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The increase in drug-resistant bacteria and the ban on antibiotic growth promoters worldwide make the search for novel ways to prevent bacterial infection and promoting growth performance. In this sense, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are thought to be ideal candidates owing to their antimicrobial properties, that show abroad range of activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi and mycobacteria, and they have low propensity for development of bacterial resistance too. Hence the present study was undertaken with the objective of determining the effects of dietary supplementation with antimicrobial peptide-P5 (AMP-P5) on the growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients and faecal and intestinal microflora of weanling pigs.
At otal of 240 weanling pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc, average initial body weight 6.22 ± 0.28 kg, age 21 days) of mixed sex (120 male, 120 female) were randomly allotted to four treatments on the basis of bodyweight. There were four replicates in each treatment, with 15 pigs per replicate. Dietary treatments were negative control (NC, basal diet without antimicrobial), positive control (PC, basal diet + 1.5 g/kg apramycin), basal diet with 40 mg/kg AMP-P5 (P5-40) and basal diet with 60 mg/kg AMP-P5 (P5-60).
During the overall study period, pigs fed the PC or P5-60 diet had greater (P < 0.05) ADG than pigs fed the NC diet. The ADG of pigs fed the P5-40 diet was not different from that of pigs fed the P5-60 or NC diet. During phase I(0-14d), pigs fed the PC or P5-60 diet had higher ADFI than pigs fed the NC diet. However, the ADFI of pigs fed theP5-40 diet was not different from that of pigs fed the PC, P5-60 or NC diet. During phase II (14-28d) and the overall study period, pigs fed the PC or P5-60 diet had lower (P < 0.05) F/G than pigs fed the NC diet. The F/G of pigs fed the P5-40 diet was not different from that of pigs fed the P5-60 or NC diet. Pigs fed the PC or P5-60 diet showed improved (P < 0.05) overall growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and gross energy and reduced (P < 0.05) faecal and intestinal coliforms compared with pigs fed the NC diet.
The results obtained in this study indicate that dietary supplementation with 60 mg/kg AMP-P5 has the potential to improve the growth performance and nutrient digestibility and reduce pathogenic bacteria in weanling pigs. However, further studies are needed to identify the mechanism of action of AMP-P5.
Yoon, J.H., Ingale, S.L., Kim, J.S., Kim, K.H., Lohakare, J., Park, Y.K.,Park, J.C, Kwon, Ill K. andChae, B.J.(2013).Effects of dietary supplementation with antimicrobial peptide-P5 on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility, faecaland intestinal microfloraand intestinal morphology of weanling pigs. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 93;587–592. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.5840
