ISSUE FOCUS 26 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2022 “Among the bioactive compounds highlighted in seaweed, the polysaccharides are of particular interest for their specific prebiotic effect on the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota. This review provides a brief discussion on the prebiotic effect of seaweed polysaccharides on the GI microbiota. Specific examples of the prebiotic effects of seaweed polysaccharides, when applied as whole seaweed powder on the GI microbiota and the subsequent impacts on the animals are provided.” Marine macroalgae (referred to as seaweed) consist of three diverse Phyla, the Phaeophyta (brown) Chlorophyta (green) and Rodophyta (red) seaweeds. Of the more than 10,000 species identified, a little under 300 species are commonly used globally. These can be further categorized into approximately, 163 species of Rhodophyceae, 75 of Pheophyceae and 33 of Chlorophyceae (White and Wilson, 2015). Numerous published reports and decades of successful use have highlighted the potential of seaweeds as rich sources of bioactive compounds with potential applications in animal nutrition. The range of bioactive components in seaweed include polysaccharides, peptides, essential fatty acids, polypnols, phytogens, pigments and minerals. Among the bioactive compounds highlighted in seaweed, the polysaccharides are of particular interest for their specific prebiotic effect on the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota (de Jesus Raposo et al 2016; Sardari and Karlsson, 2018; Cherry et al., 2019; Shannon et al., 2021). This review provides a brief discussion on the prebiotic effect of seaweed polysaccharides on the GI microbiota. Specific examples of the prebiotic effects of seaweed polysaccharides, when applied as whole seaweed powder on the GI microbiota and the subsequent impacts on the animals are provided. PREBIOTICS AND THE GI MICROBIOTA Prebiotics are defined as non-digested food components that, through the stimulation of growth and/or activity of a single type or category of GI microbe, improve the health status of the host animal (Gibson and Roberfroid, 2017). To be considered a prebiotic a food component must: 1) be resistance to gastric acidity and hydrolysis by mammalian enzymes and subsequent gastrointestinal absorption; 2) be subject to fermentation by intestinal microflora; and 3) selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of the intestinal bacteria that contribute to health and well-being of the host. The gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota has been shown to affect the availability of nutrients in the SEAWEED POLYSACCHARIDES AS A SOURCE OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PREBIOTIC FIBRE Dr Jason Sands Head of Nutrition Ocean Harvest Technology
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