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Chitooligosaccharides (COS) may offer a dietary means to modulate the microbiota in the gut, therefore promoting the productivity of the animals. Chitosan is a linear polymer and is a partially deacetylated derivative of chitin, which is found in the outer skeletons of crabs, shrimps, insects and lobster. Chitooligosaccharide exhibits numerous interesting biological properties such as antimicrobial, antitumour, immune stimulatory effects and the acceleration of wound healing. This study (complete randomised design) was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementing different molecular weights (MW) of chitooligosaccharide (COS) on pig performance, selected microbial populations and nutrient digestibility post-weaning. A total of 396 weaned piglets (24 days of age, 7.3 kg live weight) were assigned to one of six dietary treatments for a 33-day experimental period. The dietary treatments were as follows (1) control diet (0 ppm COS), (2) control diet plus ,1 kDa COS, (3) control diet plus 3 to 5 kDa COS, (4) control diet plus 5 to 10 kDa COS, (5) control diet plus 10 to 50 kDa COS and (6) control diet plus 50 to 100 kDa COS. The COS was included at 250 ppm in the diets.
This study revealed that no differences were observed on growth performance during the starter period, however the inclusion of COS improved average daily gain and gain to feed ratio during the weaner period. During the weaner period, there was a cubic response in lactic acid bacteria and Escherichia coli populations as the MW of COS increased (P<0.05). There was a cubic response in the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, ash, nitrogen and gross energy to the increased MW of COS inclusion during the weaner period. The current results indicate that the MW ranges of 5 to 10 kDa and 10 to 50 kDa COS decreased E. coli numbers while increasing nutrient digestibility of the diets.
In conclusion, the biological activities of COS are very much influenced by MW. This study shows the benefits of offering diets to weaned pigs supplemented with different MW of COS on pig growth performance, microbial populations and apparent total tract nutrient digestibility. This indicates that COS supplementation may play a vital role in lower nutrient quality diets or may prevent the negative impact of a bacterial challenge. The MW of 5 to 10kDa and 10kDa to 50kDa COS decreased E. coli numbers while increasing apparent total tract nutrient digestibility. Thus, supplementation of COS at a particular MW range may be an effective substitute for in-feed antibiotics during the post-weaning period.
A. M. Walsh, T. Sweeney, B. Bahar, B. Flynn and J. V. O’Doherty (2013). The effects of supplementing varying molecular weights of chitooligosaccharide on performance, selected microbial populations and nutrient digestibility in the weaned pig. Animal 7:4, 571–579 doi:10.1017/S1751731112001759