A total of 144 pigs with initial BW of 29.48±0.58 kg were used in a 6-wk experiment to evaluate the probiotics supplementation (Enterococcis faecium, 1.0×1010 CFU/g) with different nutrient densities in growing pigs. Pigs were randomly allotted to one of four treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments with two levels of nutrient density and probiotic (0 or 0.1%) according to their sex and BW (nine replicate pens with two gilts and two barrows per pen). Pigs fed the higher nutrient density diets led to a higher (P<0.05) ADG and G:F ratio than those fed low nutrient density diet. The inclusion of probiotic increased (P<0.05) ADG, ADFI, G:F, and the apparent total tract digestibility of DM, N, energy. Dietary high nutrient density led to a higher (P<0.05) faecal H2S and NH3 content, whereas the probiotic supplementation led to a reduced (P<0.05) faecal H2S and NH3 content. An increased faecal lactobacillus concentration was observed with probiotic supplementation. An interactive effect between e...

Effect of probiotics supplementation in diets with different nutrient densities on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics, faecal microbial population and faecal noxious gas content in growing pigs

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium) and xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS) supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum profiles, intestinal health, fecal microbiota and noxious gas emission in weanling pigs. METHODS A total of 240 weanling pigs ([Yorkshire×Landrace]×Duroc) with an average body weight (BW) of 6.3±0.15 kg were used in this 28-day trial. Pigs were randomly allocated in 1 of the following 4 dietary treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement with 2 levels of probiotics (0 and 500 mg/kg probiotics) and XOS (0 and 200 mg/kg XOS) based on the BW and sex. RESULTS Administration of probiotics or XOS improved average daily gain (p<0.05) during 0 to 14 d and the overall period, while pigs that were treated with XOS had a greater average daily gain and feed efficiency (p<0.05) compared with unsupplemented treatments throughout 15 to 28 d and the whole experiment. Either probiotics or XOS treatments increased the apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients (p<0.05) during 0 to 14 d. No effects on serum profiles were observed among treatments. The XOS increased villus height: crypt depth ratio in jejunum (p<0.05). The supplementation of probiotics (500 mg/kg) or XOS (200 mg/kg) alone improved the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen and gross energy on d 14, the activity of trypsin and decreased fecal NH3 concentration (p<0.05). Administration of XOS decreased fecal Escherichia coli counts (p<0.05), while increased lactobacilli (p<0.05) on d 14. There was no interaction between dietary supplementation of probiotics and XOS. CONCLUSION Inclusion of XOS at 200 mg/kg or probiotics (Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium) at 500 mg/kg in diets containing no antibiotics significantly improved the growth performance of weanling pigs. Once XOS is supplemented, further providing of probiotics is not needed since it exerts little additional effects.

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Effect of probiotics and xylo-oligosaccharide supplementation on nutrient digestibility, intestinal health and noxious gas emission in weanling pigs

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of MCFA and probiotic ( Enterococcus faecium DSM 7134) supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, faecal score, excreta microbiota, and excreta noxious gas emission in weanling pigs. A total of 140 weanling pigs ((Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc) were allotted to four treatments groups of seven replicates/treatment and five pigs/replicate. The four experimental diets included: CON diet (basal diet); T1 (CON + MCFA 0.2%); T2 (CON + probiotic 0.01%) and T3 (CON + MCFA 0.2% + probiotic 0.01%). Growth performance, average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), gain-to-feed ratio (G : F), Nutrient digestibility: dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N), energy were determined along with blood profiles: glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN ), creatinine, high density lipopro - tein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol, triglyceride, Excreta bacteria: Lactobacillus, E. coli, Excreta gas emission: NH 3 , H 2 S, total mercaptans, acetic acid and faecal scores. Overall, average daily gain (ADG) and G : F in T2 and T3 treatment groups was higher than in T1 and controls. In blood profiles, glucose levels were found to be increased in week two and six in the treatment groups compared to controls. In addition, the nutrient digestibility of DM, N and energy were found to be increased significantly in T2 and T3 when compared to T1 and controls. There was no significant difference observed between the groups for faecal score, microflora and noxious gas emission. In conclusion, dietary MCFA and probiotic supplementation in weanling pigs are efficacious alternatives to antibiotics, and can improve health status and performance.

