The dangers of endotoxin and bile acid purification

Endotoxins are fragments from gut bacteria, such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) produced by Gram-negative bacteria and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from Gram-positive bacteria, as well as trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). They are omnipresent in the environment, heat-stable, and cannot be removed through filtration.

Endotoxins pose significant hazards to animal organisms. They stimulate monocytes and macrophages to release a range of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), interleukins (IL) -1 family, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 family, IL-12 family, IL-15 family, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ).

Mycotoxins in feed and the use of antibiotics affect the delicate balance of the gut microbiota. Changes in the microbial population lead to the proliferation and death of Gram-negative bacteria (GNB), resulting in the massive production of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that disrupt the intestinal barrier function, allowing endotoxins to enter the bloodstream and trigger a costly immune response in the organism.

Disruption in the proliferation of GNB also compromises the gut barrier function, allowing endotoxins to enter the blood, triggering a high-cost immune response in the body.

Animals allocate nutritional resources to the immune system, reducing feed intake, decreasing productivity, and impacting feed efficiency. This affects animal welfare, leading to symptoms such as fever and even septicemia.

LPS endotoxins can also initiate or exacerbate various health conditions in animals, such as heat stress, oxidative stress, and mediating immune pathological changes in the liver, intestine, and reproductive tract.

Furthermore, LPS lowers the cytokine response dose to mycotoxins (such as deoxynivalenol - DON), increasing their toxicity and the body's sensitivity to toxins.

Bile acids play a crucial role in the breakdown of endotoxins. Typically, LPS consists of lipid A, a hydrophobic part, a hydrophilic polysaccharide core, and an O-specific oligosaccharide region, varying in serum type based on bacterial strains. All biological activity of LPS resides in the lipid A region. Not all Gram-negative bacteria produce the lipid A structure that activates innate immune responses; LPS from Helicobacter pylori, Yersinia pestis, and Francisella tularensis exhibit pathogenicity.

The nonpolar groups of bile acids bind to endotoxins, increasing their solubility and facilitating enzymatic degradation in the intestines. Bile acids can break down LPS into non-toxic subunits or micelles, preventing toxin absorption and acting as a cleansing agent in the intestines.

Bile acids can disrupt or bind to bacterial toxins in the gastrointestinal tract, forming poorly absorbable complexes, inhibiting toxin absorption, reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions, thereby protecting the liver from endotoxin-induced damage.

Integrated liver-gut health is crucial, and bile acids play a role in detoxification and elimination, aiding in liver protection, bile secretion, and intestinal protection.