Replacing corn with sorghum in the diet alters intestinal microbiota without altering chicken performance

Sorghum grain can be used to replace corn in broiler diets. However, the effects related to an abrupt change between these grains are not yet clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance and intestinal health of broilers fed diets containing corn and/or sorghum during different periods of rearing. To accomplish this aim, 2100 male chicks were fed the following experimental diets: C100% (corn‐based diet); S100% (sorghum‐based diet); C:S50% (diet based on corn and sorghum 1:1); PC‐S (corn‐based diet in the pre‐starter phase and sorghum‐based diet in subsequent phases); and PS‐C (sorghum‐based diet in the pre‐starter phase and corn‐based diet in subsequent phases). The study was conducted with two simultaneous trials in a randomized block design as follows: a performance trial up to 40 days occurred in floor pens (n = 8), and the metabolism trial occurred in cages (n = 10). Performance, jejunal morphometry, number of goblet cells, apparent metabolizable energy (AME), apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEn) and the coefficient of apparent metabolizability of dry matter (CMDM) of the diets, and the intestinal microbiota of small intestine and caeca at 10 and 21 days of age (16S gene sequencing) were evaluated. The different experimental diets did not affect performance, jejunal epithelium, AME, AMEn or CMDM. However, the experimental diets altered the percentages of the genera Clostridium, Weissella, Bacillus and Alkaliphilus in the small intestine. In addition, the genera Lactobacillus and Desulfotomaculum in the caeca were altered. The age also affected the microbiota of the intestinal segments. In conclusion, feeding sorghum in place of corn as well as the grain change after the pre‐starter phase does not alter broiler performance. However, sorghum alters the intestinal microbiota, resulting in a lower percentage of Clostridium and a higher percentage of Lactobacillus in the small intestine and caeca, respectively.     

Leptin and ghrelin levels in colostrum,milk and blood plasma of sows and pig neonates during the first week of lactation

Radioimmunology was used to determine leptin and ghrelin levels in sow colostrum and milk in relation to those in sow and neonatal pig blood plasma and to the body weight of piglets during the first week of lactation. The highest concentration of leptin was found in colostrum on the second day of lactation (69.3 ± 6.3 ng/mL). Leptin concentrations in sow plasma were significantly lower than in colostrum/milk (2.19 ± 0.9 ng/mL, P = 0.7692) and were stable in the first 7 days of lactation. Total and active ghrelin concentrations in colostrum/milk were stable in the measured time points (6734 ± 261 pg/mL, P = 0.3397; 831 ± 242 pg/mL, P = 0.3988, respectively). Total ghrelin concentrations in sow plasma were lower than in colostrum/milk. These results indicate that pigs follow a unique species‐specific pattern of leptin and ghrelin synthesis, release and existence, and that the mammary gland is an important source of leptin and ghrelin contained in colostrum/milk.     

Changes in the milk composition of okapi (Okapia johnstoni) during the first 6 months of lactation

We collected 17 milk samples at 1 day to 6 months post partum from one captive okapi (Okapia johnstoni). Milks were examined for nutrient composition, including water, fat, crude protein, carbohydrates, ash and five minerals. The average values of the concentrations were 79.2 ± 3.0% SD water, 8.5 ± 3.4% fat, 7.5 ± 1.1% crude protein, 3.6 ± 0.6% carbohydrate, 1.2 ± 0.1% ash, 263.7 ± 47.3 mg/100 g calcium, 183.0 ± 40.0 mg/100 g phosphorus, 95.2 ± 17.6 mg/100 g sodium, 74.4 ± 34.3 mg/100 g potassium and 28.4 ± 4.4 mg/100 g magnesium, respectively. The protein concentration increased at late lactation (P < 0.01). The contents of sodium and potassium were rather high in the early lactation period, while those of calcium and phosphorus were rather low in the early lactation period. During the course of lactation in the first week post partum and the protein concentration was high at 1 day post partum. We compare our findings with the American Association of Zoos & Aquariums's Okapi Species Survival Plan Hand‐rearing Protocol, and recommend that nutrient composition of the formula for okapi calves is developed using the present study as a guide.     

