Effects of levan supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and fecal dry matter content in comparison to apramycin (antibacterial growth promoter) in weanling pigs

Abstract

A total of 144 weanling pigs (18±1d of age) with an average BW of 5.48±0.65kg were used in a 28-d trial to evaluate the effects of dietary levan supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and fecal dry matter content in comparison to apramycin (antibacterial growth promoter) in weanling pigs. Pigs were randomly allocated into four treatments with two levels of apramycin (0 or 165mg/kg) and two levels of levan (0 or 1g/kg). There were six replications per treatment with six pigs per pen (three barrows and three gilts). Diets were fed in two phases: phase 1 (from d 0 to 14) and phase 2 (from d 15 to 28). Administration of either levan or apramycin improved (P<0.05) average daily gain (ADG) during phase 1 and overall. Pigs fed apramycin had greater (P<0.05) ADG and gain:feed ratio than pigs fed other diets in phase 2. In addition, the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen and gross energy was increased (P<0.05) in response to either levan or apramycin treatments during phase 1. Apramycin administration decreased (P<0.05) fecal DM content from d 0 to 14, whereas levan decreased (P<0.05) fecal DM content from d 15 to 28. The results of the current study indicated that levan had some growth promoting effects similar to antibiotics in weanling pigs.