Publikationsdatenbank

Impact of jejunal digesta from fibre-fed piglets on the in vitro growth of pathogenic Escherichia coli (2025)

Art

Poster

Autoren

Lai, Jinhua (WE 4)

Zentek, Jürgen (WE 4)

Grześkowiak, Lukasz (WE 4)

Kongress

29th Congress of the European Society of Veterinary & Comparative Nutrition ESVCN

Leipzig, 04. – 06.09.2025

Quelle

Proceedings of the 29th Congress of the European Society of Veterinary & Comparative Nutrition ESVCN : 4th – 6th September 2025 Leipzig, Germany — Wilkens MR, Vervuert I, Heilmann R, Dobenecker B, Rackwitz R (eds.) (Hrsg.)

Leipzig: Müller Buchbinderei GmbH, 2025. LBH: Leipziger Blaue Hefte — S. 144

Sprache

Englisch

Kontakt

Institut für Tierernährung

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

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Introduction: The impact of dietary fibre (DF) on the gut microbiota and intestinal health of piglets has been extensively studied. Certain DFs, such as inulin and wheat bran, have shown a potential against pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) in pigs [1]. Most studies have focused on the effects of a single component of intestinal microbial DF metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, on pathogens. However, the synergistic effect of various bioactive compounds derived from dietary fibre fermentation by the piglet gut microbiota against the porcine pathogen E. coli has not yet been investigated. Therefore, it was hypothesised that the jejunal digesta obtained from piglets fed different dietary fibres inhibits the growth of enteropathogenic E. coli in in vitro settings.
Animals, material and methods: Utilising a 2 × 2 factorial design (weaning age x fibre source), 47 piglets were randomly selected from sows fed 10% hay (HAY) or sugar beet pulp (SBP) and divided into four groups (n = 11~12). The suckling piglets were fed diet with identical fibre type and concentrate as in the maternal diet, starting from 14 days of life onwards. Fibre was incorporated into a complete diet. Piglets were weaned at approximately 28 days (conventional weaning, CW) or 42 days (late weaning, LW). CW- and LW-piglets were sacrificed at 42 and 56 days, respectively, and jejunal digesta was collected. Thereafter, it was sterile-filtered and supplemented with E. coli Abbotstown active culture and the growth kinetics (optical density) was monitored during 24 hours of incubation. The growth parameters such as the lag time were extracted from the growth curves and the data were analysed using SPSS v.29. The study was approved by the LAGeSo, StN 014/22.
Results: For CW group, the lag time of E. coli growth in sterile jejunum digesta did not differ significantly between piglets fed HAY and those fed SBP (P > 0.05). However, for LW group, an increasing trend in lag time was observed in piglets fed HAY compared to SBP (2.30 hours ± 0.44 vs. 0.96 hours ± 0.20, P = 0.065). Additionally, within piglets fed SBP, the lag time in LW group was significantly shorter than in CW group (0.96 hours ± 0.20 vs. 2.30 hours ± 0.23, P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Later weaning age of piglets fed SBP reduces the E. coli lag time in sterile jejunal digesta, potentially reducing the adaptation time before the exponential growth. Further studies are needed to assess the composition of nutrients in the jejunum digesta and the impact of the sterile jejunum digesta on other enteropathogens. The impact of the whole jejunum digesta (without sterile filtration) on the enteropathogens should also be investigated.