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Veterinary Sciences
Special Issues
Pig Diet and Growth Performance
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Pig Diet and Growth Performance

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2024 | Viewed by 6588

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Georgios Papadopoulos

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: monogastric animal science; swine animal science; poultry animal science; applied monogastric animal nutrition and feeding; peripartal sow metabolism; sow reproduction and production; weaned piglet gut health
Dr. Ilias Giannenas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Nutrition, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: animal nutrition; health; antioxidants; feed additives; aromatic and medicinal plants; alternative feedstuffs with bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Panagiotis Tassis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Clinic of Farm Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: pig; porcine herd health management; porcine medicine; porcine reproduction; swine diseases; animal welfare; vaccinology; alternatives to antibiotics; mycotoxins; mycotoxin adsorbents
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pigs are bred throughout the world to produce meat. Based on the most recent data, global pig meat production has reached over 100 million tons. Under intensive pig farming conditions, feed represents approximately 60 to 70% of the production cost. Inevitably, the use of alternative feed sources together with improved management practices need to be applied to reduce production costs and improve productive efficiency. In recent years, the animal feed industry has made efforts to close the gap between nutrition and genetics in the pig industry. Certain feed ingredients produced can be used as alternatives in the diet management portfolio. Meanwhile, the ban on antibiotics in the EU as growth promoters together with the recent limitation of the use of pharmacological levels of ZnO are already in operation. Today, there is a plethora of feed additives that can be regarded as natural alternatives to antibiotics such as aromatic plants, and their extracts, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, oligosaccharides, organic acids and feed enzymes, nutritional enhancers, and novel feed additives. Moreover, the high prevalence of respiratory diseases during the growing and fattening period limit the growth potential and can prolong the period until slaughter weight. Mycotoxins present in feed ingredients and diets also impose a great risk for the health and growth potential of fattening pigs. In this Special Issue, we would like to welcome research reports, reviews, and case reports with a particular focus on how to facilitate the optimal use of dietary resources for efficient pig growth performance.

Dr. Georgios Papadopoulos
Dr. Ilias Giannenas
Dr. Panagiotis Tassis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Veterinary Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pigs
  • feeding
  • growth performance
  • efficiency
  • post-weaning diarrhea
  • feed additives
  • alternative feed ingredients
  • alternatives to ZnO
  • mycotoxins
  • respiratory diseases

