To evaluate the effects of dietary protein levels and probiotic supplementation on microbial intestinal fermentation, diarrhea incidence, and performance in weaned piglets, 162 piglets were randomly assigned to three treatments: high-protein diet (20%), with antibiotics (HPa); high-protein diet (20%), without antibiotics (HP); and low-protein diet, without antibiotics but with probiotics (LPpb). Piglets and feed were weighed weekly to calculate the average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain: feed ratio (G:F). Four piglets per treatment were killed on day 21 postweaning to collect ileal and colon digesta for measurement of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs), lactic acid (LA), and ammonia (AM). In the digesta collected from the ileum and colon, piglets fed the HPa diet had the lowest concentration of volatile fatty acids. Additionally, the HP diet produced the highest concentration of BCFAs, while the LPpb diet produced moreacetic, propionic, and butyric acids than the HPa and HP diets. Piglets fed the HP diet had higher incidence and severity of diarrhea than piglets fed LPpb and HPa diets, and similar values were observed between these two groups. The second week postweaning was the most critical for diarrhea measurements; during the second week, animals had higher incidence and severity of diarrhea. Piglets fed the HPa and LPpb diets had similar ADGs, while those fed the HP diet had the poorest ADG. Similar results were observed with ADFI and G:F. A low-protein diet supplemented with probiotics changed the fermentation profile, reducing toxic metabolites, promoting gut health, decreasing the incidence and severity of postweaning diarrhea, and improving the performance of piglets.

Two experiments were conducted to test if dehydrated porcine plasma (DPP) and potato protein concentrate (PPC) could be used as an alternative to antibiotics in starter diets for piglets. Experiment one was conducted to test if DPP and PPC in an antibiotic-free diet affected pig performance, and faecal consistency. Eighty-four piglets weaned at 22 days and weighing 6.9 kg were used. Piglets were fed for two weeks with one of four diets: a positive control diet with antibiotics (C+); and three other diets without antibiotics added with DPP, PPC, or DPP and PPC (DPP+PPC) to measure the average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency (FE), and incidence and severity of diarrhoea (ID and ISD respectively). In experiment two, twenty-four piglets weaned at 17 days and weighing 5.7 kg, were implanted at 21 days of age with a T-cannula at the terminal ileum to measure the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients. Piglets were fed one of four diets: a positive control diet with antibiotics (C+); a negative control diet without antibiotics (C–), and two diets without antibiotics added with DPP, or PPC. The results of experiment one showed that the DPP diet was the most consumed diet during the first week, and the ADG and FE were similar among treatments. During the second week and the total experimental period the ADFI, ADG, and FE were similar among diets. The ID was lower in the C+ diet than other diets. The ISD was lower in the C+ diet than DPP and DPP+PPC diets; piglets fed PPC diet were similar to piglets fed C+ and DPP and DPP+PPC diets. The results of digestibility showed that crude protein AID was higher in piglets fed C+ and PPC diets than C– and DPP diets. Dry matter ATTD and energy ATTD were higher for piglets fed PPC than other diets. Further, crude protein ATTD of DPP and PPC diets tended to have a similar digestibility to that of C+ diet. The results suggest that PPC is a potential controller of post-weaning diarrhoea.

We evaluated the effects of three sorghum-based diets with different levels of tannins and kafirins on some gastrointestinal morphophysiological characteristics of growing pigs. We also evaluated the pigs' performance and the presence of kafirin fractions in sorghum samples and in ileal digesta. We used 24 pigs that weighed 22.1 ± 0.65 kg randomly assigned to four different cereal-soybean meal diets: a corn-based (control diet; C), a low tannin and low kafirin sorghum-based (LTLK), a low tannin and high kafirin sorghum-based (LTHK), and a high tannin and high kafirin sorghum-based (HTHK). We evaluated the pH of the gastrointestinal digesta, the liver and pancreas weight, and the total and specific trypsin and chymotrypsin enzymatic activities in the pancreas, and the intestinal villi morphology. The results indicated that the different sorghum diets did not affect the performance of the pigs (P > .05) or the majority of the evaluated morphophysiological parameters. The total trypsin activity was higher in pigs fed the HTHK diet (P < .001). The highest intensity/area of the kafirin fractions was noted in ileal digesta from pigs fed LTHK and HTHK diets. The simultaneous presence of high levels of tannins and kafirins could affect the digestion of sorghum proteins.

