Abstract
Abstract The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of Bacillus subtilis on growth performance, diarrhea and fecal β-hemolytic coliforms of weaned pigs experimentally infected with a strain of E. coli (F18, express genes of LT, STb, and SLT 2 toxins). Weaned pigs (n = 48, 6.17 ± 0.36 kg BW) were individually housed in disease containment rooms and randomly allotted to one of four dietary treatments: negative control (NC, control diet without E. coli challenge), positive control (PC, control diet with E. coli challenge), and supplementation of 50 mg/kg of carbadox or 500 mg/kg of Bacillus subtilis probiotics. The experiment lasted 28 d with 7 d before and 21 d after the first E. coli inoculation. The F18 E. coli were given to pigs at 1010 CFU/3 mL dose for three consecutive d. Diarrhea score was daily recorded for each pig to calculate frequency of diarrhea. Fecal samples were collected on d 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21 PI to analyze β-hemolytic coliforms. Data were analyzed using the Mixed Procedure of SAS. Pigs supplemented with carbadox had greater (P < 0.05) body weight on d 7, 14, and 21 PI than pigs in the PC and probiotics group. Supplementation of probiotics enhanced pig body weight on d 21 PI, compared with the PC. E. coli challenge reduced (P < 0.05) ADG and feed efficiency from d 0 to 21 PI, while supplementation of antibiotics or probiotics enhanced ADG and feed efficiency from d 0 to 21 PI. Pigs in carbadox and probiotics groups had reduced (P < 0.05) frequency of diarrhea throughout the experiment and fecal β-hemolytic coliforms on d 7 PI than pigs in the PC. In conclusion, supplementation of Bacillus subtilis could enhance disease resistance and promote growth performance of weaned pigs under disease challenge condition.
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