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Pigs are exposed to various challenges such as weaning, environmental stressors, unhealthy diet, diseases and infections during their lifetime which adversely affects the gut microbiome. The inability of the pig microbiome to return to the pre-challenge baseline may lead to dysbiosis resulting in the outbreak of diseases. Therefore, the maintenance of gut microbiome diversity, robustness and stability has been influential for optimum intestinal health after perturbations. Nowadays human and animal researches have focused on more holistic approaches to obtain a robust gut microbiota that provides protection against pathogens and improves the digestive physiology and the immune system. In this review, we present an overview of the swine gut microbiota, factors affecting the gut microbiome and the importance of microbial stability in promoting optimal intestinal health. Additionally, we discussed the current understanding of nutritional interventions using fibers and pre/probiotics supplementation as non-antibiotic alternatives to maintain microbiota resilience to replace diminished species.

This study was conducted to evaluate the supplementation of glutamic acid (Glu) to reduced protein diets on the performance of weanling pigs. One hundred and eighty crossbred weanling pigs ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc, 21 d old) having similar body weight (BW) of 6.45 kg were randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments (5 pigs per pen [2 barrows and 3 gilts]; 6 pens per treatment) based on BW and sex during a 6-week trial. Dietary treatments consisted of positive control (PC) diet formulated to have 226.9, 205.6, and 188.8 g crude protein (CP) during phases 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and negative control (NC) diets with 20 g CP reduction from PC diets and addition of Glu with increasing levels, resulting in the calculated Lys-to-Glu ratios of 1:2.25, 1:2.30.1:2.35, 1:2.40, and 1:2.45, designated as NC, NC1, NC2, NC3, and NC4, respectively. The BW of pigs receiving PC diet was higher (P

A total of 144 mixed sex pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] with an initial average body weight (BW) of 52 kg were used in a 11 wk trial in a 2 × 2 factorial design with the following factors: group size (three pigs per pen vs. five pigs per pen) and 0% or 0.2% homeopathic product supplementation to evaluate growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality, and stress-related hormones. The homeopathic product supplementation resulted in increased (P 0.05) during day 77 was observed in pigs with group size of five pigs per pen, and this was reduced when homeopathic product was supplemented to the diet. In conclusion, the variation in number of animals per pen had no effects on performance and production traits, but the animals in bigger group size had higher serum cortisol concentrations which were reduced by the homeopathic product supplementation.

BackgroundEffective antibiotic alternatives are urgently needed in the poultry industry to control disease outbreaks. Phage therapy mainly utilizes lytic phages to kill their respective bacterial hosts and can be an attractive solution to combating the emergence of antibiotic resistance in livestock.MethodsFive hundred and four, one-day-old broilers (Ross 308) were allotted to 1 of 4 treatment groups in a completely randomized design. Treatments consisted of CON (basal diet), PC (CON + 0.025% Avilamax®), BP 0.05 (CON + 0.05% bacteriophage), and BP 0.10 (CON + 0.10% bacteriophage).ResultsA significant linear effect on body weight gain (BWG) was observed during days 1–7, days 22–35, and cumulatively in bacteriophage (BP) supplemented groups. The BWG tended to be higher (P = 0.08) and the feed intake (FI) was increased (P = 0.017) in the PC group over CON group. A greater (P = 0.016) BWG and trends in increased FI (P = 0.06) were observed in the experiment in birds fed PC than CON diet. At the genus level, the relative abundance ofLactobacilluswas decreased in PC (65.28%), while it was similar in BP 0.05 and BP 0.10 (90.65%, 86.72%) compared to CON (90.19%). At the species level, the relative abundance ofLactobacillus salivaruswas higher in BP 0.05 (40.15%) and BP 0.10 (38.58%) compared to the CON (20.04%) and PC (18.05%). A linear reduction in the weight of bursa of Fabricius (P = 0.022) and spleen (P = 0.052) was observed in birds fed graded level of BP and an increase(P = 0.059) in the weight of gizzard was observed in birds fed PC over BP diets. Linear and quadratic responses were observed in redness of breast muscle color in birds fed graded level of BP.ConclusionsThe inclusion of the 0.05% and 0.1% BP cocktail linearly improved broiler weight during the first 7 days, 22–35 days and cumulatively, whereas 0.05% BP addition was sufficient for supporting immune organs, bursa and spleen as well as enhancing gut microbiome, indicating the efficacy of 0.05% BP as a substitute antibiotic growth promoter in broiler diets.

Vitamins and minerals categorized as micronutrients are the essential components of animal feed for maintaining health and improving immunity. Micronutrients are important bioactive molecules and cofactors of enzymes as well. Besides being cofactors for enzymes, some vitamins such as the fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin A and D have been shown to exhibit hormone-like functions. Although they are required in small amount, they play an influential role in the proper functioning of a number of enzymes which are involved in many metabolic, biochemical and physiological processes that contribute to growth, production and health. Micronutrients can potentially have a positive impact on bone health, preventing bone loss and fractures, decreasing bone resorption and increasing bone formation. Thus, micronutrients must be provided to livestock in optimal concentrations and according to requirements that change during the rapid growth and development of the animal and the production cycle. The supply of nutrients to the animal body not only depends on the amount of the nutrient in a food, but also on its bioavailability. The bioavailability of these micronutrients is affected by several factors. Therefore, several technologies such as nanoparticle, encapsulation, and chelation have been developed to improve the bioavailability of micronutrients associated with bone health. The intention of this review is to provide an updated overview of the importance of micronutrients on bone health and methods applied to improve their bioavailability.

