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Simple SummaryIn this study we isolated and characterized potential probiotic bifidobacteria from sow milk. The bifidobacterial population in milk has been attributed to the existence of prebiotic oat in feeding systems. Since breast feeding protects the newborns against several infectious diseases, milk from sows fed with oat could improve the health of piglets.AbstractThe objectives of this study were to (i) investigate the impact of feeding oat on the population of bifidobacteria and (ii) evaluate their probiotic potential. In this study, we investigated the effects of supplementing sows’ gestation and lactation feed with 15% oat (prebiotic source) on the levels of probiotic population in milk. We found that dietary inclusion of oat during lactation and gestation resulted in increased levels of bifidobacteria compared to lactobacilli in sow milk. Furthermore bifidobacteria within the sow milk samples were further evaluated for probiotic potential based on aggregating properties, and acid- and bile-tolerance after exposure to hydrochloric acid (pH 2.5) and bile salts (0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 1.0% and 2.0%). All isolates survived under the condition of low pH and bile 2.0%. Autoaggregation ability ranged from 17.5% to 73%. These isolates also showed antimicrobial activity against E. coli O157:H7. Together our results suggest that inclusion of oat in feeding systems could have the potential to improve the intestinal health of piglets by increasing the population of bifidobacteria.

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Maternal diet supplementation with pro- and prebiotics is associated with decreased incidence of diarrhea and greater piglet performance. This study investigated the impact adding whole ground oat as a prebiotic, alone or in combination with a probiotic, yeast culture (YC) (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), to sow gestation and lactation rations had on milk protein composition, piglet growth, and incidence of post-weaning diarrhea (PWD). Diets: control (CON), CON + yeast culture (YC) [5g/kg], CON + oat (15% inclusion rate) (Oat) or CON+ YC [5g/kg] + Oat (15%) were fed the last 30 days of gestation and throughout lactation (18–21 days). Shotgun proteome analysis of day 4 and 7 postpartum milk found 36 differentially abundant proteins (P-adj < 0.1) in both Oat and YC supplemented sows relative to CON. Notable was the increased expression of antimicrobial proteins, lactoferrin and chitinase in milk of Oat and YC sows compared to CON. The levels of IgA, IgM (within colostrum and milk) and IgG (within milk) were similar across treatments. However, colostral IgG levels in Oat-supplemented sows were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that of the control sows, IgG from Oat-supplemented sows displayed greater reactivity to E. coli-antigens compared with CON and YC. Piglets from sows that consumed Oat alone or in combination weighed significantly more (p < 0.05) at birth compared to CON and YC. However, piglets in the Oat + YC group weighed less at weaning and had the lowest weight gain (p < 0.05) postweaning, compared with CON. Taken together with the observation that piglets of either YC- or Oat-fed sows had less PWD compared to CON and YC+ Oat suggests that Oat or YC supplementation positively impacts piglets through expression of certain milk-associated immune and antimicrobial proteins.