Effect of xylo-oligosaccharides from corn cobs autohydrolysis on the intestinal microbiota of piglets after weaning

The effect of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), a probiotic culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) and the combined administration of XOS and SC on the piglet intestinal microbiota was investigated. Twenty four weaned piglets were fed during 4 weeks with one of the following diets: (BD) basal diet; (BD + XOS) basal diet supplemented with xylo-oligosaccharides (20 g kg^− 1); (BD + SC) basal diet supplemented with S. cerevisiae (6 × 10⁹ CFU kg^− 1); and (BD + XOS + SC) basal diet supplemented with xylo-oligosaccharides and S. cerevisiae. Samples from the ileum, caecum and colon were collected and analysed for total anaerobes growing in XOS or glucose, xylose and arabinose (GXA) containing media. Specific primers were used to evaluate differences in Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus populations and ERIC PCR to fingerprint the intestinal microbiota.

The lowest number of culturable bacteria was obtained from the ileum of animals fed BD + XOS. The highest PCR titres with Lactobacillus group-specific primers in BD and BD + SC were obtained in the caecal contents. In XOS-supplemented diets the PCR titres were increased or maintained, from the caecum to the colon. Bifidobacteria were not detected in any samples using genus-specific primers. In the dendrogram from ERIC PCR, the piglets fed with XOS diets presented the highest similarity between samples and probiotic reference strains.     

Flavor supplementation during late gestation and lactation periods increases the reproductive performance and alters fecal microbiota of the sows

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of flavor on reproductive performance and fecal microbiota of sows during late gestation and lactation. A total of 20 healthy Yorkshire sows were fed a corn-soybean basal diet unsupplemented or supplemented with 0.1% flavor compound from d 90 of gestation to 25 d post-farrowing, and then the piglets were weaned. The reproductive performance and the fecal microbiota of sows were analyzed. Compared with the controls, flavor supplementation in maternal diets increased (P < 0.05) weaning litter weight, litter weight gain, weaning body weight, and average daily gain of piglets. There was a trend of increase in the average daily feed intake of sows (P = 0.09) by maternal dietary flavor addition. The backfat thickness and litter size were not affected by flavor supplementation (P > 0.05). The 16S rRNA analysis showed that flavor supplementation significantly increased the abundance of Phascolarctobacterium (P < 0.05), but significantly decreased genera Terrisporobacter, Alloprevotella, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, and Escherichia-shigella (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that Phascolarctobacterum was positively correlated with the average daily feed intake of sows (P < 0.05), the litter weight gain and average daily gain of piglets (P < 0.05). In contrast, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 and unclassified_f__Lachnospiraceae were negatively correlated with the litter weight gain and average daily gain of piglets (P < 0.05). Taken together, dietary flavor supplementation improved the reproductive performance of the sows, which was associated with enhanced beneficial microbiota and decreased potentially pathogenic bacteria in the sows.     

Host genotype and amoxicillin administration affect the incidence of diarrhoea and faecal microbiota of weaned piglets during a natural multiresistant ETEC infection

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is the aetiological agent of postweaning diarrhoea (PWD) in piglets. The SNPs located on the Mucine 4 (MUC4) and Fucosyltransferase 1 (FUT1) genes have been associated with the susceptibility to ETEC F4 and ETEC F18, respectively. The interplay between the MUC4 and FUT1 genotypes to ETEC infection and the use of amoxicillin in modifying the intestinal microbiota during a natural infection by multiresistant ETEC strains have never been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the MUC4 and FUT1 genotypes and the administration of amoxicillin through different routes on the presence of diarrhoea and the faecal microbiota composition in piglets naturally infected with ETEC. Seventy-one piglets were divided into three groups: two groups differing by amoxicillin administration routes—parenteral (P) or oral (O) and a control group without antibiotics (C). Faecal scores, body weight, presence of ETEC F4 and F18 were investigated 4 days after the arrival in the facility (T0), at the end of the amoxicillin administration (T1) and after the withdrawal period (T2). The faecal bacteria composition was assessed by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. We described that MUC4 and FUT1 genotypes were associated with the presence of ETEC F4 and ETEC F18. The faecal microbiota was influenced by the MUC4 genotypes at T0. We found the oral administration to be associated with the presence of diarrhoea at T1 and T2. Furthermore, the exposure to amoxicillin resulted in significant alterations of the faecal microbiota. Overall, MUC4 and FUT1 were confirmed as genetic markers for the susceptibility to ETEC infections in pigs. Moreover, our data highlight that group amoxicillin treatment may produce adverse outcomes on pig health in course of multiresistant ETEC infection. Therefore, alternative control measures able to maintain a healthy faecal microbiota in weaners are recommended.     

