Rhodotorula benthica culture as an alternative to antibiotics improves growth performance by improving nutrients digestibility and intestinal morphology, and modulating gut microbiota of weaned piglets

Abstract

The effects of Rhodotorula benthica culture (RBC) and antibiotics (AB) on the growth performance, nutrients digestibility, morphological indicators, and colonic microbiota of weaning piglets were explored. Ninety-six (Duroc × Landrace × Large) weaned piglets (21-day-old) weighing 7.7 ± 0.83 kg, were randomly allocated to 4 dietary treatments. They were fed with basal diet (CON), basal diet + 25 mg/kg bacitracin zinc + 5 mg/kg colistin sulfate (AB), 5 g/kg reduction in soybean meal of basal diet + 5 g/kg RBC (RBC1), or 10 g/kg reduction in soybean meal of basal diet + 10 g/kg RBC (RBC2). The results showed that dietary RBC1 improved the body gain/feed intake (G/F) of weaned piglets than the CON diet, and the RBC2 diet improved the average daily gain and G/F than CON and AB diets from days 15 to 28 (P < 0.05). Supplementation of RBC2 improved the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen, and gross energy in weaned piglets compared to controls from days 15 to 28 (P < 0.05). Dietary AB, RBC1, and RBC2 enhanced the ileal villus height (VH) and VH/crypt depth (CD), and these two indicators were greater in the RBC2-treated piglets than in the AB- and RBC1-treated piglets (P < 0.05). The activity of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) was enhanced by dietary AB, RBC1, and RBC2 (P < 0.05). Serum glutathione (GSH) concentration was elevated by dietary RBC1 and RBC2 (P < 0.05). According to 16S rRNA sequence analysis, AB- and RBC2-treated piglets had a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes and Lachnospiraceae in the colon digesta, and more abundant Lactobacillus was found in RBC1-treated piglets, as compared to the CON group. Additionally, RBC2 supplementation increased the α diversity [Chao1, PD-whole-tree, and observed operational taxonomic units (OTUs)] compared to the CON group. Taken together, the dietary RBC improved the growth performance of weaned piglets. In addition, 10 g/kg of RBC2 in the diet achieved better effects on higher ADG, ileal villi morphology, and stronger antioxidant capacity than dietary AB and RBC1 in weaning piglets.

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) Culture Promotes the Performance of Fattening Sheep by Enhancing Nutrients Digestibility and Rumen Development

“…The increase in NH 3 -N concentration indicates that rumen microbes have enhanced utilization of protein, which may be one of the important reasons why YC improves the growth performance of animals. Malekkhahi [17] and Cole [46] also found that dietary YC supplementation can significantly improve retained N. The reason may be that the addition of YC reduces the circulation of microbial nitrogen in the rumen, accelerates the emptying speed of nutrients to the rear intestinal segment, increases the circulation of total nitrogen in the duodenum, improves the absorption and utilization of nitrogen-containing substances, reduces the discharge of nutrients from feces and urine [47], and promotes the absorption and deposition of nitrogen. Although YC is widely used in practical production, due to its complex composition, the nutritional regulation mechanism of YC on ruminants is not clear, which still needs to be further explored.…”