Effects of dietary supplementation with Bacillus licheniformis derived-protease on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and fecal microbial shedding in post-weaned growing pigs

Lei Cheng,In Ho Kim

doi:10.1080/09712119.2019.1626240

Abstract

ABSTRACT An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Bacillus licheniformis derived-protease supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and fecal microbial shedding in post-weaned and growing pigs. A total of 90 crossbred (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) weaning pigs with an initial average body weight of 6.61 ± 1.73 kg were randomly allotted into 2 treatments with 9 replicate pens of 5 pigs for a 4-phase feeding trial. The treatments were: CON, basal diet; PROT, basal diet + 0.5 g/kg protease of diets (contained 75000 protease units per gram). During phase 3 (wk 3–6), average daily gain, and gain: feed ratio was increased (P < 0.05) in pigs fed PROT diet compared with those fed CON diet. During phase 3 and 4 (wk 6–11, growing phase), pigs fed PROT diet had higher (P < 0.05) apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter and crude protein than pigs fed CON diet. No differences were observed in fecal microflora between CON and PROT groups. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Bacillus licheniformis derived-protease increased growth performance in post-weaned pigs and increased the digestibility of dry matter and crude protein in post-weaned and growing pigs.

Highlights

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Bacillus licheniformis derived-protease supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and fecal microbial shedding in postweaned and growing pigs
No differences were detected between CON and protease units (PROT) groups in average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and G:F during the phase 1, phase 2, and phase 4
During phase 3, dietary treatments showed no effect on ADFI, but pigs fed PROT diet had greater (P < 0.05) ADG and G:F than pigs fed CON diet

Summary

Introduction

Weaning stress could decrease feed intake, impair digestive and absorptive capacity of piglets (Campbell et al 2013; Moeser et al 2017). The growth and protein deposition rate is increased dramatically during the growing phase, which requires numerous amounts of protein rich feed ingredients. The prices of these feed grains are dramatically increasing due to the numerous demands by its inclusion in many dominant feed ingredients and human consumption industries, which reduced the profit margins of pork production (Niemi et al 2010; Stein et al 2016). The objective of the current study was to examine effects of supplementation with B. licheniformis derived-protease on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), and fecal microbial shedding in postweaned and growing pigs

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion