Maternal supplementation with Bacillus altitudinis spores improves porcine offspring growth performance and carcass weight

Crespo-Piazuelo, Daniel and Gardiner, Gillian E and Ranjitkar, Samir and Bouwhuis, Meike A. and Ham, Rebecca and Phelan, John P and Marsh, Alan and Lawlor, Peadar G (2021) Maternal supplementation with Bacillus altitudinis spores improves porcine offspring growth performance and carcass weight. British Journal of Nutrition.

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding Bacillus altitudinis spores to sows and/or offspring on growth and health indicators. On day (D) 100 of gestation, 24 sows were selected and grouped as: control (CON), fed with a standard diet; and probiotic (PRO), fed the standard diet supplemented with B. altitudinis WIT588 spores from D100 of gestation until weaning. Offspring (n=144) from each of the two sow treatments were assigned to either a CON (no probiotic) or PRO (B. altitudinis-supplemented) treatment for 28 days post-weaning (pw), resulting in four treatment groups: 1) CON/CON, non-probiotic supplemented sow/non-probiotic supplemented piglet; 2) CON/PRO, non-probiotic supplemented sow/probiotic-supplemented piglet; 3) PRO/CON, probiotic-supplemented sow/non-probiotic supplemented piglet; 4) PRO/PRO, probiotic-supplemented sow/probiotic-supplemented piglet. Bacillus altitudinis WIT588 was detected in the faeces of probiotic supplemented sows and their piglets, and in the faeces and intestine of probiotic-supplemented piglets. Colostrum from PRO sows had higher total solids (P=0.02), protein (P=0.04), and true protein (P=0.05), and lower lactose (P<0.01) than colostrum from CON sows. Maternal treatment improved offspring feed conversion ratio at D0-14 pw (P<0.001) and increased offspring body weight at D105 and D127 pw (P=0.01), carcass weight (P=0.05) and kill-out percentage (P<0.01). It also increased small intestinal absorptive capacity and impacted the haematological profile of sows and progeny. Little impact of post-weaning treatment was observed on any of the parameters measured. Overall, the lifetime growth benefits in the offspring of B. altitudinis-supplemented sows offer considerable economic advantages for pig producers in search of alternatives to in-feed antibiotics/zinc oxide.

Item Type: Article
Departments or Groups: Eco-Innovation Research Centre > Sustainable Agriculture Research Group
Eco-Innovation Research Centre
Divisions: School of Science > Department of Chemical and Life Sciences
Depositing User: Gillian Gardiner
Date Deposited: 07 Oct 2021 12:30
Last Modified: 07 Oct 2021 12:30
URI: http://repository-testing.wit.ie/id/eprint/3493

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