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Effect of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) and probiotic (Enterococcus faecium) supplementation on the growth performance, digestibility and blood profiles in weanling pigs

The study investigated the effects of probiotic bacteria ( Lactobacillus reuteri ZJ625, Lactobacillus reuteri VB4, Lactobacillus salivarius ZJ614, and Streptococcus salivarius NBRC13956) administered as direct-fed microorganisms on growth performance and blood parameters of weaned piglets. Forty-five weaned piglets were divided into five treatments: antibiotic (PC), no antibiotic and no probiotic (NC), probiotic (P1), probiotic (P2), and combination of probiotics (P3). Fecal and ileum samples were collected for microbial count analysis. Blood samples were also collected from the animals at the end of the trial for the hematological and biochemical analysis and the ability of the probiotics to stimulate immunoglobulin G (IgG). Supplementation of probiotics had no effect on feed intake (FI). However, average daily weight gained (ADG) in the P3 treatment was higher than in other treatments and lowered the value of feed conversion ratio (FCR) of weaned piglets. Microbial count of fecal samples did not differ in all the treatments while ileum samples had lower enteric bacteria in P3 treatment when compared to other treatments. Concentration of albumin, globulin, neutrophils and basophils were higher in the NC treatment when compared to other treatment groups. The IgG concentration was highest in P3 compared to other treatments. Results suggested that probiotics have beneficial effects on growth performances, blood parameters, and IgG stimulation of weaned piglets. This advocates that probiotics will offer a significant benefit in pig farming by reducing the risk of post weaning diarrheal syndromes, and therefore enhance pig industry’s economy. Keywords : Blood chemistry, feed conversion ratio, immunoglobulin G, post-weaning diarrheal syndromes, probiotics

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Effects of probiotics on growth performance, blood parameters, and antibody stimulation in piglets

The oral administration of Enterococcus faecium EF1 to new-born suckling and weaning piglets along with their growth performances and intestinal microbiota was investigated in this study. Twenty-four new-born piglets were initially divided into 2 groups. The probiotics group received 2 ml of 10% sterilised skimmed milk by oral gavage supplemented with 6×10(8) cfu/ml viable E. faecium EF1 at the first, the third and the fifth day after birth, while the control group received 2 ml of 10% sterilised skimmed milk without probiotics at the same time. Results showed that oral administration of E. faecium EF1 was associated with a remarkable increase on the body weight of piglets for both suckling and weaning periods, by 30.73% (P<0.01) and 320.84% (P<0.01), and also decreased the diarrhoea rate, by 43.21% (P<0.05) and 71.42% (P<0.05), respectively. In addition, 454-pyrosequencing analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in the intestinal microbial diversity of the suckling piglets between the two groups; nevertheless, when compared to the control group, the relative abundance of Firmicutes in the probiotics group was substantially augmented, while the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria diminished. However, results indicated that oral administration of E. faecium EF1 did not have any influence on the relative abundance of Firmicutes in weaning piglets rather than increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and decreasing the relative abundance of Proteobacteria. Furthermore, at the level of the Firmicutes phylum, the relative abundance of Lactobacillales in the probiotic group increased significantly. These findings suggest that oral administration of E. faecium EF1 to new-born piglets could improve the growth performance and intestinal microbiota of piglets for both suckling and weaning periods.

Intestinal microbiota and oral administration of Enterococcus faecium associated with the growth performance of new-born piglets

Placing a ban on the use of antibiotics as additives for animal feed, had raised the producing risk, because of possibility for occurrence of many diseases in rearing piglets. One of alternative solutions is the use of probiotics as supplements, directly or in piglets feed. Aim of this study was to investigate the effects probiotic Enterococcus faecium DSM 7134 on the rearing piglets in the period from weaning to fattening start. This experiment included 500 piglets, divided in 2 groups, 250 piglets in experiment group (5 cycles with 50 piglets each) and 250 piglets (5 cycles with 50 piglets) in control group. Difference between experimental and control groups were in the way of feeding, experiment group had Enterococcus faecium DSM 7134 supplement and control was without. Influence of these probiotics was observed on the parameters: feed conversion ratio, daily gain increase and mortality. Piglets in the experiment group with probiotic Enterococcus faecium DSM 7134 in the ration showed lower feed conversion, higher daily growth increase and lower percentage of mortality, during this experiment. The difference between control and experimental group, for all parameters values, were established as statisticaly very significant (p<0.01) effect of the probiotic Enterococcus faecium DSM 7134 on rearing piglets in the period from weaning to the beginning of fattening.

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M. Lojanica

Papers

The effects of probiotic Enterococcus faecium DSM 7134 in the weaned pigs nutrition.