The aim of the present study was to investigate the precaecal and faecal digestibility of inulin (DP 10-12) and inulin/Enterococcus faecium mix, and the effects of these substances on nutrient digestibility and microbial gut flora. For the experiment four of eight male pigs were fitted with an end-to-end ileo-rectal anastomosis (IRA) with preserved ileo-caeco-colic valve. The residual pigs were used as intact partner (IN). The animals received 1.5 kg/day of a diet based on corn, wheat, barley and soybean meal, supplemented with either 8 x 10(9) CFU E. faecium/kg, 2% inulin or a mixture of both substances. The digestibility trial was carried out from weeks 4 to 8 after surgery. Precaecal digestibility of inulin was assessed to be 57%. The addition of E. faecium to the diet resulted in a similar precaecal digestibility of inulin of 55%. Supplementation of E. faecium, inulin, and a mixture of E. faecium and inulin did not affect precaecal and faecal nutrient digestibility with the exception of the precaecal digestibility of CF which increased when inulin alone was supplemented. Bacterial population in the digesta of IRA and IN pigs were not affected by the experimental diets except the concentration of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. The supplementation of E. faecium to the diet significantly decreased the concentration of bifidobacteria and the population of lactobacilli inclined to decrease when IN pigs received the probiotic diet. The combination of E. faecium and inulin prevented a reduction of enterococci in faeces of IN pigs. The daily digesta excretion (DM) tended to decrease in IRA and IN pigs when inulin was supplemented. The results indicate that inulin (DP 10-12) in pig nutrition did partly react as a prebiotic as has been confirmed for humans. A combination of E. faecium and inulin improves the survival of the probiotic strain through the upper intestinal tract and allocates the synbiotic effect. Furthermore inulin might be able to show positive effects on precaecal and faecal microbial characteristics.

This study was conducted to determine the pre-caecal and faecal digestibility of lactulose and inulin and the influence of these substances on nutrient digestibility and microbial characteristics. In metabolic trials three of six male growing pigs (German Landrace x Pietrain) were fitted with an ileo-rectal anastomosis (IRA) in end-to-end technique with preserved ileo-caeco-colic valve. The metabolic trials were conducted from day 21-63 after surgery. The remaining pigs were used as intact partners (IN) for the IRA pigs. The experimental diets, based on corn, wheat, barley and soybean meal, were supplemented with either 1.5% lactulose or 2% inulin in replacement of diatomaceous earth (control). Pre-caecal digestibility of lactulose and inulin was assessed to be 79 and 98%, respectively. faecal digestibility was determined as 100%. The supplementation of lactulose and inulin had only minor effects on the pre-caecal and faecal digestibility of nutrients. Significant differences in nutrient digestibility were obvious between IRA and IN pigs, whereas the IRA pigs showed lower digestibility values with the exception of ether extracts (EE). Bacterial population in the digesta of IRA and IN pigs were not affected by the experimental diets except the concentration of gram-negative anaerobes, which inclined when the IRA pigs received the lactulose diet. The pH of chyme was significantly lower than the pH of faeces, however the pH was unaffected by the different supplemented diets. The concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in pre-caecal chyme decreased significantly when IRA pigs received the lactulose supplemented diet whereas VFA in faeces were unaffected by the supplementation. IRA pigs administered with lactulose excreted more N via the urine, but the nitrogen balance remained unaffected. From the present investigation it can be concluded that lactulose and inulin did only partly or scarcely fulfill the expectation of acting as prebiotics in pigs.

This study was conducted with 16 male growing pigs (eight pigs with an end-to-end ileo-rectal anastomosis, eight intact pigs) to investigate in metabolic trials the influence of different pre-, pro-, and synbiotics on the precaecal and faecal digestibility of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and biotin. A basic experimental diet was supplemented with either pre-, pro-, or synbiotic additives as follows: lactulose (2%), inulin (2%), mannanoligosaccharides (0.3%), Enterococcus faecium DSM 10663 (8 x 10(9) cfu/kg), Enterococcusfaecium DSM 7134 (5 x 10(8) cfu/kg), inulin + Enterococcusfaecium DSM 10663, mannanoligosaccharides + Enterococcus faecium DSM 7134. The precaecal and faecal digestibilities of the investigated B-vitamins were not affected significantly by the administered pre-, pro-, and synbiotics independent of the application period. A higher faecal vitamin excretion vs. the precaecal indicated that thiamin and biotin were synthesized in the colon. On the contrary, for riboflavin and pantothenic acid a higher precaecal vitamin flow compared to the faecal excretion was detected indicating to a certain extent an absorption in the colon.