ISSUE FOCUS 32 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE January 2023 “Intensive swine production systems have, for many years, utilised in-feed antibiotics and therapeutic levels of zinc oxide to support gastrointestinal health and animal performance. As the industry moves away from this practice, it has become apparent that the microbiome can be positively influenced by feeding effective prebiotic fibres, leading to improvements in nutrient availability and maintenance of the normal physiological status of the gastrointestinal tract. The prebiotic effects of unique seaweed blends have been demonstrated in trials...” In the absence of in-feed antibiotics and therapeutic levels of zinc oxide, gastrointestinal health and physiological performance can be maintained by feeding effective prebiotic fibres. The prebiotic effects of unique seaweed blends have been demonstrated in trials with a number of animal species, confirming positive impacts on microbial diversity and on the abundance of beneficial, butyrate-producing gastrointestinal microbiota. GUT HEALTH AND THE MICROBIOME A healthy gastrointestinal (GI) tract is essential for effective nutrient metabolism, animal health and production efficiency in production animals. The gut microbiota is a key component of intestinal health, aiding nutrient absorption and regulating gut barrier function and intestinal immune function, with subsequent benefits for production and feed efficiency (Gardiner et al., 2020). The microbiome’s effect on gut health is mediated both by direct interaction with mucosal epithelial cells or indirectly via the production of metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), secondary bile acids, polyamines and phenols (Vasquez et al., 2022). A healthy GI microbiota is diverse, stable, and relatively resilient. Severe stressors, however, can unfavourably impact the microbial profile of the gut, leading to a condition known as dysbiosis, a disturbance of the normal GI microbial profile. These stressors include nutritional deficiencies, diseases and infections, and environmental challenges. Dysbiosis is associated with suppressed immune function and an increased risk of disease (DeGruttola et al, 2016), and is a leading cause of post-weaning diarrhoea in piglets (Gresse et al, 2017). Recent advancements in both DNA sequencing technology and powerful bio-informatic analyses have facilitated greater understanding of the composition of the GI microbiota, and its impact on the host animal. The dominant phyla in the pig’s caecum are the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, which account for more than 80% of the identified bacterial sequencSEAWEED HAS A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON THE GUT MICROBIOME OF SWINE Ian Hutchinson Technical Director Ocean Harvest Technology
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