Among different nutrients, the requirement of minerals is small, but impacts sow longevity and reproduction performance. Cross bred gilts (n=72; average body weight 181 kg) in their 1st to 4th subsequent parity was randomly allocated to 1 of 3 treatments (24 gilts/treatment) to assess the effects of marine derived Ca-Mg complex supplementation on serum mineral contents, hormone concentrations, colostrum nutrient profile, as well as lipid and energy metabolism-associated genes expression in the placental, and umbilical cord tissues. Treatments consisted of CON (corn-soybean meal-wheat-based basal diet with limestone as main Ca source), CM1 (CON-MgO + 0.40% marine derived Ca-Mg complex formulated to have same Ca and Mg spec as basal diet), and CM2 (CON - 0.4% limestone + 0.4% marine derived Ca-Mg complex - MgO). The inclusion of Ca-Mg complex in sow diet increased (P< 0.05) the serum Ca and Mg levels, colostrum Ca, Mg, protein, and IgM contents, and reduced stress hormones after farrowing. However, depletion of Ca and Mg was observed in the 4th parity sows fed CON diet and a reduction in stress hormones were observed in 3rd and 4th parity sows. The relative expression of the SCD gene was downregulated in the umbilical cord of piglets born to CM1 and CM2 sows compared with the CON group during parity 3 (P= 0.007) and parity 4 (P = 0.009). During the parity 4, SLC2A2 (P = 0.003) and FABP4 (P = 0.043) genes expression were upregulated in the umbilical cord of piglets born to CM2 sows and placenta tissue of sows from CM1 group, respectively. The observed positive influence of marine-derived Ca-Mg complex on lipid and glucose metabolism-associated genes expression, serum metabolites, colostrum nutrient, and stress hormones suggests that inclusion of 0.4% Ca-Mg complex in the diet is beneficial for improving sow longevity and performance.

A total of 45 sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) and their litters were used in this study to evaluate the efficacy of nucleotide supplementation on reproductive performance, growth performance, fecal microflora, and blood profiles in sows and piglets. Sows were allocated to one of three treatments (15 pigs per treatment and the average parity was 4.13). Dietary treatments consisted of (1) CON: basal diet, (2) T1: CON + 0.5% nucleotides, and (3) T2: CON + 1.0% nucleotides. In this study, the average daily feed intake during lactation and back fat at weaning day was increased linearly (P

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of low-dose zinc oxide (ZnO) supplemented with or without probiotic complex compared with pharmacological ZnO (3000 mg kg−1) on the performance, digestibility, blood metabolites, fecal Lactobacillus and enterobacteria counts of weaned piglets. One-hundred and twenty crossbred piglets were randomly allocated to three treatments based on their initial body weight (BW). Treatments consisted of corn–soybean-meal-based basal diet supplemented with 3000 mg kg−1 ZnO as positive control (ZH), basal diet supplemented with 300 mg kg−1 ZnO as negative control (ZL), and ZL + 0.1% probiotic complex (ZLP). At the end of the experiment, fecal samples were collected by direct rectal massage to determine nutrient digestibility, Lactobacillus and enterobacteria counts, and gas emission, whereas blood samples were taken via jugular venipuncture for determination of blood metabolites. The BW of piglets at week 6, and the average daily gain (ADG) at week 6 and during overall period were higher (P

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of Bacillus-based probiotic in pullet to lay period. A total of 12-wk-old 384 Hy-line Brown pullets (initial BW of 1.05 kg, 8 replications; 16 birds per replication pen) were used in a 6-wk feeding trial. Birds were blocked based on BW and randomly allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments that consisted of basal diet as CON; GPM, basal diet+ (GalliPro Max/B. subtilis, 500 g/ton); GPT, basal diet+ (GalliPro Tect/B. licheniformis, 500 g/ton). During the pullet stage, birds that were fed CON diet and CON diet supplemented with either 500 g/ton B. sublitis or B. licheniformis were randomly assigned to 1 of 7 treatments with 9 replications (6 birds per replication) during lay period. For this, a total of 162 birds fed CON diets were randomly chosen and subdivided into 3 groups and fed CON, GPM, and GPT diets. From the birds that were fed either GPM or GPT diet at pullet phase, about 108 birds from each treatment were randomly chosen and were subdivided into 2 treatments and fed either GPM or GPT diet. The feed intake was higher (P0.05) in GPT treatment and lower (P0.05) in GPM treatment compared with CON during the pullet period. In addition, the excreta Escherichia coli counts were reduced (P0.05) in pullets fed GPT diet. The egg production rate significantly increased (P0.05) for layers fed GPM diet and a slight increase was also seen for GPT treatment birds compared with CON during week 32. During the lay period, the average mean values for albumen height and yolk color at week 25 to 45 were higher (P0.05) for GPM fed birds compared with those fed GPT and CON diets. In conclusion, Bacillus-based probiotic supplementation in the diet conferred some positive effects during pullet to lay period.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of yeast extract complex derived from Kluyveromyces marxianus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a non-antibiotic functional product. In total, ...

A total of 140 growing pigs [Duroc × (Yorkshire × Landrace)] with an average body weight of 24.10 ± 1.66 kg were used in a 6 wk trial to determine the effect of dietary protease supplementation to ...

BACKGROUND This study was conducted to evaluate the health benefits to weaning pigs, raised under low sanitary conditions, of dietary supplementation with a multi-strain yeast fraction product (Cyberlindnera jadinii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). In total, 160 weaning pigs (7.21 ± 1.05 kg) were randomly allotted to two dietary treatments in a 6-week feeding trial. The dietary treatments included a corn-soybean meal-based basal diet (CON) and CON + 2 g kg-1 multi-strain yeast fraction product (MsYF) during weeks 1-2 and 0.4 g kg-1 MsYF during weeks 3-6. RESULTS The MsYF supplementation increased (P

