Advances in antibiotic alternatives for pig performance

GLOBAL— Rising global concern about antimicrobial resistance has drawn attention to the use of antibiotics in livestock, and to protect the effectiveness of antibiotics, the pressure is on to reduce their use, thus prompting the exploration of alternative interventions to maintaining herd health and productivity.

The EU ban on the use of zinc oxide in the pig industry to reduce diarrhea in post-weaned pigs came into force in June, bringing piglet intestinal health into the spotlight.

The diarrhea index is often used to evaluate feed conversion and the status of intestinal health for pigs. Diarrhea in weaned piglets and its functional damage to the gastrointestinal tract are major issues to be solved in piglet production.

To ensure the sustainable development of animal husbandry, the healthy growth of weaned piglets, and to protect the environment and the safety of food, novel functional additives with anti-diarrhea activities and ones that maintain intestinal immunity and bacteria balance in piglets are required.

The rise of Bacillus based probiotics

In this context, Chr. Hansen has released the results of an unpublished study in which administration of a dual strain Bacillus-based probiotic to sows and piglets improved the fecal microbiota composition, risk of mortality and performance of suckling piglets.

The Danish bioscience company is in the process of launching SolPreme – a new Bacillus​-based probiotic – in Europe. The product targets sows and piglets with two strains that have been chosen for their ability to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria such as E. coli​ and Clostridia​.

To ensure the sustainable development of animal husbandry, the healthy growth of weaned piglets, and to protect the environment and the safety of food, novel functional additives with anti-diarrhea activities and ones that maintain intestinal immunity and bacteria balance in piglets are required

In another study involving researchers from COFCO Feed Co Ltd and from New Hope Liuhe Group, the feasibility of Bacillus coagulans— a type of probiotic (“good” bacteria)— as an alternative to antibiotics was evaluated.

The results showed that the addition of Bacillus coagulans to the diet contributed to the improvement of growth performance and the diarrhea index in weaned piglets and could improve their intestinal microbial diversity, which they said had positive effects on growth performance and the diarrhea index.

Enzymes in reducing methane emissions in swine

A study conducted by Danisco Animal Nutrition & Health, part of IFF’s Health and Biosciences, and Aarhus University’s Department of Animal Science and Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, sought to reducing methane emissions in pig production as well the need for antibiotics and antimicrobial substances.

Essentially, the researchers are looking to develop a feeding concept aimed at improving pig gut microbiota to reduce methane emissions from pig production, improve pig growth and performance and increase the general health status of pig herds.

A supplemented enzyme is added to the feed, designed to release prebiotic substrates in the gastrointestinal tract in pigs, explained project manager, Charlotte Horsmans Poulsen, Health & Biosciences, IFF.

The prebiotic substrates will increase the development of a desirable gut microbiota composition with higher numbers of growth-promoting beneficial bacteria and fewer metanhanogenic archaea, the microorganisms that are responsible for the production of methane emissions.

Danisco Animal Nutrition & Health is responsible for developing the enzyme concept, and Aarhus University will investigate the impact on pigs’ methane emissions, pig growth performance, feed efficiency, gut health, and immune response. The project is set to run for 3.5 years.

Yeast may help improve early piglet growth

According to new research from Kansas State University, providing nursing sows with yeast feed additives may improve daily growth in even the youngest piglets.

“Yeast is already used extensively as a probiotic, and can also be used as a prebiotic to stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract,” said Raghavendra Amachawadi, an assistant professor of food animal therapeutics at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

He added that components of yeast may also bind pathogenic bacteria in order to remove them from the gut. In this case, providing the nursing sows with yeast may have benefited the offspring by improving the health of the sow, influencing milk production and leading to healthier piglets.

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