PHOTO: BERT JANSEN
GUT HEAL ▶▶▶TH
Regulating calcium levels in pigs’ diets
Gut microbiota are involved in nutrient utilisation, absorption, metabolism, and modulation of host immunity, which in turn affects host animal health and production efficiency.
BY SAMANEH AZARPAJOUH I
Studies suggest that dietary sup- plementation of calcium is a po- tential strategy to modulate the gut microbiota in pigs.
n the post-weaning period, the pigs’ gut microbial eco- system undergoes massive fluctuations, and they experi- ence substantial changes in their gut physiology, microbi- ology, and immunology. Thus, post-weaning pigs are
more prone to intestinal and immunological disturbances than older pigs.
One of the most abundant beneficial bacterial groups in pig’s gut that are reduced after weaning is the genus Lactobacillus. A lack of these beneficial bacteria, which are associated with the mucosa, allows harmful bacteria to adhere to gut cells and to proliferate with negative consequences for gut health. Due to the public demand to reduce antibiotic use in pig pro- duction, dietary intervention is considered a major factor that can be used to enhance gut health post-weaning. Studies suggest that dietary supplementation of calcium is a poten- tial strategy that can be used to modulate the gut microbiota in pigs, reducing the number of harmful bacteria and increas- ing the number of lactobacilli. Regulating dietary calcium levels is therefore key to improving pigs’ health and perfor- mance. Calcium, which is the major mineral component of
the skeletal system, is an essential nutrient that is required for blood clotting, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, endocrine and hormone secretion in all stages of growth, gestation, and lactation.
Calcium requirement in pigs The National Research Council estimates requirements of 0.66% calcium for growing pigs of 25 – 50 kg body weight. These requirements are higher for younger pigs and lower for finishing pigs. For gestating and lactating sows, the calcium requirement is influenced by stage of gestation, parity, and milk production. The higher calcium requirements during late gestation are due to rapid growth of foetuses.
Gut microbiota and intestinal integrity: How does dietary calcium work? Dietary calcium levels above the requirements are considered to be disadvantageous for post-weaning pigs’ health by po- tentially compromising gut barrier function. However, there is evidence that adequate dietary calcium may regulate pig gut microbiota and promote intestinal integrity. High-cal- cium diets containing 10-15 g calcium per kg increase the growth of Lactobacillus in the growing or weaned pigs’ gut. In general, calcium intake over 14 days increases the Clostridium cluster in the ilea, caeca, and colons of weaned pigs. Several species of Clostridium cluster produce butyrate, which is an important energy source for gut cells. The intestinal matura- tion stage is another factor affecting gut microbiota composi- tion. For instance, Enterococcus species in the ileum decrease and increase in growing and weaned pigs, respectively after calcium supplementation.
Concluding remarks Dietary composition largely influences pigs’ gut microbiota and represents a useful preventative tool for tackling gut disturbances in post-weaning pigs. The gut microbiota communities of pigs respond subtly to several internal and external factors. Regarding the public demand to reduce an- tibiotic use in pig production, dietary intervention designed to promote gut health and integrity is getting more attention these days. This is why information on selective stimulation of certain beneficial bacterial groups may be useful for diet formulation for pigs in the post-weaning period.
8 ▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 30, No. 5, 2022
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