The scoop on feed additives & piglet gut health
Victoria Wagner (CRIPA_FRQNT, Université de Montréal)
In humans and piglets alike, the gut is home to a diverse population of bacteria. The makeup of this population, or microbiome, is influenced by many factors; from a piglet’s diet to their housing conditions. Although scientists still consider the microbiome somewhat mysterious, it is known to play a role in disease development and piglet growth – and therefore some researchers have been investigating whether non-antibiotic feed additives could prove beneficial to young piglets by bolstering their gut flora. But how can we tell what works?
Exploring new feed additives for piglets is a hot topic; scientists have studied their effect on everything from Streptococcus suis infection to post-weaning colibacillosis. Often researchers separate piglets into groups: one group receives the usual antibiotic feed additive, and others receive an additive being tested. Proposed additives include fatty acids, essential oils, acidifiers, and pre/probiotics. Researchers monitor piglet health & growth by observing and weighing the animals, and/or take fecal samples to analyze in the lab and identify changes in microbiome composition.
Through these studies, certain additives (or cocktails thereof), have been deemed beneficial to piglet gut health. For example, a specific combination of fatty acids and essential oils appeared to increase “good” bacteria (Bacillus & Lactobacillus) in the microbiome of post-weaning piglets – as did some pre- and probiotics. Acidifiers have been shown to change pH in the gastrointestinal tract, which can increase nutrient absorption and improve piglet growth. Finally, some plant extracts appeared to boost immunity and gut health, minimizing the effects of scours in weanlings.
These results are encouraging, but much work remains to be done. As discussed, the gastrointestinal microbiome depends on many factors; the environment and overall health of pigs can change their gut flora and its response to various additives. The results of a study on one farm may not be applicable to the neighbouring farm, or even the next lot of pigs! As such, more studies are necessary to id
entify especially promising additives that could evaluated on multiple farms.
As pressure to decrease the use of in-feed preventative antibiotics mounts, the search for an effective non-antibiotic feed additive becomes ever more urgent – as does decoding the piglet microbiome. In the meantime, continuing to implement good husbandry & management practices on the farm, such as all-in-all-out production, strict hygiene measures, and vaccination of piglets is the best strategy to protect piglets’ health.
Piglet gut health plays a role in disease development & growth
The search for non-antibiotic feed additives is becoming urgent
Studies have shown certain non-antibiotic feed additives are beneficial to piglet gut flora
More research is needed to conclusively identify the strongest candidate feed additives
Bibliography:
1. Correa-Fiz, F., Neila-Ibáñez, C., López-Soria, S. et al. Feed additives for the control of post-weaning Streptococcus suis disease and the effect on the faecal and nasal microbiota. Sci Rep 10, 20354 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-77313-6
2. Liu Y, Espinosa CD, Abelilla JJ, et al. Non-antibiotic feed additives in diets for pigs: A review. Anim Nutr. 2018;4(2):113-125. doi:10.1016/j.aninu.2018.01.007
3. Pluske JR. Feed- and feed additives-related aspects of gut health and development in weanling pigs. J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2013;4(1):1. Published 2013 Jan 7. doi:10.1186/2049-1891-4-1
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