Mannan oligosaccharides and ß-glucan in diets for weaned piglets

Abstract Text: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with mannan oligosaccharides, ß-glucan and antibiotic in diets for castrated male piglets during the nursery phase (21 to 54 days of age) on performance, morpho-histological characteristics of the intestinal mucosa and occurrence of diarrhea. A total of 368 piglets of the same strain, weaned to 21 days of age, with average weight of 6.9 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments (control ( basal diet- without supplementation: : 36,05% corn, 18, 4% Soybean meal (45%), 2,90% Soybean oil, 2,50% Crystal sugar, 40% de Pig Mix e 0,150% kaolinite) ; 2 - basal diet + 1,500 g mannan oligosaccharides/t of diet; 3 - basal diet + 500 g ß-glucan/t of diet; and 4 - basal diet + 250 g colistin/t of diet) and four replications with 23 animals per experimental unit. The mannan oligosaccharides and ß-glucan were extracted cell wall of yeas Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The piglets were weaned to 21 days of age, heavy and distributed in experimental unit. Performance was assessed through weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion. The morpho-histological characteristics of the intestinal mucosa studied were villus height, intestinal crypt depth, villus circumference and villus height:crypt depth of duodenum, jejunum and ileum ratio. The occurrence of diarrhea was observed daily by the evaluation of fecal score. Not there was a difference for weight gain (P=0.0750; averages: 14.000, 13.635, 14.018, 12.605kg), feed intake (P=0.1574; averages: 28.053, 28.577, 29.202, 26.920kg) and feed conversion (P=0.2239; averages: 2.005, 2.098, 2.084, 2.134kg) the piglets the diets receiving control, mannan oligosaccharides, ß-glucan and antibiotic, respectively. Thus, it is concluded, that the use of mannan oligosaccharides, ß-glucan and antibiotic in the diet of castrated male piglets in the nursery phase did not affect performance and occurrence of diarrhea. The use ß-glucan increases villus height and crypt depth in the duodenum and ileum  and the  villus circumference the jejunum.

Keywords: additives, diarrhea, intestinal morphology