Soy protein concentrate replacing animal protein supplements and its impacts on intestinal immune status, intestinal oxidative stress status, nutrient digestibility, mucosa-associated microbiota, and growth performance of nursery pigs

Abstract

This study was to evaluate effects of soy protein concentrate (SPC) supplementation replacing animal protein supplements on intestinal immune status, intestinal oxidative stress status, nutrient digestibility, mucosa-associated microbiota, and growth performance of nursery pigs. Thirty-two newly weaned pigs at 21 d of age with 6.4 ± 0.4 kg body weight (BW) were allotted to 4 treatments in a randomized complete block design with initial BW and sex as blocks. Pigs were fed for 35 d in 3 phases. Dietary treatments were SPC 0% (diets with fish meal 4/2/1%, poultry meal 10/8/4%, blood plasma 4/2/1%, and crude protein 24.6/22.6/20.9% for phase 1/2/3, respectively), SPC 33%, SPC 66%, and SPC 100% (SPC 0% diets with SPC replacing 33/66/100% of animal protein supplements, respectively). Pigs were euthanized on d 35 to collect jejunal mucosa and tissues to evaluate intestinal immune status, intestinal oxidative stress status, intestinal morphology, and mucosa-associated microbiota in the jejunum. Titanium dioxide was added in phase 3 diets as an indigestible marker. Ileal digesta was collected to measure apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of nutrients. Data were analyzed using MIXED and NLMIXED procedure of SAS. Increasing SPC supplementation replacing animal protein supplements linearly decreased (P < 0.05) the BW, ADG, and ADFI of pigs during the overall period, and linearly increased (P < 0.05) peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) in jejunum. Increasing SPC supplementation linearly decreased (P < 0.05) feed cost per weight gain. In exponential model, SPC can replace animal protein supplements up to 10.5% and 16.5% without reducing the ADG and ADFI of pigs, respectively. The SPC 100% decreased (P < 0.05) Helicobacteraceae, Campylobacteraceae, alpha diversity, and changed beta diversity of microbiota in the jejunal mucosa. In conclusion, SPC supplementation replacing animal protein supplements reduced growth performance by reducing feed intake, which might be related to increased PYY. However, 10.5 and 16.8% animal protein supplements can be replaced by SPC without affecting BW gain and feed intake of nursery pigs, respectively. Complete removal of animal protein supplements by SPC supplementation modulated the composition of jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota by reducing Helicobacteraceae and Campylobacteraceae, whereas without affecting the intestinal immune status, intestinal oxidative stress status, intestinal morphology, and AID of nutrients in nursery pigs.

Phytobiotics from Oregano Extracts Enhance the Intestinal Health and Growth Performance of Pigs

“…The AID of the nutrients was calculated using the following equation [ 29 ]: AID = {1 − [(TiO 2feed /TiO 2digesta ) × (Nutrient digesta /Nutrient feed )]} × 100 where TiO 2feed and TiO 2digesta were the concentrations of titanium dioxide in the diet and the digesta; Nutrient digesta and Nutrient feed were the concentrations of nutrients in the digesta and the diet.…”

Use of Microorganisms as Nutritional and Functional Feedstuffs for Nursery Pigs and Broilers

“…Conventional protein supplements, soybean meal (SBM), and animal-based protein supplements, including meat and bone meal, blood plasma, and fish meal, are mainly utilized in animal diets. Soybean meal has anti-nutritional factors, including the trypsin inhibitor, glycinin, and flatulence-producing oligosaccharides, which reduce nutrient digestibility in diets fed to pigs [ 2 , 3 , 125 ]. Although animal-based protein supplements are highly digestible and can improve health and growth in pigs and broilers [ 126 ], they are relatively expensive and in short supply [ 11 , 127 ].…”

“…Soybean meal (SBM) and corn are the main protein supplement and energy feed in animal diets, respectively. However, plant protein supplements contain anti-nutritional factors, including trypsin inhibitors, flatulence-producing compounds, and allergenic proteins, which restrict growth performance and intestinal development [ 2 , 3 ]. Some anti-nutritional factors could be eliminated via fermentation by using yeasts or bacteria to enhance nutrient bioavailability [ 4 ].…”

“…Animal-based feedstuffs are commonly supplemented in nursery diets to enhance growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal health [ 3 , 9 , 10 ]. Although animal-based feedstuffs have positive effects on growth and health development in pigs and broilers, these feedstuffs are expensive and in short supply [ 11 , 12 ].…”

Nutritional and Functional Roles of Phytase and Xylanase Enhancing the Intestinal Health and Growth of Nursery Pigs and Broiler Chickens

“…In the first weeks after weaning and hatching, nursery pigs and broiler chickens start consuming diets with a greater amount of plant-based feedstuffs, which can contain different antinutritional factors and allergenic compounds that can lead to negative impacts on nutrient digestibility, growth performance, and intestinal health [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Corn and soybean meal are the most commonly used plant-based feedstuffs in diets for nursery pigs and broiler chickens, which can contain antinutritional and allergic compounds, such as phytic acid, non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), glycinin, and β-conglycinin [ 11 , 12 ]. The negative effects associated with phytic acid and NSP altering the digestion process may also lead to negative impacts in the intestinal health and intestinal microbiota of the animals, such as increases in the oxidative stress and increases in the abundance of pathogenic bacteria, which can be determinant for the intestinal health and subsequent growth of animals [ 5 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”