A total of 800 1-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were used in a 5-wk feeding trial to evaluate the effects of commercial feed additive that is composed of blends of essential oil (EO; CRINA Poultry, DSM) and vitamin D3. The birds were randomly assigned to 5 treatments with 10 replicate cages; each stocked with 16 birds and was fed corn-soybean-meal-based basal diet. Dietary treatments included: CON, unvaccinated birds fed basal diet/control; CCO, CON + coccidian oocysts vaccinated birds; EOD1, CCO + Essential oil blends and vitamin D/Prototype 1 (50 μg 25-OH-D3/kg diet, 15 mg CRINA Poultry/kg diet); EOD2, CCO + Prototype 2 (69 μg 25-OH-D3/kg diet, 30 mg CRINA Poultry/kg diet); and EOD3, CCO + Prototype 3 (138 μg 25-OH-D3/kg diet, 50 mg CRINA Poultry/kg diet). On day 7, all birds, except CON, were inoculated with 300 to 500 purified sporulated viable oocysts from Eimeria tenella and Eimeria maxima. As a result of this study, the supplementation of EO blends with vitamin D3 showed trends in improvement (P = 0.075) body weight gain (BWG) compared with CON and CCO during the grower phase (day 7 to 21). An increase (P < 0.05) in BWG and reduction (P < 0.05) in feed conversion ratio (FCR) were observed in birds fed EOD2 diet during day 21 to 35 compared with vaccinated birds without feed additive. The cumulative performance during overall period (day 1 to 35) also showed that BWG was increased and FCR was reduced in EOD2 and EOD3 compared with CON, CCO, and EOD1. Furthermore, the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter tended (P = 0.06) to increase in EOD2 and EOD3 compared with CON and other treatments. The EOD2 and EOD3 treatments showed increased (P < 0.05) excreta Lactobacillus counts than EOD1. The intestinal lesion score induced by E. tennela in gastro-intestinal tract was lower (P < 0.05) in EOD1, EOD2, and EOD3 treatments compared with CCO. In conclusion, blends of EO and vitamin D3 could be used as anti-coccidial feed additive in broilers with coccidian infection.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementation of sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate as fat emulsifier in low-density diet on the growth performance and meat quality of finishing pigs. A total of 84 mixed-sex finishing pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] at 112 d of age with an average body weight (BW) of 60 ± 0.75 kg (two gilts and two barrows per pen; seven pens per treatment) were used in a 56 d experiment. Pigs were randomly allotted to one of three treatments based on BW and stratified based on sex. The following three treatments were used (1) control basal diet (T1), (2) low-energy diet (T2), and (3) T2 + 0.1% sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate emulsifier (T3). The supplementation of sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate as fat emulsifier in energy-reduced diet did not have significant effects on growth performance compared with energy-reduced diet without emulsifier, although it slightly increased final BW by 1.45%, average daily gain by 3.3%, gain to feed ratio by 3.77%, and reduced average daily feed intake by 0.64%. The supplementation of emulsifier in energy-reduced diet did not have any adverse effect (P > 0.05) on meat quality attributes, as well as backfat thickness and lean muscle percentage (LMP), compared with energy-reduced diet without emulsifier or basal diet. In conclusion, the supplementation of emulsifier at 0.1% level in low-energy diet did not have significant effects on growth performance, backfat thickness, LMP, and meat quality attributes in finishing pigs.

Among several nutrients, minerals specifically constitute a small percentage of diets but have an impact on the growth, health, and productivity of sows. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementing the basal diet with marine-derived Ca-Mg complex on the reproductive performance of sows during parity 1 to 4 in a 4 x 3 factorial arrangement. Cross-bred gilts (n = 72; average body weight 181 kg) in their first to fourth subsequent parity were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments (24 gilts/treatment): CON (corn-soybean meal-wheat-based basal diet with limestone as main Ca source), CM1 (CON- MgO+ 0.4% Ca-Mg complex), and CM2 (CM1-0.4% limestone). A greater number (P< 0.05) of total born and live piglets, increased feed intake during gestation and lactation, increased backfat thickness before and after farrowing and at weaning, and increased estrus interval were observed (P< 0.05) during 3rd and 4th parity compared with 1st and 2nd parity sows. Moreover, sows fed CM1 and CM2 diets led to an improvement (P< 0.05) in total piglets during 1st and 2nd parity as well as live-born piglets during 1st to 3rd parity. In addition, CM1 and CM2 group sows showed reduced (P >0.05) backfat thickness change during third and fourth parity. Piglets that were born to CM1 and CM2 group sows showed greater (P< 0.05) weaning weight and average daily gain (ADG) during the first, second, and third parity. Furthermore, sows fed CM1 and CM2 diets decreased (P< 0.05) the duration of first to last piglet birth and placental expulsion time compared with those fed CON diet. A significant interactive effect (P=0.042) between parities and treatment diets was observed for the duration of first to last piglet birth. Thus, supplementation of 0.4% marine-derived Ca-Mg complex to the diet could be recommended to enhance sow and their litter performance during parity 1 to 4.

Simple Summary The current review aimed to provide an overview on the problems associated with weaning with a special focus on gut health, and also highlighted the nutritional approach using different kinds of feed additives and their mechanistic aspects in mitigating production inefficiencies and gut health dysfunction in weanling pigs. Abstract Newly weaned pig encounters psychosocial, physical, and nutritional stressors simultaneously when their immune system is not fully developed. These stressors have a cumulative effect on the immune response that contributes to the post-weaning growth lag which is characterized by depression in feed intake, reduced or negative growth rates, and increased susceptibility to pathogens in the first 24 to 48 h post-weaning. Consequently, the intestinal integrity, and digestive and absorptive capacity are impaired, and there is an increase in intestinal oxidative stress. It also causes the shifts in the taxonomic and functional properties of intestinal microbiome abruptly, thereby adversely affecting the health and performance of animals. It has been suggested that the effects of weaning stress on immune functions, intestinal barrier functions, and nervous system function in early weaned pigs extends into adulthood. The inclusion of different types of feed additives into the diet have been reported to alleviate the negative effects of weaning stress. The objective of this paper was to provide an overview on how the weaning stress affects gut health and the impact it has on production efficiencies, as well as the mechanistic aspects of several feed additives applied in reducing the weaning associated gut health problems and performance inefficiencies.

