Growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and fecal microflora in weanling pigs fed live yeast1

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of live yeast supplementation on nursery pig performance, nutrient digestibility, and fecal microflora and to determine whether live yeast could replace antibiotics and growth-promoting concentrations of Zn and Cu in nursery pigs. In Exp. 1, 156 pigs were weaned at 17 d of age (BW = 5.9 kg) and allotted to a 2 x 2 factorial randomized complete block design (six or seven pigs per pen with six pens per treatment). Factors consisted of 1) dietary supplementation with oat products (oat flour and steam-rolled oats; 0 or 27.7%) and 2) yeast supplementation at 0 or 1.6 x 10(7) cfu of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SC47/g of feed. In Exp. 2, 96 pigs were weaned at 17 d of age and allotted to a 2 x 2 factorial randomized complete block design (four pigs per pen with six pens per treatment) with factors of 1) diet type (positive control containing growth-promoting concentrations of Zn, Cu, and antibiotics or negative control) and 2) live yeast supplementation (0 or 2.4 x 10(7) cfu of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SC47/g of feed). The inclusion of oat products in Exp. 1 decreased (P < 0.10) overall ADG and final BW. Yeast supplementation did not affect growth performance of pigs in Exp. 1 (P = 0.65); however, ADG in Exp. 2 was 10.6% greater (P < 0.01) and ADFI was increased by 9.4% (P < 0.10) in pigs supplemented with yeast in the positive control diet. Addition of Zn, Cu, and antibiotics to the diet improved gain:feed ratio during the prestarter period (P < 0.02) and overall (P = 0.10). In Exp. 1, inclusion of oat products increased (P < 0.01) total bacteria in feces when measured on d 10. Fecal lactobacilli measured on d 28 were reduced (P < 0.05) in pigs fed diets with oat products and yeast (interaction, P < 0.05). In Exp. 2, yeast supplementation decreased (P < 0.05) total bacteria and lactobacilli. Dietary yeast resulted in a greater (P < 0.05) yeast count in feces of pigs during the starter phase of Exp. 1. Yeast decreased (P < 0.10) the digestibility of DM, fat, and GE in the prestarter phase and DM, fat, P, and GE in the starter phase, whereas oat products increased the digestibility of DM, CP, fat, and GE (P < 0.05) in the prestarter phase. Results indicate that live yeast supplementation had a positive effect on nursery pig performance when diets contained growth-promoting antimicrobials. Nonetheless, the response was variable, and the conditions under which a response might be expected need to be further defined.

Effects of Dietary Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Butyric Acid Glycerides on Performance and Serum Lipid Level of Broiler Chickens

“…Some studies have confirmed the effects of yeast products in increasing concentration of commensal microbes or suppressing pathogenic bacteria [5] . However, these effects were not reported by Van Heugten et al [7] .…”

The role of dietary nucleotides in single-stomached animals

“…However, Shen et al (81) reported higher apparent digestibilities of DM, crude protein and net energy in piglets (aged 21 -42 d) fed a diet supplemented with 5 g/kg of a yeast culture product compared with the control group. On the other hand, van Heugten et al (53) observed lower digestibilities of DM, fat and net energy in the pre-starter phase, and also a decrease in DM, fat, P and net energy digestibility in the starter phase of piglets (aged 17-45 d) which were fed a live yeast product (1·6 £ 10 7 colonyforming units Saccharomyces cerevisiae/g feed) in comparison with the control treatment.…”

“…In several studies dietary nucleotides as a yeast product were added to the diets of pigs of different ages but failed to improve growth performance (4,11,53,55,83,86,96,116,117) . Similarly, a study by Sijben et al (118) showed that dietary yeast nucleotides (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) did not affect energy intake, heat production and energy retention of barrows.…”

The effects of prebiotic, probiotic and synbiotic supplementation on intestinal microbial ecology and histomorphology of broiler chickens

“…Some studies have confirmed the effects of yeast culture (YC) in increasing concentrations of commensal microbes or suppressing pathogenic bacteria 34 . However, these effects were not reported by others 39,36 .…”