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Author: JÜRGEN ZENTEK, PETRA HELLWEG and ANNABELLA KHOLPARISINI (Courtesy of Alltech Inc.)
Nutrition is the most important factor influencing the composition and metabolic activity of the intestinal microflora. This importance has long been recognized and basic research on the topic was already underway in the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century in dogs and cats.
The interest in nutritional research in pet animals has gained more importance since the second World War and recently with the increasing development of conventional and molecular tools. The characterisation of the gut flora has also become a more important consideration in pet nutrition.
In contrast to research in farm animals, which is largely directed to goals like growth enhancement, prevention of diarrhoea at weaning and prevention of zoonotic diseases, other goals are important for pets. These resemble the goals of nutritional research in humans.
Longevity, prevention of digestive disorders and positive effects on the immune system are important goals that have triggered scientific efforts in nutritional research in dogs and cats. In spite of the progress that has been made in the past decades, knowledge of nutritional effects on the intestinal microflora of dogs and cats is still incomplete.
However, it has become obvious that the gastrointestinal microflora of those species have plenty of particularities that need to be considered when formulating diets or supplements with the goal to favourably influence the microbial conditions in the gut. Nutrition can affect the composition of the gut flora by oral intake of bacteria, either as the typical feed-associated flora or by the direct application of bacteria with probiotic properties.
Nutritional effects on gut microflora
It was shown in several studies that the intake of high protein diets, especially when based on animal-derived protein sources, favors the growth of certain bacteria such as clostridia and reduces the conditions for lactobacilli or bifidobacteria (Amtsberg et al., 1989; van der Steen et al., 1997; Zentek et al., 1998b). When enterotoxin production is high, dogs can develop diarrhoea, although Cl. perfringens enterotoxin and high numbers of Cl. perfringens were also found in dogs without clinical signs (van der Steen et al., 1997).
Carbohydrates, especially nondigestible carbohydrates, belonging to different chemical categories, such as oligosaccharides, resistant starch, or dietary fibre, can affect the composition of the microflora by increasing numbers of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, although the effects in dogs are not always consistent. Fermentable fibre sources like guar or pectins differ in effect on the microflora compared with the more or less insoluble cellulose (Willard et al., 1994; Strickling et al., 2000; Swanson et al., 2002; Zentek et al., 2002; Zentek et al., 2003; Rastall, 2004).
Fat levels and the potential impact on the intestinal microflora have not been intensively investigated, but the substrate effect of fat is expected to be minimal or it may even have a depressing effect on the activity of the intestinal microflora.
Dietary effects have also been described for the metabolic activity of the intestinal microflora. Dogs fed a dry, extruded diet had lower fecal putrefactive concentrations and increased total short-chain fatty acid concentrations compared with dogs fed a canned diet (Martineau and Laflamme, 2002). High protein diets can increase the butyrate production and the concentrations of isobutyric and isovaleric acids in the canine gastrointestinal tract (Zentek, 1995).
Conclusions
Clinical nutrition is an important area and modification of the gastrointestinal microflora is an important goal for the treatment of digestive disorders, hepatic disease or renal dysfunctions.
Adjusting protein and carbohydrate levels can be helpful as adjunct measures.
Probiotics are often used in clinical practise to stabilize the intestinal microecology.
Data in dogs provide some evidence for a temporary establishment of these bacteria and recent data indicate that some probiotic strains can be used to alleviate chronic gastrointestinal disorders (Zentek et al., 1998a; Benyacoub et al., 2003; German, 2005; Sauter et al., 2005).
Similar trends have been identified with fermentable feed ingredients such as fructo- or Bio-Mos® mannan oligosaccharide (Zentek et al., 2002) |
References
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Zentek, J., I. van der Steen, J. Rohde and G. Amtsberg. 1998b. Dietary effects on the occurrence and enterotoxin production of Clostridium perfringens in the canine gastrointestinal tract. J. Anim. Physiol. Anim. Nutr. 80:250-252. Authors: JÜRGEN ZENTEK, PETRA HELLWEG and ANNABELLA KHOLPARISINI
Institute of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Author: JÜRGEN ZENTEK, PETRA HELLWEG and ANNABELLA KHOLPARISINI (Courtesy of Alltech Inc.)
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