Differential response of legumes and creep feeding on gut morphology and faecal composition in weanling pigs

Escherichia coli post-weaning diarrhoea occurrence in piglets with monitored exposure to creep feed

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of offering supplementary creep feed to piglets during the suckling period on the faecal shedding of haemolytic Escherichia coli bacteria and occurrence of spontaneous post-weaning diarrhoea 0-5 days after weaning. Supplementary creep feed was offered to half of the piglets in 12 litters, from 2 weeks of age until weaning at 4 weeks, and the individual feed contact was recorded by direct observations. It was found that diarrhoea occurrence was associated with faecal shedding of haemolytic E. coli bacteria (p=0.003), specifically E. coli O149 (p=0.004). Occurrence of diarrhoea and faecal shedding of haemolytic E. coli was not associated with creep feeding per se. However, the faecal E. coli O149 shedding occurred significantly less often in piglets that were offered creep feed in the suckling period but only showed limited interest in the feed (i.e. contacted the feed less than or equal to the median level of contact) compared to piglets that had frequent creep feed contact or piglets that had not had access to creep feed at all (p=0.015). Correspondingly, the diarrhoea occurrence tended to be lower in these piglets (p=0.081). Piglets with low creep feed contact during the suckling period ate the same total amount of feed during the 5 days after weaning, however, they ate less feed on days 0-2 after weaning compared to the piglets with frequent creep feed contact and non-creep fed piglets. It is suggested that intestinal function associated with a voluntary low creep feed contact during the suckling period leads to decreased feed intake just after weaning, and thus reduces the intestinal proliferation of E. coli O149 in these piglets.

Diet-related adaptation of the small intestine at weaning in pigs is functional rather than structural

BACKGROUND

Incidence of diarrhea at weaning in commercial pigs is an important problem, and diet is thought to be a predisposing factor. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of switching from milk-based to cereal-based diets on the morphology and function of the small intestine of piglets using a model of delayed weaning to isolate the influence of the diet from that of environmental and social factors.

METHODS

Forty-five piglets received a milk-based diet for 5 weeks after weaning. Thirty piglets were then switched from milk-based to wheat- or barley-based diets, mimicking the dietary change that occurs at weaning. The last 15 piglets remained on the milk-based diet. Piglets were killed 4 days after the dietary switch. Jejunal mucosa morphometry and enzyme activities were measured. Ussing chambers were used to measure intestinal permeability to macromolecules, basal electrical properties, glucose absorption, and induced chloride-secretion.

RESULTS

Alkaline phosphatase- and sucrase-specific activities were higher in both groups of cereal-fed piglets than in milk-fed piglets. Dipeptidylpeptidase IV activity was higher in wheat-fed piglets than in the other groups. Na + -dependent glucose absorption was 1.7-fold higher in cereals-fed piglets than in milk-fed piglets. Serotonin-induced and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-induced chloride secretion was doubled in cereals-fed piglets. Dietary transition did not influence the other parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that switching from milk to cereals increased some mucosal enzyme activities, intestinal Na + -dependent glucose absorption, and response to secretagogues. This supports the hypothesis that dietary factors could initiate diarrhea in the presence of other aggravating factors, such as pathogens or environmental stress.