This study was conducted to evaluate effects of dietary multi-carbohydrases (MCS) in a lactating sow diet on productive performance and immune responses of sows and their piglets. A total of 12 sows (218.37 ± 5.5 kg BW; 2 parity) were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments: a diet based on corn-soybean meal (CON) and CON with 0.01% MCS. The MCS contained xylanase (2,700 units/g), β-glucanase (700 units/g), and cellulase (800 units/g). Sows were fed the dietary treatments for 28 days (weaning) after farrowing. Blood samples were collected from sows on d 0, 3, and 7 after farrowing and randomly selected 2 nursing piglets in each sow on d 3, 7, and 14 after birth. Measurements were productive performance of sows, frequency of diarrhea of piglets, and immune responses of sows and their piglets. Sows fed MCS had lower (p < 0.05) their body weight change than those fed CON. Piglets from sows fed MCS had higher (p < 0.05) average weight gain and body weight at weaning day and lower (p < 0.10) frequency of diarrhea than those from sows fed CON. Sows fed MCS had lower number of white blood cells (WBC) on d 3 (p < 0.05) and TGF-β1 on d 7 (p < 0.10) during lactation than those fed CON. Similarly, piglets from sows fed MCS had also lower (p < 0.05) number of WBC on d 3 and d 7 and TGF-β1 and C-reactive protein on d 7 during lactation than those from sows fed CON. In addition, piglets from sows fed MCS had higher (p < 0.10) immunoglobulin G and M on d 7 during lactation those from sows fed CON. In conclusion, addition of dietary MCS in the lactating sow diet based on corn and soybean meal improved productive performance of sows and their litters and modulated their immune responses.

This research was performed to investigate the hypothesis that dietary mono-component protease (PRO) might improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. A total of eighty-four pigs [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire), 25.3 ± 2.16 kg initial body weight] were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments (7 replicates/treatment; 2 barrows and 2 gilts/replicate) in a randomized complete block design (block = sex). The dietary treatments were prepared as follows; (1) a positive control (PC) as a typical growing-finishing diet based on corn and soybean meal, (2) PC added with 0.015% of PRO (PCPRO), and (3) a negative control (NC) added with 0.015% of PRO (NCPRO). The NC had a lower concentration of crude protein (CP) compared with PC. The PRO was a commercial product that contained 75,000 protease units/g and derived from Nocardiopsis prasina produced in Bacillus licheniformis. Dietary treatments were offered to pigs during growing and finishing periods. Measurements were growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, and carcass characteristics. The PCPRO and/or NCPRO increased average daily gain (ADG) and gain to feed ratio (G:F) during growing (p < 0.10), finishing (p < 0.05), and growing-finishing periods (p < 0.10) compared with PC. Furthermore, pigs fed PCPRO and NCPRO had higher (p < 0.05) ATTD of CP and energy during growing and/or finishing periods than those fed PC. In conclusion, the supplementation of PRO in diets improved growth performance and protein digestibility of growing-finishing pigs.

A study determined the effects of supplementing corn-based diets for weaned pigs with multi-enzymes on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, fecal score and fecal microbial composition. A total of 132 pigs (initial body weight = 7.23 kg) that had been weaned at 21 d of age and fed a drug-free nursery diet for 7 d were housed in 33 pens of 4 barrows or gilts, blocked by body weight and gender, and fed 3 experimental diets at 11 pens per diet. The diets were corn-based diet without or with multi-enzyme A or B. Multi-enzyme A supplied 4,000 U of xylanase, 150 U of β-glucanase, 3,500 U of protease, and 1,500 U of amylase per kilogram of diet. Multi-enzyme B was the same as multi-enzyme A except that it supplied amylase at 150 U/kg, and that its source of amylase was different from that of multi-enzyme A. All diets contained phytase at 1,000 U/kg. The diets were fed for 35 d in 2 phases; Phase 1 for the first 14 d and Phase 2 for the last 21 d of the trial. Fecal score was determined daily during the first 7 d of the trial. Fecal samples were collected from rectum of 1 pig per pen on d 2, 7, 14 and 35 of the trial for determining bacterial composition. Also, fresh fecal samples were collected from each pen on d 41 and 42 to determine ATTD of nutrients. Multi-enzyme B increased (P & 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) for Phases 1 and 2. For the overall study period, multi-enzyme B increased (P & 0.05) ADG from 262 to 313 g, and average daily feed intake (ADFI) from 419 to 504 g. Multi-enzyme A increased (P & 0.05) overall ADG from 262 to 290 g, but did not affect ADFI. Multi-enzyme A or B did not affect ATTD of gross energy, but increased (P & 0.05) the ATTD of ether extract from 30 to 36 or 37 %, respectively. Multi-enzyme A did not affect fecal score; however, multi-enzyme B tended to decrease (P = 0.09) fecal score, implying that it tended to decrease diarrhea. Firmicutes were the most abundant phylum of fecal bacteria (its relative abundance ranged from 58 to 72%). Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were the second and third most abundant phyla of fecal bacteria. Neither multi-enzyme affected fecal bacterial composition. In conclusion, the addition of multi-enzyme A or B to phytase-supplemented corn-based diet for weaned pigs can improve their growth performance and fat digestibility. However, multi-enzyme B was more effective than multi-enzyme A in terms of improving the growth performance of weaned pigs fed corn-based diet.

The study was conducted to investigate effects of dietary inactivated probiotics on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and immune responses of weaned pigs. A total of 96 weaned pigs (initial BW = 6.95 ± 0.25 kg) were randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatments with increasing levels of inactive probiotics (4 pigs/replicate; 6 replicates/treatment; 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4%; CON, T1, T2, and T3) in a randomized complete block design (BW and sex as blocks). The inactivated probiotics used in this experiment was a commercial product (CJ CheilJedang Biotechnology Research Institute, Seoul, Korea) containing 1 x 106 CFU/g on stains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Pigs were fed respective dietary treatments for 4 weeks. During the last week of the experimental period, pigs were fed their respective dietary treatments containing 0.2% chromic oxide. Fecal samples were collected by rectal palpation daily for the last 3 days after the 4-day adjustment period during the last week of experiment. Blood was collected from randomly selected one pig each pen on d 1, 3, 7, and 14 after weaning. Measurements were growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), TNF-α, TGF-β, CRP, and cortisol by ELISA. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. The inactivated probiotics increased ADG (471, 501, and 513 vs. 428 g/d; P &lt; 0.05) and G:F (0.65, 0.69, and 0.71 vs. 0.58 g/g; P &lt; 0.05) during overall experimental period compared with CON. The inactivated probiotics increased ATTD of GE (86.87, 87.29, and 88.53 vs. 85.25%; P &lt; 0.05) compared with CON. The inactivated probiotics decreased TNF-α (600, 542, and 523 vs. 849 pg/ml; P &lt; 0.05) and cortisol (5.58, 5.56, and 5.44 vs. 7.25 ng/ml; P &lt; 0.05) on d 7 compared with CON. In conclusion, addition of inactivated probiotics improved growth performance, and nutrient digestibility, and modified immune responses.