Potential effect of two Bacillus probiotic strains on performance and fecal microbiota of breeding sows and their piglets

The effect of long-term administration of two Bacillus strains was tested on 98 breeding sows and their litters allotted into three treatments: a control group (CON); supplemented with 5 × 10⁸ cfu/kg B. subtilis − 541 (BSU); or with 5 × 10⁸ cfu/kg B. amyloliquefaciens − 516 (BAM). Reproductive and performance variables were recorded over three cycles with 56 dams remaining through the third lactation. Blood and fecal samples were taken longitudinally from 12 sows per treatment on days 8 and 21 of the third lactation and milk samples were taken on day 21. Feces from one piglet per litter was sampled on days 21 and 33 and jejunal gene expression was assessed in two piglets on day 21. Changes in fecal microbiota were assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) and gene expression by Open-Array technology. Metabolomic responses were analyzed in milk by NMR and Ig-G and Ig-A specific antibodies were determined by ELISA. No significant differences were observed on feed intake, body weight, or fat mobilization of the sows. However, a significant increase in the total number of piglets born was observed in supplemented sows. Although the increase was seen from the first cycle with BAM, improvements were not seen with BSU until the third cycle. BAM also increased the number of born-alive and weaned piglets. NMR analysis showed an impact of BAM on milk composition. No differences were found in milk or blood immunoglobulins. A different structure of the fecal microbiota was found in supplemented sows, with changes across phylum, family, and genus. These changes were greater at day 8, suggesting a relevant role of probiotics establishing a new intestinal balance after labor. Shifts in the microbiota were also seen in the piglets, with a clearer impact post-weaning than in suckling. In this regard, correlations between microbial groups of sows and piglets showed a higher link with weaned (d33) than with suckling pigs (d21), reinforcing the idea of an early maternal carry-over. No changes due to treatment in jejunal gene expression were detected; however, piglet size had a clear impact on different genes. In summary, the addition of both probiotics, and particularly Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, demonstrated potential benefits on the prolificacy of sows. Daily feeding of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens resulted in an increase in the number of weaned piglets. The high correlations between the compositions of the microbiota of sows and their piglets are evidence of maternal imprinting, with effects lasting beyond weaning.     

母猪妊娠和泌乳阶段饲喂两种不同的锌源对其所产仔猪生长性能和肠道形态的影响

对于锌在仔猪保育和生长肥育阶段的作用已经有大量报道．但有关不同来源锌对母猪生产性能及其所产仔猪生长性能的研究却较少。在家禽．当肉用种母鸡饲喂补充锌时．其后代的免疫力可得到增强（Kidd等，1992，1993）。Caine等（2001）报道从母猪妊娠第80d到分娩期间饲喂氨基酸锌复合物对14日龄仔猪断奶后24h的肠道发育和免疫功能有良好效果．但未对保育阶段的仔猪进行过报道。     

Effects of growth and dietary crude protein level until first insemination on milk production during first lactation in Holstein heifers

To decrease the age at first calving in Holsteins, the effects of average daily body weight gain (ADG) and crude protein (CP) level until first insemination on growth performance and milk production were examined. The MM group had a target ADG of 0.75 kg and received a diet with a CP level of 14%. The HM and HH groups had a target ADG of 1 kg; both these groups received a diet with CP levels 14% and 16%, respectively. The ADG in the HM and HH groups was 1.1 kg, whereas in the MM group it was 0.97 kg (P < 0.01). The HM and HH groups showed no differences in withers height at body weight 350 kg. The ages at first calving in MM, HM and HH groups were 23.1, 21.0 and 21.8 months, respectively. The HM and HH groups had lower milk yield at day 305 than the MM group (P < 0.01). These results suggest that growth performance until first insemination should be maintained at an ADG of 0.97 kg or less with a CP level of approximately 14%, to shorten time until first insemination and prevent the decrease of milk yield.     

