Effect of β-Mannanase Addition during Whole Pigs Fattening on Production Yields and Intestinal Health

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Raw materials used in the manufacture of pig feed may contain anti-nutritional elements. These include β-mannans: oligosaccharides that produce a state of unnecessary inflammation in the intestine, hindering the absorption of nutrients and worsening animal performance. In this trial, an enzyme that degrades these sugars was used throughout the growing–finishing period, also reducing the energy of this feed (HC), compared to a control feed (CON). The animals were weighed, and growth and FCR were calculated. In addition, fecal consistency, gastric lesions at slaughter and a battery of 16 biomarkers in feces and tissues, indicators of intestinal integrity and immune stimulation, were studied. HC animals grew as well as CON animals and had a lower FCR. In addition, an anti-inflammatory state was observed in feces and in jejunum and ileum tissue at slaughter, suggesting that the use of this enzyme effectively controls the β-mannan-derived immune reaction. ABSTRACT: The presence of β-mannans in feed can produce a futile and chronic immune stimulation in fattening pigs. In this trial, a 1-4-endo-D-β-mannanase was added to the feed (HC) during growth and fattening (0.03% of Hemicell HT) and physical performance and pathological data were recorded, and intestinal integrity and immune activation were studied by molecular biomarkers, compared to a control group (CON). The treatment diet was reduced in energy content by 40 Kcal/kg NE. From each group, 113 and 112 animals housed in 8 pens were individually identified and weighed three times: at 7th, 63rd and 116th days in feed. The FCR was calculated for groups of two pens and ADG individually. There was no difference in ADG (CON = 0.836, HC = 0.818) nor in FCR between groups (p = 0.486). During growth, there was a higher frequency of normal feces in HC and there were also no differences in the frequency of gastric lesions. A significant increase in Claudin, Occludin, IFN-γ and IL8 was observed in the CON in feces and a significant decrease in IL-6 in HC. In tissues, there were differences for IL-12p40, TNF-alpha in jejunum (increased CON) and TGF-β in ileum and jejunum, (decreased HC). The economic performance was EUR 4.7 better in the treated group. In conclusion, the addition of 1-4-endo-D-β--mannanase to the feed with a 1.6% reduction in net energy compared to the control, allowed the animals to perform as well as the animals on the higher energy diet, with lower prevalence of diarrhea.