Effect of fructooligosaccharides on gut health in neonatal piglets : VDI-3 Piglet experimen

Gut microbial colonization and immune competence development are affected by early-life environmental and dietary interventions. The interplay between microbiota in the intestinal tract and the gut mucosal surfaces of the host is critical for the development of an accurate immune competence. In the present study we intervened during early life of suckling piglets by a daily oral administration of fructooligosaccharides (FOS solution) from day 2 – 14 and investigated the effects on intestinal microbiota composition (by 16S rDNA sequencing) and biological processes of the intestinal mucosal tissue (by genome-wide intestinal gene expression analysis) during the suckling phase.