Sheep-Derived <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i> M5 Enhances Immunity and Antioxidant Capacity, Alleviates Diarrhea, and Improves Intestinal Health in Early-Weaned Lambs
The early weaning of lambs frequently leads to weakened immunity, impaired intestinal function, and increased susceptibility to intestinal disease. <i>Lactobacillus</i> plays a role in regulating immunity, enhancing antioxidant capacity, and maintaining intestinal health. This study aims...
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2025-02-01
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| author | Zhuo Wang Yuwei Zhao Dingkun Fan Jixian Zhang Qiyu Diao Kai Cui |
| author_facet | Zhuo Wang Yuwei Zhao Dingkun Fan Jixian Zhang Qiyu Diao Kai Cui |
| author_sort | Zhuo Wang |
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| description | The early weaning of lambs frequently leads to weakened immunity, impaired intestinal function, and increased susceptibility to intestinal disease. <i>Lactobacillus</i> plays a role in regulating immunity, enhancing antioxidant capacity, and maintaining intestinal health. This study aims to isolate a strain of <i>Lactobacillus</i> with favorable probiotic properties from sheep feces and investigate its effects on the intestinal health of early-weaned lambs. In this study, the growth characteristics, acid production capacity, bacteriostatic capacity, bile salt tolerance, gastrointestinal fluid tolerance, self-coagulation capacity, and surface hydrophobicity of <i>Lactobacillus</i> isolated from sheep feces were analyzed for in vitro probiotic properties. <i>Lactobacilli</i> with strong probiotic properties were used for in vivo validation. A total of 72 Hu lambs were allocated into four groups: a ewe-reared group (ER), early-weaning group (EW), low-dose <i>Lactobacillus</i> group (LL), and high-dose <i>Lactobacillus</i> group (HL). Early weaning was performed in the EW, LL, and HL groups at the age of 28 days. <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i> M5 (<i>L. johnsonii</i> M5), isolated from sheep feces, exhibited strong probiotic properties in vitro. Feeding EW lambs with a low dose of <i>L. johnsonii</i> M5 significantly reduced their diarrhea rate (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Its supplementation increased the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in serum and jejunal mucosa and decreased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Compared to the EW group, serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were significantly increased in the LL group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Compared to the EW group, feeding with <i>L. johnsonii</i> M5 increased the content of anti-inflammatory cytokines, while reducing the content of pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum and jejunal mucosa (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Feeding early-weaned lambs with <i>L. johnsonii</i> M5 also decreased jejunal crypt depth and increased occludin and claudin-1 in jejunal mucosa (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These findings indicate that feeding early-weaned lambs with <i>L</i>. <i>johnsonii</i> M5 enhances their immunity and antioxidant capacity, improving intestinal health, and mitigates diarrhea in early-weaned lambs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6c8752651dea4cf999932c502644ef71 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
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| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-6c8752651dea4cf999932c502644ef712025-08-20T03:11:22ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-02-0113240410.3390/microorganisms13020404Sheep-Derived <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i> M5 Enhances Immunity and Antioxidant Capacity, Alleviates Diarrhea, and Improves Intestinal Health in Early-Weaned LambsZhuo Wang0Yuwei Zhao1Dingkun Fan2Jixian Zhang3Qiyu Diao4Kai Cui5Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Feed Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaKey Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Feed Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaKey Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Feed Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaKey Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Feed Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaKey Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Feed Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaKey Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Feed Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaThe early weaning of lambs frequently leads to weakened immunity, impaired intestinal function, and increased susceptibility to intestinal disease. <i>Lactobacillus</i> plays a role in regulating immunity, enhancing antioxidant capacity, and maintaining intestinal health. This study aims to isolate a strain of <i>Lactobacillus</i> with favorable probiotic properties from sheep feces and investigate its effects on the intestinal health of early-weaned lambs. In this study, the growth characteristics, acid production capacity, bacteriostatic capacity, bile salt tolerance, gastrointestinal fluid tolerance, self-coagulation capacity, and surface hydrophobicity of <i>Lactobacillus</i> isolated from sheep feces were analyzed for in vitro probiotic properties. <i>Lactobacilli</i> with strong probiotic properties were used for in vivo validation. A total of 72 Hu lambs were allocated into four groups: a ewe-reared group (ER), early-weaning group (EW), low-dose <i>Lactobacillus</i> group (LL), and high-dose <i>Lactobacillus</i> group (HL). Early weaning was performed in the EW, LL, and HL groups at the age of 28 days. <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i> M5 (<i>L. johnsonii</i> M5), isolated from sheep feces, exhibited strong probiotic properties in vitro. Feeding EW lambs with a low dose of <i>L. johnsonii</i> M5 significantly reduced their diarrhea rate (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Its supplementation increased the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in serum and jejunal mucosa and decreased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Compared to the EW group, serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were significantly increased in the LL group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Compared to the EW group, feeding with <i>L. johnsonii</i> M5 increased the content of anti-inflammatory cytokines, while reducing the content of pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum and jejunal mucosa (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Feeding early-weaned lambs with <i>L. johnsonii</i> M5 also decreased jejunal crypt depth and increased occludin and claudin-1 in jejunal mucosa (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These findings indicate that feeding early-weaned lambs with <i>L</i>. <i>johnsonii</i> M5 enhances their immunity and antioxidant capacity, improving intestinal health, and mitigates diarrhea in early-weaned lambs.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/2/404<i>Lactobacillus</i>lambsearly weaningantioxidantimmunity |
| spellingShingle | Zhuo Wang Yuwei Zhao Dingkun Fan Jixian Zhang Qiyu Diao Kai Cui Sheep-Derived <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i> M5 Enhances Immunity and Antioxidant Capacity, Alleviates Diarrhea, and Improves Intestinal Health in Early-Weaned Lambs Microorganisms <i>Lactobacillus</i> lambs early weaning antioxidant immunity |
| title | Sheep-Derived <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i> M5 Enhances Immunity and Antioxidant Capacity, Alleviates Diarrhea, and Improves Intestinal Health in Early-Weaned Lambs |
| title_full | Sheep-Derived <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i> M5 Enhances Immunity and Antioxidant Capacity, Alleviates Diarrhea, and Improves Intestinal Health in Early-Weaned Lambs |
| title_fullStr | Sheep-Derived <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i> M5 Enhances Immunity and Antioxidant Capacity, Alleviates Diarrhea, and Improves Intestinal Health in Early-Weaned Lambs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sheep-Derived <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i> M5 Enhances Immunity and Antioxidant Capacity, Alleviates Diarrhea, and Improves Intestinal Health in Early-Weaned Lambs |
| title_short | Sheep-Derived <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i> M5 Enhances Immunity and Antioxidant Capacity, Alleviates Diarrhea, and Improves Intestinal Health in Early-Weaned Lambs |
| title_sort | sheep derived i lactobacillus johnsonii i m5 enhances immunity and antioxidant capacity alleviates diarrhea and improves intestinal health in early weaned lambs |
| topic | <i>Lactobacillus</i> lambs early weaning antioxidant immunity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/2/404 |
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