A combination of formic acid and monolaurin attenuates enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli induced intestinal inflammation in piglets by inhibiting the NF-κB/MAPK pathways with modulation of gut microbiota.

This study determined the potential of formic acid plus monolaurin (FA + ML) as alternative to antibiotics in diet when piglets challenged with ETEC. Piglets fed the FA + ML diet had lower fecal score and rectal temperature after ETEC challenge. In addition, FA + ML supplementation induced lower plasma TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β concentration postchallenge, downregulated the mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, TLR4 in the ileum and TLR4, CFTR in the jejunum. Phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and MAPK p38 were reduced in the ileum of piglets fed FA + ML diet. Supplementation of FA + ML increased the relative abundance of genera Lactobacillus especially Lactobacillus amylovorus species and decreased the genus abundances of Actinobacillus, unidentified Enterobacteriaceae, Moraxella. Collectively, the combination of formic acid and monolaurin in diets have the potential to be an antibiotics alternative to mitigate inflammatory response in piglets challenged with ETEC.