will also impede the progression of harmful pathogens by ad- justing the pH to a level where harmful bacteria struggle to survive. Innovative feed formulation technologies address that challenge from a different angle: Available raw materials are cleverly combined based on the kinetics of their protein, starch and fibre digestibility, thereby minimising the amount of undigested nutrients reaching the lower gut.
3 4
Early support for gut development Gut development, including colonisation of the mi- crobiota, is a fragile process typically taking 12–14 weeks to complete. The establishment of resident
microbiota can have a lifetime effect on a piglet’s gut health and immunity. Nutritional interventions that stabilise a pig- let’s resident microflora can help young animals develop and maintain healthy guts. These measures may start even prior to birth. For example, researchers at Trouw Nutrition are stud- ying how tailored feed additives administered to the sow can vertically steer microbiota transmission from sow to piglets. The first results from a trial involving 240 sows revealed that sows receiving a diet fortified with an organic acid blend and Presan-FX (a blend designed to stabilise microbiota and strengthen the gut barrier) during late gestation and lacta- tion produced larger litters that were heavier and more uniform at weaning (Figure 1).
Optimising immune response Weaning is a stressful event, and stress is known to weaken the immune system response. The immuni- ty challenge is exacerbated as weaning occurs at a
time when the piglet’s immune system is still immature. Ad- justing the dietary ratio and the level of amino acids – which are required to produce defensive proteins and immunoglob- ulins in situations of an immune challenge – is one step in managing the immunity challenge. Additionally, functional ingredients that foster an adequate immune response can of- fer another step in a multifactorial approach to help bridge the immunity gap and support an adequate immune re- sponse. Among those ingredients are specific beta-glucans extracted from yeast cell walls. Beta-glucans are well known to play a role in supporting immunity by activating mac- rophages, the first line of defence cells that specialise in find- ing, “eating” and killing pathogens and which have the ability to activate other cells of the immune system. Fibosel, a source of exposed beta-1,3/1,6-glucans from a specifically selected strain of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has proven its merit in many studies. Administered to sows during late gestation and lactation, it seems to especially benefit litters from primiparous sows: Piglet mortality during lactation was reduced from 14.5% to 7.4%, with smaller im- provements in multiparous sow litters. The systemic effects of beta-glucans were also proven in a study where piglets re- ceived a fortified supplement during lactation, but not after
Figure 1 - Frequency distribution of weaning weights at an average of 26 days of age. Sows in the treatment group received various blends* during late gestation and lactation.
10.0 12.0
2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
0.0 100 80
Number of piglets in each weaning weight category 20
60 40 20 0 40 60 80 100
* The sows in the treatment group received an organic acid blend and Presan-FX (a blend by Selko Feed Additives, designed to stabilise microbiota and strengthen the gut barrier) during late gestation and lactation.
weaning. These piglets showed improved growth, feed in- take and feed conversion as well as less diarrhoea in the first three weeks after weaning when orally challenged with E. coli. In a series of studies, E. coli–challenged piglets that re- ceived those beta-glucans in their diet after weaning showed better post-weaning growth and intake, improved feed conversion and reduced diarrhoea scores (frequency x severity) compared to equally challenged piglets in a control group (Figure 2).
In conclusion, functional ingredients as part of a multifactori- al approach can significantly contribute to nutritional man- agement of weaning stress and can support piglets’ health and performance.
Figure 2 - Post-weaning performance and diarrhoea in E. coli- challenged piglets receiving a beta-glucans^ fortified diet relative to an equally challenged control group.
10% 20% 30%
0% +17.2%
–20% –10%
–30% Average daily gain
* p<0.10 ** p<0.05
Results for the Fibosel group are relative to the control group during 14 days post-weaning. ^ Fibosel, Trouw Nutrition.
▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 37, No. 10, 2021 37 Feed intake Feed conversion ** Diarrhoea +6.3% * Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4
Piglets from Control sow group
Piglets from Treatment* group
10.0 12.0
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
–9.1%
–14.3%
Weaning weight, kg
Weaning weight, kg
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