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Oyster mushroom: A diarrhoea remedy for piglets


The feed industry is focusing on alternatives to reduce the use of antibiotics as growth promoters and zinc oxide as a diarrhoea remedy in piglet diets. Thanks to its immunomodulation properties, among other properties, oyster mushroom is one of the potential alternatives.


BY MATTHEW WEDZERAI, CORRESPONDENT Z Parameter (mmol/L) Acetate


inc oxide (ZnO) is usually recommended for inclu- sion during the first two weeks over weaning to pre- vent post-weaning diarrhoea in pigs. However, due to its low absorption, most ZnO is excreted in faeces,


which is detrimental to the environment. On the other hand, whereas therapeutic zinc oxide is not approved for use, antibi- otics are an alternative to the control of E. coli infections post-weaning. However, these antibiotics are being banned for their effects on antimicrobial resistance. In humans, several studies (involving animal models) have shown that edible mushrooms have immune modulating properties, including β-glucan-induced anti-inflammatory effects, enhanced NK cell activity, improved dendritic cell maturation and function, and increased cytokine production in patients with ulcerative coli- tis and Crohn’s disease. Mushrooms contain secondary metab- olites such as alkaloids, lactones, polyphenols, sesquiterpenes,


Table 1 – Concentration of acetate, butyrate, propionate and total SCFA of weaning piglets fed diets containing different levels of oyster mushroom (OM).


Dietary OM levels (g/kg) 0.00 5.00 10.00 9.13 15.00 35.95 45.37 49.83 42.96


Propionate 11.17 25.12 24.30 22.98 Butyrate


10.39 11.14 13.35 Total SCFA 56.25 80.88 85.27 79.29 18 ▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 28, No. 5, 2020


sterols, terpenoids, β-glucans and glycoproteins. These metab- olites are responsible for immunomodulation, and have an- ticholesterolemic, anticancer and antioxidant properties.


Diarrhoea incidence Researchers at Jilin Agricultural University found valuable ef- fects of supplementing piglet diets with oyster mushrooms. The mushrooms were included in three doses: 5 g/kg, 10 g/kg, and 15 g/kg. A total of 100 crossbred (Duroc×Large white×Landrace) weaner piglets were used. The inclusion of mushroom at 5 g/kg feed resulted in a 51% lower diarrhoea compared to the control group, while an inclusion of 15 g/kg resulted in 55% lower incidence of diarrhoea. The researchers attributed the reduction to the presence of bioactive com- pounds such as glucans, alkaloids, phenols and other active ingredients that can reduce the enteric bacteria (Coliform, E. coli, etc.) population and activities in the intestines of piglets. The prebiotic properties of this mushroom resulted in high production of short chain fatty acids (butyrate, propionate and acetate). The bacteriostatic properties of butyrate result in a better immune response, and a heathy gut – contributing to a reduction in the incidence of diarrhoea.


Gut microflora Their findings showed that supplementing the diet with oys- ter mushrooms increased intestinal microbial population and diversity. The most abundant microbes in the treated groups were the Bacteroidetes phylum (which mainly produces ace- tate and propionate) and the Firmicutes phylum (for butyrate production). The high fibre content of mushrooms is less di- gestible in the upper GIT as it lacks fibre-digesting enzymes. However, microbes in the large intestine can ferment these fi- bres to synthesize SCFAs such as acetate, butyrate and propi- onate. These SCFAs lower the hindgut pH, creating unfavour- able conditions for most pathogenic bacteria – thus promoting gut health. Butyrate also serves as the main source of energy for colonocytes, helping with the mainte- nance of gut homeostasis and intestinal epithelial integrity; its bacteriostatic properties help improve the immune re- sponse. Their study has shown that oyster mushrooms act as


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