A total of 150 growing pigs ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) with an initial average body weight (BW) of 24.45 kg were used in a 6-week trial to estimate the optimum lysine to glutamic acid ratio in pigs fed low-protein diets supplemented with increasing level of synthetic glutamic acid (Glu). Pigs were randomly allotted to 5 dietary treatments consisting of either control diet (CON) formulated to have 157 g crude protein (CP) or negative control diets (NC, NC1, NC2 and NC3) with 20 g CP reduction and addition of Glu (1.1, 3.9, 6.8 and 9.6 g/kg feed respectively). Supplementing the increasing level of Glu to low CP diets did not exert any linear or quadratic responses in the growth performance parameters as well as nutrient digestibility. The serum creatinine concentration in pigs receiving CON diet showed trends (p = 0.063) in increment compared with pigs receiving NC diet. However, with the increase in the supplementation of Glu, there were no linear or quadratic responses on serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine concentrations. There was a tendency in the reduction (p = 0.088, p = 0.064) of backfat thickness and lean percentage, respectively, at week 3 and a trend in the reduction (p = 0.092) in lean percentage at week 6 in pigs fed NC diet compared with those fed CON diet. The increase in the supplemental level of Glu tended to show quadratic responses in the backfat thickness and lean percentage at week 3 and 6. In conclusion, the growth performance parameters as well as carcass traits with Lys: Glu ratio 1: 2.71 were very close with the mean values of CON diet indicating that 6.8 g Glu when supplemented to 2% CP reduced diet could achieve the comparable growth performance and carcass trait as that of standard basal diet.

A total of 18 sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) with an average body weight of (within 24 h after farrowing) were used for a 5- week experiment to determine the effects of varying dietary Valine, Lysine (V:L) ratios on performance and fecal score in lactating sows and litters. Sows were raised in individual pens, and assigned to one of three experimental diets consisting different concentration of Valine, Lysine ratios (0.83%, 0.85% and 0.88%). sows body weight was significantly improved by 0.85% valine and lysine ratio compared to 0.85% and 0.88%. However, no significant difference were observed on sows body weight loss, back fat thickness, average daily feed intake and days to return to estrus of sows during the three experiment period. In addition, growth performance of piglet weaning weight were significantly improved by 0.85% valine and lysine ratio compared to 0.85% and 0.88%. Morever, piglet average daily gain was significantly increased 0.88% valine and lysine ratio compared to 0.83% and 0.85%. The three dietary treatments had a significant differences (P>0.05) on fecal score of sows, farrowing and 14 d old age piglets were significantly observed by valine and lisiune ratio. In conclusion, Valine, Lysine had no positive effects on the fecal score of sows and litter during lactation and also no positive effect on gut and its microflora.

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of varying standardized ileal digestible lysine:threonine (SID Lys:Thr) ratio in the diet on the performance and meat quality of finishing pigs.Methods: In total 192 crossbred pigs ([Landrace×Yorkshire]×Duroc, 17 weeks old), with an initial body weight (BW) of 70.6±3.9 kg were used in an 8-wk trial. Pigs were randomly allotted to one of six dietary treatments based on their initial BW and sex (8 replications; 4 pigs per pen, 2 barrows and 2 gilts). The pigs in the 6 treatments were fed diets having different SID Lys:Thr ratios such as 1:0.65, 1:0.66, 1:0.67, 1:0.68, 1:0.69, and 1:0.70.Results: A linear increment (p

The present study was conducted to assess the efficacy of a plant extract (PE) on growth performance and immune status in foot and mouth disease (FMD)-vaccinated growing pigs. A total of 120 crossed ((Landrace &times, Yorkshire) &times, Duroc) growing pigs with an average initial body weight (BW) of 24.66 &plusmn, 2.34 kg and an average age of 70 days were randomized into three groups (10 pens, 4 pigs per pen per treatment) as follows: a nonvaccinated negative control group (NV), a FMD vaccinated group (OV), and a third group received a 0.0125% PE supplement after vaccination (PV), in a 6-week trial. The PV group receiving PE supplementation increased (p &lt, 0.05) the BW compared with the OV group, and average daily gain (ADG) during days 1&ndash, 14, overall and gain-to-feed ratio (G: F) in days 1&ndash, 14, and dry matter (DM) digestibility at week 6 were higher (p &lt, 0.05) in the PV compared with the OV group. A significant increase (p &lt, 0.05) in haptoglobin concentration was observed in the OV group compared with the NV group at 25 days postvaccination. The inhibition percentage of antibodies against FMD in the sera reached above 50% in the PV group 5 days earlier than in the OV group. The findings suggest that the inclusion of PE in the diet promoted the performance of vaccinated growing pigs.

This study tested the hypothesis that protected zinc oxide (ZnO) in lower doses can substitute the high dose conventional ZnO in weaned pigs for improved growth performance and alleviation of digestive disorders. A total of 150 crossbred weaning pigs (28 days old) with an average body weight (BW) of 6.48 ± 1.58 kg were blocked and stratified based on sex and randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments [5 pigs per pen (2 barrows and 3 gilts); 5 pens per treatment] for a 6-wk trial in two phases. Treatments consisted of basal diet (NC); Basal diet without Zn in mineral premix with either 2500 ppm unprotected ZnO (PC) or 250, 500, 750 and 1000 ppm protected ZnO (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3 and PZ4 respectively). As a result of this experiment, the growth performance in pigs fed protected ZnO diets was comparable with PC diet during phase 1 and 2, except for G/F ratio in phase 1. There were cubic effects (P In conclusion, a lower dose of protected ZnO could replace the higher dose of conventional ZnO because it has comparable or better effects than conventional ZnO in a higher dose.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of protected organic acid blends including medium chain fatty acids and different nutrient density diets on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbiota and fecal noxious gas emission in weaning pigs. A total of 90 crossbred [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] weaning pigs with an initial body weight (BW) of 6.54 ± 0.78 kg were used in a six-week trial. Pigs were randomly allocated into one of six treatment groups in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with two nutrient density diets; high density (HD) vs low density (LD) supplemented with or without two levels (0.1 and 0.2%) of protected organic acids (OA) according to their sex and BW (3 replicate pens per treatment with 2 gilts and 3 barrows per pen). The inclusion of OA (0.1%, 0.2%) improved (P E.coli during week 3 and increased Lactobacillus counts during week 6. However, the fecal noxious gas emissions were not affected either by OA or diets. In conclusion, protected OA and different density diets improved growth performance, nutrient digestibility but no interactive effects with different density diets and OA were observed.

