(P10-099-24) Effect of Maternal Egg Yolk Supplementation on Gut Microbiome and SCFA Profiles in Piglets

Objectives: Egg yolk is often recommended during pregnancy due to its rich nutritional content, including choline and lutein, which play key roles in brain function. Our lab has reported that perinatal egg yolk supplementation altered the functional connectivity of specific networks in piglet brains. Building upon findings that underscore the importance of the gut-brain axis in shaping offspring cognition, this study aimed to investigate the effect of perinatal egg yolk intake on the gut microbiome of offspring in a sow-piglet model.

Methods: Sows were fed a control diet (n=6) or a diet containing egg yolk (n=5), from late gestation throughout lactation. Fecal microbiota composition, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations and jejunal villi structures of piglets were analyzed at weaning (n=2~4/sow).

Results: Egg yolk supplementation of sows had a significant impact on the fecal microbial richness and diversity of piglets at weaning, as evidenced by increased levels of Faith’s phylogenetic diversity index (30.8%), number of observed features (47.1%), and Shannon diversity index (9.0%) (p < 0.05), compared to controls. Changes in the microbiota composition at the phyla level were also observed in piglets from egg yolk-supplemented sows (p < 0.05), with a reduced Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio by 54.2% compared to controls. Furthermore, several SCFA concentrations were increased, resulting in higher concentrations of total SCFA in feces of piglets from sows supplemented with egg yolk (p < 0.05). The ratio of villus height to crypt depth of the jejunum in piglets from egg yolk-fed sows was higher than controls (p < 0.05), although no significant differences were observed in villus height, villus width, crypt depth and surface area.

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that egg yolk intake of sows may modulate the gut-brain axis of piglets, by inducing changes in their intestinal microbiota, SCFA concentrations and villi structures. Further investigation of gut permeability is needed to better understand how maternal egg yolk intake may modulate the gut-brain axis of piglets.

Funding Sources: The study was supported by the United States Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (2020-67017-30839) and the Georgia Experimental Agricultural Station (HATCH, #GEO001002).