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This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jas.2007-0747v1 87/3/984    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 Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bhandari, S. K. Articles by Krause, D. O. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bhandari, S. K. Articles by Krause, D. O.

Raw potato starch in weaned pig diets and its influence on post-weaning scours and the molecular microbial ecology of the digestive tract

S. K. Bhandari, C. M. Nyachoti and D. O. Krause^,

Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2 Canada Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2 Canada

denis_krause{at}manitoba.ca

Abstract

We evaluated the effect of raw potato starch (RPS) on growth performance, post-weaning diarrhea, and gastrointestinal microbial populations in weaned piglets. Eighty four piglets were weaned at 17 ± 2 d of age with an average BW of 6.0 ± 0.9 kg. Pigs were blocked by weight and assigned to 1 of 4 diets in a randomized complete block design with 7 replicate pens per diet and 3 pigs per pen. Treatments were: 1) a positive control (PC) containing an antibiotic, 2) a negative control (NC) with no RPS and no antibiotic, 3) NC + 7% RPS (7% RPS), and 4) NC + 14% RPS (14% RPS). Diets were corn-wheat-soybean meal based and formulated to meet NRC 1998 recommendations. ADG, ADFI, and G:F ratio were determined weekly. Fecal consistency (FC) scoring was determined daily. After wk 3, 1 pig with a BW closest to the pen mean was euthanized to evaluate ileal and colonic mucosal-attached Escherichia coli and lactic acid bacteria, as well as digesta pH, VFA and ammonia N concentrations. The DNA was extracted from ileum and colon digesta and used for molecular microbial evaluations using terminal restriction length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of 16S rDNA genes. The ADG for wk 1 was greater (P < 0.01) for the PC diet, but diet had no effect on ADG during wk 3. The ADFI did not differ among treatments during the first 2 wk and ADFI was lowest for 7% RPS diet during wk 3. The NC diet had a greater (P < 0.05) FC score during wk 1 than other treatments but diet had no effect on FC score during wk 2 and 3. Diets had no affect on the colon lactic acid bacterial counts; however, the PC diet had decreased (P < 0.05) colon E. coli counts than other treatments. Ileum and colon digesta pH and total VFA concentrations did not differ aamong treatments. Pigs fed with 7% and 14% RPS diets had greater (P < 0.05) ileum ammonia N concentration compared to pigs fed with other diets. There was more diarrhea (P < 0.05) in the 14% than the 7% RPS and control treatments at d 21. This difference correlated with a decline (P < 0.05) in microbial diversity in the colon. We concluded that 7% RPS can be used to prevent post-weaning diarrhea in weaned piglets, but there are no effects on growth performance.

Key Words: antibiotics • diarrhea • E. coli • microbial ecology • raw potato starch