Effect of functional oils or probiotics on performance and microbiota profile of newly weaned piglets

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate a commercial blend of functional oils based on liquid from the cashew nutshell and castor oil as a growth promoter in newly weaned piglets. A total of 225 piglets, castrated males and females with 28 days of age were randomly distributed in pens with 15 animals composing three treatments and five repetitions. The treatments were: control (without the inclusion of additives), probiotics, or functional oils. The performance was evaluated. At 50 days of age, a pool of fresh feces from 3 animals/repetition was collected to perform the sequencing of microbiota using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Supplementation with functional oils improved the piglets' daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05) in the first weeks of the experiment, which resulted in higher final live weight (P < 0.05) in the phase when compared to the control treatment (24.34 kg and 21.55 kg, respectively). The animals that received probiotics showed an intermediate performance (23.66 kg final live weight) at the end of the 38 experimental days. Both additives were effective in increasing groups essential for intestinal health, such as Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae. The functional oils were more effective in reducing pathogenic bacteria, such as Campylobacter and Escherichia coli. In conclusion, the use of functional oils optimized performance and effectively modulated the microbiota of newly weaned piglets.

Diets Partially Replaced With Cassava Residue Modulate Antioxidant Capacity, Lipid Metabolism, and Gut Barrier Function of Huanjiang Mini-Pigs

“…Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria , and Actinobacteria were the most abundant phyla in the ileum and colon of piglets at the phylum level, as these phyla are the predominant in the swine gastrointestinal tract ( 27 , 28 ). Meanwhile, Firmicutes abundance was increased and Bacteroidetes was decreased in the ileum and colon of piglets after the FCR supplementation in piglet's diet.…”

Impact of Intestinal Microbiota on Growth Performance of Suckling and Weaned Piglets

“…We recorded that Bacteroides , E. coli , and Lactobacillus predominated the gut microbiota during the first week after birth, in accordance with the study by Luo et al ( 26 ). The nutrient up-take capabilities of Bacteroides and Lactobacillus from milk oligosaccharides and host-derived glycans make them the predominant genera in preweaning piglets’ gut ( 5 , 26 , 27 ). Lactobacillus plays an important role in maintaining animal health during early life ( 27 , 28 ) and gradually decreases its abundance approaching the weaning period ( 15 , 27 ).…”

“…The nutrient up-take capabilities of Bacteroides and Lactobacillus from milk oligosaccharides and host-derived glycans make them the predominant genera in preweaning piglets’ gut ( 5 , 26 , 27 ). Lactobacillus plays an important role in maintaining animal health during early life ( 27 , 28 ) and gradually decreases its abundance approaching the weaning period ( 15 , 27 ). Facultative anaerobes such as lactobacilli and E. coli colonize the gut right after birth.…”

Comparison of functional-oil blend and anticoccidial antibiotics effects on performance and microbiota of broiler chickens challenged by coccidiosis

“…The mechanisms of action of CNSL–castor oil have not been fully elucidated. However, in the face of the challenge caused by coccidiosis, CNSL–Castor oil acts as an immunomodulator [ 27 ] and modulator of the intestinal microbiota [ 28 ]. CNSL–Castor oil helps maintain the animal’s immune systems, eliminate parasites, maintain intestinal balance, and improve animal performance [ 8 , 28 , 29 ].…”

“…This fact was also observed in this study, as there was a reduction in Proteobacteria at 28 d—that is, 14 d after the challenge—compared with that in the control treatment. Previous studies have demonstrated that CNSL–castor oil reduces the abundance of Proteobacteria at times of stress in different animals, whether under coccidiosis in chickens [ 9 ] or at weaning in pigs [ 28 ]. Conversely, [ 42 ] it has been observed that monensin supplementation produced a greater relative abundance of gram-negative bacteria of the phylum Proteobacteria and class Clostridia.…”