Effect of Bacillus subtilis C-3102 Spores as a Probiotic Feed Supplement on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Diarrhea Score, Intestinal Microbiota, and Excreta Odor Contents in Weanling Piglets

Abstract

It has been well-documented that the dietary supplementation of Bacillus subtilis could improve piglet performance. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Bacillus subtilis C-3102 spores as a probiotic feed supplement on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal score, intestinal microbiota, and excreta odor contents in weanling piglets. A total of 150 crossed ((Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc) weanling piglets (28-days-old), with an average initial body weight of 7.53 ± 1.23 kg, were divided into two treatment groups according to sex and initial body weight (BW) for a 6-week experiment. In each group, fifteen replicate pens consisting of five piglets per pen (three gilts and two barrows) were used in a randomized complete block design. Treatments consisted of (1) CON, a basal diet; (2) BSC, a diet of CON + 300 g Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) C-3102 spores per ton of feed. Supplementation with the B. subtilis C-3102 spores in the diet increased the BW, average daily gain (ADG), and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) throughout the whole trial (p < 0.05). Weanling piglets that were fed B. subtilis C-3102 spores had increased dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and energy (E) digestibility compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Lower diarrhea scores were observed in the B. subtilis C-3102 spores group on Day 7 (p < 0.05). Taken together, our results suggest that dietary supplementation with B. subtilis C-3102 spores could benefit the BW, ADG, and G:F of weanling piglets and improve the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of the DM, CP, and E.

Characterization of the Effects of a Novel Probiotic on Salmonella Colonization of a Piglet-Derived Intestinal Microbiota Using Improved Bioreactor

“…Energy and dry matter are also parameters that may vary depending on the study. Here, again, results differ between already-published studies [ 65 , 66 ]. The results from our study suggest that little to no increase in digestibility was achieved from the probiotic action.…”

Microbial agent spraying in pig housing and slurry can potentially reduce harmful gas emissions – a preliminary study

“…The latter authors also commended the microbial agent for reducing pH, NH 3 concentration, and urease activity, which are part of emission factors. Kim et al (2005) A recent publication by Hu and Kim (2022) found that dietary B. subtilis supplementation in weaning piglets had a significant effect on R-SH emissions, but not on NH 3 and H 2 S levels. In contrast, our results in Exp.…”

Effect of the Probiotic Bacillus subtilis DE-CA9TM on Fecal Scores, Serum Oxidative Stress Markers and Fecal and Serum Metabolome in Healthy Dogs

“…The use of probiotic supplementation strategies in dogs is ever-increasing, with the most common being Lactobacillus , Bifidobacterium and Enterococcus strains. However, there is increasing interest in the use of Bacillus species as probiotics since their spore-forming ability favors their survival in the acidic gastric environment over other probiotic species [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. The subsequent germination of B. subtilis to their vegetative form allows for the growth of the probiotic bacteria in the small intestine and is believed to increase their beneficial effect on the host [ 2 , 6 ].…”

“…Other B. subtilis strains have also previously been shown to have beneficial effects on digestive health and the immune system in humans and production animals [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ], however, no studies have so far investigated its effects on the microbiome or metabolome in healthy dogs. This is critically needed to prove the safety of a probiotic strain in a novel species before further clinical testing in animals with gastrointestinal distress is performed.…”