Enhanced intestinal epithelial barrier health status on European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fed mannan oligosaccharides

The study assesses the effects of dietary mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) posterior intestinal lipid class composition and its possible relation to the potential prostaglandins production and Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) stimulation. Fish were fed 4 g kg(-1) MOS (Bio-Mos (R) Aquagrade, Alltech, Inc., USA) for eight weeks. Fish fed MOS presented higher (P <= 0.05) weight gain, total length, and specific and relative growth rates than fish fed the control diet. Stimulated posterior gut of fish fed MOS showed higher (P <= 0.05) prostaglandins production than fish fed the control diet. Lipid class analyses of posterior gut revealed a reduction (P <= 0.05) in the neutral lipid fraction in fish fed MOS compared to fish fed the control diet, particularly due to a reduction (P <= 0.05) in triacylglycerols content. The polar lipid fraction increased (P <= 0.05) in fish fed MOS compared to fish fed the control diet, mainly due to an increase (P <= 0.05) in phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcoline contents. Light microscopy of posterior gut revealed increased number or goblet cells as well as higher level of infiltrated eosinophilic granulocytes for fish fed MOS. Transmission electron microscopy qualitative observations revealed a better preserved cytoarchitecture of the intestinal epithelial barrier in the posterior gut of fish fed MOS. Posterior gut of fish fed MOS presented more densely packed non-damaged enterocytes, better preserved tight junctions structure, healthier and more organized microvilli, and a higher presence of infiltrated lymphocytes and granulocytes compared fish fed the control diet. The present study indicates that dietary MOS enhances European sea bass posterior gut epithelial defense by increasing membrane polar lipids content in relation to a stimulation of the eicosanoid cascade and GALT, promoting posterior gut health status. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.