Energy content and nutrient digestibility of diets containing Lactobacillus-fermented barley or wheat fed to weaned pigs

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the energy content and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients of diets containing Lactobacillus-fermented barley or wheat fed to weaned pigs. Thirty-six weaned pigs (8.14 ± 0.65 kg of body weight) were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 diets in a completely randomized design to give 6 replicates per diet. Pigs were individually housed in metabolism crates to determine digestible energy and metabolizable energy contents. Net energy was also calculated from the average of 2 equations published by Noblet et al. (1994). Diets were fed at 2.5 times the maintenance energy requirement for 10 d of adaptation and 5 d of total but separate urine and fecal collection. Samples of barley or wheat were fermented for 90 d under anaerobic conditions with an inoculum of either homofermentative Lactobacillus plantarum (Homo) or heterofermentative L. buchneri (Hetero). Three diets were formulated based on either barley or wheat to consist of a control diet containing 42% unfermented grain and 2 diets containing either Homo-fermented or Hetero-fermented grain. Preplanned contrasts were used to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of fermented barley or wheat and to compare the effects of Homo-fermented with Hetero-fermented grains. Fermented wheat inclusion in a diet increased ATTD of gross energy and phosphorus, and retention of gross energy by 1.9%, 6.8%, and 6.3%, respectively. Also, fermented wheat diets had greater (P < 0.05) metabolizable energy content and tended to have greater (P ≤ 0.10) net energy content than unfermented wheat diets. However, inclusion of fermented barley did not increase nutrient and energy digestibility. Hetero-fermented diets contained greater (P < 0.05) digestible energy and net energy content (DM basis) than Homo-fermented diets. Pigs fed barley-based diets showed less (P < 0.05) ATTD of DM, nitrogen, and gross energy than those fed wheat-based diets. In conclusion, wheat fermented with Lactobacillus-inoculum can be beneficially substituted for unfermented wheat, improving the ATTD of nutrient and energy, nitrogen retention, and energy content. Also, Hetero-inoculum is preferable to Homo-inoculum for grain fermentation considering greater energy content in weaned pigs.

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on the intestinal morphology, intestinal barrier function and microbiota composition of suckling piglets

“…Researches have shown that oral administration of L. plantarum can improve the immune responses and enhance the intestinal barrier function of weaning piglets (Wang, Ji, et al, ; Yang, Jiang, Zheng, Wang, & Yang, ). Diet with L. plantarum ‐fermented wheat also can improve the apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients and energy, nitrogen retention, and energy content of weaned piglets (Koo, Bustamante‐García, & Nyachoti, ). In vitro, L. plantarum is reported to protect the epithelial barrier disruption caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in intestinal porcine epithelial cells (Wang, Zeng, et al, ; Wu et al, ).…”

Enhancing nutrient digestibility and antioxidant efficacy in piglets: The impact of fermented rapeseed meal supplementation on biochemical parameters and oxidative stress markers

“…However, in our study, despite enhanced protein digestibility, TP in the piglets' blood serum decreased at lower FRSM inclusions (8 and 12%) and increased gradually with higher doses, but still remained lower than in the control group. The reduced stomach pH, possibly due to the presence of Lactobacillus, might stimulate protein hydrolysis, contributing to increased CP digestibility in animals fed a diet with fermented components (Koo et al, 2018). Lactobacillus, being a valuable source of peptides and phenols, may increase peptide content and facilitate the breakdown of glucosinolates during FRSM fermentation.…”

“…One approach to increasing the nutritional potential of rapeseed meal is subjecting it to fermentation (Koo et al, 2018). Fermentation not only enhances the bioavailability of nutrients in rapeseed meal but also stimulates the breakdown of cell wall structures, releasing and/or inducing the synthesis of various bioactive compounds, particularly antioxidants (Đorđević et al, 2010).…”