A total of 144 mixed sex pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] with an initial average body weight (BW) of 52 kg were used in a 11-week trial in a 2 × 2 factorial design with the following factors: space allocations [3pigs/pen vs 5 pigs/pen] and 0 or 0.2% homeopathic product supplementation to evaluate growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality and stress related hormones. The homeopathic product supplementation resulted in an increased (P < 0.05) BW at week 11, average daily gain (ADG) during days 42–63 and 64–77. In addition, an increase (P < 0.05) in ADG and average daily feed intake (ADFI) during overall experiment period and an increase (P < 0.05) in apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM) at day 77 were observed in pigs receiving homeopathic product. A trend in increase (P=0.088) in serum cortisol concentration during day 42 and increase (P > 0.05) during day 77 was observed in pigs with less space allocation. However, supplementing the diet with homeopathic product reduced cortisol concentrations during day 42 (P < 0.05) and day 77 (P = 0.084) respectively suggesting the effectiveness of homeopathic product in reducing the stress caused by less space allocation.

The growing concerns of consumers on the use of antibiotic as a growth promoter in livestock feed have fueled the interest in alternative products. In the recent years a group of natural products known as phytogenics has been a focus of several studies. Phytogenics are a heterogeneous group of feed additives originating from plants and consist of herbs, spices, fruit, and other plant parts. These feed additives are reported to have a wide range of activities including antimicrobial, anthelminthic, antioxidant, growth enhancer, and immune modulator. Besides these properties they are also reported to stimulate feed intake and endogenous secretion and enhance production. They include many different bio-active ingredients such as alkaloids, bitters, flavonoids, glycosides, mucilage, saponins, tannins phenolics, polyphenols, terpenoids, polypeptide, thymol, cineole, linalool, anethole, allicin, capsaicin, allylisothiocyanate, and piperine. These feed additives have been tested in the form of extracts, cold pressed oils, essential oils in a number of animals but the results are variable. Therefore, their application as feed additive has been limited, largely owing to their inconsistent efficacy and lack of full understanding of the modes of action. The future of these feed additives depend on the characteristics of herbs, the knowledge on their major and minor constituents, the in-depth knowledge on their mode of action and their value based on the safety to animal and their products. The aim of this review is to summarize on the current knowledge on the use of phytogenic as a feed additive in monogastric animals.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplemental unrefined fish oil and refined fish oil enriched in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in powdered and coated forms on the performance and immune status of weaner pigs. In total, 140 crossbred weaner pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc, 28 days old] with an average body weight (BW) of 7.47 ± 1.27 kg were used in a 6-week experiment trial in three phases. Pigs were blocked based on BW and sex and randomly allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments [5 pigs per pen (2 barrows and 3 gilts); 7 pens per treatment]. Treatments consisted of pigs fed basal diet or basal diet supplemented with 5 g/kg unrefined fish oil (FO), 1.73 g/kg powdered DHA enriched oil (pDHA), and 2.99 g/kg coated DHA enriched oil (cDHA). The supplementation of unrefined FO or DHA enriched FO to the diet of weaner pigs significantly increased body weight (BW) at days 7, 21, and 42 compared with pigs fed control diet. The average daily gain (ADG) increased (P

This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of dietary supplementation of high and low nutrient density diets and protease on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, blood metabolites, and excreta noxious gas emission in finishing pigs. A total of 140 pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] with an initial average body weight (BW) of 50.69 ± 1.91 kg were used in a 12-week trial. Pigs were blocked and stratified based on sex and body weight in a 2 × 2 factorial design with the following factors: 1) low or high nutrient density diet and 2) with or without Protease, 125 g/t (Prot). Each treatment consisted of 7 replicate pens with 5 pigs (3 barrows and 2 gilts) per pen. Supplementation of protease significantly increased (P 0.05) by density diets and protease. No interactions were observed between the diets and protease for nutrient digestibility, blood profiles and noxious gases emission. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 125 g/t of protease has beneficial effects on growth performance and CATTD. The stress related hormones were also reduced in pigs fed protease supplemented diets. In addition to tendency in weight gain, feed efficiency was improved in pigs fed high density diets than low density diets.

In total, 216 Hy-Line brown laying hens (40-week-old), were used in a 5-week experiment to evaluate the effects of ionized or chelated water-soluble mineral mixture supplementation on live performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics, egg quality, and excreta microbiota. Layers were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments with 12 replicates of six adjacent cages each. The dietary treatments consisted of: 1) CON (basal diet + normal tap water), 2) T1 (CON+0.5% ionized mineral mixture in tap water, pH 3.0); and 3) T2 (CON+ 0.5% chelated mineral mixture in tap water, pH 3.0). Egg production tended to increase in week 1, week 3 and week 4 in the birds supplemented with T1 and T2 diet compared with CON. Moreover, the dietary supplementation of water-soluble mineral mixture improved (p=0.02) eggshell thickness in week 4 and tended to improve in week 5 of the experimental period in T2 hens compared with CON. The layers fed the T1 diet presented higher (p

