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Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) poses a significant challenge in swine production, affecting approximately 20% of piglets and resulting in increased mortality rates, metabolic disturbances, compromised intestinal development, and altered microbial colonization. This phenomenon arises as the IUGR fetus adapts to limited oxygen and nutrient supply in utero by reallocating blood flow towards vital organs, particularly the brain, consequently leading to a greater brain-to-liver weight ratio (BrW/LW) at birth. Our study aimed to comprehensively investigate the repercussions of IUGR on fecal microbiota composition and plasma metabolome profiles in pigs from birth through to slaughter. To elucidate these effects, we conducted computed tomography scans on piglets within 24 h of birth to assess brain and liver weights accurately. Subsequently, we selected two groups of piglets based on the BrW/LW. Specifically, 12 piglets with the greatest BrW/LW (IUGR; BrW/LW: 1.00 ± 0.09) and 12 with the least BrW/LW (NORM; BrW/ LW: 0.36 ± 0.04). From these piglets we collected fecal and blood samples at specific time points: during lactation (T1: d 16 ± 0.6), after the starter period (T2: d 63 ± 8.6), and at the onset (T3: d 119 ± 11.4) and conclusion (T4: d 162 ± 14.3) of the finisher period. Throughout the study, all pigs received identical diets to eliminate dietary confounders. In the lactation, starter and grower but not finisher period, IUGR piglets grew 47, 19 and 14% slower, respectively compared with their NORM littermates. Our findings revealed that fecal microbial α-diversity remained unaffected by IUGR across all time points examined, indicating a stable microbial richness within the gut microbiota of IUGR and NORM pigs. However, β-diversity, reflecting inter-group microbial community variation, exhibited significant differences at T1 (P = 0.002), T2 (P = 0.079), and T3 (P = 0.027), suggesting distinct microbial compositions between IUGR and NORM pigs at these stages. Specifically, IUGR pigs displayed a greater abundance of Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Romboutsia at T1, Prevotellaceae NK3B31 group, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, and Alloprevotella at T2, and p-2534-18B5 gut group at T3. Conversely, the NORM group exhibited increased concentrations of Ruminococcus at T1, HT002 at T2, and Prevotella_9 at T3. Furthermore, while plasma metabolite analysis revealed no significant differences between IUGR and NORM pigs at T1, decreased arginine levels were observed in the IUGR group compared with NORM at T2 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our study underscores the profound and persistent impact of IUGR on fecal microbiota composition in pigs from birth to the initial stages of the finisher period, while suggesting minimal alterations in the blood metabolome profile throughout various growth stages. These findings provide valuable insights into the long-term consequences of IUGR on swine health and production. This research received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under a Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant (agreement no. 955374). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study evaluated the effects of adding B. subtilis or E. faecium based probiotics in diets for weaned pigs challenged with E. coli on growth performance and indicators of gut health. Pigs [n = 64; initial body weight (BW) = 6.95 kg] weaned at 22 d of age were obtained in 2 batches of 32 pigs each. The pigs were from sows that were homozygous susceptible to infection by F4 strain of E. coli. Pigs in each batch were housed in 16 pens in 2 rooms: first room with 4 pens and second room with 12 pens. Pigs were fed 3 diets for 14 d. The diets were control or control plus B. subtilis (1×10E6 CFU/kg) or E. faecium (1×10E6 CFU/kg). On d 7 and 8 of the experiment, all pigs in the second room were orally challenged with F4 strain of E. coli (5 mL with ~109 CFUּ mL-1ּ d-1) to create the following 4 treatments with 4 pensּ treatment-1ּ batch-1) (8 pens/treatment for the study): unchallenged pigs fed control diet, challenged pigs fed control diet, challenged pigs fed control diet plus E. faecium, and challenged pigs fed control diet plus B. subtilis. Challenging pigs with E. coli F4 reduced (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) for d 7 to 11 and d 11 to 14 of the study from 81 to -67 g and 460 to 259 g, respectively; increased (P < 0.05) plasma haptoglobin concentration (PHC) on d 9 from 1.10 to 1.69 