Improving piglet gut health with nutrition
Written July 29, 2010
By Albert van Dijk
A healthy intestinal wall has long, finger shaped villi that provide an enormous surface for digestion and absorption of nutrients. In case of intestinal damage the villi are shortened which impairs digestion and absorption. The nutrients are left over in the lumen as a substrate for bacteria, causing bacterial overgrowth and disease.
Strategies for maintaining intestinal health after weaning
An important way to improve piglet intestinal health is with nutrition. In general, pig health is closely related to their nutritional status.
Nutritional deficiencies can result in intoxications, hypogalcatia, leg weakness, gastric ulcers, oedema disease and diarrhea. In pigs, the most important nutrition related disease is post-weaning diarrhea and oedema caused by pathogenic E. coli bacteria. Improving health with nutrition is becoming increasingly important, as the use of antibiotics is becoming more restricted. For example, in the EU, antibacterial growth promoters were banned in 2006.
How nutrition influences health
The surface of a pig’s intestine is comparable to a tennis court. It is formed by villi and microvilli, enabling the pig to digest and absorb valuable nutrients from its feed . However, this enormous surface can also be used by pathogenic microorganisms to adhere to and enter the pig’s body. The intestine has the very challenging task to absorb nutrients, but at the same time keep bacteria, viruses and toxins at bay. To keep pathogens out, the intestine is equipped with the largest immunological organ of the whole body: the Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue.
Because the intestine plays a crucial role in keeping pathogenic microorganisms at bay, it is important to maintain the integrity of the intestinal wall. The supply of all normal nutrients must be sufficient, because the intestinal cells are renewed every three days. The intestine takes its nutrients directly out of the intestinal lumen, which is called luminal nutrition. After weaning, it is essential that feed intake is kept at a maximum level. If not, the integrity of the intestine will be disrupted, which can be clearly seen as shortening of the villi.
Certain nutrients such as glutamine, butyric acid and propionic acid are used as an energy source by the intestinal cells. Adding them to the feed can help keep the intestine in optimal shape. Also, antioxidants like vitamin E protect intestinal cells against oxidative damage caused by immunological reactions against pathogens.
Antibiotic alternatives
Several alternatives for antibiotics have been developed in the past decades. Antibacterial growth promoters suppress bacteria in the intestinal tract leaving more nutrients for the pigs to grow. In fact, the alternatives for antibiotics do the same. Worldwide organic acids are used on a large scale because of their antibacterial properties. These acids such as formic, lactic, propionic, benzoic and butyric acid directly inhibit or kill undesired bacteria.
Essential oils are natural compounds a plant produces to protect itself against bacterial infections. They can be successfully applied as an antibacterial additive in feed. Essential oils penetrate the bacterial cell wall and prevent flaggelae from being formed . The effectiveness of organic acids can be boosted by combining them with essential oils. In a challenge trial, weaned piglets were infected with E. coli. After infection, the faecal excretion of E. coli was measured daily. It was found that formic-lac...
(All Rights Reserved)