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1287 KiB  
Article
Modulation of Swine Gut Microbiota by Phytogenic Blends and High Concentrations of Casein in a Validated Swine Large Intestinal In Vitro Model
by Igor V. Popov, Naiana Einhardt Manzke, Mônica Maurer Sost, Jessica Verhoeven, Sanne Verbruggen, Iuliia P. Chebotareva, Alexey M. Ermakov and Koen Venema
Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(12), 677; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10120677 - 27 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1622
Abstract
Phytogenic feed additives are gaining popularity in livestock as a replacement for antibiotic growth promotors. Some phytogenic blends (PB) positively affect the production performance, inhibit pathogens within the gut microbiota, and improve the overall health of farm animals. In this study, a swine [...] Read more.
Phytogenic feed additives are gaining popularity in livestock as a replacement for antibiotic growth promotors. Some phytogenic blends (PB) positively affect the production performance, inhibit pathogens within the gut microbiota, and improve the overall health of farm animals. In this study, a swine large intestine in vitro model was used to evaluate the effect of two PBs, alone or in combination with casein, on swine gut microbiota. As a result, the combination of casein with PB1 had the most beneficial effects on swine gut microbiota, as it increased the relative abundance of some commensal bacteria and two genera (Lactobacillus and Oscillospiraceae UCG-002), which are associated with greater production performance in pigs. At the same time, supplementation with PBs did not lead to an increase in opportunistic pathogens, indicating their safety for pigs. Both PBs showed fewer changes in swine gut microbiota compared to interventions with added casein. In contrast, casein supplementation significantly increased beta diversity and the relative abundance of commensal as well as potentially beneficial bacteria. In conclusion, the combination of casein with PBs, in particular PB1, had the most beneficial effects among the studied supplements in vitro, with respect to microbiota modulation and metabolite production, although this data should be proven in further in vivo studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Diet and Growth Performance)
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18 pages, 326 KiB  
Article
Innovative Use of Olive, Winery and Cheese Waste By-Products as Novel Ingredients in Weaned Pigs Nutrition
by Georgios Magklaras, Ioannis Skoufos, Eleftherios Bonos, Anastasios Tsinas, Christos Zacharis, Ioannis Giavasis, Kostas Petrotos, Konstantina Fotou, Konstantina Nikolaou, Konstantina Vasilopoulou, Ιlias Giannenas and Athina Tzora
Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(6), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10060397 - 16 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1341
Abstract
New sustainable sources of feeds, which can enhance the health and welfare of farm animals, lower feeding costs, and lead to safer products, are of high priority in modern animal production systems. In the present study, a novel silage created from Greek olive, [...] Read more.
New sustainable sources of feeds, which can enhance the health and welfare of farm animals, lower feeding costs, and lead to safer products, are of high priority in modern animal production systems. In the present study, a novel silage created from Greek olive, winery, and feta cheese waste by-products, was evaluated as a feed ingredient at different inclusion rates (0%, 5% or 10%) in 34-day-old weaned pigs. The potential beneficial effects on performance, health and intestinal digesta microflora balance of the pigs were evaluated. Additionally, chemical, microbiological and quality analysis of the meat was carried out. Results showed no detrimental effects (p > 0.05) on the pigs’ performance and no significant changes (p > 0.05) in meat pH, color and chemical analysis. Ileum and cecum microflora populations (total anaerobes, Lactobacillaceae) were positively affected (p ≤ 0.05) by the dietary usage of the silage. The microbial populations (Clostridium spp.) of belly meat cuts were positively modified (p ≤ 0.01). The concentration of total phenols in the meat cuts were increased (p ≤ 0.05) and their resistance to oxidation was improved (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, the fatty acid profile of the meat lipids (polyunsaturated and n-3 fatty acids) was positively modified (p ≤ 0.001). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Diet and Growth Performance)
15 pages, 830 KiB  
Article
Effects of Heat-Killed Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 Supplementation on Growth Performance, Blood Profiles, Intestinal Morphology, and Immune Gene Expression in Pigs
by Wandee Tartrakoon, Rangsun Charoensook, Tossaporn Incharoen, Sonthaya Numthuam, Thitima Pechrkong, Satoru Onoda, Gaku Shoji and Bertram Brenig
Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(2), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10020087 - 24 Jan 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2368
Abstract
In the present study, the effects of dietary heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 (HK L-137) on the productive performance, intestinal morphology, and cytokine gene expression of suckling-to-fattening pigs were investigated. A total of 100 suckling pigs [(Large White × Landrace) × Duroc; 4.5 ± [...] Read more.
In the present study, the effects of dietary heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 (HK L-137) on the productive performance, intestinal morphology, and cytokine gene expression of suckling-to-fattening pigs were investigated. A total of 100 suckling pigs [(Large White × Landrace) × Duroc; 4.5 ± 0.54 kg initial body weight (BW)] were used and assigned to each of the four dietary treatments as follows: (1) a control diet with antibiotics as a growth promoter (AGP) from the suckling phase to the grower phase and no supplement in the finisher phases; (2) a control diet without antibiotics as a growth promoter (NAGP); (3) a control diet with HK L-137 at 20 mg/kg from the suckling phase to the starter phase and no supplement from the grower phase to the finisher phases (HKL1); and (4) a control diet with HK L-137 at 20 mg/kg from the suckling phase to the weaner phase, at 4 mg/kg from the starter phase to the finisher 1 phase, and no supplement in the finisher 2 phase (HKL2). During the weaner–starter period, the pigs fed on the AGP and HKL2 diets showed significantly higher weight gain and average daily gain (ADG) than those in the NAGP group (p < 0.05). The pigs in the AGP, HKL1, and HKL2 groups showed greater ADG than those in the NAGP groups (p < 0.05) throughout the grower–finisher period. The suckling pigs in the HKL1 and HKL2 groups showed a higher platelet count (484,500 and 575,750) than in the others (p < 0.05); however, there were no significant differences in the other hematological parameters among the treatment groups. The relative mRNA expression level of IFN- ß of the suckling and starter pigs were significantly higher in the HKL1 and HKL2 groups than in the others (p < 0.05), while the IFN-γ showed the highest level in the HKL2 suckling pigs (p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that a HK L-137 supplementation could stimulate the immune response in suckling and starter pigs and promote the growth performance in finishing pigs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Diet and Growth Performance)
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