Effects of Increasing Doses of Lactobacillus Pre-Fermented Rapeseed Product with or without Inclusion of Macroalgae Product on Weaner Piglet Performance and Intestinal Development

SIMPLE SUMMARY: This study investigated the effects of dietary addition of increasing amounts (8, 10, 12, 15 and 25%) of pre-fermented rapeseed meal (FRM) or 10% FRM with the inclusion of 0.6% or 1.0% Ascophyllum nodosum (AN), a brown macroalgae, on performance and gut health as compared to either a non-supplemented diet (negative control, NC) or a diet supplemented with 2500 ppm ZnO (PC) in piglets weaned at 28 days of age. At any of the amounts supplemented, FRM sustained growth performance similar to the PC group during the first 10 days before weaning (18–27 days of age) and improved performance better than the PC from 28–41 days of age when fed at 8%. Inclusion of AN (0.6% or 1.0%) on top of 10% FRM did not affect growth performance. The percent of piglets that completed the experiment was increased at all levels of FRM (maximum of 91% at 8% FRM) or a combination of 10% FRM with AN (maximum of 90% at 10% FRM + 0.6% AN). Maximum intestinal development (villus, crypts, enterocytes) was observed at lower levels (8–10%) of FRM supplementation, but this was abolished by inclusion of AN. Feeding of FRM with or without AN increased some hematological parameters at all doses and enhanced immunoglobulin and interleukin-6 titers at lower doses (8% or 10%). In conclusion, FRM sustained piglet growth performance and intestinal development similar to ZnO with an optimal dietary inclusion level at 8–10% of dietary DM. ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the effects of increasing doses of pre-fermented rapeseed meal (FRM) without or with inclusion of the brown macroalgae Ascophyllum nodosum (AN) on weaner piglets’ performance and gut development. Ten days pre-weaning, standardized litters were randomly assigned to one of nine isoenergetic and isoproteic diets comprising (on DM basis): no supplement (negative control, NC), 2500 ppm ZnO (positive control, PC), 8, 10, 12, 15 or 25% FRM, and 10% FRM plus 0.6 or 1.0% AN. Fifty piglets receiving the same pre-weaning diets were weaned at 28 days of age and transferred to one pen, where they continued on the pre-weaning diet until day 92. At 41 days, six piglets per treatment were sacrificed for blood and intestinal samplings. The average daily gain was at least sustained at any dose of FRM (increased at 8% FRM, 28–41 days) from 18–41 days similar to PC but unaffected by inclusion of AN. The percentage of piglets that completed the experiment was increased by FRM compared to NC, despite detection of diarrhea symptoms. FRM showed quadratic dose-response effects on colon and mid-jejunum crypts depth, and enterocyte and mid-jejunum villus heights with optimum development at 8% or 10% FRM, respectively, but this was abolished when AN was also added. In conclusion, FRM sustained piglet growth performance and intestinal development similar to ZnO with an optimum inclusion level of 8–10% of dietary DM.