Background: Weaning is associated with growth decline and morphological changes in the gastrointestinal tract of the pig. Insects, such as the Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), are suggested as a sustainable novel protein source in diets for pigs. They contain chitin, medium chained fatty acids, and anti-microbial peptides, which could improve the gastrointestinal function and health in the post-weaning pig. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the effect of increasing inclusion of full-fat BSFL in diets for post-weaning pigs on growth performance parameters, digestibility, gut morphology, and the microbial community in the colon. Eighty crossbred weanling pigs were weaned at approximately 32 days of age, with an average weaning weight of 10.6 ± 0.8 kg. For four weeks, the pigs were fed one of four dietary treatments: a control diet or one of three diets containing an increasing amount of full-fat BSFL meal: 4.76% (BSFL5), 9.52% (BSFL10), and 19.06% (BSFL20). Results: Increased level of full-fat BSFL in the diet did not affect growth performance or fecal consistency. A reduction in apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of crude protein (P = 0.035) was found for increased inclusion of BSFL, whereas the ATTD of crude fat increased (P<0.001). Jejunal, ileal, or colonic morphometry was not affected by the BSFL inclusion. Some changes in the colon microbiota were observed, but no differences in the short-chain fatty acid concentrations were detected between the dietary treatments. At the phylum level, dietary treatment affected the relative abundance of Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, Campilobacteria, and Thermoplasmatota, but there was no clear pattern relationship with the BSFL inclusion level. At the genus level, the inclusion of BSFL in the diet reduced the relative abundance of Lactobacillus (P = 0.015) compared to the control. Conclusions: Collectively, the results indicate that up to 19.06% of full-fat BSFL meal could be included in a balanced diet for PW pigs without affecting growth performance, gut function, or health.
The porcine gut microbiome is closely connected to diet and is central to animal health and growth. The gut microbiota composition in relation to Cyberlindnera jadinii yeast as a protein source in a weanling diet was studied previously. Also, there is a mounting body of knowledge regarding the porcine gut microbiome composition in response to the use of rapeseed (Brassica napus subsp. napus) meal, and faba beans (Vicia faba) as protein sources during the growing/finishing period. However, there is limited data on how the porcine gut microbiome respond to a combination of C. jadinii yeast in the weanling phase and rapeseed meal and faba beans in the growing/finishing phase. This work investigated how the porcine faecal microbiome was changing in response to a novel yeast diet with a high inclusion of yeast proteins (40% of crude protein) in a weanling diet followed by a diet based on rapeseed meal and faba beans during the growing/finishing period. The feacal microbiomes of the weanling pigs fed yeast were more diverse with higher relative abundance of Firmicutes over Bacteroidetes compared with those of soybean meal-based diet fed weanlings. Reduced numbers of Prevotella in the yeast fed faecal microbiomes remained a microbiome characteristic up until two weeks after the yeast diet was changed to the rapeseed/faba bean growing finishing diet. A number of differentially abundant bacterial phylotypes along with distinct co-occurrence patterns observed during the growing/finishing period indicated the presence of a "carry-over" effect of the yeast weanling diet onto the faecal microbiomes of the grower/finisher pigs.
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