Effects of dietary supplementation of bacteriophage with or without zinc oxide on the performance and gut development of weanling pigs

Figures & data

Table 1. Formula and chemical composition of experimental diets (as fed basis).

Item	Phase I	Phase II	Phase III
Ingredients, %
Corn	36.61	47.29	63.75
Whey powder	15.00	8.00	–
Fish meal	5.00	5.00	5.00
Soybean meal dehulled	24.20	29.25	26.31
Soy protein concentrate	5.00	–	–
Soy oil	2.43	2.94	1.84
Sucrose	3.00	–	–
Lactose	6.25	4.80	–
l-Lysine·HCl (78%)	0.21	0.22	0.31
dl-Methionine (98%)	0.14	0.11	0.09
Choline chloride (50%)	0.08	0.08	0.08
Monocalcium phosphate	0.94	0.99	1.24
Limestone	0.44	0.57	0.63
Salt	0.20	0.25	0.25
Vitamin premix^a	0.25	0.25	0.25
Mineral premix^b	0.25	0.25	0.25
Total	100	100	100
Chemical composition
ME, kcal/kg	3400	3400	3400
Crude protein, %	23.00	22.00	23.00
Calcium, %	0.80	0.80	0.80
Available phosphorus, %	0.50	0.46	0.50
Lysine, %	1.53	1.45	1.53
Methionine + cystine, %	0.87	0.83	0.87
Lactose, %	16.00	10.00	–

^a Supplied per kilogram of diet: 16,000 U vitamin A, 3000 U vitamin D₃, 40 U vitamin E, 5.0 mg vitamin K₃, 5.0 mg vitamin B₁, 20 mg vitamin B₂, 4 mg vitamin B₆, 0.08 mg vitamin B₁₂, 40 mg pantothenic acid, 75 mg niacin, 0.15 mg biotin, 0.65 mg folic acid.

^b Supplied per kilogram of diet: 45 mg iron, 0.25 mg cobalt, 50 mg copper, 15 mg manganese, 25 mg zinc, 0.35 mg iodine, 0.13 mg selenium.

Table 2. Effect of dietary zinc oxide, bacteriophage or their combination on the growth performance of weanling pigs.

Bacteriophage (BAC)	−		+			p value
ZnO (ZN)	−	+	−	+	SEM^a	BAC	ZN	ZN*BAC
Phase I (D 0–7)
ADG, g	337	363	368	376	7.0	<0.01	0.03	0.235
ADFI, g	429	432	435	434	5.4	0.46	0.87	0.81
G/F, g/kg	786	842	848	868	23.1	0.02	0.04	0.31
Phase II (D 7–21)
ADG, g	393	427	429	444	9.6	<0.01	0.02	0.34
ADFI, g	640	637	635	636	6.7	0.67	0.92	0.81
G/F, g/kg	614	670	675	698	14.2	<0.01	<0.01	0.17
Phase-III (D 21–35)
ADG, g	496	525	528	543	8.2	<0.01	0.02	0.43
ADFI, g	856	857	862	864	5.5	0.26	0.76	0.99
G/F, g/kg	580	612	613	629	11.8	0.02	0.03	0.42
Overall (D 0–35)
ADG, g	423	453	457	470	5.1	<0.01	<0.01	0.13
ADFI, g	684	684	686	687	2.84	0.47	0.81	0.92
G/F, g/kg	619	662	666	686	13.1	<0.01	<0.01	0.27

ADG: average daily gain; ADFI: average daily feed intake; G/F: gain to feed ratio.

^a Standard error of means.

Table 3. Effect of dietary zinc oxide, bacteriophage or their combination on apparent total tract digestibility in weaning pigs.

Bacteriophage (BAC)	−		+			p value
ZnO (ZN)	−	+	−	+	SEM^a	BAC	ZN	ZN*BAC
D 7
DM	81.8	83.0	82.3	83.4	0.14	<0.01	<0.01	0.03
GE	80.4	80.8	80.8	81.1	0.23	0.22	0.12	0.69
CP	75.2	75.5	75.6	75.7	0.11	0.02	0.06	0.47
D 21
DM	80.0	80.7	80.6	81.2	0.2	0.02	<0.01	0.73
GE	79.1	79.3	79.3	79.5	0.13	0.14	0.11	0.94
CP	73.6	73.9	73.9	74.1	0.16	0.13	0.16	0.63
D 35
DM	78.7	79.3	79.4	79.7	0.21	0.02	0.06	0.5
GE	77.7	78.0	78.1	78.2	0.23	0.22	0.41	0.74
CP	72.8	73.2	73.4	73.8	0.19	<0.01	0.05	0.88

DM: dry matter; GE: gross energy; CP: crude protein.

