Impact of Intestinal Microbiota on Growth Performance of Suckling and Weaned Piglets

• DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03744-22
• Publication Date: 2023-04-06T14:00:41Z
• Authors: Md Rayhan Mahmud; Ching Jian; Md Karim Uddin; Mirja Huhtinen; Anne Salonen; Olli Peltoniemi; Heli Venhoranta; Claudio Oliviero
• Keywords: Ruminococcus

Small-scale studies investigating the relationship between pigs' intestinal microbiota and growth performance have generated inconsistent results. We hypothesized that on farms under favorable environmental conditions (e.g., promoting sow nest-building behavior, high colostrum production, low incidence of diseases minimal use antimicrobials), piglet gut may develop toward a population promotes reduces pathogenic bacteria. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we sampled profiled fecal from 170 individual piglets throughout suckling postweaning periods (in total 670 samples) to track development its potential association with growth. During period, dominant genera were Lactobacillus Bacteroides, latter being gradually replaced by Clostridium sensu scricto 1 as aged. The during nursery stage, not predicted average daily (ADG) piglets. relative abundances SCFA-producing genera, in particular Faecalibacterium, Megasphaera, Mitsuokella, Subdoligranulum, significantly correlated ADG weaned In addition, succession high-ADG occurred faster stabilized sooner upon weaning, whereas low-ADG continued mature after weaning. Overall, our findings suggest weaning is major driver variation different levels overall performance. This calls for further research verify if promotion specific microbiota, identified here at transition, beneficial IMPORTANCE great importance improving piglets' health reducing antimicrobial use. found associated early period. Importantly, transitions enriched fiber-degrading bacteria mostly complete better Postponing age therefore favor fiber degrading bacteria, conferring necessary capacity digest harvest solid feed. bacterial taxa herein hold improve health.