Microbial activity in the gut of piglets: effect of fibre source and enzyme supplementation

Twenty four Duroc×Landrace male piglets, aged 21 days, were assigned to 1 of 4 experimental diets. Diets 1 and 2 contained 150 g kg−1 wheat bran and diets 3 and 4 contained 90 g kg−1 maize cobs as the major fibre source. All diets contained 480 g kg−1 wheat and 200 g kg−1 soybean meal. Diets 2 and 4 were supplemented with the following enzyme complex: 800 U/kg cellulase, 1800 U/kg glucanase and 2600 U/kg xylanase. The replacement of wheat bran by maize cobs increased the acetic (Pb0.05) and decreased the butyric acid production (Pb0.05) in the cecum. Piglets fed diets with maize cobs had lower (Pb0.05) levels of butyric acid in the colon than those fed wheat bran. The xylanolytic, pectinolytic and cellulolytic enzyme activities were higher (Pb0.05) in the cecum and colon of piglets fed the wheat bran based diets. The supplementation of the diet with the enzyme complex did not significantly affect the levels of short chain fatty acids formed in the small intestine and there was a non significant increase of the levels of acetic, propionic and butyric acids in the cecum and colon of piglets (Pb0.10). No interactions were present between fibre sources and enzyme addition. The results suggest that the enzyme supplementation of the diet did not bring significant benefits to the animals and that when maize cobs replaces wheat bran in diets it negatively affects butyric acid production and fibre-degrading enzyme activity in the hindgut of piglets. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Microbial activity in the gut of piglets: effect of prebiotic and probiotic supplementation

Four groups of six 21 days-old piglets were used to evaluate the effect of a prebiotic or probiotic on the intestinal fermentative activity. In each group, piglets received one of the following diets: basal diet (C); basal diet supplemented with xylooligosaccharide (C-XOS); basal diet supplemented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (C-SC); and basal diet supplemented with xylooligosaccharide and S. cerevisiae (C-XOS+SC). The short chain fatty acids in the colon of piglets were decreased with the inclusion of S. cerevisiae in the diet (Pb0.01). The xylanolytic activity was higher (Pb0.05) in the small intestine of piglets fed C-XOS+SC diet, but no significant differences were found in the caecum and colon. In the caecum contents, the cellulolytic activity was increased (Pb0.05) by the C-XOS and C-SC diets, but remained similar when the diet was supplemented with the two additives combined

Effects of dietary fibre source and enzyme supplementation on faecal apparent digestibility, short chain fatty acid production and activity of bacterial enzymes in the gut of piglets

The effects of fibre source, either wheat bran (WB) or maize cobs (MC), and dietary exogenous enzymes (ES) on performance and digestive parameters of weaned piglets were studied in 24 Duroc×Landrace male piglets, weaned at 21 days of age. There were four treatments arranged factorially, with two sources of fibre (WB or MC) and two concentrations of ES (0 or 0.15 g/kg) that contained 800 U/kg of endo-1,4- -cellulase, 1800 U/kg of endo-1,3(4)- -d-glucanase and 2600 U/kg of endo-1,4- -xylanase. The digestibility of the neutral detergent fibre was higher (P<0.001) in diets containing WB and the digestibility of the acid detergent fibre increased with ES. Small intestine digesta contents (g/kg live weight) at slaughter were higher (P<0.01) in pigs fed MC than in pigs fed WB. Fibre source did not affect the amounts (mmol/l) of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the small intestine. However, replacement of WB by MC increased acetic acid and decreased butyric acid concentrations (P<0.05) in the caecum. In addition, pigs fed diets with MC as the major fibre source had lower (P<0.05) concentration of butyric acid in the colon than pigs fed diets with WB. Enzyme supplementation affected molar proportions of SCFA formed in the small intestine and tended to increase acetic acid, propionic acid and total SCFA concentrations in the colon of piglets fed WB (P<0.10). The xylanolytic and cellulolytic activities in the caecum and colon were higher (P<0.05) for piglets fed WB than for piglets fed MC. In conclusion, ES increased the digestibility of acid detergent fibre and neutral detergent fibre and the replacement of WB by MC reduced neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre digestibility, caecal butyric acid production and hindgut activity of bacterial enzymes

