Effect of fermented liquid feed on morpho-histological parameters in the piglet gut

Fermented liquid feed (FLF) is a feeding strategy which is said to ameliorate the gastro-intestinal health in pigs. However, the morpho-histological characteristics of the gut are mostly not assessed. Two experiments with weaned piglets were conducted in order to investigate the effect of FLF on vil...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Livestock science 2010-09, Vol.134 (1), p.155-157
Main Authors: Missotten, J.A.M., Michiels, J., Willems, W., Ovyn, A., De Smet, S., Dierick, N.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Crypt
depth
feed formulation
feed rations
fermentation
Fermented liquid feed
height
histology
intestinal crypts
Lactic acid bacteria
liquid diet
liquids
lymphocytes
Pig
piglet feeding
piglets
Probiotic
villi
Villus
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Summary:Fermented liquid feed (FLF) is a feeding strategy which is said to ameliorate the gastro-intestinal health in pigs. However, the morpho-histological characteristics of the gut are mostly not assessed. Two experiments with weaned piglets were conducted in order to investigate the effect of FLF on villus height, crypt depth, villus height/crypt depth ratio and number of intra-epithelial lymphocytes (IELs). In experiment I, piglets (n = 6 per treatment) were fed a dry weaner feed or the same feed as FLF (with a feed:water ratio of 1:3; fermented with a Lactobacillus salivarius strain (MB 3083) at 30 °C). At day 9 the piglets were sacrificed and their gastro-intestinal tract was sampled at two places (3 m distal to the stomach = SI1 and 3 m proximal to the caecum = SI2). In experiment II, piglets (n = 9 per treatment) were fed the same dry weaner feed or as FLF (feed:water ratio of 1:2.5; fermented with Pediococcus acidilactici (Bactocell®, Lallemand, France) at 30 °C) and were sacrificed at day 28. In experiment I, the piglets on FLF had a significantly ( P < 0.05) lower villus height (414 vs. 517 μm) and villus/crypt ratio (1.52 vs. 1.65) in SI2 compared with the control piglets. In experiment II, there were no significant differences for these parameters between the two treatments. In both experiments no significant treatment effects were noted for IELs. In conclusion, no improvement of the morpho-histological parameters was seen when feeding a complete diet as FLF.
ISSN:1871-1413
1878-0490
DOI:10.1016/j.livsci.2010.06.124