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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jas.2008-1274v1 87/9/2833    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 Heo, J. M. Articles by Pluske, J. R. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Heo, J. M. Articles by Pluske, J. R.

Feeding a diet with decreased protein content reduces indices of protein fermentation and the incidence of postweaning diarrhea in weaned pigs challenged with an enterotoxigenic strain of Escherichia coli¹

J. M. Heo^*, J. C. Kim, C. F. Hansen^*, B. P. Mullan, D. J. Hampson^* and J. R. Pluske^*,2

^* Animal Research Institute, School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; and Animal Research and Development, Department of Agriculture and Food, Locked Bag 4, Bentley Delivery Center, Western Australia 6983, Australia

² Corresponding author: J.Pluske{at}murdoch.edu.au

This study evaluated the effect of feeding low protein (LP) diets for 7 or 14 d after weaning or a high protein (HP) diet for 14 d after weaning on postweaning diarrhea (PWD), indices of protein fermentation, and production in pigs infected or not infected per os with an enterotoxigenic strain of Escherichia coli. A total of 72 female pigs weaned at aged 21 d with initial BW of 5.9 ± 0.12 kg were used in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. The factors were 3 feeding regimens associated with different combinations of feeding duration and diet CP level: (i) HP diet (256 g of CP/kg) fed for 14 d after weaning, (ii) LP diet (175 g of CP/kg) fed for 7 d after weaning, and (iii) LP diet fed for 14 d after weaning; and infection or noninfection with an enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli (10⁷ cfu/mL, serotype O149:K91:K88) at 72, 96, and 120 h after weaning. The LP diets were fortified with crystalline Ile and Val to achieve an ideal AA pattern. A second-stage diet (213 g of CP/kg) was fed to pigs at the conclusion of each feeding regimen, and the study finished 4 wk after weaning. None of the diets contained antimicrobials. Feeding the LP diets decreased (P < 0.001) plasma urea nitrogen, fecal ammonia nitrogen concentrations, and the incidence of PWD, but increased (P = 0.001) fecal DM content compared with pigs fed HP in the 2-wk period after weaning. Infection increased shedding of β-hemolytic E. coli (P < 0.001), the incidence of PWD (P < 0.001), and fecal ammonia nitrogen concentrations (P < 0.01), but did not interact with feeding regimen, after weaning. Pigs challenged with E. coli grew more slowly (P < 0.001) and had decreased G:F (P < 0.01) compared with nonchallenged pigs in the 4-wk period after weaning. Feeding an LP diet for 7 or 14 d after weaning markedly reduced the incidence of PWD after infection with β-hemolytic E. coli. Infection was associated with decreased indices of protein fermentation in the distal gastrointestinal tract but did not compromise the growth of weaner pigs in the 4-wk period after weaning.

Key Words: Escherichia coli • infection • low protein • pig • postweaning diarrhea • production