The use of chestnuts (Castanea sativa Mill.) as a source of resistant starch in the diet of the weaned piglet

tTwenty-four piglets, with a mean weight of 6.11 kg, were allocated to three experimentaldiets (8 piglets per diet). The starch content of the experimental diets was 39% consistingeither of 100% wheat starch (CD), 50% wheat starch and 50% chestnut starch (CN50) or 100%chestnut starch (CN100). The piglets received these diets for 35 days. Total tract apparentdigestibility (TTAD) was measured when piglets were aged 32–39 days and 46–53 days.Afterwards, the animals were sacrificed, their gastrointestinal compartments weighed, andthe contents of their caecum and colon collected. Diet did not influence the feed intakeor growth rate of the piglets, but had a significant effect on their feed conversion ratiowhich was 1.27, 1.30 and 1.37 for diets CD, CN50 and CN100, respectively (P=0.042). Pigletsreceiving the CN50 diet exhibited lower faecal scores compared to CD and CN100 groups( 2= 39.31, P<0.001). There was a trend (P=0.067) towards an increase in the TTAD of drymatter (DM) in the two chestnut-containing diets, but only when piglets were younger(32–39 days). The TTAD of crude protein (CP) was decreased (P<0.001) in CN100 group rel-ative to CD and CN50 groups, independently of age. Relative to the CD group, the coefficientof TTAD of NDF was increased by 0.18 units in the CN50 group and 0.25 units in the CN100group, when the piglets were aged 32–39 days. These differences were reduced to 0.09 and0.17 units, respectively, when the piglets were aged 46–53 days. There were tendencies(P<0.10) towards increases in the full and empty weights of the large intestine in CN100group. Moreover, diet had no significant effect on villus height and width. In the jejunum,crypt depth was reduced in CN100 group (P=0.006), while the villus height:crypt depth ratiowas increased with the CN50 and CN100 diets (P=0.018). Diet had no significant effect onDM and pH of the caecal or colonic contents. In the caecum, the concentration (mmol l−1) ofpropionic acid was 5.15, 9.43 and 14.7 (P=0.042) for diets CD, CN50 and CN100, respectively.The concentration (mmol l−1) of butyric acid was 3.50, 4.90 and 9.84 (P=0.025). Conversely,diet had no significant effect on the concentration of short chain fatty acids in the colon.In conclusion, chestnuts could be used as an alternative source of RS in the diet of weanedpiglets, although their feed conversion ratio (FCR) may be worsene

Effect of prebiotic or probiotic supplementation and ileo rectal anastomosis on intestinal morphology of weaned piglets

Forty eight 21 days old piglets were used to compare the effect of prebiotic or probiotic supplementation and ileo rectal anastomosis on the morphology of the small intestine. Half of the piglets were maintained intact and the other half was subjected to an ileo rectal anastomosis (IRA). Each group of piglets received one of the following diets: 1) basal diet (C), 2) basal diet supplemented with a Xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS), 3) basal diet supplemented with a Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) and 4) basal diet supplemented with XOS and SC. Villus height was greatest with XOS and with XOS + SC, only in the ileum, as compared to controls. In the duodenum, crypt width was highest in the control group, but no significant differences were found in the jejunum and ileum. The IRA piglets had longer villi in the jejunum and shorter villi in the ileum. The crypt depth was greater in the duodenum and in the ileum of IRA piglets. Villus height/crypt depth was lower in the duodenum and in the ileum, in the IRA piglets. In conclusion, the XOS, but not the SC, moderately modified the intestinal morphology. The IRA modified the intestinal villus and crypt architecture but its consequence on the absorption of nutrients needs to be investigated

