Comparison of three patterns of feed supplementation with live Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast on postweaning diarrhea, health status, and blood metabolic profile of susceptible weaning pigs orally challenged with Escherichia coli F4ac1

Abstract

The development of effective feeding strategies to reduce the detrimental effect of enterotoxigenic F4ac (ETEC) plays a crucial role in reducing the occurrence of therapeutic intervention with antibiotics in livestock. The ability of CNCM I-4407 (SCC), supplied in different patterns to counteract ETEC infection in weaned pigs, was evaluated. Fifty pigs weaned at 24 d were then divided into 5 groups: control (CO), CO + colistin (AB), CO + 5 × 10(10) cfu of SCC/ kg feed, from d 0 to 21 (PR), CO + 5 × 10(10) cfu of SCC/ kg feed from d 7 to 11 (CM), and CO + 1 shot of 2 × 10(11) cfu of SCC when the first diarrhea appeared (CU). On d 7 postweaning, all the pigs were orally challenged with 10(8) cfu of ETEC. Blood samples were taken from the pigs (d 7, 8, 12, and 21) while the fecal excretion of ETEC was assessed on d 7 and 10. Fecal consistency was scored from 12 h before infection to 144 h postinfection (p.i.). On d 21, the pigs were sacrificed. The in vitro adhesion test on the intestinal villi confirmed individual susceptibility to ETEC, excluding the presence of resistant pigs. Growth performance did not differ between the treatments. Mortality was reduced in the AB group (P< 0.01) and, marginally, in the PR group (P = 0.089) when compared to the CO group. The CO group had a higher fecal score than AB in the period of observation (from P = 0.01 to P< 0.001). Yeast administration reduced the fecal score when compared to the CO group 12 and 48 h p.i. (P = 0.04). Total IgA never differed among the treatments, but the ETEC-specific IgA concentration was lower in the AB group than in CO (P = 0.04) at d 12. Four days p.i., the pigs fed live yeast had reduced ETEC excretion compared with the CO pigs (P = 0.05). Blood concentrations of dodecenoyl-L-carnitine (P < 0.01), glutaryl-L-carnitine/hydroxyhex¬anoyl-L-carnitine, phosphatidylcholine diacyl and phosphatidylcholine diacyl (P = 0.01 and P< 0.01, respectively), and α-amino adipic acid (P < 0.01) were reduced in the AB group compared to the CO group; PR + CM reduced the concentration of sphingomyelin-ceramide (P = 0.02) and increased the concentration of decadienyl-L-carnitine (C10:2; P= 0.02) vs. CO. The CM group had an increased concentration of C10:2 (P < 0.01) compared to the PR group. In conclusion, the administration of live yeast, even in concomitance with ETEC infections, reduces pig illness and mortality. The strain of SCC tested did not show a therapeutic effect.

Effect of feed supplementation with live yeast on the intestinal transcriptome profile of weaning pigs orally challenged with Escherichia coli F4

“…In our study, ETEC adhered to the intestinal villi of all pigs and presumably started to activate the cell signaling involved in cell turnover and inflammation (Zhou et al, 2012). In the follow-up experiment (Trevisi et al, 2015a), the fecal score evidenced the first signs of diarrhea from 24 h after infection. Thus, the infection may have reduced the mitotic potential in the villi while the protective effects of the antibiotic preserved the normal proliferative activity of the intestinal mucosa as observed in pigs preventively treated with yeast.…”

“…Our previous companion paper reported that the preventive supplementation of Sc reduced the diarrhea occurrence in the first days after infection with ETEC and delayed mortality (Trevisi et al, 2015a); the results were similar even when the supplementation started immediately before the ETEC challenge.…”

“…No signs of diarrhea were observed up to the time of slaughter. However, in additionally challenged pigs that were kept for another two weeks, the fecal scores worsened rapidly, but with a favorable effect of AB and, partially, of yeast treatments (Trevisi et al, 2015a). Overall mortality varied from 70% in CO to 10% in AB.…”

“…The dietary concentrations of Sc are based on CFU values detected at the moment of the start of the trial. The base diet -better detailed in Trevisi et al (2015a) was based on wheat shorts, corn, barley, extruded barley, soybean meal 50, whey dehydrated and skimmed, potato, protein concentrate, vegetable oil, dehydrated beet pulp, calcium carbonate, monosodium phosphate hydrated, sodium chloride, vitamin and trace mineral mixture, and was integrated with 0.4% L-lysine HCl, 0.2% DL-methionine, 0.15% L-threonine, 0.07% L-tryptophan. The colistin (Sintofarm, Guastalla, Reggio Emilia, Italy) treatment was used as a positive control owing to its activity against the ETEC strain used for the challenge, following a procedure frequently used for this purpose in other trials involving an ETEC challenge (Trevisi et al, 2015b).…”

“…A larger study was designed to test the dietary supplementation of S. cerevisiae CNCM I-4407 (Sc) at different times and doses for counteracting the infection from ETEC in weaned piglets (Trevisi et al 2015a). Our previous results indicated the ability of live yeast to reduce the mortality of piglets, whereas maintaining growth performance, within two weeks post-infection.…”