title: Effect of combinations of organic acids in weaned pig diets on microbial species of digestive tract contents and their response on digestibility.
abstract: The effect of combinations of organic acids on digestive microbial population and total tract digestibility of piglets was studied. Thirty 19-21 days weaned pigs (5.4 +/- 0.23 kg, six pigs per treatment) were given a mixed feed with 10 ml water/kg (CTL) or 200 mEq/kg of formic acid (FOR), 1:1 formic:fumaric (FOFU), 1:1 formic:lactic (FOLA) or 2:1 formic:lactic (2FOLA). After 6-8 days, animals were slaughtered. In gastric contents, pH was higher (p = 0.01) with FOFU and lactobacilli tended (p = 0.08) to be lower with FOFU than CTL and FOLA, but coliform counts did not differ (p = 0.14). Acetate proportion was lower (p = 0.03), and propionate (p = 0.05) and butyrate (p = 0.01) higher, with FOFU than CTL, FOLA and 2FOLA. Intestinal coliform counts were higher (p = 0.03) with CTL than FOLA and 2FOLA, but there were no differences on lactobacilli. In intestinal contents, acetate tended (p = 0.06) to be lower with FOR than FOLA and 2FOLA, and butyrate was higher (p = 0.001) with FOR. Although not significantly, dry matter digestibility was 0.03-0.05 lower with CTL than with the other treatments. Combinations of organic acids in piglet diets modify gastric and intestinal microflora, the mixtures of formic:lactic appearing as the most interesting.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Universidad de Zaragoza, Miguel Servet, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fondevila
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Lobera
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castrillo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004063:Digestion / Q000187:drug effects*; D004064:Digestive System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000254:growth & development; D005561:Formates / Q000494:pharmacology; D005650:Fumarates / Q000494:pharmacology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000254:growth & development; D011897:Random Allocation; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D005561:Formates; D005650:Fumarates; C030544:formic acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; C032005:fumaric acid