Interpretive Summary: Potential effect of two Bacillus probiotic strains on performance and fecal microbiota of breeding sows and their piglets 

By: Mireia Saladrigas-García, David Solà-Oriol, Sergi López-Vergé, Matilde D’Angelo, Maria Carmen Collado, Bea Nielsen, Martin Faldyna, José Francisco Pérez, Susana M Martín-Orúe

The aim of the present study was to determine if the inclusion of probiotic microorganisms in the mother’s diet during gestation and the lactation period is capable of modifying the performance of mothers and piglets and the possible effect on the intestinal health of piglets after separation from the mother. For this, 98 females were distributed in three experimental treatments: a control diet, or the same diet in which one of two probiotic strains to be tested (Bacillus subtilis or Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) were incorporated. The experimental diets were administered during pregnancy and the lactation phase for three consecutive productive cycles. Among the most striking results, it is worth highlighting the impact of probiotic treatments on the reproductive performance of sows. Both supplemented groups showed a higher number of total piglets per sow. Furthermore, sows that received the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens diet showed a significant increase in the number of live-born piglets. Probiotic supplementation also showed effects on the fecal microbiota composition of the mothers and their piglets. Changes in the composition of sow milk were also observed. In summary, results demonstrated the potential benefits of supplementing probiotics, and particularly a strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, to improve prolificacy, modulate the intestinal microbial composition, and improve the performance of piglets during lactation.

Read the full article on the Journal of Animal Science.