mg/mL and fecal E. coli F4 content (FEC) on d 11 from 4.92 to 7.86 log copies/g; and decreased (P < 0.05) volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration in the cecum and colon on d 14 from 89.5 to 52.3 mmol/ kg and 88.1 to 63.9 mmol/kg, respectively. The E. faecium supplementation did not affect ADG for d 0 to 7 of the study but increased (P < 0.05) ADG for d 7 to 11 by 161%. The E. faecium supplementation did not affect FEC, PHC, and VFA concentration in the cecum and colon. The B. subtilis supplementation did not affect ADG and ADFI, FEC, PHC, but tended to increase (P < 0.10) VFA concentration in the cecum and colon by 32 and 20%, respectively. In conclusion, challenging weaned pigs with the E. coli F4 reduced growth performance and microbial fermentation in the hindgut and increased fecal E. coli shedding. Supplemental E. faecium probiotic improved ADG of weaned pigs after their challenge with E. coli, implying that it can be included in diets for weaned pigs raised under commercial conditions to improve their performance. The B. subtilis probiotic can be included in diets for weaned pigs to counteract the reducing impact of E. coli infection on microbial fermentation in the hindgut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of organic acids, monoglycerides, and combination of both on growth performance, diarrhea, and immune responses of weaned pigs experimentally infected with a pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) F18. Pigs (n = 40; body weight = 7.81 ± 0.84 kg) were individually housed and randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups (10 replicates/treatment): basal diet (control), basal diet supplemented with organic acids blend (formic acid, lactic acid, and sodium formate) at 0.3%, monoglycerides blend at 0.3%, or combination of both the organic acids blend at 0.2% and the monoglycerides blend at 0.2%. The experiment lasted 28 d, with 7 d before and 21 d after the first inoculation (d 0). All pigs were orally inoculated with E. coli F18 (1010 CFU/3 mL) for 3 consecutive days from d 0. Growth performance was measured weekly and daily fecal score was recorded throughout the experiment. Fecal samples were collected on d 0, 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21 post-inoculation (PI) to confirm the presence of β-hemolytic coliforms in the feces. Whole blood samples were collected on d 0, 5, and 14 PI to perform complete blood count analysis. Porcine Cytokine/Chemokine13-Plex Discovery Assay (Eve Technology, Canada) was also conducted with serum samples from d 0, 5, and 14 PI. All data were analyzed by ANOVA using the PROC MIXED of SAS with a pig as the experimental unit. The frequency of diarrhea was calculated and analyzed by Chi-square test. Supplementation of organic acids, monoglycerides, or the combination of both significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the frequency of diarrhea (25.5 to 29.8%) compared with control (39.3%). E. coli F18 infection increased (P < 0.05) counts of total white blood cells, neutrophils, and lymphocytes on d 5 and 14 PI, compared with d 0. Supplementation of the combination of organic acids and monoglycerides reduced (P < 0.05) the counts of total white blood cells, lymphocytes, and the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes, and tended (P < 0.10) to reduce neutrophil count on d 5 PI, compared with control. Pigs fed with monoglycerides had greater (P < 0.05) neutrophil counts than pigs in the control group on d 14 PI. Pigs fed with monoglycerides tended (P < 0.10) to have decreased serum granulocytemacrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -alpha concentrations on d 0, 5, or 14 PI compared with control. However, supplementation of organic acids, monoglycerides, or the combination of both had limited impacts on growth performance throughout the experiment. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of organic acids, monoglycerides, and the combination of both may alleviate diarrhea or systemic inflammation of weaned pigs during E. coli F18 infection by modulating related cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary botanical supplementation on blood profiles and intestinal morphology of weaned piglets experimentally infected with a pathogenic F18 Escherichia coli (E. coli). Sixty weaned piglets (around 21 days old; 7.15 ± 0.97 kg) were individually housed and randomly allotted to one of five dietary treatments (n = 12): negative control (NC), positive control (PC), high dose of botanicals blend 1 (BB1, 100 mg/kg), and low or high dose of botanicals blend 2 (BB2, 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg). The experiment lasted 28 days: from day -7 to +21 relative to E. coli inoculation. All piglets except the NC group were orally inoculated with F18 E. coli (10 cfu per dose, 3 doses) for 3 consecutive days. Blood samples were collected on d 0, 5, 14, and 21 post-inoculation (PI) to perform complete blood count test. Intestinal segments were collected on d 5 and 21 PI for intestinal morphology analysis. Data were analyzed by ANOVA using PROC MIXED of SAS with a randomized complete block design. E. coli infection reduced (P < 0.05) neutrophils and lymphocytes, but increased (P < 0.05) monocytes on d 4 PI. Pigs supplemented with 100 mg/kg BB2 had less (P < 0.05) lymphocytes than pigs in PC on d 4 PI. Pigs fed with 50 mg/kg BB2 had lower (P < 0.05) lymphocytes and monocytes then pigs in PC on d 21 PI. Pigs supplemented with 100 mg/kg BB2 had the greatest (P < 0.05) duodenal villi width, jejunum villi height and area, and colon crypt depth then pigs in PC on d 5 PI. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of botanicals tended to affect systemic immunity and enhance intestinal morphology of weaned pigs infected with E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Bacillus spp. on systemic immunity and intestinal health of weaned pigs infected with F18 E. coli. Weaned pigs (n = 36, 7.61 ± 0.40 kg BW) were randomly allotted to one of three treatments: a control diet and two diets supplemented with 500 mg/kg of Bacillus spp. strain 1 (PRO1) or strain 2 (PRO2). The experiment was conducted for 28 d, including 7 d before and 21 d after the first E. coli inoculation (d 0). The doses of F18 E. coli inoculum were 1010 cfu/3 mL oral dose daily for 3 consecutive days. Serum samples were collected on d 0 before inoculation, and d 3, 7, 14, and 21 post-inoculation (PI) to measure inflammatory meditators. All pigs were euthanized on d 21 PI to collect tissue samples for gut morphology, bacterial translocation, and gene expression analysis. Data were analyzed using the Mixed Procedure of SAS. Pigs in PRO1 had reduced (P < 0.05) serum haptoglobin on d 3 and d 6 PI compared with pigs in control. Supplementation of PRO1 or PRO2 reduced (P < 0.05) total coliforms in mesenteric lymph nodes on d 21 PI. Pigs in PRO1 had greater (P < 0.05) ileal villi height than pigs in control. Pigs in PRO2 had greater (P < 0.05) sulfomucin percentage in duodenal villi and greater (P < 0.05) sialomucin percentage in jejunal villi than pigs in control. Supplementation of PRO1 also up-regulated (P < 0.05) MUC2 gene expression in jejunal mucosa but reduced (P < 0.05) COX2 and IL1B gene expression in ileal mucosa on d 21 PI, compared with control. In conclusion, supplementation of Bacillus spp. may reduce systemic inflammation and enhance intestinal health of weaned pigs infected with F18 E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary botanical supplementation on growth performance and frequency of diarrhea of weaned piglets experimentally infected with a pathogenic F18 Escherichia coli (E. coli). Sixty weaned piglets (around 21 days old; 7.15 ± 0.97 kg) were individually housed and randomly allotted to one of five dietary treatments (n = 12): negative control (NC), positive control (PC), high dose of botanicals blend 1 (BB1, 100 ppm), low dose of botanicals blend 2 (BB2, 50 ppm), and high dose of botanicals blend 2 (BB2, 100 ppm). The experiment lasted 28 days: from day -7 to +21 relative to E. coli inoculation. All piglets except the pigs in the NC group were orally inoculated with F18 E. coli (1010 cfu per dose, 3 doses) for 3 consecutive days. Growth performance was recorded throughout the experiment and diarrhea scores were recorded daily. Data were analyzed by ANOVA using PROC MIXED of SAS with a randomized complete block design. E. coli challenge reduced (P < 0.05) pig body weight and growth rate throughout the experiment. Pigs supplemented with high dose BB1 or BB2 tended (P < 0.10) to have greater body weight (19.52 and 19.10 vs. 18.00 kg) on d 21 PI and greater average daily gain from d 0 to 21 PI (554 and 557 vs. 515 g/d) than PC. No differences were observed in pig performance between high dose BB1 or BB2 in comparison with NC. Supplementation of high dose BB1 or BB2 also reduced (P < 0.05) frequency and severity of diarrhea of challenged pigs during the entire experimental period. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of botanicals reduced diarrhea and tended to improve growth performance of weaned pigs infected with E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]