Zinc oxide and chestnut extract would seem to be irrelevant to the intestinal microbiota; instead, a poster was presented at the SCIVAC 2024 International Congress by researchers from the University of Teramo, in which the effects of zinc oxide and chestnut extract supplementation on canine intestinal microbiota and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production were analyzed in vitro.
The supplement, ZT455C, consists of microencapsulated zinc oxide and natural chestnut extract. The fecal inoculum used for fermentation consists of fecal samples obtained from three healthy adult dogs.
Experimental design
To simulate the conditions of the canine large intestine, the experiment was performed under anaerobic conditions. During fermentation, a 10-mL sample aliquot was collected at three specific time points: at the beginning (T0), after 6 hours (T6) and after 24 hours of fermentation (T24) for enumeration of bacteria and quantification of SCFAs.
From each fermentation sample, bacterial DNA extraction and Real-Time PCR was performed to count selected bacterial groups: Bifidobacterium spp., Bacteroides-Prevotella-Porphyromonas spp., Lactobacillus spp., Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus spp. The samples were also analyzed by gas chromatography to quantify the short-chain fatty acid content.
In vitro fermentation shows that ZT455C causes a decrease in Bacteroides- Prevotella-Porphyromonas spp. Bifidobacteria showed a significant increase after 24 h, while lactobacilli gradually increased during fermentation.
Conclusions
From what was observed in the present study, ZT455C is able to modulate the concentration of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, these bacteria produce lactate and acetate promoting beneficial effects on intestinal health. Fermentation of ZT455C is also able to increase Enterobacteria and Staphylococci. ZT455C causes a progressive decrease in Bacteroides; this bacterial group includes species that exhibit a “double face,” so their effect is controversial. Short-chain fatty acids, particularlyacetic acid, are produced by Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, therefore, the increase in this specific fatty acid can be easily correlated with the respective increase in these bacterial species. Short-chain fatty acids are critical for the body because they lower the intestinal pH by creating a hostile environment for pathogens by promoting the colonization of beneficial bacterial species.
Reference
Benedetta Belà, Daniele Di Simone, Giulia Pignataro, Isa Fusaro, Alessandro Gramenzi. In vitro effects of zinc oxide and chestnut extract supplementation on canine intestinal microbiota and production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Proceedings SCIVAC International Congress 2024
