Growth performance, digestibility, gut environment and health status in weaned piglets fed a diet supplemented with potentially probiotic complexes of lactic acid bacteria

The impact of supplementing a diet with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) complexes of LAB selected for probiotic properties, on growth performance, digestibility, gut environment and health status was studied in weaned piglets. Ninety-six (48 females and 48 males) piglets (L × Y) from 12 litters, weaned at 21–23 days of age (6.6 ± 0.5 kg body weight), were selected and divided randomly into 4 groups balanced for sex, weight and litter origin. In each group, the piglets were divided randomly into 4 pens (replicates), and each group was fed one of 4 diets for 35 days. A basal diet without antibiotics or probiotics was used as control, and the other 3 groups were fed the control diet supplemented with 600 ppm of one of three different LAB complexes, comprising combinations of Enterococcus faecium 6H2, Lactobacillus acidophilus C3, Pediococcus pentosaceus D7, L. plantarum 1K8 and L. plantarum 3K2. Supplementation with LAB complexes increased (P < 0.05) daily feed intake and weight gain and improved feed conversion ratio, but there were no differences among the LAB treatments (P > 0.05). In the first 2 weeks after weaning, supplementation with LAB complexes increased (P < 0.05) the ileal apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF) and organic matter, and the total tract apparent digestibility of CP and CF. Supplementation with LAB complexes increased the LAB counts at all sampling sites (P < 0.05) at days 14 and 35 post-weaning and increased the concentrations of lactic acid and acetic acid (P < 0.05) in ileum and colon. Counts of E. coli remained unaffected by LAB complex supplementation (P > 0.05). In the first 2 weeks after weaning, piglets fed diets supplemented with LAB complexes were less affected by diarrhoea than piglets fed the control diet suggesting that the LAB complexes tested have probiotic properties in weaned piglets.