Journal of Animal Science, Vol 75, Issue 10 2715-2722, Copyright © 1997 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Microbial perspective on fiber utilization by swine

V. H. Varel and J. T. Yen
USDA-ARS, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE 68933, USA.

Dietary fiber may contribute up to 30% of the maintenance energy needs of growing pigs. Higher energy contributions may be obtained from dietary fiber fed to sows, along with some improvements in reproduction, health, and well-being. As long as cereal grain supplies and high-quality protein supplements are abundant, the use of fibrous feeds for swine most likely will be limited. However, as the human demand for cereal grains increases, swine producers, especially those with reproductive animals, may be economically forced to incorporate alternative feedstuffs. These feedstuffs might include lignified plant cell wall material such as grasses and legumes, and feed-milling and distillery by-products that contain a high level of fiber residues. The microflora in swine large intestine will be able to adapt to these lignified forages and by-product feeds much better than the microflora in humans. Swine microflora contain highly active ruminal cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic bacterial species, which include Fibrobacter succinogenes (intestinalis), Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Butyrivibrio spp., and Prevotella ruminicola. Additionally, a new highly active cellulolytic bacterium, Clostridium herbivorans, has been recently isolated from pig large intestine. The populations of these microorganisms are known to increase in response to the ingestion of diets high in plant cell wall material. The numbers of cellulolytic bacteria from adult animals are approximately 6.7 times greater than those found in growing pigs. None of these highly active cellulolytic bacterial species are found in the human large intestine. Thus, the pig large intestinal fermentation of fiber seems to more closely resemble that of ruminants than that of humans.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. A. Renteria-Flores, L. J. Johnston, G. C. Shurson, and D. D. Gallaher Effect of soluble and insoluble fiber on energy digestibility, nitrogen retention, and fiber digestibility of diets fed to gestating sows J Anim Sci, October 1, 2008; 86(10): 2568 - 2575. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. T. Rincon, T. Cepeljnik, J. C. Martin, Y. Barak, R. Lamed, E. A. Bayer, and H. J. Flint A Novel Cell Surface-Anchored Cellulose-Binding Protein Encoded by the sca Gene Cluster of Ruminococcus flavefaciens J. Bacteriol., July 1, 2007; 189(13): 4774 - 4783. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. H. Whitney, G. C. Shurson, and R. C. Guedes Effect of dietary inclusion of distillers dried grains with solubles, soybean hulls, or a polyclonal antibody product on the ability of growing pigs to resist a Lawsonia intracellularis challenge J Anim Sci, July 1, 2006; 84(7): 1880 - 1889. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. A. Rachuonyo, V. G. Allen, and J. J. McGlone Behavior, preference for, and use of alfalfa, tall fescue, white clover, and buffalograss by pregnant gilts in an outdoor production system J Anim Sci, September 1, 2005; 83(9): 2225 - 2234. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. L. Zhu, M. Rademacher, and C. F. M. de Lange Increasing dietary pectin level reduces utilization of digestible threonine intake, but not lysine intake, for body protein deposition in growing pigs J Anim Sci, May 1, 2005; 83(5): 1044 - 1053. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. T. Yen, V. H. Varel, and J. A. Nienaber Metabolic and microbial responses in western crossbred and Meishan growing pigs fed a high-fiber diet J Anim Sci, June 1, 2004; 82(6): 1740 - 1755. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Campbell, C. V. Williams, and J. H. Eisemann Fecal Inoculum Can Be Used to Determine the Rate and Extent of In Vitro Fermentation of Dietary Fiber Sources across Three Lemur Species That Differ in Dietary Profile: Varecia variegata, Eulemur fulvus and Hapalemur griseus J. Nutr., October 1, 2002; 132(10): 3073 - 3080. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. D. Leser, R. H. Lindecrona, T. K. Jensen, B. B. Jensen, and K. Møller Changes in Bacterial Community Structure in the Colon of Pigs Fed Different Experimental Diets and after Infection with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Appl. Envir. Microbiol., August 1, 2000; 66(8): 3290 - 3296. [Abstract] [Full Text]