Raw potato starch in weaned pig diets and its influence on postweaning scours and the molecular microbial ecology of the digestive tract

• Published in: Journal of animal science 2009-03, Vol.87 (3), p.984-993
• Main Authors: Bhandari, S.K, Nyachoti, C.M, Krause, D.O
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animal productions; Animals; antibiotics; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; body weight; Body Weight - physiology; colon; Colon - microbiology; diarrhea; Diet - veterinary; digesta; Escherichia coli; feces; feed conversion; feed intake; feed rations; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastrointestinal Contents - chemistry; Gastrointestinal Tract - microbiology; ileum; intestinal microorganisms; intestinal mucosa; Intestinal Mucosa - microbiology; lactic acid bacteria; liveweight gain; microbial ecology; Organ Size - physiology; piglet feeding; piglets; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; potato starch; Random Allocation; Solanum tuberosum - metabolism; Starch - administration & dosage; Swine - metabolism; Swine - microbiology; swine diseases; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates; Weaning
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163
• DOI: 10.2527/jas.2007-0747

We evaluated the effect of raw potato starch (RPS) on growth performance, postweaning diarrhea, and gastrointestinal microbial populations in weaned piglets. Eighty-four piglets were weaned at 17 ± 2 d of age with an average BW of 6.0 ± 0.9 kg. Pigs were blocked by BW and assigned to 1 of 4 diets in a randomized complete block design with 7 replicate pens per diet and 3 pigs per pen. Treatments were 1) a positive control (PC) containing an antibiotic, 2) a negative control (NC) with no RPS and no antibiotic, 3) NC + 7% RPS (7% RPS), and 4) NC + 14% RPS (14% RPS). Diets were corn-wheat-soybean meal-based and formulated to meet NRC (1998) recommendations. The ADG, ADFI, and G:F ratio were determined weekly. Fecal consistency (FC) scoring was determined daily. After wk 3, 1 pig with a BW closest to the pen mean was killed to evaluate ileal and colonic mucosal-attached Escherichia coli and lactic acid bacteria, as well as digesta pH, VFA, and ammonia N concentrations. The DNA was extracted from ileum and colon digesta and used for molecular microbial evaluations using terminal-RFLP analysis of 16S rDNA genes. The ADG for wk 1 was greater (P < 0.01) for the PC diet, but diet had no effect on ADG during wk 3. The ADFI did not differ among treatments during the first 2 wk, and ADFI was least for 7% RPS diet during wk 3. The NC diet had a greater (P < 0.05) FC score during wk 1 than other treatments, but diet had no effect on FC score during wk 2 and 3. Diets had no effect on the colon lactic acid bacterial counts; however, the PC diet had decreased (P < 0.05) colon E. coli counts than other treatments. Ileum and colon digesta pH and total VFA concentrations did not differ among treatments. Pigs fed with 7 and 14% RPS diets had greater (P < 0.05) ileum ammonia N concentration compared with pigs fed with other diets. There was more diarrhea (P < 0.05) in the 14% than the 7% RPS and control treatments at d 21. This difference correlated with a decline (P < 0.05) in microbial diversity in the colon. We concluded that 7% RPS can be used to prevent postweaning diarrhea in weaned piglets, but there are no effects on growth performance.