Garlic essential oil alleviate oxidative stress, inflammation and microbiota dybiosis from small intestinal damage in lipopolysaccharide-challenged weaned piglets.

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of garlic essential oil (GO) supplementation on growth performance, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and small intestine health in weaned piglets. Piglets fed 1 g/kg GO exhibited significantly higher final body weight and average daily gain, coupled with reduced feed-to-gain ratio, indicating enhanced growth performance. In contrast, 0.5 g/kg GO showed no effect, while 1.5 g/kg negatively impacted feed intake and final weight. Immunologically, 1 g/kg GO reduced serum TNF-α and MDA levels, improved jejunal SOD activity, and enhanced antioxidant gene expression (Sod1, Gpx1). Morphologically, 1 g/kg GO increased jejunal villus height and villus-to-crypt ratio while upregulating tight-junction proteins (Zo-1, Claudin-1). After LPS challenge, GO reduced diarrhea incidence and decreased serum pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α). GO also mitigated mitochondrial oxidative stress by lowering MDA and ROS levels while enhancing mitochondrial membrane potential in jejunum. However, residual ROS levels remained higher than in the control group. Additionally, GO suppressed LPS-induced NFκB expression while increasing IL-10 abundance, indicating improved gut inflammation in jejunum. Moreover, GO reshaped the LPS-induced microbial dysbiosis, significantly increasing the abundance of Lactobacillus while markedly reducing the abundance of Escherichia coli. Notably, although cefalexin is superior to GO in terms of anti-inflammatory effects, it may have a negative impact on gut microbiota homeostasis. These findings suggest that 1 g/kg GO optimally enhances growth performance, intestinal health, and immunity in weaned piglets while partially alleviating LPS-induced intestinal disruption.