ORIGINAL PAPER
Dietary inclusion of Bacillus-based probiotic complex improved
average daily weight gain and gain-to-feed ratio
and reduced faecal noxious gas emission in weaned pigs
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1
Dankook University, Department of Animal Biotechnology, Cheonan, 31116, South Korea
2
Dankook University, Smart Animal Bio Institute, Cheonan, 31116, South Korea
3
Yangzhou University, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou, 225009, China
4
Yulin University, Department of Animal Science, Yulin, 719000, China
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Publication date: 2025-01-08
Corresponding author
I. H. Kim
Dankook University, Department of Animal Biotechnology, Cheonan, 31116, South Korea
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary
supplementation with a Bacillus-based probiotic complex on growth performance,
nutrient digestibility, blood metabolites and faecal microbial communities in
weaned piglets. A total of 144 crossbred weaned pigs (Yorkshire × Landrace) ×
Duroc, 28 days old, were randomly allocated to one of four dietary treatments.
Each treatment was replicated in six pens, with six pigs per pen (three barrows
and three gilts). The treatments included a basal diet (CON), and a basal diet supplemented
with graded levels (0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3%) of a probiotic complex consisting
of Bacillus subtilis (1.0 × 109 CFU/g) and B. licheniformis (1.0 × 109 CFU/g).
The experimental diets were administered in a mash form for six weeks. The
results showed that the gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) on days 0–7, and G:F and average
daily weight gain (ADG) during days 22–42 and 0–42 increased linearly with
higher proportions of added probiotics (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the 0.3% probiotic
group exhibited significantly higher ADG and G:F ratio on days 0–42 compared
to the CON group (P < 0.05). The concentrations of NH3 and H2S in faeces were
also significantly lower in the 0.3% probiotic group compared to the CON group
(P < 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of the 0.3% Bacillus probiotic complex to
the diet resulted in an increase in average daily weight gain and the feed-to-gain
ratio of weaned piglets, as well as a reduction in faecal noxious gas emissions.
FUNDING
This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-RS-2023-00275307).
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
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