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Dietary fibre (DF) is implicated in gastrointestinal health of weaned piglets either through its physiochemical properties, through modulation of gut microbiota to become more fibrolytic and creation of an optimal environment for beneficial microbiota at expense of pathogens and (or) improved gut integrity. Based on data in post-weaning pigs, it is hypothesized dietary fibre in the pre-weaning diet may affect the resilience after weaning. The aim of this research was to study the effect of DF enriched supplemental diets fed to suckling piglets (‘creep feed’) on health and performance after weaning when challenged with an enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). For this purpose, seventy-two piglets originating from 28 litters had been fed four creep diets, that is a low-fibre control (CON); a diet containing 2% long-chain arabinoxylans from wheat (lc-AXOS) or 5% purified cellulose (CELL) or a diet containing the high fermentable and the low-fermentable fibre source (2% lc-AXOS and 5% CELL). Diets were supplemented with a dye to allow for identifying creep feed consuming piglets based on green coloration of their faeces. Upon weaning, creep feed consumers were individually housed and all fed the same diet. On days 7, 8 and 9, animals received an oral dose of ETEC (5 ml containing 107 to 108 CFU/ml). Besides growth performance, faecal and skin scores were recorded daily. Gut permeability was assessed by urinary excretion of Co-EDTA prior and post-ETEC challenge.
Feed intake and body weight gain did not differ between treatments. Piglets on CELL decreased gain:feed ratio after the ETEC challenge compared to CON. Prior to ETEC challenge, gut permeability tended to increase for lc-AXOS. Moreover, lc-AXOS as main effect increased intestinal permeability before ETEC challenge, whereas the low-fermentable fibre lead to elevated intestinal permeability after ETEC challenge. The incidence of diarrhoea was higher for lc-AXOS + CELL compared with lc-AXOS, while skin condition was unaffected.
In conclusion, neither the high fermentable nor the low-fermentable fibre source improved post-weaning growth or gastrointestinal health of the piglets, in contrast to studies on post-weaning fibre supplementation.
van Hees H, Maes D, Millet S, den Hartog L, van Kempen T, Janssens G. Fibre supplementation to pre‐weaning piglet diets did not improve the resilience towards a post‐weaning enterotoxigenic E. coli challenge. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition. 2020. DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13475