Inclusão de diferentes fontes de β-glucano na alimentação de leitões recém-desmamados

Abstract

β-glucans have been exploited in the feeding of recently weaned piglets especially for their immunomodulatory potential, in order to mitigate the effects of post -weaning stress on the performance of animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance and intestinal health of 84 weaned piglets at 21 days, challenged with E. coli K88 + and supplemented during 21 days with different sources of β-glucan divided into five treatments: Macrogard® containing 0,07% (T1) or 0,035% (T2) of S.cerevisiae β-glucan; 0,07% β-glucan of pure Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom (T3); 0,07% β-glucan of post-culture substrate of Pleurotus ostreatus (T4) and a basal diet without addition of β-glucan (T5). Daily ration consumption (CRD), daily weight gain (GPG) and feed conversion (CA) were evaluated by weighing the animals, daily ration as well as their leftovers. The incidence of diarrhea was assessed daily twice daily and blood samples were collected from one animal per well for leukogram and quantification of cytokines as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin 10 (IL-10). At 21 days of trial, a animal per pen was slaughtered and ileum and jejunum segments were collected for evaluation of intestinal morphology. There was a CRD in the groups supplemented with β-glucan in the post-inoculation period (14 to 21 days) and throughout the experiment by T4. From 14 to 21 days the CA was worse in all treatments with β-glucan when compared to the control (T5). There was no significant difference in the incidence of diarrhea or intestinal morphology between treatments. There were no changes in the leukogram outside the reference values. Regarding the cytokines, the treatments did not differ as to the levels of the anti-inflammatory IL-10, whereas the pro-inflammatory TNF-α was significantly inhibited by T2 when compared to the control. As a conclusion, among the different sources, only the β-glucan of S.cerevisiae of the Macrogard® product in its lower dose presented a significantly higher immunomodulatory action when compared to the control (T5), which implied, a worse short-term feed conversion . However, β-glucan from spent mushroom substract of P.ostreatus (T4), despite not increasing GPD, stimulated a higher consumption during the whole experiment, showing whether an alternative for induction of feed consumption in the first critical weeks of post- weaning.