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on the intestinal morphology,intestinal barrier function and microbiota composition of suckling piglets

This study investigated the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum strain 299v on gut health in suckling piglets. Sixty newborn piglets were assigned to control and probiotic treatments, with three litters per treatment (ten piglets/litter). From days 1 to 20 of life, piglets were orally administered a placebo of 0.1% peptone or 1.0 ×  10¹⁰ CFU L. plantarum 299v daily. Six piglets per treatment were sacrificed on day 20, and intestinal tissues (including duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon) and the intestinal contents from colon segments were collected. The results demonstrated that piglets treated with L. plantarum 299v had a lower diarrhoea incidence than the controls. L. plantarum 299v administration significantly increased the ratio of the villus height to the crypt depth in the jejunum and ileum, as well as the mRNA expression of jejunal occludin and ileal zonula occludens 1 (ZO‐1). The L. plantarum treatment also increased the mRNA abundance of porcine β‐defensin 2 (pBD2) and pBD3 in the jejunum and ileum and of toll‐like receptors (TLRs), such as TLR2, TLR4, TLR6 and TLR9 in the ileum, and significantly upregulated the mRNA abundances of ileal pBD1 and colonic TLR4. Additionally, the L. plantarum 299v treatment significantly changed the structure of the colonic microbiota, as evidenced by the obvious increases in the relative abundances of the phyla Firmicutes and Actinobacteria and of the genus Lactobacillus. Our findings indicate that L. plantarum 299v facilitates the gut health of suckling piglets, probably by improving the intestinal morphology and intestinal barrier function and by modifying the structure of the gut microbiota.     

Effect of oral supplementation of probiotic strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Enterococcus faecium on the composition of the faecal microbiota of foals

Effects of probiotics on the intestinal microbiota of foals are yet insufficiently studied. The aim of this study was to investigate whether supplementation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (DSM 7133) and Enterococcus faecium (DSM 7134) influences the bacterial composition of the faecal microbiota of foals. A total of 34 newborn foals were randomly assigned to the placebo group (PG, n = 16) and the treatment group (TG, n = 18). From day 1 to day 14 of life, foals orally received 3 ml of either a probiotic preparation (1.05 × 10⁹ CFU E. faecium and 4.50 × 10⁸ CFU L. rhamnosus) or placebo (carrier) once a day. Faeces were collected directly from the rectum immediately after birth (meconium) and at day 14 and day 56 of life. Samples of 12 foals per group were selected for microbiological analysis. DNA was extracted and used for polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR‐DGGE) and quantitative PCR. No DNA or amplicons were obtained from meconium. There were no differences in richness of bands and Shannon index of diversity regarding the Clostridium cluster XIVa between groups. Cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis of DGGE data showed a clear effect of age. Band‐based similarity of bacterial clusters (Dice coefficient) decreased from day 14 to day 56 of life (p < 0.001) in PG foals only resulting in lower similarity in PG versus TG foals when 2 month old (p < 0.01). Five of thirty re‐amplified bands were identified on species level. Others were assigned either to family (mainly Lachnospiraceae) or genus level (Akkermansia). The bands related to Akkermansia muciniphila or Akkermansia spp. appeared almost in all DGGE profiles. Two‐week supplementation of the probiotic preparation to foals had no significant impact on the composition of the faecal microbiota but it appears to have prevented the reduction of bacterial similarity between 2 and 8 weeks of age observed in not treated foals.     

Effects of dietary rosemary extract supplementation on growth performance,nutrient digestibility,antioxidant capacity,intestinal morphology,and microbiota of weaning pigs

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract (RE) has multiple pharmacological and biological activities, including the use as a food additive and medicine. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary RE supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and microbiota of weaning piglets. A total of 192 crossbred weaned piglets [Duroc × (Large White × Landrace)] (initial body weight = 6.65 ± 0.33 kg, weaned days = 23 ± 1 d) were group housed (six pigs per pen; n = 8 pens/treatment). Pigs were fed a corn–soybean meal-based control diet or the basal diet supplemented with 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg RE. Pigs were allowed ad libitum access to fed for 21 d. The growth performance and apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients, and intestinal morphology and antioxidant status were evaluated. The components of the microbial microflora were also determined in the cecal samples. Compared with the control, dietary supplementation with RE increased the final body weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake (linear, P = 0.038, 0.016, and 0.009, respectively), and decreased the diarrhea ratio in piglets (linear, P < 0.05). The digestibility of crude protein (linear, P = 0.034) and gross energy (linear, P = 0.046) increased with treatment with RE. Piglets fed RE showed longer villus height (linear, P = 0.037 and 0.028, respectively) and villus height/crypt depth (linear, P = 0.004 and 0.012; quadratic, P = 0.023 and 0.036, respectively) in the jejunum and ileum, in addition to a lesser crypt depth in the jejunum (linear, P = 0.019) and ileum (quadratic, P = 0.042). The addition of RE increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (linear, P = 0.035 and 0.008, respectively) and glutathione peroxidase activity (linear, P = 0.027 and 0.039, respectively) and decreased the content of malondialdehyde (linear, P = 0.041 and 0.013; quadratic, P = 0.023 and 0.005, respectively) in the serum and liver. Dietary RE supplementation, compared with the control, increased the number of Bifidobacterium (linear, P = 0.034) and Bacteroidetes (linear, P = 0.029), while decreased Escherichia coli (linear, P = 0.008; quadratic, P = 0.014) in the cecal contents. Thus, dietary RE supplementation can improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and the microbiota in weaned piglets, and 200 mg/kg may be considered the optimum dosage.     

