were distributed into four groups: the normal suckling group (Con), the weaning group (WG), the weaning+β-carotene (40 mg/kg) group (LCBC), and the weaning+β-carotene (80 mg/kg) group (HCBC). The serum, jejunum, colon, and faeces were collected separately from each group. The effects of β-carotene on the phenotype, overall structure, and composition of gut microbiota were assessed in weaning piglets. The results showed that β-carotene improved the growth performance and intestinal morphology, and relieved inflammation. Furthermore, β-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-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, while p-75-a5 showed negative correlation with IL-6 in serum samples from piglets. These findings indicate that β-carotene could alleviate weaning-induced intestinal inflammation by modulating gut microbiota in piglets. Prevotella may be a potential target of β-carotene in alleviating the weaning-induced intestinal inflammation in piglets.