Dietary spp enhanced growth and disease resistance of weaned pigs by modulating intestinal microbiota and systemic immunity.

BACKGROUND

Previous research has shown that dietary supplementation of spp. probiotics exerts beneficial effects on animals' growth. However, limited studies have evaluated the efficacy of spp on weaned pigs and their effects on host gut health and microbiome, and systemic immunity using a disease challenge model. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of two spp strains ( DSM 32540 and DSM 32539) on growth performance, diarrhea, intestinal health, microbiome, and systemic immunity of weaned pigs experimentally infected with an enterotoxigenic (ETEC).

RESULTS

Pigs in PRO1 ( DSM 32540) had greater ( < 0.05) body weight on d 7 and 14 PI, greater ( < 0.05) ADG from d 0 to 7 and d 7 to 14 PI, compared with pigs in CON (Control). Pigs in PRO1 had milder ( < 0.05) diarrhea on d 2 and 3 PI compared with pigs in CON. However, no differences were observed in growth performance and diarrhea score between PRO2 ( DSM 32539) and CON groups. Supplementation of PRO1 decreased ( < 0.05) lymphocyte counts on d 7 and 14 PI, compared with CON. Supplementation of PRO1 and PRO2 both reduced ( < 0.05) total coliforms in mesenteric lymph nodes on d 21 PI. Pigs in PRO2 had greater ( < 0.05) goblet cell number and sulfomucin percentage in duodenal villi and greater ( < 0.05) sialomucin percentage in jejunal villi than pigs in CON. Supplementation of PRO1 up-regulated ( < 0.05) gene expression in jejunal mucosa and reduced ( < 0.05) and gene expression in ileal mucosa on d 21 PI, compared with CON. Pigs in PRO1 had reduced ( < 0.05) relative abundance of families Lachnospiraceae, Peptostreptococcaceae and Pasteurellaceae in the ileum.

CONCLUSIONS

Supplementation of DSM 32540 improved growth performance, alleviated diarrhea severity, enhanced gut health, and reduced systemic inflammation of weaned pigs infected with ETEC F18. Although DSM 32539 was able to alleviate systemic inflammation, it had limited impacts on growth performance and severity of diarrhea of ETEC F18 challenged weaned pigs.