6. Effect of dietary fiber on gut health
Gut health is a term that lacks a clear and concise definition (Knudsen et al, 2012), despite its repeated use in both animal and human health, medicine and nutrition. Gut health is referred to four aspects i.e. effective digestion and absorption of feed, absence of gastrointestinal tract illness, effective immune status and status of a pig wellbeing (Bischoff, 2011). Thus gut health is affected by nutrition, immune function and microbiome.
The maintenance of gut health is a complex phenomenon and relies on a delicate balance between the diet, commensal microflora and mucosa, including the digestive epithelium and the mucosa, including the digestive epithelium and the mucus overlying the epithelium (Lindberg, …show more content…
However, the definition of the concept show a weakness based on the fact that almost all feed stuffs of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, including dietary fibre can be referred to as prebiotics. (Lindberg, 2014). Additionally, for a feed ingredient to be classified as a prebiotic it should be able to resist digestion, absorption, adsorption and should be fermentable in the host gut by the microbiota which are situated in the gastro intestinal system which will stimulate the growth and activity of one or more bacteria in the system .Similarly dietary fiber can play an important role in stimulating growth and enhance prebiotic activity (Lalles et al, …show more content…
The organic acids are known to stimulate the epithelium cell proliferation while in an acidic environment it can prevent the growth of enteric bacterial pathogens such as salmonella, E.coli and clostridium species (Lindberg, 2014), thus increased intake of prebiotics can contribute to the gut health .Prebiotics are generally heaper, lower risk and easier to handle and to incorporate into diets than
Gut health is a term that lacks a clear and concise definition (Knudsen et al, 2012), despite its repeated use in both animal and human health, medicine and nutrition. Gut health is referred to four aspects i.e. effective digestion and absorption of feed, absence of gastrointestinal tract illness, effective immune status and status of a pig wellbeing (Bischoff, 2011). Thus gut health is affected by nutrition, immune function and microbiome.
The maintenance of gut health is a complex phenomenon and relies on a delicate balance between the diet, commensal microflora and mucosa, including the digestive epithelium and the mucosa, including the digestive epithelium and the mucus overlying the epithelium (Lindberg, …show more content…
However, the definition of the concept show a weakness based on the fact that almost all feed stuffs of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, including dietary fibre can be referred to as prebiotics. (Lindberg, 2014). Additionally, for a feed ingredient to be classified as a prebiotic it should be able to resist digestion, absorption, adsorption and should be fermentable in the host gut by the microbiota which are situated in the gastro intestinal system which will stimulate the growth and activity of one or more bacteria in the system .Similarly dietary fiber can play an important role in stimulating growth and enhance prebiotic activity (Lalles et al, …show more content…
The organic acids are known to stimulate the epithelium cell proliferation while in an acidic environment it can prevent the growth of enteric bacterial pathogens such as salmonella, E.coli and clostridium species (Lindberg, 2014), thus increased intake of prebiotics can contribute to the gut health .Prebiotics are generally heaper, lower risk and easier to handle and to incorporate into diets than