A total of 48 multiparous sows (Landrace x Yorkshire) were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 dietary treatments with 24 replicates per treatment based on initial body weight and body condition score. The dietary treatments consisted of corn/soybean meal-based diet fortified with vitamin D3 (2000 IU/kg diet) in vitamin premix as a control diet (CON) and CON diet supplemented with 50 μg/kg diet 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OH-D3) (TRT). Diets were formulated to meet or exceed the nutrient requirements of sows ( National Research Council (2012) ) for both gestation and lactation periods. Results showed that the difference in body weight (BW) from initial to before farrowing and after farrowing to weaning, number of piglets born alive were higher (P

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of different levels of coated sodium butyrate (CSB) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, faecal and intestinal coliform and lactic acid bacteria counts, gas emission and small intestinal villi length in weaning pigs. A total of 160 weaning pigs [(Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc, 28 days old] with an average initial body weight (BW) of 7.04 ± 1.15 kg were randomly allotted to 4 treatments (8 replicates per treatment with 5 pigs; 3 barrows and 2 gilts per replicate pen) according to their initial body weight for a 6-week trial in three phases. Treatments consisted of corn-soybean meal-based diet with slight reduction in lactose (approximately 5 %) as well as sodium content relative to National Research Council (NRC, 2012) requirement as the control (CON) and CON diet supplemented with low dose CSB (0.5 g/kg feed), medium dose CSB (1.5 g/kg feed for first 3 weeks followed by reduction to 0.75 g/kg feed thereafter) and high dose CSB (3 g/kg feed for first 3 weeks followed by reduction to1.5 g/kg feed thereafter). As a result of this study, the supplementation of increasing levels of CSB increased final BW (linear, P = 0.04, quadratic P = 0.02 effects) at day 42, linearly increased average daily gain (ADG) and gain: feed (G:F) ratio (P = 0.05, P = 0.01 respectively) during day 8−21. The ADG showed trends (P = 0.073) in increment and a significant linear increase in G:F (P

Zinc oxide has been used traditionally for many years in large doses up to 3000mg/kg feed due to its growth enhancing and diarrhea alleviating properties.The present study tested the hypothesis that protected ZnO in lower dose can substitute the high dose conventional ZnO. A total of 150 crossbred [(Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc] weaning pigs with an average body weight of 6.48 ± 1.58kg were blocked based on sex and randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments [5 pigs per pen; 5 pens per treatment] for a 6-wk trial in two phases.Treatments consisted of basal diet (NC); Basal diet without Zn in mineral premix with either 2500 ppm unprotected ZnO (PC) or 250, 500, 750 and 1000 ppm protected ZnO (PZ1, PZ2, PZ3 and PZ4 respectively). Data were analyzed using pre-planned contrast as well as polynomial contrast statements to test the linear, quadratic and cubic effect of PZ concentration in the diet.Except for G/F ratio in phase 1, the growth performance during phases 1 and 2 as well as apparent total tract nutrient digestibility in pigs fed PZ diets was comparable with PC diet. The serum Zn concentration of pigs fed PC diet was higher (P < 0.05) than PZ during week 1, 3 and 6.The fecal Zn concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) in pigs fed PC diets compared to NC and PZ diets during week 1, 3 and 6.A linear response of PZ dose was observed on fecal Zn concentration. The fecal E.coli counts were higher in PZ than in PC during week 1 and 3. The Lactobacillus counts were higher (P < 0.05) in PZ1 and PZ2 diets than PC diets during week 6.In conclusion; a lower dose of protected ZnO could replace the higher dose of conventional ZnO.

A total of 816 1-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks with an average initial body weight (BW) of 44.01 ± 0.62 g were used in a 6-wk feeding trial. Birds were blocked based on BW and randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments (8 replicate pens per treatment with 17 birds per replication pen) in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement with 3 levels of metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) with constant amino acid (100% ME and CP, 98.8% ME and CP, and 97.6% ME and CP) supplemented with or without 500 g/ton of Bacillus-based probiotics. As a result of this study, a significant reduction (P0.05) in BW and an increment in feed conversion rate (FCR) were observed with the reduction in the diet density during finisher and overall experiment periods. During the growing and finishing periods, the birds fed probiotic supplemented diets were heavier (P0.05) than those fed diets without probiotic. The FCR was also improved (P0.05) in probiotic supplemented groups during these periods, but feed intake (FI) remained unaffected compared to birds without probiotic supplemented diets. The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM) tended (P = 0.051) to be lower in ME- and CP-reduced diets compared with control. In addition, the ATTD of nitrogen (N) and energy was significantly lower (P0.05) in ME and CP-reduced diets than the control diet. A trend in the reduction (P = 0.059) of NH3 gas emission from the excreta was observed for birds fed ME- and CP-reduced diets compared with control diets. In addition, birds fed probiotic supplemented diets also showed reduced (P0.05) NH3 emission compared to those fed diet without probiotic. In conclusion, inclusion of probiotic to ME- and CP-reduced diet improved performance, had comparable effect on meat quality, and reduced ammonia emission from the excreta. No interactive effects of diet types and probiotic were observed.

A total of 60 weaned piglets (28-day old; [Landrace ×Yorkshire]×Duroc) were used to evaluate the efficacy of Bacillus-based probiotic on performance, digestibility, blood profiles, and fecal microbiota in weaned pigs. The piglets were randomly allotted to three treatments with 4 pens per treatment and 5 pigs per pen. Dietary treatments consisted of: CON, basal diet; BS, basal diet + 0.1% of Bacillus subtilis RX7; BM, basal diet + 0.1% of Bacillus methylotrophicus C14. The average daily feed intake (ADFI) was reduced (P=0.01) in BS and BM treatments compared with CON. The apparent total tract digestibility of energy was increased (P less than 0.05) in BS and BM compared with CON on day 14. The supplementation of probiotics led to increase (P less than 0.05) in fecal lactic acid bacteria counts on day 42. In conclusion, probiotic supplementation reduced feed intake, increased energy digestibility and lactic acid bacteria counts and numerically reduced Salmonella counts in weaned pigs.

