title: Effects of Lactobacillus casei and Enterococcus faecalis on growth performance, immune function and gut microbiota of suckling piglets.
abstract: This study was carried out to investigate the effects of orally administrated Lactobacillus casei and Enterococcus faecalis on performance, immune function and gut microbiota of suckling piglets. Neonatal piglets (n = 120) were randomly assigned to 4 groups, with 30 suckling piglets in each group. The piglets were from 15 litters, one male and one female piglet were selected for each group in each litter. The Control group was administrated with normal saline, the other groups with L. casei or E. faecalis or a combination of L. casei and E. faecalis at a ratio of 3:1. Each piglet was orally administrated with 1, 2, 3 and 4 ml probiotics or normal saline at the age of 1, 7, 14 and 21 d, respectively. The piglets were weaned at the age of 21 d. The results showed that compared with the Control group, the average daily gain of piglets administrated with probiotics was significantly increased, and the diarrhoea rate and mortality were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). After supplementation of the combined probiotics, the protease activity in stomach, duodenum and colon was increased and in all supplemented groups, the immunoglobulin A concentration in plasma was significantly higher (p < 0.05). The combined probiotics significantly increased villus length and the expression level of transforming growth factor-β in the jejunum (p < 0.05) but decreased the expression level of the jejunal tumour necrosis factor-α (p < 0.05). In addition, probiotics could regulate gut microbiota and increase microbial similarity coefficients for keeping piglet gut microbiota stable.
authors.affiliation: a College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine , Henan Agricultural University , Zhengzhou , China.
authors.forename: Chaoqi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: a College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine , Henan Agricultural University , Zhengzhou , China.|c Henan Delin Biological Product Co. Ltd ., Xinxiang , China.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: a College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine , Henan Agricultural University , Zhengzhou , China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: a College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine , Henan Agricultural University , Zhengzhou , China.
authors.forename: Qingqiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: b College of Life Sciences , Henan Agricultural University , Zhengzhou , China.
authors.forename: Andong
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: a College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine , Henan Agricultural University , Zhengzhou , China.
authors.forename: Zhentian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: c Henan Delin Biological Product Co. Ltd ., Xinxiang , China.
authors.forename: Erzhu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: d Henan Engineering and Technology Research Center of Feed Microbes , Zhoukou , China.
authors.forename: Fushan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D007780:Lacticaseibacillus casei / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D019936:Probiotics; D011897:Random Allocation; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Enterococcus faecalis; Lactobacillus casei; gut microbiota; immunity; performance; piglets; probiotics; sucklings