Investigating the Impact of Tannins on Gut Bacteria in Pigs
Original Article Reference
This SciPod is a summary of the paper ‘A mixture of quebracho and chestnut tannins drives butyrate-producing bacteria populations shift in the guy microbiota of weaned piglets’ from the open access journal, PLOS One. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250874
About this episode
Weaning is an important time in the pig lifecycle, and changes in diet and environment can lead to unbalanced gut microbiota and pathogen colonisation. Prof. Luciana Rossi, Dr. Matteo Dell’Anno from the University of Milan, and Dr. Maria Luisa Callegari from Catholic University of Sacred Heart, have been investigating the impact on gut bacteria of adding natural compounds known as tannins to piglet food. Importantly, they found that tannins do affect the gut bacteria; with increases seen in bacteria associated with improved growth and gut health, and in particular, those that produce butyrate – a substance with proven health benefits.
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