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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jas.2007-0608v1 86/10/2596    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Swyers, K. L. Articles by Shelton, J. L. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Swyers, K. L. Articles by Shelton, J. L.

Effects of direct-fed microbial supplementation on digestibility and fermentation end-products in horses fed low- and high-starch concentrates¹

K. L. Swyers^*, A. O. Burk^*,2, T. G. Hartsock^*, E. M. Ungerfeld^* and J. L. Shelton

^* University of Maryland, College Park 20742; and and Cargill Animal Nutrition, Innovation Center, Elk River, MN 55330

² Corresponding author: amyburk{at}umd.edu

A study was conducted to determine whether direct-fed microbials (DFM) could be used to increase digestibility and minimize the risk of acidosis associated with feeding an increase in the amount of starch fed to horses. Fifteen mature Thoroughbred geldings were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments in a 3 x 3 Latin square design balanced for carryover effects. Within each 26-d period, horses were offered grass hay + low-starch concentrate (LS; 1.2 g of starch·kg of BW^–1·meal^–1) from d 1 to 13 and then were abruptly changed to hay + high-starch concentrate (HS; 2.4 g of starch·kg of BW^–1·meal^–1) on d 14 continuing through d 26. The DFM treatments were offered in concentrate pellets at a target dosage of 10⁸ cfu/(50 kg of BW·d) as follows: no DFM (CON; control), Lactobacillus acidophilus (LAC1; single-species DFM), or a mixture of L. acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Enterococcus faecium (LAC4; multiple-species DFM). Total feces were collected over 72 h from d 11 to 13 (LS; low dietary starch collection), from d 15 to 17 (AC; abrupt change in dietary starch collection), and at the end of each experimental period, from d 24 to 26 (HS; high dietary starch collection). Data collected consisted of total DM intake and fecal output, fecal pH, fecal acetate and propionate concentrations, and viable numbers of DFM in the feed. With the exception of Fe digestibility, there were no starch x DFM interactions. There was an effect of starch level (P 0.02) on most nutrient digestibilities, except for Mg (P = 0.08) and CP, K, and Zn (P > 0.10). Horses supplemented with LAC4 had increased ether extract (P < 0.05) and a tendency for decreased Na (P < 0.10) digestibilities compared with CON horses. All DFM-supplemented horses had increased Cu (P < 0.05) and Fe and numerically increased Zn digestibilities compared with CON horses. Fecal pH decreased (P < 0.05), and fecal propionate concentration increased (P < 0.05) as dietary starch content changed from LS to HS. There was a tendency for elevated fecal pH (P < 0.10) in LAC1 horses compared with CON horses. These results confirm that increasing starch in the equine diet can enhance nutrient digestibility of the diet. Supplementing equine diets with either a single or mixed strain direct-fed lactic acid bacteria had limited effects on nutrient digestibility or on reducing the risk of acidosis associated with feeding high-starch concentrates to horses. The potential response of DFM supplementation should be evaluated when a more acute acidotic state is induced in horses than in the current study.

Key Words: digestibility • direct-fed microbial • horse • Lactobacillus acidophilus • probiotic • starch