Context Tannins are blamed for negatively affecting nutritive value of sorghum. Kafirins are sorghum storage proteins and may be associated with lower animal performance. They have been tested in poultry diets; however, information for pig diets is scarce. Aims Our aim was to determine the role of kafirins and tannins in sorghum nutritive value for swine. Methods Two experiments evaluated effects of sorghum tannin and kafirin levels on (1) nitrogen (N) and energy balance, and (2) performance of pigs. Two sorghum hybrids with low (LT) and high (HT) tannins were grown at two rates of N fertiliser to achieve low (LK) and high (HK) kafirins (i.e. four sorghum treatments: LTLK, LTHK, HTLK and HTHK) and added to soybean meal based diets. A fifth diet included maize instead of sorghum. Five pigs (48.8 ± 0.4 kg) were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square design to measure N and energy balance, with 5 days of diet adaptation and 4 days of urine and faeces collection. The performance experiment included 60 pigs (54.0 ± 12.4 kg, 30 barrows and 30 gilts, six of each per treatment) placed in individual pens with free access to water and feed. Key results Energy balance showed a tannin × kafirin interaction (P < 0.05) for dry matter feed intake, which diminished with the LTHK diet and was unaffected with the HTHK diet. Dry matter digestibility was higher (P < 0.001) with maize, intermediate with LT, and lower with HT diets. Pigs fed maize retained more N (P < 0.05) and had higher energy digestibility (P < 0.001) than pigs fed sorghum. HT diets had lower (P < 0.01) energy digestibility than LT diets. In the finishing phase, average daily feed intake showed a tannin × kafirin interaction (P < 0.05); pigs fed the HTHK diet had lower average daily feed intake than other pigs. This lowered average daily liveweight gain and consequently final weight. Conclusions Tannins negatively affected sorghum nutritive value; high kafirins worsened average daily feed intake and liveweight gain, and hence final weight. Implications Management of kafirin content should be considered to avoid adverse performance effects in pigs fed sorghum.

Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) lectins exhibit differential in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo antitumorigenic effects against colon cancer by oral administration, but their gastrointestinal interactions and digestion have not yet been assessed. This work evaluated the changes of a recombinant Tepary bean lectin (rTBL‐1) through an in vitro/ex vivo gastrointestinal assay. We developed a polyclonal antibody to selectively detect rTBL‐1 by western blot and immunohistochemical analysis. Protein bioaccessibility, apparent permeability coefficient, and efflux ratio showed rTBL‐1 partial digestion and absorption were tested using everted gut sac until 60 min. rTBL‐1 internalization was suggested by immunoblot assays since the lectin was detected in the digestible fraction. The immunohistochemical assay detected rTBL‐1 presence at the apical side of the small intestine, potentially due to the interaction with the intestinal cell membrane. Through in‐silico approach, interactions between rTBL‐1 and some saccharides or derivatives showed high binding affinity to sialic acid (‐6.70 kcal/mol) and N‐acetylglucosamine (‐6.10 kcal/mol). UHPLC‐ESI‐QTOF/MS analysis showed rTBL‐1 presence in the gastric content and the non‐digestible fraction after intestinal simulation conditions. The results indicated that rTBL‐1 is partially resistant to the digestive conditions and interacted with the intestinal membrane, whereas its digestion allowed the absorption or internalization of the protein or the derivative peptides. Further studies will focus on rTBL‐1 protein‐glycans interaction, in the purification of samples at each step of the in vitro digestion for their identification and bioactivity determination, and also to know the rTBL‐1 internalization route in order to determine its pharmacokinetic parameters as an anticancer molecule.