Effects of purified polymannuronate on the performance, immune status, antioxidant capacity, intestinal microbial populations and volatile fatty acid concentrations of weaned piglets
2016
Zhu, W.H. | Li, D.F. | Wu, H. | Li, J.T. | Chen, Y.Q. | Guan, H.S. | Zhang, L.Y.
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of purified, low-molecular-weight, polymannuronate on the performance, immune status, antioxidant capacity and the intestinal tract fermentation profile of weaned piglets. In a 28-d experiment, 180 crossbred Duroc×(Landrace×Yorkshire) piglets weighing 9.19±1.47kg and weaned at 35 days of age, were divided into 5 groups and fed corn-soybean meal based diets supplemented with 0, 3, 4, 5 or 6g/kg polymannuronate (supplemented at the expense of corn). Each treatment was replicated 6 times with 6 pigs per replicate. Average daily gain (ADG), gain to feed (G:F) ratio as well as the serum IgM and hepatic glutathione linearly increased (P<0.01) with increasing level of polymannuronate. Supplementation with increasing levels of dietary polymannuronate resulted in increased numbers of ileal and colonic lactic acid bacteria (linear effect, P<0.01). The number of E. coli in ileum and colon was linearly decreased (P<0.05) with increasing level of polymannuronate. At the end of the experiment, ileal and cecal lactic acid concentrations were significantly linearly increased (P<0.01) with increasing level of polymannuronate. The concentration of butyric acid in the cecum, acetic acid and total VFA in colonic were also linearly increased (P<0.05) with increasing polymannuronate inclusion levels. These results indicate that polymannuronate can improve immune status, antioxidant capacity and performance of weaned piglets.
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