August 28, 2023

AB Vista: Stimbiotics supplementation enhances growth performance in weaned piglets

Feeding a stimbiotic increases feed intake and daily weight gain in weaned pigs, in addition to enhancing immunity and plasma IGF-1 levels and favorably modulating gut microbial community, according to  a recent trial conducted at the Institute of Feed Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, AB Vista said.

The use of a stimbiotic stimulates fiber fermentation by accelerating the establishment of the microbiome to be more efficient at fiber fermentation, resulting in increased short-chain fatty acid production, reduced protein fermentation and more favorable hindgut conditions for the animal. Additionally, the use of a stimbiotic helps reduce inflammation, which may also be potentially beneficial in reducing the disease incidence of animals.

The trial was carried out at the Langfang-based Tianpeng Experimental Farm in China. Eighty healthy wean piglets (four weeks old) were split up into two groups: the control group (CT) received the basic feed alone, while the other group received the basal diet plus 100g/t of stimbiotic product (VP).

Each group contained eight replicas (pens), each of which contained five piglets. Pre-nursery and post-nursery feeding phases were used during the 42-day trial. During the trial period, the effects of the treatments on growth performance, diarrhoea incidence, plasma antioxidant capacity, immunoglobulin concentration and hormone levels, and faecal microbes were monitored.

When a stimbiotic was added to the piglet postweaning diet, body weight (BW) of the piglets improved significantly on days 28 and 42 (15.41kg versus 16.70kg; 20.52kg versus 22.25kg, respectively).

Additionally, daily weight gain and feed intake increased from days 14 to 28 and throughout the trial period. The plasma levels of immunoglobulin A and G on days 14 and 42, as well as the plasma insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) level, significantly improved in piglets fed stimbiotic. Piglets given a stimbiotic tended to have stronger plasma antioxidant capacities, such as higher plasma catalase levels.

The gut microbial community analysis showed a significant improvement of beneficial microbiota in the stimbiotic-fed piglets. Butyrate producer Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 and unclassified_f_Lachnospiraceae were dominant in the stimbiotic-fed piglets. However, the relative abundance of norank_f_Muribaculaceae, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Parabacteroides and unclassified_f__Oscillospiraceae were increased significantly in number when a stimbiotic was added in the piglet diet.

In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrated the beneficial effect of a stimbiotic on technical performance, immune function and in promoting healthier gut-microbiota in postweaning piglets, AB Vista said.

- AB Vista