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Probiotics are considered as a potential nonantibiotic feed additive that may improve intestinal health of pigs. However, there is limited information on potential mechanism of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The study was carried out to evaluate effects of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus on intestinal morphology, blood profiles, immune responses, and ileal gene expression of weaned pigs. In a randomized complete block design [block: initial body weight (BW)], a total of 100 weaned pigs (7.99 ± 0.85 kg of average initial BW; 28 days of age) were assigned to two dietary treatments (5 pigs/pen; 10 replicates/treatment). Dietary treatments were fed for 4 weeks: 1) a commercial basal nursery diet (CON), and 2) CON + 0.02% probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus IDCC 3201 (PRO). Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus was obtained from a commercial company (ILDONG Bioscience Co., Ltd., Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea). Blood was collected from randomly selected one pig per pen on day 1, 7, 14, and 28 for blood profiles and immune responses. On the final day of study, pigs were euthanized to collect each part of small intestine for measuring intestinal morphology and ileal gene expression. Measurements were 1) villus height, width, and area, crypt depth, villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH:CD), and number of goblet cells by the hematoxylin and eosin staining method, 2) number of white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), and hematocrit (HCT) by an automated hematology analyzer calibrated for porcine blood, 3) immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and C-reactive protein in serum by the ELISA kits, and 4) ileal gene expression of tight junction-related proteins and inflammatory cytokines by qRT-PCR. Data were analyzed using PROC GLM of SAS. Experimental unit was the pen. Statistical model for intestinal morphology, blood profiles, and immune responses included dietary treatment as a main effect and initial BW as a covariate. The t-test was used for ileal gene expression. The PRO increased number of goblet cells in duodenum (P < 0.05) and VH:CD in ileum (P < 0.10) compared with CON. Pigs fed PRO had decreased HCT on day 7 (P < 0.10), WBC on day 28 (P < 0.05), and serum IgA concentrations on day 28 (P < 0.05) than those fed CON, but RBC on day 7 and 14 were greater (P < 0.05). The PRO upregulated (P < 0.05) claudin-3, occludin, tight junction protein-1 genes in ileum compared with CON, but TNF-α, interferon-α, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 genes were downregulated (P < 0.05). In conclusion, addition of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus in the nursery diet improved gut health via enhancing intestinal morphology and upregulating ileal tight junction-related protein genes, and modified blood parameters and ileal inflammatory cytokine genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary probiotics were used in the animal feeds because of the beneficial effect of improving gut health and immune responses as one of the potential alternatives to antibiotics. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (ILDONG Bioscience Co. Ltd., Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea) on blood profiles, small intestinal morphology, immune responses, and gene expression of tight junction proteins and inflammatory cytokines in ileum of weaned pigs. A total of 40 weaned pigs [6.21 ± 0.55 kg of initial body weight (BW); 28-day old] were allotted to 2 dietary treatments (4 pigs/pen; 5 replicates/treatment) in a randomized complete block design (block: initial BW) and fed for 4 weeks. Dietary treatments were 1) a commercial basal nursery diet (CON), and 2) CON + 0.02% Lactobacillus rhamnosus IDCC 3201 (PRO). The blood samples were collected from randomly selected 1 pig per pen on day 1, 7, 14, and 28 for blood profiles and immune responses. On the last day of experiment, the pigs were euthanized to collect duodenal, jejunal, and ileal segments for intestinal morphology and gene expression analysis. Intestinal morphology was measured villus height, width, area, crypt depth, villus height to crypt depth ratio, and number of goblet cells by hematoxylin and eosin staining method. The blood profiles were measured by using an automated hematology analyzer. The serum samples were used to measure concentrations of cytokines and cortisol by using porcine immunoassay ELISA kits. The gene expression of tight junction proteins and cytokines were measured by qRT-PCR. Data were analyzed by PROC GLM procedure of SAS. Experimental unit was a pen. Statistical model for blood profiles, immune responses, and intestinal morphology included dietary treatment as a main effect and initial BW as a covariate. The t-test was used for ileal gene expression. Pigs fed PRO had lower (P < 0.05) platelet level, crypt depth in duodenum and ileum, serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 than those fed CON. The pigs fed PRO downregulated (P < 0.05) TNF-α and interleukin-8 genes compared with those fed CON, but upregulated (P < 0.05) claudin-1 and claudin-2 genes. In conclusion, probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus supplementation in nursery diet improved gut health through modulating blood profiles and immune responses, enhancing intestinal morphology, and regulating tight junction protein genes expression in ileum of weaned pigs. Keywords: Lactobacillus rhamnosus, weaned pigsdownregulated (P < 0.05) TNF-a and interleukin-8 genes compared with those fed CON, but upregulated (P < 0.05) claudin-1 and claudin-2 genes. In