Effect of immunobiotics on the immune performance and productivity of pigs

YOSHIHITO SUDA; YU TAKAHASHI; MASANORI TOHNO; JULIO VILLENA; SYOICHI HOSOYA; HITOMI FUJIE; TAKESHI SHIMOSATO; JIN KOBASHI; MITSUHARU ISHIDA; HISASHI ASO; YASUSHI KAWAI; TADAO SAITO; SEIYA MAKINO; SHUNJI IKEGAMI; HARUKI KITAZAWA

Košice

Congreso; International Scientific Conference on Probiotics and Prebiotics 2010; 2010

Introduction The use of antimicrobials in pigs as growth promoters or for therapeutic purposes has been banned, because of the risk of potential infections with resistant pathogens in humans. However, infections in piglets are frequent and are a major cause of the reduction of pig productivity. Immunobiotics have been proposed as an alternative to control infections in pigs. Thus, the aim of this work was to study the effect of the interaction between immunobiotics and antimicrobials for developing new alternatives able to control infections and increase productivity in pigs. Methods Two trials (A, B) were performed in LWD female or castrated male piglets (3 weeks of age): (A) 20 pigs were divided into 4 blocks and they were fed 0, 25, 50 or 100% of conventional feeding diet supplemented adding antimicrobials. (B) 40 pigs were divided into 8 blocks and they were fed 0 or 100% of conventional feeding diet adding antimicrobials supplemented with immunobiotics (L1 and L2) or with cultured medium only. In both trials, the presence of pathogenic E. coli and mycoplasma and the body weight gain were studied every 2 or 3 weeks. In addition, blood samples were taken on week 2 post-treatments, to evaluate changes in blood leukocytes number, granulocytes/leukocytes ratio, macrophage activity, antibody levels, complement activity and concentration of plasma metabolites and C-reactive protein (CRP). After slaughter at 115 kg, carcass traits were recorded. Results A) First trial: The infection level to pathogenic E.coli was low at 8 weeks of age and high from 13 to 15 in all blocks. In 17 weeks, the infection level of 0 and 25% block was extremely high, while that of 50 and 100% block was low. The increase of inflammatory factors in blood was also observed in low antimicrobial blocks. B) Second trial: The infection level to pathogenic E.coli was very low from 13 weeks of age to 15 under supplying no antimicrobials diet with L1 (Block3), and high at 13 in another blocks. From 4 to 8 weeks of age, all blocks had infected. In Block3, plasma CRP concentration was low significantly in the normal region from 13 weeks of age to 15 (p