Antimicrobial Peptides Relieve Transportation Stress in Ragdoll Cats by Regulating the Gut Microbiota
Shansong He,
Kang Yang,
Jiawei Wen,
Tao Kuang,
Zhihao Cao,
Lingna Zhang,
Sufang Han,
Shiyan Jian,
Xin Chen,
Limeng Zhang,
Jinping Deng,
Baichuan Deng
Affiliations
Shansong He
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Kang Yang
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Jiawei Wen
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Tao Kuang
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Zhihao Cao
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Lingna Zhang
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Sufang Han
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Shiyan Jian
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Xin Chen
School of Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
Limeng Zhang
Research Center of Pet Nutrition, Guangzhou Qingke Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510642, China
Jinping Deng
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Baichuan Deng
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Transportation is common in cats and often causes stress and intestinal disorders. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exhibit a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, and they may have the capacity for antioxidant and immune regulation. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with AMPs on stress response, gut microbiota and metabolites of cats that have undergone transport stress. A total of 14 Ragdoll cats were randomly allocated into 2 treatments: basal diet (CON) and a basal diet supplemented with 0.3% AMPs. After a 6-week feeding period, all cats were transported for 3 h and, then, fed for another week. The results show that the diarrhea rate of cats was markedly reduced by supplementation with AMPs throughout the trial period (p p p p p p Blautia and a lower relative abundance of Negativibacillus after transportation (p < 0.05). The serum metabolome analysis further revealed that AMPs markedly regulated lipid metabolism by upregulating cholic acid expression. In conclusion, AMP supplementation alleviated oxidative stress and inflammatory response in transportation by regulating the gut microbiota and metabolites, thereby relieving stress-induced diarrhea and supporting gut and host health in cats.
