Review: Are we using probiotics correctly in post-weaning piglets?

Abstract

Intensive farming may involve the use of diets, environments or management practices that impose physiological and psychological stressors on the animals. In particular, early weaning is nowadays a common practice to increase the productive yield of pig farms. Still, it is considered one of the most critical periods in swine production, where piglet performance can be seriously affected and where they are predisposed to the overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens. Pig producers nowadays face the challenge to overcome this situation in a context of increasing restrictions on the use of antibiotics in animal production. Great efforts are being made to find strategies to help piglets overcome the challenges of early weaning. Among them, a nutritional strategy that has received increasing attention in the last few years is the use of probiotics. It has been extensively documented that probiotics can reduce digestive disorders and improve productive parameters. Still, research in probiotics so far has also been characterized as being inconsistent and with low reproducibility from farm to farm. Scientific literature related to probiotic effects against gastrointestinal pathogens will be critically examined in this review. Moreover, the actual practical approach when using probiotics in these animals, and potential strategies to increase consistency in probiotic effects, will be discussed. Thus, considering the boost in probiotic research observed in recent years, this paper aims to provide a much-needed, in-depth review of the scientific data published to-date. Furthermore, it aims to be useful to swine nutritionists, researchers and the additive industry to critically consider their approach when developing or using probiotic strategies in weaning piglets.

Oregano Feed Supplementation Affects Glycoconjugates Production in Swine Gut

“…The European ban towards antibiotics has increased the number of studies on the effects of feed additives-such as plant extracts, trace minerals, organic acids, probiotics, and polyunsaturated fatty acids [1][2][3][4][5][6]-in order to enhance the health and welfare status of domestic animals intended for human consumption. Moreover, a significant correlation between oxidative status, productive performance, and gastrointestinal mucosal disease was observed in intensive rearing systems, such as poultry and pig farms [7,8].…”

Applicability of an Unmedicated Feeding Program Aimed to Reduce the Use of Antimicrobials in Nursery Piglets: Impact on Performance and Fecal Microbiota

“…Many of these additives have been shown to promote beneficial effects on the gut ecosystem particularly at weaning, when the microbiota has to face the risk of dysbiosis [3]. Between the positive effects reported, we can find improvements in digestibility, intestinal immunity, and the promotion of beneficial bacteria at the expense of harmful [4][5][6][7].…”

Isolation of swine‐derived Lactobacillus plantarum and its synergistic antimicrobial and health‐promoting properties with ZnO nanoparticles

“…As an antibiotic alternative, probiotics, especially Lactobacillus strains, have gained considerable interest in recent years for their health‐promoting roles in the protection against various gut associated disorders including postweaning diarrhoea (Barba‐Vidal et al, , ). In the present study, our newly isolated L. plantarum BLPL03 from piglet gastrointestinal tract possessed strong tolerance to acid, bile salt and antibiotics, and exhibited synergistic in vitro antibacterial activities and gut microbiota modulation in mice challenged with Salm.…”

“…However, the benefit of probiotic as growth promoter and therapeutic antimicrobial is highly variable in weaned piglets. There are evidences showing that probiotic administration did not affect piglet growth performance and nutrient digestibility (Barba‐Vidal et al ; Dowarah et al ). It is note that postweaning diarrhoea and growth retardation mainly relates to intestinal microbiota disorders, especially rapid growth of pathogens.…”