Original scientific paper
COMBINED EFFECT OF BUTYRATE AND YUCCA SCHIDIGERA EXTRACT ON THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT OF PIGS AROUND WEANING
Jose Luis Valverde Piedra
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
S. E. Szymanczyk
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
M. Kapica
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
I. Puzio
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
M. Pawlowska
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
P. Michalowski
; Mifarmex Sp. z o.o., Nieporet, Poland
Abstract
After the banning of antibiotics as growth promoters, animal production in the EU faced the problem of increased post-weaning disorders, and several solutions were proposed (acidifiers, probiotics, herb extracts, enzyme cocktails, etc.). Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the main end product of bacterial fermentation in the hind gut in monogastric animals and can be used as energy supply for the epithelial cells of gut mucosa. Thus the aim of the study was to test the usefulness of novel microencapsulated sodium butyrate and Yucca Schidigera extract (encourages friendly bacteria growth, reduces ammonia) preparation on pig performance and small intestine development in the critical weaning period. Microencapsulation helps to avoid stomach degradation and provides better distribution of the compounds along the small intestine. Suckling piglets, 14-day old, were divided into 2 groups, control and with butyrate addition. Control pigs received a standard feed supplemented with a microencapsulated acidifier (0.3%). Butyrate pigs received the same feed and acidifier, as controls, supplemented with butyrate/yucca preparation (0.3%). At days 28 (weaning), 35 and 56 of life, 6 pigs from each group were killed and the gastrointestinal tract was harvested and measured. The initial body weight (14 d) of pigs from the control group was higher than that of the experimental, but at day 56 it did not differ significantly (P=0.48). The relative stomach and pancreas weights in the experimental group showed a tendency toward higher values in all time points, and the small intestine relative weight in day 35 was higher as compared to the controls. The growth rate of the pigs at day 35 decreased significantly in the control (P=0.007), but did not in the experimental (P=0.058) group compared to day 31. Measurements of the small intestine sections revealed increased mucosa thickness in butyrate treated pigs. This was due to both villi and crypt enlargement. In conclusion, our results demonstrated the effectiveness sodium butyrate and Yucca Shidigera extract in the prevention of weaning problems in pigs, however further research on the novel preparation is needed.
Keywords
feed additives; short chain fatty acids; small intestine development; pig
Hrčak ID:
39708
URI
Publication date:
6.5.2009.
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