Probiotics have gained popularity in swine nutrition due to their significant benefits in improving gut health and overall animal performance. This article will discuss the importance of gut health in swine nutrition and how prebiotics can improve swine nutrition.
Swine production is a vital agricultural sector, providing a significant source of protein for human consumption. The nutritional requirements of swine are critical for optimal growth, health, and performance. The gut is the primary site of nutrient digestion and absorption, making gut health a crucial factor in swine nutrition.
Gut health is critical for swine nutrition because it affects nutrient absorption, feed efficiency, and overall animal health and performance. A healthy gut helps to maintain a balance of beneficial gut bacteria, which aid in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, enhance the immune system, and prevent the colonization of harmful pathogens.
Probiotics offer several benefits for swine nutrition, including improved digestion and nutrient absorption, enhanced immune system, reduced pathogen colonization, and increased growth and performance.
Probiotics can improve digestion and nutrient absorption by stimulating the growth and activity of beneficial gut bacteria. These bacteria produce enzymes that break down complex carbohydrates and other nutrients, making them more readily available for absorption by the animal.
Probiotics can enhance the immune system by promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, which produce short-chain fatty acids that strengthen the gut barrier and modulate the immune system. This, in turn, helps to prevent infection by harmful pathogens and reduces disease incidence.
Probiotics can reduce pathogen colonization by promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, which compete with harmful pathogens for nutrients and attachment sites in the gut. This, in turn, helps to prevent the colonization of pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli, which can cause disease and reduce animal performance.
Probiotics can increase growth and performance by improving nutrient absorption and enhancing the immune system. This can lead to better feed efficiency, increased weight gain, and improved feed conversion ratio.
Several probiotic types are widely used in swine nutrition, including bacillus subtilis and bacillus licheniformis, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), double-brewing yeast (feed-specific yeast).
Bacillus subtilis is a gram-positive bacterium widely distributed in soil and decaying organic matter. It is named after its ability to thrive in the broth of hay infusion. Bacillus subtilis has a fast growth rate and low nutrient requirements. It efficiently secretes many proteins and metabolic products without producing toxins, making it a safe microorganism that is non-pathogenic. Bacillus subtilis rapidly consumes free oxygen in the intestines, causing intestinal hypoxia, promoting the growth of beneficial anaerobic bacteria, stimulating the growth and development of the immune organs of animals (including humans), activating T and B lymphocytes, increasing immunoglobulin and antibody levels, enhancing cellular and humoral immunity, and improving population immunity.
Bacillus licheniformis is a commonly found thermophilic gram-positive bacteria in soil and a non-pathogenic anaerobic bacteria. It can regulate bacterial dysbiosis to achieve therapeutic purposes, promote the production of antibacterial substances in the body, and kill pathogenic bacteria. It can also produce antibacterial substances and has a unique biological deoxygenation mechanism, inhibiting pathogenic bacteria's growth and reproduction. It has a significant therapeutic effect on intestinal bacterial infections, mild or severe acute enteritis, and mild and ordinary acute bacterial dysentery.
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a group of non-spore-forming, gram-positive bacteria that mainly produce lactic acid during sugar fermentation. There are many types of LAB, and common probiotics for pigs include Lactobacillus and Streptococcus. LAB can promote animal growth, regulate the normal gastrointestinal tract flora, and maintain microecological balance, thereby improving gastrointestinal function, increasing food digestion rate and biological value, reducing serum cholesterol, controlling endotoxins, inhibiting the growth of intestinal putrefactive bacteria, and improving immune function.
Double-brewing yeast (feed-specific yeast) is usually made by culturing and drying Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Kluyveromyces fragilis. It does not have fermentation ability and is a powder or granular product in a dead cell state. It contains abundant substances such as protein (around 30-40%), B vitamins, and amino acids and is widely used as a protein supplement in animal feed. It can promote animal growth and development, shorten the feeding period, increase meat and egg production, improve meat quality and increase lean meat ratio, improve the luster of fur, and enhance the disease resistance of young poultry and livestock.
The dosage and administration of prebiotics in swine diets will depend on several factors, including the age and weight of the animal, the prebiotic used, and the overall composition of the diet. It is essential to consult with a nutritionist or veterinarian to determine the appropriate dosage and administration of prebiotics in swine diets.
Pangoo Biotech recommendations：
For Piglets：AL10 Probiotics for Piglets
For Pigs Weight Gain: AL11 Probiotics for Pigs weight gain
For Sow: Probiotics for Sow
