Administration of loperamide and addition of wheat bran to the diets of weaner pigs decrease the incidence of diarrhoea and enhance their gut maturation.
The influence of fibre inclusion and transit time regulation on the performance, health status, microbial activity and population, physico-chemical characteristics of the hindgut digesta and intestinal morphology in early weaned pigs were examined. For these experiments, wheat bran (WB) was used as fibre source and loperamide as a drug (LOP) to increase the digesta transit time. In Expt 1, a total of 128 early weaned pigs were randomly distributed in a 2 x 2 factorial combination of WB inclusion (0 v. 40 g/kg) and LOP administration (0 v. 0.07 mg/kg body weight) during 13 d. For Expt 2, a total of twenty-four piglets were allotted to three dietary treatments for 15 d with the same basal diet (control diet) as Expt 1; a diet with 80 g/kg of WB and the combination of WB and LOP. In Expt 1, LOP improved the average daily feed intake and average daily gain of the animals (P = 0.001 and 0.007, respectively). The same result was obtained when WB was combined with LOP. The WB-LOP group also showed a higher concentration of SCFA (P = 0.013), acetic acid (P = 0.004) and propionic acid (P = 0.093). On the other hand, WB inclusion reduced the organic matter and crude protein digestibility (P = 0.001) and tended to decrease the enterobacteria population (P = 0.089). In Expt 2, WB increased the butyric acid concentration (P = 0.086). We concluded that the inclusion of WB to modify the intestinal microbiota activity combined with LOP may be beneficial to animal health and performance.
Molist Gasa
Francesc
F
Grup de Nutrició, Maneig i Benestar Animal, Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Barcelona, Spain.
Ywazaki
Mauro
M
Gómez de Segura Ugalde
Arantza
A
Hermes
Rafael Gustavo
RG
Gasa Gasó
Josep
J
Pérez Hernández
José Francisco
JF
D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000930:Antidiarrheals / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020148:Butyric Acid / Q000032:analysis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D004032:Diet; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004063:Digestion; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000254:growth & development; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D005285:Fermentation; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit; D007422:Intestines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology; D008139:Loperamide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011422:Propionates / Q000032:analysis; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014886:Weaning; D015430:Weight Gain
D000930:Antidiarrheals; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D011422:Propionates; D020148:Butyric Acid; D008139:Loperamide; C029658:propionic acid; D019342:Acetic Acid