Effect of dietary folate level on organ weight,digesta pH,short-chain fatty acid concentration,and intestinal microbiota of weaned piglets

Folate is increasingly thought to promote gastrointestinal health and regulate the diversity of gut microbiota to alleviate weaning stress in piglets. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of folate on organ weight, digesta pH, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration, and intestinal microbiota in weaned piglets. A total of 28 piglets (6.73 ± 0.62 kg) were allocated to four dietary treatments consisting of a control group, 3, 9, and 18 mg/kg of folate supplementation in a 14-d feeding trial. The results showed that piglets fed with 9 and 18 mg/kg of folate supplementation had greater (P < 0.05) average liver and spleen weight than the control group. Folate supplementation (9 and 18 mg/kg) can significantly increase (P < 0.05) the stomach pH and tend (P < 0.10) to decrease the cecum pH. Folate treatment (9 and 18 mg/kg) had a positive effect on the metabolism of SCFAs in piglets, in particular, compared with the control group, and the content of acetic acid (AA) and valeric acid was markedly increased (P < 0.05) in the cecum and colon, respectively. Moreover, isobutyric acid, butyric acid, and isovaleric acid were tended (P < 0.10) to increase in the colon. Cecum contents samples were used to determine bacterial community diversity by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. At the genus level, in the cecum, there was a higher (P < 0.05) relative abundance of Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus salivarius, and Lactobacillus mucosae in the 9 mg/kg folate supplementation group. The functional pathways analysis predicted that folate may modify nutrient metabolism by changing the gut microbiota function of weaned piglets. Furthermore, the data showed that Lactobacillus was positively correlated with AA in the cecum. Overall, these findings suggested that folate treatment could increase the organ weight and the stomach pH of weaned piglets and had beneficial effects on gut health, which might be attributed to the alteration in intestinal microbiota induced by folate and the interaction of the intestinal microbiota with SCFAs.     

Performance and intestinal microbiota of chickens receiving probiotic in the feed and submitted to antibiotic therapy

The purpose of this study was to verify the ability of a probiotic in the feed to maintain the stability of the gut microbiota in chickens after antibiotic therapy and its association with growth performance. One thousand six hundred twenty 1‐day‐old Cobb male were housed in floor pens (36 pens, 45 birds/pen) and were fed corn‐/soya bean meal‐based diets supplemented with or without probiotic (Bacillus subtilis) during the entire rearing phase. From 21 to 24 days of age (three consecutive days), the chickens were submitted to antibiotic therapy via drinking water (bacitracin and neomycin) in order to mimic a field treatment and induce dysbiosis. Growth performance was monitored until 42 days of age. At 2, 4 and 6 days after antibiotic therapy, three chickens from each pen were euthanized and the contents of the small intestine and caeca were collected and pooled. The trial was conducted with four treatments and nine replicates in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement for performance characteristics (with and without probiotic × with and without antibiotic therapy); for the intestinal microbiota, it was in a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (with and without probiotic × with and without antibiotic therapy × 2, 4 and 6 days after the antibiotic therapy) with three replicates per treatment. Terminal restriction length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) analysis showed that the structure of gut bacterial community was shaped by the intestinal segment and by the time after the antibiotic therapy. The number of 16S rDNAs copies in caecum contents decreased with time after the therapeutic treatment. The antibiotic therapy and dietary probiotic supplementation decreased richness and diversity indexes in the caecal contents. The improved performance observed in birds supplemented with probiotic may be related to changes promoted by the feed additive in the structure of the intestinal bacterial communities and phylogenetic groups. Antibiotic therapy modified the bacterial structure, but did not cause loss of broiler performance.     

