Towards antibiotic-free feeding programs for piglets: The role of dietary nucleotides

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Post-weaning diarrhea in piglets is a major cause of productive and economic losses to the swine industry. Traditionally, the swine industry has managed this disease by utilizing starter diets containing highly digestible and specialized ingredients such as spray dried porcine plasma and sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics as growth promoters. However, there is intense public pressure to discontinue the use of animal products and antibiotics in pig diets for fear that these products represents a risk to human health. Many of the products that have been tested as alternative antimicrobial growth promoters have not been fully accepted by the swine industry. This may be due to the fact that many of these products such as high levels of zinc oxide and organic acids have problems of their own. Consequently, there is a need for identifying natural alternatives that are not only effective but that are also safe, cost effective, and pose minimal environmental risks. Research will be conducted to explore the potential of a newly developed nucleotide-rich yeast extracts (NRYE) to modulate intestinal development, microbial communities, and immune response in weaned piglets. The use of enzyme supplementation to release carbohydrate components from the yeast culture product which may confer protective benefits to the piglet will be examined. The potential for synergistic interactions between NRYE and supplemental enzymes will be studied with a view of identifying a combination of effective therapies for prevention of piglet diarrhea. A disease challenge model will be used to effectively test the potential antimicrobial capabilities of these products. Results of the project will be useful in developing strategies for sustainable nutritional management options for weaned pigs.