A total of 144 crossbred pigs [(Yorkshire Landrace) × Duroc] with an average initial body weight (BW) of 61.7 kg were used to assess the effect of replacement of de-hulled barley (DB) with water soaked barley (WB) in corn-soybean meal-based diet on growth performance, blood characteristics, and meat quality in finishing pigs according to their BW and sex (12 replicates per treatment and 4 pigs per pen). The dietary treatments were: DB, basal diet containing 5% DB; WB1, basal diet + 5% WB (0–8 weeks of feeding); WB2, basal diet + 5% WB (4–8 weeks of feeding). At the end of week 4, the IgG concentration (p

A total of 105 [(Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc] pigs with an initial body weight (BW) of 7 +/- 1.58 kg were used in a 5-week experiment in two phases to test the efficacy of supplementation of chelated mineral mixture on piglet performance. Pigs were randomly allocated to one of three treatments [ five pigs per pen (three barrows and two gilts); seven pens per treatment]. Treatments consisted of: CON; basal diet, TRT1; basal diet + 0.89% chelated mineral mixture and TRT2; basal diet + 0.55% chelated mineral mixture. Pigs fed TRT1 and TRT2 had increased (P

Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of energy, dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N) and amino acids and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids in low quality soybean meals with different CP concentration (SBM 44% CP and SBM 48% CP) with or without 400 U β-mannanase/kg supplementation were evaluated in 20 cannulated barrows ((Landrace×Yorkshire)×Duroc) with an average BW of 25.08±3.42 kg. A N-free diet was used to determine basal endogenous losses of amino acids. The supplementation of β-mannanase improved (P0.05) AID of N and energy. The type of SBM (SBM 44% CP v. SBM 48% CP) had no effect on AID of DM, N and energy. β-mannanase improved (P

A study was conducted to determine the efficacy of β-mannanase supplementation to a diet based on corn and soya bean meal (SBM) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), faecal coliforms and lactic acid bacteria, and noxious gas emission in growing pigs. A total of 140 pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc; average body weight 25 ± 3 kg] were randomly allotted to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with dietary treatments consisting of hulled or dehulled SBM without or with supplementation of 400 U β-mannanase/kg. During the 6 weeks of experimental feeding, β-mannanase supplementation had no effect on body weight gain, feed intake and gain:feed (G:F) ratio. Compared with dehulled SBM, feeding hulled SBM caused an increased feed intake of pigs in the entire trial (p = 0.05). The G:F ratio was improved in pigs receiving dehulled SBM (p

A total of 15 primiparous sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) and their litters were used in the current study to evaluate the efficacy of cellulase supplementation on the production performance of sows and piglets. Pigs were randomly allocated into one of three treatments with five replicates per treatment. The dietary treatments were as follows: (i) CON (corn-soybean meal-based control); (ii) EZ1 (CON + 0.05% cellulase); and (iii) EZ2 (CON + 0.10% cellulase). The supplementation of cellulase had no effect (P > 0.05) on body weight and feed intake of lactating sows. At weaning, back fat thickness loss decreased (P = 0.04) linearly in EZ1 and EZ2 treatments. The average daily gain (ADG) of piglets increased (linear P = 0.06, quadratic P = 0.04)) during days 14 to 21 as well as at days 21 to 25 (linear P = 0.03 and quadratic P = 0.01) with the increase in the level of supplemented enzyme. Dry matter and nitrogen digestibility increased (linear P = 0.01) in lactating sows fed EZ1 and EZ2 diet compared with CON. In conclusion, it is suggested that cellulase supplementation to corn-soybean meal based diet exerts beneficial effects to sows in reducing their back fat thickness loss at weaning and also helps to improve nutrient digestibility. It also helped to improve the ADG of piglets.

This study was conducted to compare effects of dietary administration of iron dextran and bacterial-iron on growth performance, fecal microbial flora, and blood profiles in sows and their litters. A total of 20 multiparous sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly allotted into two treatments: (i) ID (basal diet, piglets were injected with iron dextran); (ii) BR (basal diet + bacterial-iron; bacterial-iron was given to sows, piglets were not injected with iron dextran). There were five replicates per treatment with two sows per replicate. No differences were observed on sow and piglet growth performance, fecal microbial flora as well as sow blood profiles between ID and BR treatments. In piglets, blood iron, red blood cell and hemoglobin concentrations in ID treatment were higher (P

This study tested the hypothesis that vitamin E (Vit E) and omega-3 fatty acids will additively attenuate the production of proinflammatory cytokines and PGE2 in immune system–stimulated growing–finishing pigs. A total of 80 mixed sex pigs weighing 50.7 ± 0.76 kg (mean ± SE) were blocked and stratified based on sex and BW to a 2 × 2 factorial design with the respective factors being 1) without and with 300 IU Vit E and 2) without and with 25% replacement of tallow to linseed oil as a source of n-3 fatty acids. Each treatment consisted of 4 replicate pens with 5 pigs (3 barrows and 2 gilts) per pen. All pigs were challenged with an intramuscular injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS; O111:B4) twice weekly over the 6-wk experiment. After LPS challenge, pigs fed a diet supplemented with n-3 fatty acids had fewer (P < 0.05) white blood cells and tended to show both a reduced (P < 0.10) proportion of lymphocytes and IgG concentration compared with pigs fed a diet without any supplements. Supplementation of n-3 fatty acids reduced (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05) serum concentrations of cortisol and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), respectively. The serum concentration of PGE2 was decreased (P < 0.05) with supplementation of both Vit E and n-3 fatty acids; however, the extent of the reduction was greater (P < 0.001) in pigs fed an n-3 fatty acid–supplemented diet. However, there were no additive effects of the combined supplementation of Vit E and n-3 fatty acids on serum concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and PGE2. The results suggest that n-3 fatty acids independently attenuate production of TNF-α and PGE2 in immune system–stimulated growing–finishing pigs.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Enterococcus faecium (EF) and endo-1,4-β-xylanase (XY) in finishing pigs. The pigs were randomly divided into four treatments with eight replicati...