Thermal performance of a solar hybrid dryer for Conilon coffee (Coffea canephora)

The study was aimed at design and development of an energy efficient hybrid solar dryer suitable for drying of organic Conilon coffee placed in the town of Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The energy efficiency and the drying efficiency were the evaluation criteria for thermal performance of the hybrid solar dryer during the coffee drying. Temperature and relative humidity (RH) of the drying and ambient air, solar radiation intensity and coffee weight loss were monitored during the drying process. The process occurred over six consecutive days; the drying time was from 07:00 to 17:00 h, totalling 120 h of operation with an intermittent period (at night) of 14 h. During intermittence, the exhaust system kept off and solar collector and drying chamber sealed. The effective drying period took 60 h, with temperature and RH, respectively, of 38.3 °C and 60.6% outlet of the solar collector, 32.7 °C and 72.2% outlet drying chamber and 27.8 °C and 74.5% ambient air. The maximum temperature in the solar collector and drying chamber reached 54 and 47.7 °C, respectively, with an ambient air temperature of 32 °C at 12:00 h. These values showing temperature increase 22.2 °C in solar collector and 10 ºC drying chamber. The mean variation for the reduction in RH between the drying air inside the solar collector and the ambient air was 28%, while in the chamber obtained in a range of 10.5% at 13:00 h. The solar collector and dryer chamber efficiency were 29.1 and 40.8%, respectively, while the overall dryer efficiency 39.7%

EFFECT DE LA SUBSTITUTION TOTALE OU PARTIELLE DU TOURTEAU DE SOJA PAR VICIA BENGHALENSIS SUR LA DIGESTIBILITÉ, LA CÆCOTROPHIE ET LE BILAN AZOTÉ CHEZ LE LAPIN ADULTE

[EN] An experiment on the effect of introduction of Vicia benghalensis in rabbit diets, on the digestibility and nitrogen metabolism, was carried out on 24 New-Zealand does allocated to 3 treatments of 8.The diet 1 is essentially composed of soya meal as nitrogen source. In the diet 2 and 3, Vicia benghalensis is used in place of soya at 20 % and 40 % of the whole diet respectively. The apparent nitrogen digestibility decreased of 2 to 5 points for the diets 2 and 3 respectively (P<0,01). The daily excretion of nitrogen in faeces increased by 30 % and 40 % in faeces and cecotrophes respectively with the 40 % Vicia benghalensis diet.[FR] L'effet de l'utilisation de Vicia benghalensis sur la digestibilité et le métabolisme azoté du lapin a été étudié sur 24 tapines adultes de race Néo-Zélandaise partagées en 3 lots de 8 animaux. Les animaux du lot 1 ont ret;u le tourteau de soja comme source azotée majeure ; dans les lots 2 et 3 la graine de Vicia a été utilisée respectivement a 20 % et 40 % de la ration en substitution du tourteau de soja. La digestibilité totale apparente de /'azote est réduite de 2 a 5 points dans les lots 2 et 3 respectivement (P<0,01). L'utilisation de 40 % de Vicia a augmenté (P<0,05) de 30 % et de 40 % l'excrétion journaliere d'azote dans les feces et dans les caecotrophes respectivement.Cunha, LF.; Freire, J. (1993). EFFECT DE LA SUBSTITUTION TOTALE OU PARTIELLE DU TOURTEAU DE SOJA PAR VICIA BENGHALENSIS SUR LA DIGESTIBILITÉ, LA CÆCOTROPHIE ET LE BILAN AZOTÉ CHEZ LE LAPIN ADULTE. World Rabbit Science. 01(1). https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.1993.19301

Résultats préléminaires sur le besoin en protéine et en lysine des porcelets de race Alentejana

International audienc

Résultats préléminaires sur le besoin en protéine et en lysine des porcelets de race Alentejana

National audienc

Effect of dietary fibre source on total tract digestibility, caecum volatile fatty acids and digestive transit time in the weaned piglet

International audienc