Growth Performance and Serum IgA Concentrations in Weanling Pigs Fed Dietary Prebiotics

Abstract Text: To determine the effects of dietary prebiotics on growth performance and immune status of weanling pigs, 64 crossbred pigs (initial BW = 6.6 kg; d 20 to 22 post-farrowing) were selected and randomly allotted to 16 experimental pens with 4 dietary treatments (2 barrows and 2 gilts per pen, 4 pens per treatment). The treatments were maintained during Phase I (d 0 to 14 post-weaning) and Phase II (d 14 to 28 post-weaning). The control diet was a conventional nursery diet formulated with corn, soybean meal, dried whey, fish meal, bovine plasma, and supplements to meet or exceed the 2012 NRC requirements. The additional 3 diets were formulated to contain 0.1% chicory, 0.1% mannan oligosaccharides (MOS), and 0.02% chitosan, respectively. Pigs were given ad libitum access to feed and water in an environmentally-controlled room. From d 0 to 28 post-weaning, feed disappearance and individual BW were measured weekly for determination of ADG, ADFI, and G:F. Blood samples were collected weekly for measurements of serum IgA concentrations. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Overall, dietary prebiotics did not affect (P > 0.10) BW (average 16.7 kg; d 28), ADG (361 g), or ADFI (513 g). However, from d 7 to 14, pigs fed MOS had lower (671 g/kg; P < 0.05) G:F compared to pigs fed control (830 g/kg), chicory (851 g/kg), and chitosan (871 g/kg) diets. For Phase I, G:F of pigs fed MOS tended to be lower (656 g/kg; P < 0.10) than pigs fed control (791 g/kg) and chitosan (783 g/kg), but was not different from chicory (755 g/kg; P > 0.10). For Phase II, G:F of pigs fed control (673 g/kg), chicory (686 g/kg), MOS (695 g/kg), and chitosan (695 g/kg) were not different (P > 0.10). There were no time × treatment interactions (P > 0.10) affecting circulating IgA concentrations. Serum IgA increased (P < 0.05) over time from 0.148 to 0.438 mg/mL (d 0 to 28 post-weaning), but was not affected by dietary prebiotic. In conclusion, with the exception of subtle decreases in feed efficiency, prebiotic supplementation had no effect on growth performance or serum IgA concentrations in weanling pigs.

Keywords: growth performance; prebiotics; weanling pigs