Lentinan Administration Alleviates Diarrhea of Rotavirus-Infected Weaned Pigs via Regulating Intestinal Immunity

Abstract BackgroundThis study aimed to verify whether lentinan (LNT) administration could relieve diarrhea via improving gut immunity in rotavirus (RV)-challenged weaned pigs. MethodsTwenty-eight weaned pigs were randomly fed 2 diets containing 0 or 84 mg/kg LNT product for 19 d (n = 14). RV infection was executed on d 15.ResultsDietary LNT supplementation supported normal function of piglets even when infected with RV, as reflected by reduced growth performance loss and diarrhea prevalence, and maintained gut immunity (P < 0.05). The polysaccharide was isolated from LNT product, whose molecular weight was 5303 Da, and major monosaccharides included glucose, arabinose and galactose. In RV-infected IPEC-J2 cells, this polysaccharide significantly increased cell viability (P < 0.05), and significantly increased anti-virus immunity via regulating pattern recognition receptors and host defense peptides (P < 0.05). ConclusionThose results suggest that LNT administration increases the piglets’ resistance to RV-induced stress, likely by supporting intestinal immunity.