Herbs and spices are food components commonly used in human or animal food for their flavor properties. New findings in nutrigenomics applied to the use of phytogenic supplementation creates trailblazing opportunities to unlock the power of nature to meet current and future challenges in animal nutrition.

Bioactives Business Development Manager
Pancosma, ADM Animal Nutrition
Phytogenics, active substances from herbs and spices, are gaining interest as feed additives in livestock nutrition. It is commonly argued that the mode of action is linked to antimicrobial properties of phytogenics as in vitro trials demonstrated bactericide effects. Nevertheless, supplementation dose of these additives in vivo is much lower than in vitro dose. Therefore, mode of action at this dose range may be explained by different pathways. Nowadays, genomic technology applied to nutrition, named nutrigenomics, opens a new field of investigation on how nutrients modulate gene and protein expression. Indeed, a dietary modulation monitored by a set of receptors in the gut can induce changes in the host metabolism, physiology and immunity.
GUT SENSITIVITY
The digestive tract is the largest exchange surface to the external world, more than 50 times than skin for humans. The luminal content of the gut is an external milieu composed of chemicals and microorganisms, only separated from the internal body by epithelial cells. The role of gut epithelial cells is to ensure nutrient absorption while defending against pathogens and their toxins. As luminal content is continuously modified by water and feed intake, the gut monitors its composition thanks to a range of sensory receptors that optimize digestion and prevent threats. Sensory receptors are linked to specific responses: enteroendocrine hormone release, gut immune system modulation, tissue defense system. Sensory receptors can detect mechanical distortion, physicochemical properties (temperature, pH), pathogens, toxins and food components1.
TASTE RECEPTORS
Among this range of sensory receptors are taste receptors that are associated to food components. Taste receptors can detect sugars or artificial sweeteners (receptors T1R2 – T1R3), peptones and amino acids (receptors GPR92 – GPR93) and free fatty acids (receptors GPR119 – GPR 120). When triggered by food components, receptors are involved in metabolic signaling pathways of digestive processes for glucose uptake, fats digestive enzyme release and protein breakdown.
Herbs and spices are food components commonly used in human or animal food for their flavor properties. Nonetheless, for centuries, they have also been considered in traditional medicine for their potential benefits to improve digestion. Indeed, herbs and spices phytogenic substances act on a specific family of taste receptors named transient receptor potential (TRP) receptors, including TRPV1, TRPV2 and TRPA1. Thanks to nutrigenomic studies, it is now possible to assess how phytogenics modulate gene and protein expression to influence metabolism while triggering TRP receptors. In this article, we will focus on two phytogenics of interest: capsaicinoids and curcuminoids.
CAPSAICINOIDS
Capsaicinoids, including the active component capsaicin, occur in capsicum oleoresin, an extraction from red chili pepper plants. Capsaicinoids have been reported to exert anti-inflammatory effects2 and to increase pancreatic and intestinal enzyme activity3.
Recently, nutrigenomic studies have provided new insights to confirm these effects. In a study conducted to evaluate gene expression in intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes of broilers fed diets containing capsicum oleoresin, capsaicinoids led to modulate 254 gene expressions that are notably related to lipid metabolism4.
Another study conducted to evaluate gene expression of ileal mucosa in weaned pigs after an Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection showed that capsicum oleoresin supplementation regulated gene expressions related to membrane integrity5. Among these genes, OCLN is specifically of interest as it encodes occludin, a specific membrane protein involved in formation of tight junctions. Results also demonstrated that capsaicinoids upregulated the MUC2 gene, a major polypeptide related to mucin formation. Mucin forms an important barrier protection against inflammation. Finally, capsaicinoids also downregulated gene expressions related to antigen presentation, potentially attenuating inflammatory mediators such as haptoglobin or TNF-α. Thus, capsaicinoids may reduce innate immune response.
CURCUMINOIDS
Turmeric is a perenenial plant belonging to the ginger family. Its rhizomes are the source of turmeric powder that is used as a spice and coloring agent. Curcuminoids are main components of turmeric. In the study Liu et al., 2014, curcuminoids supplementation to weaned piglets reduced expression of several immune function genes involved in inflammation mitigation5. This has also been demonstrated in poultry, where curcuminoids regulate gene transcription involved in inflammatory response in broilers challenged with avian coccidiosis6.
