The objective of this experiment was to determine the impact of diets containing increasing amounts of enzymatically-treated soybean meal (ESBM) but decreasing amounts of soybean meal (SBM) on growth performance, intestinal structure and barrier integrity, inflammation, and oxidative status in weaned pigs. A total of 480 pigs [6.3 ± 1.2 kg body weight (BW)] were blocked by initial BW and pens (n = 12 per treatment) were randomly allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments. Diets were fed in 3 phases (d 0-14, 14-28, and 28-35) over a 35-d period. The 4 dietary treatments consisted of a negative control diet (NC), the NC with 7.0% ESBM (ESBM1), the NC with 14.0% ESBM (ESBM2), and the NC with 21.0% ESBM (ESBM3). Soybean meal was reduced proportionately in each treatment. In phase 2, ESBM inclusion was decreased by 50% (3.5%, 7.0%, and 10.5% ESBM, respectively); phase 3 was a common diet and contained no ESBM. Fecal score was visually ranked weekly using a 4-point scale. Intestinal tissue, digesta and blood samples were collected from 48 pigs (1 per pen) on d 10. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS (9.4) with pen as the experimental unit; diet and block were considered fixed effects. Linear and quadratic contrasts were used to determine the effect of increasing ESBM. Overall, ESBM2 and ESBM3 decreased final BW, ADG, and ADFI compared to NC and ESBM1 (diet, P & 0.05; linear, P & 0.05). Overall fecal score (diet, P & 0.05) and fecal DM (P & 0.05) were improved by feeding ESBM diets compared to NC. Volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration of acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total VFA in ileal contents increased as ESBM inclusion increased (P & 0.05). Colonic VFA concentration was not impacted (P > 0.10). Total antioxidant capacity was increased by ESBM (P & 0.05). The concentration of mucosal interleukin-4 increased as the inclusion of ESBM increased (linear, P & 0.05). Messenger ribonucleic acid abundance of occludin and zonula-occludens-1 in ileal tissue was increased by ESBM1 or ESBM2 (P & 0.05). In conclusion, increasing the dietary levels of ESBM over 7% had a negative impact on nursery pig performance, but ESBM positively impacted fecal score. Feeding ESBM improved oxidative status and intestinal barrier integrity while increasing ileal VFA production but had minimal impact on intestinal inflammation or morphology. Further research is needed to determine the optimal inclusion level of ESBM.

The objective of this experiment was to compare the effects of spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP) and dried egg protein (DEP), without (AB−) or with (AB+) in-feed antibiotics, on growth performance and markers of intestinal health in nursery pigs raised in commercial conditions. This 42-d experiment utilized 1,230 pigs (4.93 ± 0.04 kg body weight; approximately 15–18 d of age). Pigs were randomly assigned to one of six dietary treatments that were arranged as a 2 × 3 factorial of in-feed antibiotics (AB− vs. AB+) and a specialty protein additive (none [CON], porcine SDPP, or DEP). Diets were fed in four phases with phases 3 and 4 as a common diet across all treatments. Specialty protein additives were fed in phases 1 (0–13 d; 3% SDPP, and 0.20% DEP) and 2 (13–26 d; 2% SDPP, and 0.10% DEP). Antibiotics were fed in phases 1–3 (662 mg chlortetracycline [CTC]/kg, 28 mg carbadox/kg, and 441 mg CTC/kg, respectively). Ileal tissue and blood samples were collected from 48 pigs (8 per treatment) on d 20. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS (9.4) with pen as the experimental unit; protein additives, antibiotics, and their interaction were fixed effects and block was a random effect. The pigs experienced naturally occurring health challenges in weeks 2 and 4. In the AB− diets, SDPP and DEP increased average daily gain (ADG; P = 0.036) and average daily feed intake (ADFI; P = 0.040) compared to CON; in the AB+ diets, neither SDPP nor DEP increased ADG or ADFI compared to CON but SDPP did increase these parameters over DEP. The SDPP and DEP diets decreased the number of individual medical treatments compared to CON (P = 0.001). The AB+ increased ileal mucosal interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist (P = 0.017). Feeding DEP reduced the concentration of mucosal IL-1β compared to CON, but not SDPP (P = 0.022). There was a trend for SDPP and DEP to increase villus height:crypt depth compared to CON (P = 0.066). Neither antibiotics or protein additive affected serum malondialdehyde concentration or ileal mRNA abundance of claudin-3 or 4, occludin, or zonula occludens-1 (P > 0.10). In conclusion, SDPP and DEP improved growth performance of weaned pigs in the absence of antibiotics but neither improved growth compared to CON when feeding standard antibiotic levels. The specialty proteins had a positive effect on health; specialty proteins and antibiotics were able to modulate some markers of intestinal inflammation and morphology.

