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Yeast and yeast products, as high-quality protein sources, have been shown to improve growth performance, modulate the gut microbiome, and reduce post-weaning diarrhoea in weaned piglets. However, growing-finishing pigs have mature intestines, and the application of and research into yeast in growing-finishing pigs is less than that in piglets. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) supplementation on the growth performance, meat quality, gut health, and microbiota community of growing-finishing pigs. For that purpose, a total of 45 growing-finishing pigs were randomly allocated to three treatments: a corn–soybean-based diet (control), a wheat–rice-based diet, and the wheat–rice-based diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg yeast culture.
The results show that compared to the control group, the wheat–rice-based group exhibited no significant differences in feed intake, daily gain, or feed conversion ratio, but had significantly reduced feed cost per kilogram body weight gain of the finishing pigs. Compared to that of the control group, the wheat–rice-based diet and yeast culture groups showed an increase in the dressing percentage. Furthermore, yeast culture supplementation increased the gene expression of the duodenal anti-inflammatory factor IL-10, while it significantly decreased the gene expression of the ileal pro-inflammatory factor IL-8. The intestinal microbial identification results show that compared to the control group, the yeast culture group showed an increase in the relative abundances of Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, and Clostridium in the colon, and a decrease in the relative abundances of Bacteroidea, Clostridae, and Prevotella in the cecum.
In conclusion, the growth performance of pigs on wheat–rice-based diet was similar to that of pigs on a corn-soybean-based diet. Supplementation of 0.5% yeast culture in the wheat–rice-based diet could improve the dressing percentage and meat colour of growing-finishing pigs, which might be due to the increase in nitrogen utility and antioxidant capacity, and the improvement of the immune system and changes in microbiota communities.
Lin Y, Yu C, Ma Z, Che L, Feng B, Fang Z, Xu S, Zhuo Y, Li J, Zhang J, Yang M, Chen P, Wu D. Effects of Yeast Culture Supplementation in Wheat–Rice-Based Diet on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Gut Microbiota of Growing–Finishing Pigs. Animals. 2022; 12(17): 2177. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12172177
