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Dietary fiber can be degraded by bacteria in the hindgut, which generates short chain fatty acids that are beneficial to intestinal health. This study examined the impacts of different fiber sources on growth, immune status and gut health in weaned piglets fed antibiotic-free diets.
Methods: Sixty piglets (body weight = 8.18 ± 1.35 kg) were assigned to 3 dietary treatments based on body weight and gender in a randomized complete block design (5 replicates/treatment and 4 piglets [2 male and 2 female]/replicate): (1) an antibiotic-free diet (control); (2) control + 6% wheat bran; (3) control + 4% sugar beet pulp. Growth performance and diarrhoea was measured and blood, ileum, ileal mucosa and cecal content samples were taken.
Results: Dietary wheat bran supplementation tended to increase average daily gain compared with the control from d 1 to 14 and from d 1 to 28. Supplementation of wheat bran increase gain:feed compared with the control and sugar beet pulp from d 1 to 14 and from d 1 to 28. Compared with the control, the addition of wheat bran reduced diarrhea rate from d 1 to 14 and tended to reduce diarrhea rate from d 1 to 28. The addition of wheat bran decreased serum diamine oxidase activity on d 14, and up-regulated ileal mRNA levels of occludin on d 28 when compared with the control. Piglets fed wheat bran showed decreased serum interleukin-6 levels compared to those fed sugar beet pulp and decreased ileal interleukin-8 levels compared to those fed the control and sugar beet pulp on d 28. Supplementation of wheat bran increased serum levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG and IgM compared with sugar beet pulp on d 14, and increased the levels of serum IgA and ileal sIgA compared with the control and sugar beet pulp on d 28. Piglets fed wheat bran showed an enhanced α-diversity of cecal microbiota than those fed sugar beet pulp, while piglets fed sugar beet pulp showed reduced α-diversity of cecal microbiota than those fed the control. Compared with the control, the addition of wheat bran elevated the abundance of Lachnospira and cecal butyric acid level. Piglets fed wheat bran also showed increased abundances of Lachnospira and unclassified_f_Lachnospiraceae compared with those fed sugar beet pulp.
Conclusion: The supplementation of wheat bran to antibiotic-free diets improved performance, immune responses, gut barrier function and microbiota compared with the control and sugar beet pulp fed piglets. Therefore, supplementing weaned piglets with wheat bran was more effective than sugar beet pulp.
Shang Q, Liu H, Wu D, Mahfuz S, Piao X. Source of fiber influences growth, immune responses, gut barrier function and microbiota in weaned piglets fed antibiotic-free diets. Animal Nutrition. 2021; 7(2): 315-325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2020.12.008