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Actually, there is an urgent need to remove antibiotics from the list of feed additives allowed for food-producing animals. The provision of probiotic bacteria has been suggested to improve performance and health in weaned piglets, and is one of the alternatives to the use of antibiotic feed additives. In the present study, the effect on performance and gastrointestinal environment of supplementing a piglet diet with different probiotic complexes of lactic acid bacteria, isolated from gut digesta of healthy fattening pigs, was investigated.
Ninety-six weaned (21–23 days of age) piglets (L×Y) from 12 litters were divided into 4 groups and fed a piglet diet ad libitum without and with supplementation of 600 ppm of one of three selected probiotic complexes in a 35-day growth trial. Five strains with high antagonistic activity against pathogens were selected and combined in different proportions to form 3 different probiotic complexes: (LAB1) Enterococcus faecium 6H2 + Lactobacillus acidophilus C3 + Pediococcus pentosaceus D7 (all strains from ileum); (LAB2) E. faecium 6H2 + L. acidophilus C3 + L. plantarum 1K8 (1K8 strain from mid-colon); and (LAB3) L. acidophilus C3 + L. plantarum 1K8 + L. plantarum 3K2 (3K2 strain frommid-colon). The piglets were weighed at the beginning of the experiment (at weaning), on day 14 and on day 35, to calculate the average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR; kg feed/ kg ADG). On days 14 and 35, four piglets from each treatment were killed for digesta sample collection. Concentrations of acetic acid, propionic, butyric and lactic acid in digesta samples were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.
Piglets fed probiotic diets had higher feed intake and daily gain, and better feed conversion, than the control group (P<0.05) during the 1st two weeks after weaning. There was no effect of probiotic supplementation on performance (P>0.05) during weeks 3 to 5 after weaning. The concentration of lactic and acetic acid was higher (P<0.05) in ileum and colon of piglets fed probiotic diets on days 14 and 35, while propionic acid was higher only in the ileum on day 35 (P<0.05). There were no differences among the different probiotic complexes (P>0.05). The higher concentration of organic acids in the gut contents when the probiotic complexes were added to the basal diet indicates a change in the gut environment, which should be expected to lower pH in the gut, resulting in better nutrient digestibility. Moreover, the increase in lactic and acetic acid concentration in ileum and colon may exert antibacterial effects on gut enterobacteria, which will add to the beneficial effects on nutrient utilization.
Ninety-six weaned (21–23 days of age) piglets (L×Y) from 12 litters were divided into 4 groups and fed a piglet diet ad libitum without and with supplementation of 600 ppm of one of three selected probiotic complexes in a 35-day growth trial. Five strains with high antagonistic activity against pathogens were selected and combined in different proportions to form 3 different probiotic complexes: (LAB1) Enterococcus faecium 6H2 + Lactobacillus acidophilus C3 + Pediococcus pentosaceus D7 (all strains from ileum); (LAB2) E. faecium 6H2 + L. acidophilus C3 + L. plantarum 1K8 (1K8 strain from mid-colon); and (LAB3) L. acidophilus C3 + L. plantarum 1K8 + L. plantarum 3K2 (3K2 strain frommid-colon). The piglets were weighed at the beginning of the experiment (at weaning), on day 14 and on day 35, to calculate the average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR; kg feed/ kg ADG). On days 14 and 35, four piglets from each treatment were killed for digesta sample collection. Concentrations of acetic acid, propionic, butyric and lactic acid in digesta samples were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.
Piglets fed probiotic diets had higher feed intake and daily gain, and better feed conversion, than the control group (P<0.05) during the 1st two weeks after weaning. There was no effect of probiotic supplementation on performance (P>0.05) during weeks 3 to 5 after weaning. The concentration of lactic and acetic acid was higher (P<0.05) in ileum and colon of piglets fed probiotic diets on days 14 and 35, while propionic acid was higher only in the ileum on day 35 (P<0.05). There were no differences among the different probiotic complexes (P>0.05). The higher concentration of organic acids in the gut contents when the probiotic complexes were added to the basal diet indicates a change in the gut environment, which should be expected to lower pH in the gut, resulting in better nutrient digestibility. Moreover, the increase in lactic and acetic acid concentration in ileum and colon may exert antibacterial effects on gut enterobacteria, which will add to the beneficial effects on nutrient utilization.
HH Giang, TQ Viet, B Ogle and JE Lindberg, 2010. Livestock Science, 133:182–184.
