Yeast Probiotics Shape the Gut Microbiome and Improve the Health of Early-Weaned Piglets

Abstract

Weaning is one of the most stressful challenges in the pig’s life, which contributes to dysfunctions of intestinal and immune system, disrupts the gut microbial ecosystem, and therefore compromises the growth performance and health of piglets. To mitigate the negative impact of the stress on early-weaned piglets, effective measures are needed to promote gut health. Toward this end, we tamed a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain and developed a probiotic Duan-Nai-An, which is a yeast culture of the tamed S. cerevisiae on egg white. In this study, we tested the performance of Duan-Nai-An on growth and health of early-weaned piglets and analyzed its impact on fecal microbiota. The results showed that Duan-Nai-An significantly improved weight gain and feed intake, and reduced diarrhea and death of early-weaned piglets. Analysis of the gut microbiota showed that the bacterial community was shaped by Duan-Nai-An and maintained as a relatively stable structure, represented by a higher core OTU number and lower unweighted UniFrac distances across the early weaned period. However, fungal community was not significantly shaped by the yeast probiotics. Notably, 13 bacterial genera were found to be associated with Duan-Nai-An feeding, including Enterococcus, Succinivibrio, Ruminococcus, Sharpea, Desulfovibrio, RFN20, Sphaerochaeta, Peptococcus, Anaeroplasma, and four other undefined genera. These findings suggest that Duan-Nai-An has the potential to be used as a feed supplement in swine production.

Effect of dietary supplementation with hyperimmunized hen egg yolk powder on diarrhoea incidence and intestinal health of weaned pigs

“…Weaning is one of the most stressful challenges for pigs, which provides an opportunity for the pathogenic microorganism to invade, disrupt the gut microbial ecosystem and induce gastric disorders. Intestinal microbes, regulated by dietary manipulation, play a crucial role in animal health (Xu et al, 2018). The results of current work are consistent with previous studies that specific IgY successfully controlled intestinal infections of ETEC strains (E. coli K88, K99, 987P, and F18) in young pigs (Yokoyama et al, 1992;Owusu-Asiedu et al, 2003).…”

Comparative of probiotics reveals cecal microbial component associated with performance parameters in broilers

“…Although SINGLE2 increased BW at the same age, the feed efficiency (FI and FCR) was deteriorated compared to CON-treated broilers. Dietary supplementation of live yeast, yeast cultures, or yeast cell wall products was shown to have positive effects on animal performance [20–23]. Similar to our findings, Yalçin et al, 2013 showed that Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation improved weight gain during the starter period of broiler chickens, although there were no effects on final weight (42d).…”

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

“…In the same way, lactic acid has been demonstrated to be an effective organic acid to mitigate post-weaning diarrhea [41]. Yeast, besides being a protein and a vitamin source, can also act as a probiotic, improving fiber digestion and general gut health [21,42]. Moreover, the beta-glucans, which comprise its cell-wall, can act as prebiotics and have been shown to have immunomodulatory activities [43], which could also contribute to reducing post-weaning diarrhea and alleviating intestinal inflammation.…”

“…The recent development of new generation sequencing (NGS) technology, with affordable associated costs, has allowed improvement in the knowledge of the role played by in-feed additives and DF on the intestinal microbiota of pigs. Different works have been published illustrating the changes induced by the use of organic acids [18,19], probiotics [20,21], or different types or levels of fiber [22], although studies are still scarce and results are not always consistent. Moreover, the definition of what should be considered a well-balanced and robust microbial ecosystem during the weaning period is still to be determined.…”