conclusion, probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus supplementation in nursery diet improved gut health through modulating blood profiles and immune responses, enhancing intestinal morphology, and regulating tight junction protein genes expression in ileum of weaned pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The swine industry has to find ways to make diets more efficient in terms of growth performance and swine intestinal health. Thus, this study was carried out to verify the effect of dietary supplementation of the probiotic, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, on growth performance, frequency of diarrhea, nutrient digestibility, and blood biochemical parameters of weaned pigs. A total of 40 weaned pigs [6.21 ± 0.55 kg of initial body weight (BW)] were assigned to 2 dietary treatments (4 pigs/pen; 5 replicates/treatment) in a randomized complete block design (block: initial BW). This experiment was performed for 4 weeks. Dietary treatments were a commercial basal nursery diet (CON) and CON supplemented with 0.02% Lactobacillus rhamnosus IDCC 3201 (PRO; ILDONG Bioscience Co., Ltd., Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea). Average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake, and gain to feed ratio (G:F) were measured on day 1, 7, 14, and 28. The frequency of diarrhea was measured for the first 2 weeks after weaning. Diarrhea score of each pen was visually estimated from 1 to 5 (1 = normal feces, 2 = moist feces, 3 = mild diarrhea, 4 = severe diarrhea, and 5 = watery diarrhea). For the last week of experimental period, pigs were fed respective dietary treatments containing 0.2% chromium oxide. Fecal samples from randomly selected one pig per pen were collected daily by rectal palpation for the last 3 days. The samples from the diet and feces of each treatment were used to measure the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter (DM), energy (EN), and crude protein (CP). Serum samples were collected for blood biochemical parameters. Growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood biochemical parameters were analyzed by the General Linear Model of SAS. The frequency of diarrhea was analyzed by the Chi-square test. The experimental unit was a pen. Statistical model for growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and biochemical parameters included dietary treatment as a main effect and initial BW as a covariate. Pigs fed PRO had greater (P < 0.05) ADG and G:F than those fed CON from day 1 to 7, and The PRO had greater (P < 0.05) ADG than CON from day 15 to 28. The PRO increased ADG during overall the experimental period (P < 0.10), nutrient digestibility of DM, EN, and CP (P < 0.05) compared with CON. However, no differences were found on frequency of diarrhea and blood biochemical parameters between dietary treatments. In conclusion, the dietary supplementation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus improved growth performance and nutrient digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics are microorganisms which have positive effects on human and animal gut health, and generally recognized as safe ingredients. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LR) on growth performance, diarrhea frequency, and blood biochemical parameters of weaned pigs. A total of 100 weaned pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc; 7.99 ± 0.85 kg of initial body weight (BW); 28 days old] were used in a 28-day trial. All pigs were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design (block: initial BW) and there were 10 replication pens in each treatment with 5 pigs/pen. Dietary treatments were as follows: 1) a commercial weaner diet based on cornsoybean meal (CON), and 2) CON + 0.02% probiotic LR IDCC 3201 (PRO). All pigs were housed in an environmental controlled room and had free access to feed and water throughout the experimental period. Probiotic LR was obtained from commercial company (ILDONG Bioscience Co., Ltd., Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea). Pigs BW was individually measured on day 1, 7, 14, and 28, and feed consumption was recorded on a pen basis on the same day to calculate average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain to feed ratio (G:F). Diarrhea frequency was recorded by visual observation for 2 weeks after weaning and calculated as a percentage. Blood samples for biochemical parameters were collected from randomly selected one pig per pen on day 28 and analyzed by specific kit and clinical auto analyzer. Analysis items were total protein, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, blood urea nitrogen, calcium (Ca), inorganic phosphorus, magnesium, total cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, albumin, and creatinine. Data were analyzed using PROC GLM of SAS. Experimental unit was a pen. Statistical model for every measurement included dietary treatment as a main effect and initial BW as a covariate. The Chi-square test was used for diarrhea frequency. During day 1 to 7, 8 to 14, 1 to 14 and overall experiment date, ADG of pigs that fed PRO was greater (P < 0.05) than those fed CON. Pigs fed PRO had increased (P < 0.05) G:F during day 1 to 7 and 1 to 14 compared with those fed CON. Pigs fed PRO tended to have less (P < 0.10) diarrhea frequency during the first week of experiment than those fed CON. On blood biochemical parameters, pigs that fed PRO had greater (P < 0.05) concentrations of Ca (mg/dL) on day 28 than those fed CON. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of probiotic LR in weaner diet improved growth performance, reduced diarrhea frequency, and modulated blood biochemical parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]