Application of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) stems for livestock feed: Evaluation of nutritional, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity in vivo

Valorization of agro-food wastes has been stressed by the EC to increase the sustainability and competitiveness of the agro-food chain. This has been mainly addressed to nutraceuticals and functional foods for humans, whereas minor attention has been paid to their application for livestock feed andhealth. The increasing consumption of animal products prompted to the farming sector to augment the relevance of the intensive production system, which is linked to a number of animal diseases. In this regard, under this system weaned piglets undergo intestinal inflammation and infectious processes with direct impact on animal performance and wellbeing, constituting a suitable model analyze the bioactivity of dietary polyphenols in vivo. The aim of this proposal is evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activity of dietary grape stems in vivo. The assessment of the nutritional and phytochemical composition of grape stems will be analyzed by dedicated techniques. Animal performance and health will be monitored by assessing the average daily gain, feeed:gain ratio, faeces consistency and the main biochemical and hematological parameters during dietary interventions. Histopathological studies will contribute to identify the integrity of the intestinal villus during weaning and immunological events involved in intestine inflammation. The identified compounds will be further applied to in vitro models of intestine inflammation to determine capacity of grape stems extracts modulate the inflammatory stimuli and the molecular pathways involved. Cytokines, co-stimulatory and adhesion molecules expressed by immune cells, and the eicosanoid production in cell cultures, tissues, and biological fluids will be analyzed. The microbiological profile will be established in order to assess the capacity of grape stems in the homeostasis of microflora during weaning.