The Effect of Recently Developed Synbiotic Preparations on Dominant Fecal Microbiota and Organic Acids Concentrations in Feces of Piglets from Nursing to Fattening

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Widespread antibiotic resistance among microorganisms led to a prohibition or limitation of using antibiotic growth promoters in livestock breeding. In order to maintain the animal production on the level which could satisfy the demands, and to reduce the risk of infections occurrence among the livestock, alternative preparations are being searched for. Pro- and prebiotics are wildly studied; however, their combination, which are called synbiotics, are expected to impact animals’ health more considerably. There are a number of pro- and prebiotic preparations available on the market; nevertheless, synbiotics are rare, which is why this research was focused on their impact on pigs’ intestinal microbiota and organic acids synthesis. The results showed that newly developed synbiotics could have a more beneficial impact on piglets’ health rather than commercial probiotics. ABSTRACT: The study was conducted to determine the influence of newly elaborated synbiotic preparations on piglets’ intestinal microbiota and its metabolism. Animals were distributed among six experimental groups, in reference to used feed supplements, namely, synbiotics (A, B, or C) or commercially available probiotics (BioPlus 2B(®), Chr. Hansen A/S, Horsholm, Denmark or Cylactin(®) LBC, DSM Nutritional Products Ltd., Kaiseraugst, Switzerland), or its absence (control group). Until the 29th day of life, piglets were breastfed by sows, whose feed was supplemented, and fecal samples were collected at the 7th and 28th day of piglets’ life. After weaning of the piglets, the research was continued until the 165th day of the pigs’ life. The area of this work included the analysis of the piglets’ dominant fecal microbiota by the plate count method. Moreover, high-performance liquid chromatography analysis (HPLC) was applied to establish variations in the concentrations of organic acids, namely, lactic acid, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs). It was observed that synbiotics have a more significant beneficial effect on the intestinal microbiota of piglets and their metabolism, and therefore their health, in comparison to commercial probiotics used individually. Moreover, synbiotic preparations prevent the negative impact of weaning on piglets’ microbial population in the gastrointestinal tract, which could reduce the occurrence of diarrhea.