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of dietary functional proteins with or without antibiotics on the growth and health of nursery pigs. A total of 1,230 pigs weaned at 15–18 days (4.93 ± 0.02 kg BW; PIC 359 X 1050, Hendersonville, TN) were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments (10 pens/treatment) for a 42-d experiment. Treatments were arranged as a 2 X 3 factorial of in-feed antibiotics (no vs yes) and functional feed additive proteins [none (CON), spray-dried plasma proteins (SDPP; AP 920, APC Inc., Ankeny, IA), or dried egg protein with IgY (DEP; Globimax JS, EW Nutrition, Des Moines, IA)]. Diets were fed in 4 phases with phase 3–4 common across treatments. Proteins were fed in phases 1 (d 0–13; 3% SDPP or 0.2% DEP) and 2 (d 13–26; 2% SDPP or 0.1% DEP). Antibiotics were fed in phase 1–3 (662 mg chlortetracycline/kg, 28 mg carbadox/kg, 441 mg chlortetracycline/kg, respectively). Growth performance data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS (9.4). Pen was the experimental unit; proteins and antibiotics and their interaction were considered fixed effects. In the absence of antibiotics, compared with CON, SDPP and DEP increased ADG (CON: 0.237 kg, SDPP: 0.254 kg, DEP: 0.257 kg/d; P = 0.036) and ADFI (CON: 0.360, SDPP: 0.378, DEP: 0.383 kg/d; P = 0.040). In the presence of antibiotics, SDPP increased ADG compared with DEP, but not CON, (CON: 0.258, SDPP: 0.268, DEP: 0.251 kg/d; P = 0.036) and ADFI (CON: 0.385, SDPP: 0.398, DEP: 0.381 kg/d; P = 0.040). Diet had no effect on feed efficiency (P > 0.10). SDPP and DEP decreased the number of medical treatments administered (P = 0.001). In conclusion, the functional proteins increased growth performance in the absence of antibiotics, but not when antibiotics were used. However, the functional proteins were effective in decreasing medical treatments regardless of antibiotic use.

Mycotoxins may not be an issue every year, but the proper environmental conditions can cause a spike in contaminated grains and cause severe economic impact on pork producers. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of naturally occurring infections of deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and fumonisins (DZF) on growth performance and carcass parameters in grow/finish pigs. One hundred pigs (BW 34.0 ± 0.9 kg; L337 × Camborough, PIC, Hendersonville, TN) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 dietary treatments with 10 split-sex pens/treatment. The control diet (CTL) contained low levels of DZF and the CTL+DFZ diet contained high levels of DZF. Diets were fed in 4 phases over the 126-d experiment period. The CTL diet contained 1.6, 1.6, 1.8 and 1.2 mg deoxynivalenol/kg and CTL+DZF contained 9.2, 6.9, 5.8 and 3.8 mg deoxynivalenol/kg in the 4 diet phases, respectively. The CTL contained 0.30, 0.32, 0.51 and 0.32 mg zearalenone/kg and 0.7, 0.8, 0.8 and 0.9 mg total fumonisins/kg; CTL+DFZ contained 0.59, 0.72, 0.86 and 0.57 mg zearalenone/kg and 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 and 0.9 mg total fumonisins/kg for phases one through four, respectively. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS (9.4) with treatment, sex, and their interaction as fixed effects. Compared to CTL, feeding CTL+DFZ decreased final BW (130.3 vs 120.5 kg; P< 0.001), ADG (0.95 vs 0.79 kg/d; P< 0.001), ADFI (2.73 vs 2.49 kg/d; P=0.016), and G:F (0.35 vs 0.32; P=0.043). Feeding CTL+DFZ decreased HCW (92.3 vs 89.4 kg; P=0.024) and increased dressing percentage (70.9 vs 74.3%; P=0.009) and tended to reduce loin depth (7.0 vs 6.8 cm; P=0.057) compared to CTL. Diet did not affect backfat depth or lean percentage (P >0.10). In conclusion, diets naturally contaminated with multiple mycotoxins reduced growth performance and adversely affected carcass parameters; pigs did not adapt over time to the mycotoxins.

The objective of this experiment was to compare the effects of spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP) and dried egg protein (DEP), without (AB-) or with (AB+) in-feed antibiotics, on growth performance and markers of intestinal health in nursery pigs raised under commercial conditions. This 42-d experiment utilized 1,230 pigs [4.93 ± 0.04 kg body weight (BW); approximately 15-18 d of age]. Pens were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments that were arranged as a 2 × 3 factorial of in-feed antibiotics (AB-vs AB+) and a specialty protein additive [none (CON), porcine SDPP, or DEP]. Diets were fed in 4 phases with phases 3 and 4 as a common diet across all treatments. Specialty protein additives were fed in phases 1 (0-13 d; 3% SDPP and 0.20% DEP) and 2 (13-26 d; 2% SDPP and 0.10% DEP). Antibiotics were fed in phases 1-3 [662 mg chlortetracycline (CTC)/kg, 28 mg carbadox/kg, 441 mg CTC/kg, 38 respectively). Ileal tissue and blood samples were collected from 48 pigs (8 per treatment) on d 20. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS (9.4) with pen as the experimental unit; protein additives, antibiotics and their interaction were fixed effects and block was a random effect. The pigs experienced naturally occurring health challenges in weeks 2 and 4. In the ABdiets, SDPP and DEP increased average daily gain (ADG; P = 0.036) and average daily feed intake (ADFI; P = 0.040) compared to CON; in the AB+ diets, neither SDPP nor DEP increased ADG or ADFI compared to CON but SDPP did increase these parameters over DEP. The SDPP and DEP diets decreased the number of individual medical treatments compared to CON (P = 0.001). The AB+ increased ileal mucosal interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist (P = 0.017).Feeding DEP reduced the concentration of mucosal IL-1β compared to CON, but not SDPP (P = 0.022). There was a trend for SDPP and DEP to increase villus height:crypt depth compared to CON (P = 0.066). Neither antibiotics or protein additive affected serum malondialdehyde concentration or ileal mRNA abundance of claudin-3 or 4, occludin, or zonula occludens-1 (P > 0.10). In conclusion, SDPP and DEP improved growth performance of weaned pigs in the absence of antibiotics but neither improved growth compared to CON when feeding standard antibiotic levels. The specialty proteins had a positive effect on health; specialty proteins and antibiotics were able to modulate some markers of intestinal inflammation and morphology.