Publikationsdatenbank

Effects of dietary rye and rapeseed on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, digesta characteristics and the intestinal microbiome of weaner piglets (2022)

Art

Hochschulschrift

Autor

Ellner, Carola (WE 4)

Quelle

Berlin, 2022 — IV, 81 Seiten

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/36522

Kontakt

Institut für Tierernährung

Königin-Luise-Str. 49
14195 Berlin
+49 30 838 52256
tierernaehrung@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Rye and rapeseed meal (RSM) are interesting alternatives to wheat and soybean meal (SBM) for the nutrition of weaner piglets, especially regarding current challenges of pig production with respect to climate change and globalized trading of feed components. Rye tolerates more extreme temperatures and lower soil quality than wheat, rapeseed is adapted better to local climate conditions than soybean. The level of inclusion of rye and RSM into piglets’ diets was limited in the past due to the practical evidence of a lower palatability and anti-nutritional factors. Nonetheless, the content of dietary fibre increases with the inclusion of rye and RSM instead of wheat and SBM which might have beneficial effects on digestive physiology and resident microbiota. Moreover, recent studies showed that the feeding of high levels of rye and RSM did not reduce growth performance and feed intake of young pigs. However, research on the combined feeding of rye and RSM in piglets is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rye and RSM included at a high dietary inclusion level in comparison to wheat and SBM on growth performance, protein, amino acid, and non-starch-polysaccharide (NSP) digestibility, physical characteristics of the digesta, intestinal morphology, and the composition and metabolic activity of intestinal microbiota in weaner pigs. A feeding trial was conducted with 88 piglets. At weaning at the age of 28 days, the piglets were randomly allocated to four groups and housed two piglets per pen. They were fed one of four isonitrogenous, pelleted diets ad libitum (n = 11): wheat/SBM, wheat/RSM, rye/SBM, and rye/RSM. Dietary inclusion level was 48 % for the cereals, 25 % for SBM, and 30 % for RSM. The diets were analysed for nutrient composition including total dietary fibre and NSP. Body weight gain and feed intake were recorded weekly and faecal consistency was scored daily. After 33 days, one piglet per pen was euthanized for the assessment and collection of digesta and the measurement of intestinal morphology. Digesta samples were analysed for pH value, viscosity, dry matter and nutrient digestibility, bacterial metabolites, and relative abundance of microbiota. The rye-based diets contained more soluble NSP than wheat-based diets. The RSM-based diets were higher in insoluble NSP compared to SBM. Growth performance was not affected by rye, but RSM reduced weight gain (p = 0.024) and feed intake (p = 0.037) compared to SBM. Rye and RSM decreased apparent ileal digestibility of crude protein and amino acids (p < 0.05). Colonic and faecal digestibility of NSP was higher in rye-fed piglets (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, respectively), lower in RSM-fed piglets (p < 0.001). Rye-fed pigs showed a more acidic and viscous small intestinal digesta (p = 0.045, p = 0.013, respectively), and a higher relative weight of the colon tissue (p < 0.001). Concentration of short-chain fatty acids was higher in rye-fed piglets in jejunum and colon (p < 0.001, p = 0.016, respectively). RSM lowered jejunal concentration of short-chain fatty acids (p = 0.001). Rye increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and decreased Proteobacteria in the jejunum (p = 0.039, p = 0.002, respectively). Firmicutes were decreased and Actinobacteria (jejunum, colon, faeces: p < 0.050), jejunal Proteobacteria (p = 0.019) and colonic Bacteroidetes (p = 0.014) were increased in RSM-fed pigs compared to SBM. In conclusion, this study showed that rye and RSM can be used as alternatives to wheat and SBM in compound feed for weaner piglets without or with only a minor reduction of growth performance and protein digestibility and without any negative effect on animal health. In fact, the inclusion level of rye and RSM may be higher than previously recommended. Effects on digestive physiology and intestinal microbiota were mainly associated with the different composition of dietary fibre of the investigated feed components. The high content of soluble dietary fibre in rye was more degradable than wheat fibre, caused an increased microbial fermentative activity but did not induce a shift of the colonic microbiota. RSM was most likely too high in insoluble dietary fibre which led to the reduction of protein digestibility and bacterial metabolic activity as well an increased relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes which are known to degrade insoluble fibre. Future research is warranted to elucidate further possible beneficial features of rye and RSM, to evaluate the optimum dietary inclusion level of these feed components, and to improve the understanding of the mechanisms, including host-microbiota interaction, that facilitate targeted practical use of rye and RSM instead of wheat and SBM in pig nutrition.