Abstract
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of blends of dietary protected organic acid supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, faecal microflora, and gas emission on sows and piglets with emphasis on their modes of action to improve pig performance. A total of 12 sows with an average initial body weight (BW) of 252.40±11.7 kg were used in this trial. Growth performance, blood profiles, and nutrient digestibility of sows and piglets fed protected organic acid were evaluated. The dietary treatments included a basal diet (CON); CON + 0.1% protected organic acid; and CON + 0.2% protected organic acid. The BW and back fat of sows was checked four days prior to farrowing and at the weaning day to calculate BW loss and back fat loss during that period. Inclusion of 0.2% protected organic acid provided a greater digestibility than CON diets throughout the experimental period in lactating sows. Dietary supplementation with 0.2% protected organic acid led to a higher white blood cell and lymphocyte concentration than CON treatment in sucking piglets. Immunoglobulin G concentration observed was greater in protected organic acid groups in lactating sow and sucking piglets. Increased faecal Lactobacillus counts with decreased E. coli concentrations were observed with the diets of protected organic acid fed to lactating sows. The E. coli counts were decreased in weaning piglets. The faecal H2S contents were decreased in 0.2% protected organic acid diets during farrowing on day 1. Dietary supplementation with protected organic acid blends beneficially affects the nutrient digestibility, ileal noxious gas (NH3 and H2S) emission, as well as intestinal microbial balance in lactating sows.
Highlights
Supplementation of pig diets with organic acids has become an important nutritional strategy aimed at improvement, performance, and health status of animals fed diets devoid of antibacterial growth promoters
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of blends of dietary protected organic acid supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, faecal microflora, and gas emission in sows and piglets with emphasis on their modes of action to improve pig performance
Digestibility of dry matter (DM), N, and energy was found to increase linearly by the dietary supplementation of 0.2% protected organic acid diets (Table 5; P
Summary
Supplementation of pig diets with organic acids has become an important nutritional strategy aimed at improvement, performance, and health status of animals fed diets devoid of antibacterial growth promoters. Organic acids may influence the physiology of the intestinal mucosa by their action on the villi, maintaining their integrity, promoting an increase in the number of cells and preventing its flattening, as well as serving as a substrate in the intermediary metabolism of the citric acidcycle (Partanen and Mroz, 1999). Organic acids can reduce the diets’ buffering capacity, inhibit the proliferation and colonisation of undesirable microorganisms, act on the physiology of the gastrointestinal mucosa, and promote the availability of nutrients in the diet, improving their digestion, absorption, and retention (Costa et al, 2011). According to Overland et al (2008), dietary inclusions of organic acids have positive effects in improving growth rate and feed efficiency. The protected organic acid used in the current study is a blend of organic acids and medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) with matrix coating
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