^a Standard error of means.

Table 4. Effect of dietary zinc oxide, bacteriophage or their combination on faecal microbial populations (log₁₀ CFU/g) in weaning pigs.

Bacteriophage (BAC)	−		+			p value
ZnO (ZN)	−	+	−	+	SEM	BAC	ZN	ZN*BAC
D 7
Total anaerobic bacteria	8.37	8.89	8.93	9.12	0.17	0.03	0.05	0.33
Bifidobacterium spp.	7.94	8.39	8.31	8.59	0.08	<0.01	<0.01	0.32
Lactobacillus spp.	7.96	8.57	8.6	9.04	0.11	<0.01	<0.01	0.48
Clostridium spp.	8.74	8.25	8.2	7.88	0.09	<0.01	<0.01	0.35
Coliforms	7	6.49	6.46	6.2	0.11	<0.01	<0.01	0.28
D 21
Total anaerobic bacteria	8.92	9.33	9.34	9.73	0.05	<0.01	<0.01	0.81
Bifidobacterium spp.	8.19	8.62	8.57	8.91	0.09	<0.01	<0.01	0.65
Lactobacillus spp.	7.89	8.27	8.32	8.74	0.1	<0.01	<0.01	0.79
Clostridium spp.	8.01	7.59	7.42	7.29	0.08	<0.01	<0.01	0.09
Coliforms	6.74	6.32	6.33	6.04	0.14	0.02	0.02	0.61
D 35
Total anaerobic bacteria	9.00	9.31	9.41	9.88	0.1	<0.01	<0.01	0.40
Bifidobacterium spp.	8.28	8.61	8.73	8.97	0.1	<0.01	0.01	0.67
Lactobacillus spp.	7.98	8.43	8.35	8.88	0.1	<0.01	<0.01	0.69
Clostridium spp.	8.10	7.73	7.58	7.36	0.07	<0.01	<0.01	0.31
Coliforms	6.83	6.44	6.36	6.17	0.14	<0.01	0.06	0.50

SEM: Standard error of means.

Table 5. Effect of dietary zinc oxide, bacteriophage or their combination on small intestinal morphology in weaning pigs (D 35).

Bacteriophage (BAC)	−		+			p value
ZnO (ZN)	−	+	−	+	SEM	BAC	ZN	ZN*BAC
Villus height
Duodenum	494	519	522	542	10.2	0.02	0.05	0.87
Jejunum	551	576	579	588	5.7	<0.01	<0.01	0.18
Ileum	429	448	451	462	12.5	0.16	0.26	0.77
Crypt depth
Duodenum	302	315	318	327	9	0.16	0.3	0.92
Jejunum	311	320	322	330	9.2	0.28	0.38	0.97
Ileum	262	269	270	273	9.7	0.59	0.57	0.78
VH/CD
Duodenum	1.64	1.65	1.64	1.66	0.017	0.64	0.41	0.91
Jejunum	1.77	1.80	1.80	1.78	0.021	0.71	0.71	0.31
Ileum	1.63	1.66	1.67	1.69	0.024	0.28	0.36	0.90

SEM: Standard error of means.

Table 6. Effect of dietary zinc oxide, bacteriophage or their combination on fecal score^a in weaning pigs.

Bacteriophage (BAC)	−		+			p value
ZnO (ZN)	−	+	−	+	SEM	BAC	ZN	ZN*BAC
Phase-I (d 7)	2.07	2.15	1.79	1.41	0.250	0.06	0.52	0.36
Phase-II (d 21)	1.81	1.62	1.51	1.38	0.095	0.01	0.12	0.72
Phase-III (d 35)	1.41	1.24	1.26	0.92	0.071	<0.01	<0.01	0.23
Overall	1.76	1.67	1.52	1.24	0.097	<0.01	0.07	0.34

^a 0, normal; 1, soft faeces; 2, mild diarrhea; 3, severe diarrhoea.

SEM: Standard error of means.