Frontiers in Modulating Intestinal Health in Pigs

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Pigs".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 May 2022) | Viewed by 4966

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Delacon Biotechnik GmbH, Langwiesen 24, 4209 Engerwitzdorf, Austria
Interests: pig; microbiota; AGP replacement; phytogenics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intestinal health is an important topic regarding animal welfare and production performance. Optimal supply of nutrients and maintaining a beneficial intestinal microbiome are key factors for the successful production of healthy pigs. The same time proliferation of microbial pathogens is to be reduced to prevent health issues and production losses. In particular, the latter can be challenging when raising animals without traditional antimicrobial growth promoters, such as antibiotics and zinc oxide. Reliable replacements for these substances are therefore in high demand. Currently, different classes of feed additives, such as, for example, probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids and phytogenics, are in discussion to comply with this need. They exert their effects, for example, by influencing microbiome composition, strengthening intestinal barrier integrity, and improving nutrient uptake. However, many details on the modes of action from these potential AGP alternatives are still not clarified.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to give both an update and new insights for strategies to influence and maintain intestinal health in pigs, especially regarding the role of feed additives in a post-antibiotic era. This Special Issue will include reviews and original research papers.

Dr. Tobias Aumiller
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • pigs
  • intestinal health
  • microbiome
  • antimicrobial growth promoters
  • feed additives

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 6924 KiB  
Article
Effects of the Probiotic, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, as a Substitute for Antibiotics on the Gastrointestinal Tract Microbiota and Metabolomics Profile of Female Growing-Finishing Pigs
by Jiayuan Mo, Yujie Lu, Shan Jiang, Gang Yan, Tianqi Xing, Di Xu, Yaoyin He, Bingkun Xie, Ganqiu Lan, Baojian Chen and Jing Liang
Animals 2022, 12(14), 1778; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12141778 - 11 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2372
Abstract
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (LDB) is an approved feed additive on the Chinese ‘Approved Feed Additives’ list. However, the possibility of LDB as an antibiotic replacement remains unclear. Particularly, the effect of LDB on microbiota and metabolites in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) requires [...] Read more.
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (LDB) is an approved feed additive on the Chinese ‘Approved Feed Additives’ list. However, the possibility of LDB as an antibiotic replacement remains unclear. Particularly, the effect of LDB on microbiota and metabolites in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) requires further explanation. This study aimed to identify the microbiota and metabolites present in fecal samples and investigate the relationship between the microbiota and metabolites to evaluate the potential of LDB as an antibiotic replacement in pig production. A total of 42 female growing-finishing pigs were randomly allocated into the antibiotic group (basal diet + 75 mg/kg aureomycin) and LDB (basal diet + 3.0 × 109 cfu/kg LDB) groups. Fecal samples were collected on days 0 and 30. Growth performance was recorded and assessed. 16S rRNA sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based non-targeted metabolomics approaches were used to analyze the differences in microbiota and metabolites. Associations between the differences were calculated using Spearman correlations with the Benjamini–Hochberg adjustment. The LDB diet had no adverse effect on feed efficiency but slightly enhanced the average daily weight gain and average daily feed intake (p > 0.05). The diet supplemented with LDB increased Lactobacillus abundance and decreased that of Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group spp. Dietary-supplemented LDB enhanced the concentrations of pyridoxine, tyramine, D-(+)-pyroglutamic acid, hypoxanthine, putrescine and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid and decreased the lithocholic acid concentration. The Lactobacillus networks (Lactobacillus, Peptococcus, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-004, Escherichia-Shigella, acetophenone, tyramine, putrescine, N-methylisopelletierine, N1-acetylspermine) and Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group networks (Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, Treponema_2, monolaurin, penciclovir, N-(5-acetamidopentyl)acetamide, glycerol 3-phosphate) were the most important in the LDB effect on pig GIT health in our study. These findings indicate that LDB may regulate GIT function through the Lactobacillus and Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group networks. However, our results were restrained to fecal samples of female growing-finishing pigs; gender, growth stages, breeds and other factors should be considered to comprehensively assess LDB as an antibiotic replacement in pig production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Modulating Intestinal Health in Pigs)
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22 pages, 345 KiB  
Article
Selenium-Enriched Mushroom Powder Enhances Intestinal Health and Growth Performance in the Absence of Zinc Oxide in Post-Weaned Pig Diets
by Eadaoin Conway, Torres Sweeney, Alison Dowley, Stafford Vigors, Marion Ryan, Supriya Yadav, Jude Wilson and John V. O’Doherty
Animals 2022, 12(12), 1503; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12121503 - 09 Jun 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2033
Abstract
This study was conducted to examine the effects of varying selenium (Se) inclusion levels, in the form of Se-enriched mushroom powder (SeMP) and selenite, on post-weaning growth performance (Period 1; day 1–21), intestinal health and antioxidant capacity (Period 2; day 21–39). Weaned pigs [...] Read more.
This study was conducted to examine the effects of varying selenium (Se) inclusion levels, in the form of Se-enriched mushroom powder (SeMP) and selenite, on post-weaning growth performance (Period 1; day 1–21), intestinal health and antioxidant capacity (Period 2; day 21–39). Weaned pigs were blocked according to live weight, sex and litter of origin and randomly assigned to the following experimental groups: basal (basal + selenite (0.3 ppm Se)); ZnO (basal + ZnO + selenite (0.3 ppm Se)); 0.15 SeMP (basal + SeMP (0.15 ppm Se)); 0.3 SeMP (basal + SeMP (0.3 ppm Se)) and 0.6 SeMP/Sel (basal + SeMP (0.3 ppm Se) + selenite (Sel) (0.3 ppm Se)) with eight replicates/experimental group. After 21 days, the ZnO experimental group was removed from the experiment and the remaining pigs continued on their respective diet until day 39 post-weaning (Period 2). In Period 1, 0.15 SeMP supplementation reduced (p < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and day 21 body weight, and increased (p < 0.05) faecal scores compared to the ZnO group. Supplementation with 0.3 SeMP and 0.6 SeMP/Sel during Period 1 resulted in similar (p > 0.05) ADG, ADFI, gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) and body weight compared to the ZnO group. However, 0.6 SeMP/Sel supplementation increased (p < 0.05) faecal scores compared to the ZnO group. In Period 2, 0.6 SeMP/Sel increased (p < 0.05) ADG, feed efficiency and day 39 body weight compared to the basal group. Supplementation with Se-enriched mushroom powder, at all inclusion levels, increased (p < 0.05) the abundance of Prevotellaceae and Prevotella, decreased (p < 0.05) the abundance of Sporobacter and increased (p < 0.05) the expression of SELENOP in the jejunum compared to the basal group. Lactobacillaceae and Lactobacillus was increased (p < 0.05) in 0.15 SeMP and 0.3 SeMP pigs compared to the basal group. Selenium deposition in muscle and liver tissue increased (p < 0.001) as a function of inclusion level while pigs supplemented with 0.3 ppm organic Se (0.3 SeMP) had an increase (p < 0.05) in total Se in the muscle compared to pigs supplemented with 0.3 ppm inorganic Se (basal). In conclusion, 0.3 SeMP supplementation led to positive effects on faecal scores and had similar pig performance compared to ZnO in Period 1, while the addition of 0.3 ppm selenite to 0.3 SeMP (0.6 SeMP/Sel) in Period 2 led to enhanced pig performance and aspects of gastrointestinal health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Modulating Intestinal Health in Pigs)
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