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The Effect of Supplementation with Betaine and Zinc on In Vitro Large Intestinal Fermentation in Iberian Pigs under Heat Stress

Publicated to:Animals. 13 (6): 1102- - 2023-03-20 13(6), DOI: 10.3390/ani13061102

Authors: Pardo, Zaira; Mateos, Ivan; Saro, Cristina; Campos, Romulo; Arguello, Hector; Lachica, Manuel; Ranilla, Maria Jose; Fernandez-Figares, Ignacio

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Abstract

Simple Summary Heat stress has negative consequences in animal husbandry and pigs are highly susceptible because of their scattered sweat glands and elevated metabolic rate. Above 25 degrees C, pigs trigger mechanisms such as diverting blood from their internal organs to skin or decreasing the feed intake, which can affect the intestinal microbiota and capacity of fermentation. Betaine and zinc have been used as nutritional mitigation strategies to alleviate the effects of heat stress in pigs, but their effects on hindgut fermentation are unknown. By using an in vitro fermentation system and employing as the inoculum the rectal content from heat-stressed Iberian pigs supplemented or not with betaine or zinc, we showed that both supplements modified the pattern of hindgut fermentation in heat stressed pigs, having beneficial effects on acetate and butyrate production. The abundance of some bacterial groups was also modified, indicating an effect on the microbial structure. Because of the intricate interactions between the host and gut microbiota, additional studies are necessary to confirm these results under in vivo conditions. We investigated the effects of betaine and zinc on the in vitro fermentation of pigs under heat stress (HS). Twenty-four Iberian pigs (43.4 +/- 1.2 kg) under HS (30 degrees C) were assigned to treatments for 4 weeks: control (unsupplemented), betaine (5 g/kg), and zinc (0.120 g/kg) supplemented diet. Rectal content was used as the inoculum in 24-hincubations with pure substrates (starch, pectin, inulin, cellulose). Total gas, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), and methane production and ammonia concentration were measured. The abundance of total bacteria and several bacterial groups was assessed. Betaine increased the acetate production with pectin and inulin, butyrate production with starch and inulin, and ammonia concentration, and decreased propionate production with pectin and inulin. The abundance of Bifidobacterium and two groups of Clostridium decreased with betaine supplementation. Zinc decreased the production of SCFA and gas with starch and inulin, associated with diminished bacterial activity. Propionate production decreased with starch, pectin, and inulin while butyrate production increased with inulin, and isoacid production increased with cellulose and inulin in pigs supplemented with zinc. The ammonia concentration increased for all substrates. The Clostridium cluster XIV abundance decreased in pigs fed zinc supplemented diets. The results reported were dependent on the substrate fermented, but the augmented butyrate production with both betaine and zinc could be of benefit for the host.

Keywords

BetaineButyrateCondensed molasses solublesDietary fiberFatty-acid productionFeed ingredientsGlycine betaineGrowing pigsGrowth-performanceHeat stressIberian pigIn vitro hindgut fermentationMicrobial fermentationNutrient digestibilityShort-chain fatty acidsZinc

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Animals due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2023, it was in position 16/167, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Veterinary Sciences. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-05-30:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 12.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 12 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 7.45.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 9 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Colombia; Granada.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (PARDO DOMINGUEZ, ZAIRA) .