Lactobacillus reuteri is used as probiotic culture in food and feed applications; however, strain specific properties of L. reuteri that mediate probiotic activity remain unknown. This study aimed to determine effects of feed fermentation with exopolysaccharide and reutericyclin producing L. reuteri on the transition of the gut microbiome of piglets after weaning. The reutericyclin and reuteran producing L. reuteri TMW1.656 was compared to the reutericyclin negative and levan producing L. reuteri LTH5794 and unfermented controls. Both strains were fermented at conditions supporting exopolysaccharide formation, or at conditions not supporting exopolysaccharide formation. Fecal microbiota were characterized by partial sequencing of 16S rRNA genes, and by quantitative PCR targeting clostridial toxins. The transition to solid food resulted in a transient increase of Proteobacteria to 12% of total bacteria, and increased bacterial diversity by increasing the abundance of anaerobic fiber fermenting Firmicutes. Three weeks after weaning, Prevotella and Lactobacillus were among the dominant bacterial genera. Feed fermentation with L. reuteri affected the abundance of few bacterial taxa and particularly reduced the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae (P < 0.05) when compared to unfermented controls. Reutericyclin producing L. reuteri increased the abundance of Dialister spp. and Mitsuokella spp. (P < 0.05) but did not influence the abundance of clostridial toxins in the feces. In conclusion, data on the contribution of specific metabolic activities of L. reuteri to probiotic activity will facilitate the strain selection for probiotic applications in food and feed.

Feeding fermented feed to weaned pigs may improve nutrient digestibility and gut health and thereby reduce diarrhea incidence. Effects of feeding wheat grain fermented for 24 h with were evaluated with 36 weaned pigs (7.3 kg BW). Fermented wheat grain contained (DM basis) 14.2% CP, 0.45% chemically available Lys, and 7.8% NDF, whereas unfermented wheat grain contained 16.4% CP, 0.45% chemically available Lys, and 9.9% NDF. Pigs were fed 6 mash wheat-based diets balanced for water content during 2 phases: Phase 1 diets for 1 wk (d 0-7) with 20% unfermented or fermented wheat and, subsequently, Phase 2 diets for 2 wk (d 8-21) with 50% unfermented or fermented wheat. The 6 diets were unfermented wheat (CTRL), unfermented and chemically acidified wheat (ACD), fermented wheat with TMW1.656 and 10% sucrose, fermented wheat with TMW1.656 and 5% glucose + 5% fructose, fermented wheat with LTH5794 and 10% sucrose, and fermented wheat with LTH5794 and 5% glucose + 5% fructose. Diets were formulated to provide 2.5 and 2.4 Mcal NE/kg and 5.3 and 5.0 g standardized ileal digestible Lys/Mcal NE for Phase 1 and 2 diets, respectively. Feeding fermented wheat reduced ( < 0.05) apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of diet DM (84.7 vs. 85.4%), GE (84.4 vs. 85.3%), and CP (81.8 vs. 83.6%) for d 15 through 21 compared with the CTRL and ACD diets. Weaned pigs fed fermented wheat diets had lower ( < 0.05) ADFI than pigs fed the CTRL and ACD diets for d 0 through 7. The ADFI, ADG, and G:F did not differ between pigs fed fermented and unfermented diets. Concentrations of acetic, propionic, and branched-chain fatty acids and total VFA in feces increased ( < 0.05) for pigs fed fermented wheat diets containing exopolysaccharides (EPS). However, VFA did not differ in ileal digesta. Villus height in the duodenum and jejunum increased in pigs fed fermented wheat without EPS ( < 0.05) compared with pigs fed fermented wheat with EPS. However, pigs fed the CTRL and ACD diets had longer ( < 0.05) villi and deeper crypts in the ileum than pigs fed fermented wheat. The ratio of villus height to crypt depth did not differ in the 3 segments of small intestine of weaned pigs. In conclusion, feeding fermented wheat grain diets to weaned pigs did not affect gut morphology, intestinal fermentation, growth performance, and ATTD of nutrients; however, EPS stimulated hindgut fermentation and may promote health benefits.

Yellow-seeded Brassica juncea is a novel canola species targeted to grow in the southern Canadian prairies where thermotolerance, disease resistance, and adaptation to dry agronomic conditions are required. The support of its cultivation needs nutritional evaluation of its coproduct. The B. juncea canola meal (CM) contains less fiber than conventional, dark-seeded Brassica napus CM but also slightly less Lys. In a 6 × 6 Latin square, 6 distal ileum cannulated pigs (47 kg BW) were fed 6 diets to determine the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of CP and AA, AID and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy, and VFA content in digesta and feces. Pigs were fed 6 diets: basal [46% wheat (Triticum aestivum) and corn (Zea mays) starch], 4 diets with 46% wheat and either B. juncea or B. napus CM at 25 or 50%, and a N-free diet based on corn starch. The B. juncea CM had higher (P < 0.05) ATTD of energy than B. napus CM (68.6 vs. 60.3%) likely due to its lower fiber content. Ileal total VFA was lower (P < 0.001) in pigs fed B. juncea than B. napus CM diets. In pigs fed B. juncea CM, the molar ratio in digesta was lower (P < 0.001) for acetate and butyrate whereas the propionate ratio was lower (P < 0.001) in feces than in pigs fed B. napus CM diets. The CM species did not affect the AID of energy, SID of AA, and feces VFA content. The DE value was higher (P < 0.05) and content of SID Lys was lower (P < 0.05) for B. juncea than B. napus CM. In conclusion, availability of B. juncea CM, a coproduct of a canola species grown in Canadian prairie land, will increase flexibility in swine feed formulation.

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