Additionally, simultaneous administration of capsaicinoids and curcuminoids increased antibody levels and lymphocytes proliferation in chickens immunized with profilin and challenged with Eimeria tenella7, which may indicate that humoral immunity and cell-mediated immunity are enhanced.
FROM GENE TRANSCRIPTION TO HOST RESPONSE
Based on these results, the combination of capsaicinoids and curcuminoids became a topic of interest for their potential effect to mitigate innate response and support acquired immunity. Within these effects, benefits to performance and health status of the animals may represent a great opportunity.
In poultry, a combination of capsaicinoids and curcuminoids was assessed for its effect on immune response and performance in broilers challenged with Eimeria maxima and clostridium Perfringens. This study showed reduced inflammatory markers but increased cytokine mRNA level in splenocytes. At the performance level, chickens fed capsaicinoids and curcuminoids exhibit significant increased body weight and reduced gut lesions8.
In swine, weaned piglets challenged with E. coli display reduced diarrhea occurrence when supplemented with capsaicinoids or curcuminoids5.
The growth-promoting effects of a capsaicinoids-curcuminoids combination were evaluated in FMD-vaccinated growing pigs. The supplementation of the plant extracts led to a significant performance improvement and an increase of the antibody titer against FMD antigens9. In this study, phytogenics alleviate negative effects of vaccination on animal performance while enhancing vaccine efficacy.
PHYTOGENICS AND THE INTELLIGENT GUT ACTION
The gut is a sensitive organ that has the capacity to detect changes with different receptor types and adapt its response through metabolic, physiologic and immune pathways. This was named Intelligent Gut Action by Pancosma, ADM’s animal nutrition additives and ingredients business. Some phytogenics have capacities to trigger TRP receptors and modulate gene expression and gut adaptation by strengthening the gut barrier and modulating immune response.
New findings in nutrigenomics applied to the use of phytogenic supplementation creates trailblazing opportunities to unlock the power of nature to meet current and future challenges in animal nutrition.
References:
1Furness, J., Rivera, L., Cho, HJ. et al., 2013. The gut as a sensory organ. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 10, 729–740.
2Beltran, J., A. K. Ghosh, and S. Basu. 2007. Immunotherapy of tumors with neuroimmune ligand capsaicin. J. Immunol. 178:3260–3264.
3Platel, K., and K. Srinivasan. 2000. Influence of dietary spices and their active principles on pancreatic digestive enzymes in albino rats. Nahrung 44:42–46.
4Kim D. K., Lillehoj H. S., Lee S. H., Jang S. I., and Bravo D. 2010. High-throughput gene expression analysis of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes after oral feeding of carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, or Capsicum oleoresin. Poultry Science 89: 68-81.
5Liu, Y., Song M., CheT. M., AlmeidaJ. A. S., LeeJ. J., BravoD., Maddox C.W. and Pettigrew J. E. 2013. Dietary plant extracts alleviate diarrhea and alter immune responses of weaned pigs experimentally infected with a pathogenic Escherichia coli. Journal of Animal Science 91:5294-5306.
6Kim D. K., Lillehoj H. S., Lee S. H., Jang S. I., Lillehoj E. P. and Bravo D. 2013. Dietary Curcuma longa enhances resistance against Eimeria maxima and Eimeria tenella infections in chickens. Poultry Science 92 :2635–2643.
7Lee S. H., Lillehoj H. S., Jang S. I., Lee K. W., Bravo D., and Lillehoj E. P. 2011. Effects of dietary supplementation with phytonutrients on vaccine-stimulated immunity against infection with Eimeria tenella. Veterinary Parasitology 181: 97– 105
8Lee S. H., Lillehoj H. S., Jang S. I., Lillehoj E. P., Min W. and Bravo D. 2013. Dietary supplementation of young broiler chickens with Capsicum and turmeric oleoresins increases resistance to necrotic enteritis. British Journal of Nutrition 110: 840–847.
9UpadhayaS. D., Kim Y. M., Shi H., Le Cour Grandmaison J., Blanchard A. and KimI. H. 2020. Standardized Plant Extract Alleviates the Negative Effects of FMD Vaccination on Animal Performance. Animals 10:455.
About Sebastien Constantin
Sebastien Constantin is a Business Development Manager for the Phytogenic Bioactive range of products offered by Pancosma, ADM’s feed additives and ingredients business. He joined Pancosma in January 2019. He holds a MSc in animal nutrition from Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture d’Angers – France. Sebastien has 15 years of experience in the field of animal nutrition with technical support and product management functions.