Direct-fed Enterococcus faecium plus bacteriophages as substitutes for pharmacological zinc oxide in weanling pigs: effects on diarrheal score and growth

Abstract

Objective: Effects of direct-fed Enterococcus faecium plus bacteriophages (EF-BP) were investigated as potential substitutes for pharmacological ZnO for weanling pigs. Methods: Dietary treatments were supplementations to a basal diet with none (NC), 3,000ppm ZnO (PC), 1×10 10 colony-forming units of E. faecium plus 1×10 8 plaque-forming units (PFU) of anti-Salmonella typhimurium bacteriophages (ST) or 1×10 6 PFU of each of anti-enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88 (F4)-, K99 (F5)-, and F18-type bacteriophages (EC) per kg diet. In Exp 1, twenty-eight 21-day-old crossbred weanling pigs were individually fed one of the experimental diets for 14 days and euthanized for histological examination on intestinal mucosal morphology. In Exp 2, 128 crossbred weanling pigs aged 24 days were group-fed the same experimental diets in 16 pens of 8 piglets on a farm with a high incidence of post-weaning diarrhea. Results: None of the diarrheal score or fecal consistency score (FCS), average daily gain (ADG), gain: feed ratio, structural variables of the intestinal villus, and goblet cell density, differed between the EF-BP (ST+EC) and NC groups, between EF-BP and PC, or between ST and EC, with the exception of greater gain: feed for EF-BP than for PC (p<0.05) during days 7 to 14 (Exp 1). In Exp 2, ADG was less for EF-BP vs PC during days 0 to 7 and greater for EF-BP vs NC during days 7 to 14. FCS peaked on day 7 and declined by day 14. Moreover, FCS was less for EF-BP vs NC, did not differ between EF-BP and PC, and tended to be greater for ST vs EC (p = 0.099). Collectively, EF-BP was comparable to or slightly less effective than PC in alleviating diarrhea and growth check of the weanling pigs, with ST almost as effective as PC, when they were group-fed. Conclusion: The E. faecium-bacteriophage recipe, especially E. faecium-anti-S. typhimurium, is promising as a potential substitute for pharmacological ZnO.

Effect of Bacteriophages on Intestinal Colonization of Escherichia coli, Cecal Microbiota Composition, Intestinal Morphology, and Growth Performance in Nursery Pigs from Commercial Pig Farms

“…In pig production, stressful changes in weaned pigs leads to immune system dysfunctions and decreased piglet health and growth performance (Campbell et al, 2013). The findings of this study are consistent with previous reports (Yan et al, 2012;Oh et al, 2022). Supplementing bacteriophages in the diet of nursery pigs to replace colistin did not affect the ADFI, the ADG, or the FCR.…”

“…Bacteriophages are proposed as a way to control pathogenic bacteria in the swine farming industry (Kim et al, 2017;Oh et al, 2022). Several studies have shown that bacteriophage therapy can significantly reduce the E. coli and Salmonella spp.…”