Effect of probiotics supplementation in diets with different nutrient densities on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics, faecal microbial population and faecal noxious gas content in growing pigs

Figures & data

Table 1. Composition of basal diets (as-fed basis).^a

	High nutrient diet		Low nutrient diet
Item	+Probiotics	−Probiotics	+Probiotics	−Probiotics
Ingredient (%)
Corn	56.80	56.90	62.43	62.53
Soybean meal	35.39	35.39	32.18	32.18
Fish oil	5.63	5.63	3.12	3.12
Limestone	0.84	0.84	0.84	0.84
Salt	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20
TCP	0.70	0.70	0.72	0.72
L-Lys^.HCl (78%)	0.14	0.14	0.11	0.11
Probiotics	0.10		0.10
Vitamin premix^b	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20
Mineral premix^c	0.10	0.10	0.10	0.10
Analysed composition
GE, kcal/kg	4283	4283	4127	4127
CP,%	19.41	19.41	18.34	18.34
Lys,%	1.29	1.29	1.30	1.30
Ca,%	0.64	0.64	0.65	0.65
Total P,%	0.53	0.53	0.54	0.54
^aHigh and low: high or low in energy, CP, and Lys; High or low diet was supplemented with 0 or 0.2% probiotics.
^bProvided per kg diet: 20,000 IU of vitamin A; 4000 IU of vitamin D3; 80 IU of vitamin E; 16 mg of vitamin K3; 4 mg of thiamine; 20 mg of riboflavin; 6 mg of pyridoxine; 0.08 mg of vitamin B12; 120 mg of niacin; 50 mg of Ca-pantothenate; 2 mg of folic acid; and 0.08 mg of biotin.
^cProvided per kg diet: 140 mg of Cu (as copper sulfate); 179 mg of Zn (as zinc oxide); 12.5 mg of Mn (as manganese oxide); 0.5 mg of I; 0.25 mg of Co (as Co2O3·7H2O); and 0.4 mg of Se (as Na2SeO3·5H2O).

Table 2. Effects of supplementation of high and low energy and nutrient density diets with probiotics on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood characteristics in growing pigs.

	High		Low			P-value
Items	+P	−P	+P	−P	SE^c	D	P	D×P
Growth performance^a
Initial BW	24.8	25.4	25.5	26.2	0.58	0.313	0.254	0.216
Final BW	54.1	51.9	52.7	51.5	1.01	0.034	0.012	0.007
ADG, g	697	632	647	602	21	<0.05	<0.001	0.004
ADFI, g	1556	1510	1535	1545	37	0.281	0.243	0.188
G:F	0.449	0.419	0.422	0.389	0.014	<0.001	<0.05	0.012
Nutrient digestibility^b
DM	79.3	74.9	78.1	73.7	1.98	0.462	0.002	0.552
N	82.8	75.3	78.9	74.4	2.01	0.241	<0.001	0.010
Energy	81.8	74.2	77.6	73.5	1.84	0.548	0.003	0.015
Blood characteristics^2
WBC, 10^3/µl	14.7	13.6	14.5	13.2	0.79	0.254	0.347	0.292
RBC, 10^6/µl	7.9	7.5	7.4	7.2	0.54	0.357	0.628	0.185
Lymphocyte,%	59.9	56.8	57.6	54.5	3.18	0.486	0.684	0.241
^aEach mean represents six pens with two gilts and two barrows per pen. High: high energy and nutrient diet ±0.2% probiotics (P); Low: low energy and nutrient diet ±0.2% probiotics (P).
^bEach mean represents nine pens with two gilts and two barrows per pen. High: high energy and nutrient diet; ±0.1% probiotics (P); Low: low energy and nutrient diet ±0.1% P.
^cPooled standard error.

Table 3. Effects of supplementation of high and low energy and nutrient density diets with probiotics on faecal microbial shedding and faecal noxious gas content in growing-finishing pigs.^a

	High		Low			P-value
Items	+P	−P	+P	−P	SE^b	D	P	D×P
Faecal microbial shedding
Lactobacillus	8.96	7.45	7.96	7.14	0.278	0.542	<0.001	0.021
E. coli	6.48	6.53	6.64	6.84	0.354	0.613	0.241	0.354
Faecal noxious gas content
NH3	702	827	658	705	21.6	0.021	0.016	0.024
H2S	31.8	39.2	24.9	30.1	2.54	0.001	0.005	0.031
^aA total of 144 pigs with an initial BW of 29.48±0.58 kg. Each mean represents nine pens with two gilts and two barrows per pen. High: high energy and nutrient diet; ±0.1% probiotics (P); Low: low energy and nutrient diet ±0.1% P.
^bPooled standard error.