Administration of Lactobacillus johnsonii FI9785 to chickens affects colonisation by Campylobacter jejuni and the intestinal microbiota

1. Campylobacter jejuni is the most common bacterial cause of human food-borne gastroenteritis in the world. A major source of human infection is the consumption of contaminated meat, particularly poultry. New control measures to reduce or eliminate this pathogen from the animal gastrointestinal tract are urgently required, and the use of probiotics as competitive exclusion agents is a promising biocontrol measure to reduce C. jejuni in the food chain.

2. In this study, we assessed the potential of Lactobacillus johnsonii FI9785, which has shown efficacy against Clostridium perfringens, to combat C. jejuni. The effect of prophylactic administration of L. johnsonii on the ability of C. jejuni to colonise chickens was determined.

3. Two doses of L. johnsonii given a week apart led to a reduction in C. jejuni colonisation in the caecal contents, but this biocontrol seemed reliant upon a high level of initial colonisation by the probiotic.

4. The microbial composition in the chicken gut was significantly altered by the probiotic treatment, as shown by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons.

5. Together these results demonstrate the potential of this probiotic strain to be tested further as a competitive exclusion agent in poultry against C. jejuni.     

Effects of low-protein diets supplemented with crystalline amino acids on performance and intestinal development in piglets over the first 2 weeks after weaning

This study was conducted to determine the effects of low-protein diets supplemented with crystalline amino acids (AA) on performance and intestinal development in barrows (n = 32) over 2 weeks after weaning at 18 ± 1 day. Four maize-soybean meal based diets providing 0.93 g standardized ileal digestible lysine/MJ ME were prepared. The treatments were a control diet containing 23.1% CP (crude protein) and three low-protein diets (21.2, 18.9, and 17.2% CP, respectively), which were supplemented with crystalline AA to achieve an ideal AA pattern. Piglets were raised individually and had free access to feed and water. Average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) were measured weekly. Severity of diarrhea was monitored twice per day. Blood from all piglets was taken for determining serum urea nitrogen on d 0, 7, and 14 and serum free AA concentration on d 14. At the end of the experiment, all piglets were killed to measure morphology of the small intestine and disaccharidase activities. Reducing CP level did not affect ADFI (P > 0.10) but resulted in poorer (linear, P < 0.05; quadratic, P < 0.05) ADG and feed:gain ratio (F:G) over the 2-week study period. However, most of the effect of dietary CP was due to the significant deterioration of performance with the 17.2% CP diet. Faecal consistency was improved linearly (P < 0.01) with dietary CP decrease. Reducing dietary CP from 23.1 to 17.2% resulted in a linear (P < 0.001) and quadratic (P < 0.001) decrease in serum urea nitrogen levels on d 7 and 14. Serum arginine (P < 0.001), glutamine (P < 0.05), and proline (P < 0.05) concentrations were decreased in pigs fed the 17.2% CP diet compared with those fed the control diet on d 14. Villous height was decreased (P < 0.05) in the duodenum and jejunum by the reduction of dietary CP. As dietary CP declined, lactase and sucrase activities were reduced (P < 0.01) in the proximal jejunum. In conclusion, reducing CP concentration from 23.1 to 17.2% led to decreased growth performance associated with morphological changes of the gut and reduced disaccharidase activities in the small intestine. But reducing dietary CP from 23.1 to 18.9% did not affect intestinal morphology and disaccharidase activities.     

The effects of dietary supplementation with porous zinc oxide on growth performance,intestinal microbiota,morphology, and permeability in weaned piglets