Energy is a major cost component in diets for poultry. We hypothesized that the supplementation of emulsifier blends in broiler diets may contribute to the efficient utilization of energy and in increasing fat digestibility, thereby improving performance. To test our hypothesis, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of a blend of emulsifiers on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum lipid profiles, and meat quality of broilers. A total of 768 1-d-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks with an average initial body weight of 45.55 ± 0.34 g were used in a 35 days feeding trial. Broilers were sorted into 4 treatments, 12 replications per treatment, and 16 birds per pen. Dietary treatments consisted of corn-soybean meal based basal diet and the basal diet supplemented with 0.05%, 0.075%, and 0.10% emulsifier. As a result of this study, the inclusion of 0.05%, 0.075%, and 0.10% emulsifier blends (sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL) and Tween 20) in the basal diet linearly increased (P = 0.0001) body weight gain (BWG) and improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) (linear effect P = 0.0001) on d 7 to 21, d 21 to 35 as well as overall. Broilers fed with different levels of emulsifier blends also showed a linear increment (P < 0.05) in dry matter (DM) and fat digestibility. A trend of linear reduction (P = 0.051) in low density lipoprotein (LDL) in the serum of broilers fed emulsifier blend was observed. The lightness value of breast muscle color linearly increased (P = 0.001), the redness and yellowness values tended to increase (P = 0.072 and P = 0.094 respectively), and the water holding capacity (WHC) showed trends in reduction (P = 0.078) with an increase in the level of emulsifier blends. With regards to relative organ weight, spleen weight was linearly (P = 0.001) reduced with the increase in the supplemental levels of emulsifier blends. A positive correlation between emulsifier content in the diet and BWG, DM and fat digestibility, and breast muscle color indices, were also observed. In conclusion, emulsifier blend supplementation positively influenced growth performance and nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens.

One hundred and forty piglets ((Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc, 21 day of age) with an initial weight of 6.50 ± 0.71 kg, were randomly allotted into four treatments to determine the effects of a modified form of zinc oxide (ZnO) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, fecal microbial shedding and fecal score in weanling pigs. Dietary treatments were: (i) NC, negative control, basal diet containing zinc (Zn) from the premix; (ii) PC, positive control, basal diet containing Zn-free premix + 3000 ppm ZnO; (iii) H1, basal diet containing Zn-free premix + 3000 ppm ZnO (phase 1, days 1 to 14)/200 ppm modified ZnO (phase 2, days 15 to 42); (iv) H2, basal diet containing Zn-free premix + 300 ppm modified ZnO (phase 1)/200 ppm modified ZnO (phase 2). During days 1 to 14, average daily gains (ADG) were higher (P = 0.04) in PC, H1 and H2 groups than that in NC group. Overall, H1 treatment increased the ADG compared with NC (P = 0.05). On day 14, the alkaline phosphatase and plasma Zn concentration were increased (P = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively) in PC, H1 and H2 treatments compared with NC treatment. On days 14 and 42, the fecal Lactobacillus counts in NC group were lowest (P = 0.01, P = 0.04 respectively) among treatments. All supplemented groups showed lower (P = 0.03) fecal score than NC treatment on days 21 and 28. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with modified ZnO increased growth rates and reduced fecal scores in weanling pig. Modified ZnO could be used as a substitute to ZnO as a growth promoter and reduce Zn excretion to the environment because of the lower dosage. [Correction added on 3 February 2015, after first online publication: the initial weight of '6.50 ± 1.11 kg' has been replaced with '6.50 ± 0.71 kg' in the abstract.].

Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of energy, dry matter, nitrogen and amino acids and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of nitrogen and amino acids were evaluated in six weanling pigs ((Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc)) fed unfermented soybean meal (SM), yeast fermented soybean meal (SMY), bacillus fermented soybean meal (SMB), yeast and bacillus fermented soybean meal (SMYB), canola meal (CM) and nitrogen-free diet. Pigs having body weights 17.00 ± 0.3 kg were surgically equipped with T-cannulas of approximately 15 cm prior to the ileo-cecal junction and randomly allotted to one of five dietary treatments and a nitrogen-free diet in 6 × 6 Latin squares. AID and SID of nitrogen (N) was greater (P

An in vitro experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of methylcellulose on the attachment of major cellulolytic bacteria on rice straw and its digestibility. Rice straw was incubated with ruminal mixture with or without 0.1% methylcellulose (MC). The attachment of F. succinogenes, R. flavefaciens and R. albus populations on rice straw was measured using real-time PCR with specific primer sets. Methylcellulose at the level of 0.1% decreased the attachment of all three major cellulolytic bacteria. In particular, MC treatment reduced (p

An in vitro experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of methylcellulose on the attachment of major cellulolytic bacteria on rice straw and its digestibility. Rice straw was incubated with ruminal mixture with or without 0.1% methylcellulose (MC). The attachment of F. succinogenes, R. flavefaciens and R. albus populations on rice straw was measured using real-time PCR with specific primer sets. Methylcellulose at the level of 0.1% decreased the attachment of all three major cellulolytic bacteria. In particular, MC treatment reduced (p

The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of dietary supplementation of 0.5 and 1% of fatty acid (FA) compound containing conjugated linoleic acid as active component on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, serum lipid profile, meat quality, and fatty acid profiles in muscle and adipose tissue in finishing pigs. A total of 90 finishing pigs ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc) were used in 5-week trial. The growth performance and nutrient digestibility were unaffected with FA supplementation. The lean percentage was greater (P = 0.05) in pigs fed FA-supplemented diet whereas the 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances value was reduced (P