title: Feeding a diet with decreased protein content reduces indices of protein fermentation and the incidence of postweaning diarrhea in weaned pigs challenged with an enterotoxigenic strain of Escherichia coli.
abstract: This study evaluated the effect of feeding low protein (LP) diets for 7 or 14 d after weaning or a high protein (HP) diet for 14 d after weaning on postweaning diarrhea (PWD), indices of protein fermentation, and production in pigs infected or not infected per os with an enterotoxigenic strain of Escherichia coli. A total of 72 female pigs weaned at aged 21 d with initial BW of 5.9 +/- 0.12 kg were used in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. The factors were 3 feeding regimens associated with different combinations of feeding duration and diet CP level: (i) HP diet (256 g of CP/kg) fed for 14 d after weaning, (ii) LP diet (175 g of CP/kg) fed for 7 d after weaning, and (iii) LP diet fed for 14 d after weaning; and infection or noninfection with an enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli (10(7) cfu/mL, serotype O149:K91:K88) at 72, 96, and 120 h after weaning. The LP diets were fortified with crystalline Ile and Val to achieve an ideal AA pattern. A second-stage diet (213 g of CP/kg) was fed to pigs at the conclusion of each feeding regimen, and the study finished 4 wk after weaning. None of the diets contained antimicrobials. Feeding the LP diets decreased (P < 0.001) plasma urea nitrogen, fecal ammonia nitrogen concentrations, and the incidence of PWD, but increased (P = 0.001) fecal DM content compared with pigs fed HP in the 2-wk period after weaning. Infection increased shedding of beta-hemolytic E. coli (P < 0.001), the incidence of PWD (P < 0.001), and fecal ammonia nitrogen concentrations (P < 0.01), but did not interact with feeding regimen, after weaning. Pigs challenged with E. coli grew more slowly (P < 0.001) and had decreased G:F (P < 0.01) compared with nonchallenged pigs in the 4-wk period after weaning. Feeding an LP diet for 7 or 14 d after weaning markedly reduced the incidence of PWD after infection with beta-hemolytic E. coli. Infection was associated with decreased indices of protein fermentation in the distal gastrointestinal tract but did not compromise the growth of weaner pigs in the 4-wk period after weaning.
authors.affiliation: Animal Research Institute, School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Mullan
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hampson
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pluske
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted / Q000662:veterinary*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D054307:Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D015994:Incidence; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D000641:Ammonia