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with porous zinc oxide (HiZox) on growth performance, intestinal microbiota, morphology, and permeability in weaned piglets. A total of 128 weaned piglets [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] with an average body weight (BW) of (6.55 ± 0.25 kg; 21 d of age) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: (1) a corn‐soybean basal diet; (2) basal diet + 3,000 mg/kg conventional ZnO; (3) basal diet + 200 mg/kg HiZox; (4) basal diet + 500 mg/kg HiZox. The experiments lasted for 28 days. Incremental HiZox in the diet increased ADG (linear p = 0.015; quadratic p = 0.043) and ADFI (linear p = 0.027; quadratic p = 0.038), and the diarrhea index decreased linearly and quadratically (p < 0.01) as HiZox supplemented increased. Furthermore, supplementation with HiZox increased the amounts of Lactobacillus spp. (p < 0.05) in the ileum and cecum in comparison with that of control treatment or 3,000 mg/kg ZnO treatment, while decreased the populations of Escherichia coli, Clostridium coccoides, and Clostridium. leptum subgroup (p < 0.05) in the ileum and cecum relative to those in control treatment. The addition of HiZox increased the villus height and villus‐to‐crypt ratio (VC) of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (p < 0.05), while decreased the crypt depth of jejunum (p < 0.05) and tended to reduce the crypt depth of duodenum (p < 0.10) compared with the control treatment. Piglets fed with 500 mg/kg HiZox had lower serum D‐lactate and diamine oxidase (DAO) than those fed with basal control diet or 3,000 mg/kg ZnO diet (p < 0.01). The results suggested that supplementation with HiZox modulated intestinal microbial composition and improved intestinal morphology, which may exert protective effects on the integrity of the mucosal barrier function of weaned piglets, was as efficacious as pharmaceutical doses of ZnO in enhancing growth performance, indicating that the HiZox may be a promising alternative to pharmaceutical doses of ZnO.     

羟甲基丁酸钙盐对妊娠后期-哺乳期母猪繁殖性能、乳成分及仔猪生长性能的影响

文章旨在评估日粮中添加羟甲基丁酸钙盐对妊娠后期到哺乳期母猪繁殖性能、乳成分及仔猪生长性能的影响.试验选择32头胎次接近的二元母猪,随机分为2组,每组4个重复,每个重复4头猪.对照组母猪在妊娠后期和哺乳期饲喂基础日粮,处理组母猪在妊娠和哺乳期饲喂基础日粮+8?mg/kg羟甲基丁酸钙,试验从分娩前6?d到仔猪21?d断奶....     

Effects of dietary supplementation of selenium‐enriched probiotics on production performance and intestinal microbiota of weanling piglets raised under high ambient temperature

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of selenium‐enriched probiotics (SeP) on production performance and intestinal microbiota of piglets raised under high ambient temperature. Forty‐eight cross‐bred weanling piglets (28 days old), randomly allotted into 12 pens (four piglets/pen) and four dietary treatments (three pens/treatment group), were fed ad libitum for 42 days a basal diet (Con) or the basal diet supplemented with probiotics (Pro), sodium selenite (ISe) or a SeP preparation. Blood and faecal samples were collected on days 0, 14, 28 and 42 post‐treatment. The SeP group had higher final BW (p < 0.05), greater ADG (p < 0.05) and lower FCR (p < 0.01) than the Pro, ISe or Con group. The diarrhoea incidence rate of either SeP or Pro group was lower (p < 0.01) than the ISe or Con group. Blood Se concentration and GSH‐Px activity were both higher (p < 0.01) in the SeP than in the Pro, ISe or Con group. On days 28 and 42, the serum concentrations of T3 were higher (p < 0.01) and T4 lower (p < 0.01) in the SeP than in the ISe group, and the T3 and T4 concentrations in the ISe group, in turn, were higher (p < 0.05) and lower (p < 0.01), respectively, than in the Pro or Con group. Also on days 28 and 42, the faecal counts of lactobacillus bacteria were higher (p < 0.01) while Escherichia coli lower (p < 0.01) in the SeP or Pro group as compared to the ISe or Con group. The results of RFLP showed that the faecal microbial flora in the SeP group changed the most (numerically) as compared to the Pro or ISe group. These results suggest that the SeP product may serve as a better alternative to antibiotics than the solo probiotics for using as a growth promoter for weanling piglets.     

The quantitative composition of the gastrointestinal flora in piglets during the first weeks of life. 1. The development of the gastrointestinal flora in naturally reared piglets]

Studies were conducted into the quantitative composition of the gastro-intestinal flora of 30 naturally raised piglets in four age groups. The gastro-intestinal tract was found to be "flooded" by Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, micrococci, streptococci, proteus, and lactobacteria over the first hours after birth. Development of the intestinal flora was complete at the age of four days. The groups of germs recordable from naturally and artificially raised piglets were, basically, the same. Piglets, consequently, have no specific "lactoflora".