Feeding Bacillus subtilis C-3102 to sows and suckling piglets and to weaned piglets improves parameters of gut health and feed : gain ratio in weaners

The effect of feeding Bacillus subtilis C-3102 (Calsporin) to sows and piglets on performance and gut health of weaned piglets was studied. The experiment contained 4 treatments. First, 8 of 16 sows were supplemented with 3 x 10(5) cfu B. subtilis C-3102/g feed during gestation and lactation whereas the other 8 sows were not supplemented. The probiotic was also included in the creep feed of the suckling offspring of the supplemented sows at an equal dose. Furthermore, at weaning (19-20 d of age), each of the 2 experimental groups were split up into 2 subgroups to yield 4 treatments. Therefore, 5 piglets of each sow were fed a control diet voided of probiotics and 5 littermates were offered the control diet supplemented with 3 x 10(5) cfu B. subtilis C-3102/g feed until 42 d after weaning (8 pen replicates with 5 piglets each). Piglets were sampled at d 0, 5, 13, and 42 after weaning. Supplementation of the probiotic to sows and suckling piglets resulted in higher short-chain fatty acid production in the distal small intestine and mid colon at weaning but not at d 5 and 13 after weaning, whereas villus atrophy in the small intestine and crypt deepening in the proximal small intestine was lower. Postweaning supplementation improved the feed:gain ratio for the total period (1.39 vs. 1.45; P = 0.031) and resulted in a trend for lower mRNA of IL-1 alpha (P = 0.091), higher lactobacillus counts (P = 0.074), and a significantly lower number of crypt goblet cells in distal small intestine mucosa in the early postweaning period. In addition, B. subtilis C-3102 was detected only in colonic contents or feces of piglets from the supplemented groups. Only 1 significant interaction between pre- and postweaning supplementation was found throughout the study. To conclude, preweaning supplementation positively affected some gut health parameters and postweaning supplementation improved the feed:gain ratio