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The study was conducted to investigate effects of yeast cell wall product on growth performance, immune responses, and gene expression of tight junction proteins of weaned pigs. A total of 112 weaned pigs (7.98 ± 0.43 kg BW) were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments (8 pigs/pen; 7 replicates/treatments) for 4 weeks in a randomized complete block design (block = BW). Dietary treatments were 1) a commercial basal nursery diet (CON) and 2) CON + 0.05% yeast cell wall product (YCW, EasyBio Inc., Seoul, Korea). Blood was collected from one randomly selected pig per pen on d 0, 7, and 14 after weaning. The randomly selected one pig per replicate was euthanized to collect ileum tissue samples at the end of the experimental period. Measurements were growth performance, number of white blood cells (WBC) by an automated hematology analyzer calibrated for porcine blood, cortisol, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by the ELISA, and gene expression of tight junction in ileum tissues. Data were analyzed using the PROC GLM procedure of SAS. The statistical model for every measurement included dietary effect and BW as a covariate. Pigs fed YCW had higher (P < 0.10) ADG than those fed CON during overall experimental period. Pigs fed YCW had lower WBC on d 14 (P < 0.10), TNF-α on d 7 (P < 0.10), and decreased IL-1β on d 14 (P < 0.05) than those fed CON. In addition, The YCW increased (P < 0.05) expression of Claudin family, Occludin, Muc1, INF-α, and IL-6, but decreased (P < 0.05) expression of TNF-α genes in the ileum tissues compared with CON. In conclusion, addition of yeast cell wall product in the nursery diet improved growth performance and gut health and modified immune responses of weaned pigs.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate effects of dietary flavor as a feed additive on growth performance of weaned pigs. The flavor used in experiments was a commercial product (Luctarom®, Lucta Guangzhou, China) containing milky cream flavor. In Exp. 1, 72 weaned pigs (initial BW = 6.51 ± 0.21 kg) were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments (4 pigs/pen; 9 replicates/treatment): an experimental diet based on corn and soybean meal (CON1) and CON1 supplemented with 0.05% flavor (FLA). In Exp. 2, 72 weaned pigs (initial BW = 6.66 ± 0.32 kg) were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments (4 pigs/pen; 9 replicates/treatment): a commercial diet based on corn and soybean meal with spray dried plasma, fish meal, and zinc oxide (CON2) and CON2 supplemented with FLA. Pigs were fed respective dietary treatment for 6 weeks. Growth performance was measured on day 1, 7, 14, 21, and 42 after weaning. Data were analyzed using the PROC GLM procedure of SAS. The statistical model for every measurement included dietary effect and BW as a covariate in a randomized complete block design (block = BW). In Exp. 1, pigs fed FLA tended to increase ADG (0.493 vs. 0.451 kg/d; P < 0.10) during the experimental period compared with those fed CON1. However, there were no differences in ADFI and G:F between CON1 and FLA. In Exp. 2, pigs fed FLA had greater ADG (0.548 vs. 0.463 kg/d; P < 0.05) and tended to increase ADFI (0.870 vs. 0.753 kg/d; P < 0.10) during the experimental period than those fed CON2. However, there was no difference in G:F between CON2 and FLA. In conclusion, the addition of dietary flavor in experimental and commercial nursery diets improved growth performance of weaned pigs.

This study was conducted to investigate effects of dietary flavor on immune responses and gut microbiota of weaned pigs. A total of 72 weaned pigs (initial BW = 6.66 ± 0.32 kg) were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments (4 pigs/pen; 9 replicates/treatment) in randomized complete block design (block = BW). The dietary treatments were 1) a commercial diet based on corn and soybean meal with spray dried plasma, fish meal, and zinc oxide (CON) and 2) CON + 0.05% flavor (FLA) containing milky cream flavor (Luctarom®, Lucta Guangzhou, China). Pigs were fed respective dietary treatments for 6 weeks. Blood was collected from randomly selected one pig in each pen on d 0, 7, and 14 after weaning. Three pigs per dietary treatment were randomly selected to collect feces on the last day of the experiment to verify their gut microbiota. Measurements were the number of white blood cells (WBC) by an automated hematology analyzer calibrated for porcine blood and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and cortisol by the ELISA and gut microbiota by metagenomics analysis with pyrosequencing. The immune responses data were analyzed using the PROC GLM procedure of SAS. The gut microbiota data were analyzed using CLcommunity program. Pigs fed FLA had lower WBC on d 7 (P < 0.10) and 14 (P < 0.05), TNF-α on d 7 (P < 0.10), and IL-6 on d 7 (P < 0.10) than those fed CON. The FLA increased (P < 0.05) phylum Firmicutes and genus Lactobacillus and Clostridium in gut microbiota of weaned pigs compared with CON, but decreased (P < 0.05) phylum Bacteroidetes and genus Prevotella. In conclusion, the addition of dietary flavor in the commercial diet modified immune responses and modulated gut microbiota of weaned pigs.