Coated sodium butyrate supplementation to a reduced nutrient diet enhanced the performance and positively impacted villus height and faecal and digesta bacterial composition in weaner pigs

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of different levels of coated sodium butyrate (CSB) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, faecal and intestinal coliform and lactic acid bacteria counts, gas emission and small intestinal villi length in weaning pigs. A total of 160 weaning pigs [(Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc, 28 days old] with an average initial body weight (BW) of 7.04 +/- 1.15 kg were randomly allotted to 4 treatments (8 replicates per treatment with 5 pigs; 3 barrows and 2 gilts per replicate pen) according to their initial body weight for a 6-week trial in three phases. Treatments consisted of corn-soybean meal-based diet with slight reduction in lactose (approximately 5 %) as well as sodium content relative to Nationla Research Council (NRC, 2012) requirement as the control (CON) and CON diet supplemented with low dose CSB (0.5 g/kg feed), medium dose CSB (1.5 g/kg feed for first 3 weeks followed by reduction to 0.75 g/kg feed thereafter) and high dose CSB (3 g/kg feed for first 3 weeks followed by reduction to1.5 g/kg feed thereafter). As a result of this study, the supplementation of increasing levels of CSB increased final BW (linear, P = 0.04, quadratic P = 0.02 effects) at day 42, linearly increased average daily gain (ADG) and gain: feed (G:F) ratio (P = 0.05, P = 0.01 respectively) during day 8 - 21. The ADG showed trends (P = 0.073) in increment and a significant linear increase in G:F (P < 0.05) during days 1 -21 were observed with the increase in the supplemental levels of CSB. The overall ADG was linearly increased (P < 0.05). The co-efficient of apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM) was higher (linear effect, P = 0.001; quadratic effect, P = 0.01) with the increase in the levels of CSB during day 21 but not during day 42. A trend in reduction of coliform counts (linear effect, P = 0.08, quadratic effect, P = 0.07) was observed during day 21. The lactic acid bacteria count was increased (linear and quadratic effects, P = 0.01) in pigs fed diet supplemented with increasing levels of CSB at day 42. The coliform counts were reduced (linear and quadratic effects, P < 0.05) in the digesta obtained from duodenum of pigs fed high; medium and low doses of CSB supplemented diet. The supplementation of low, medium and high doses of CSB showed reduction (linear effect, P < 0.001, quadratic effect, P = 0.01) in fecal H2S concentration. The inclusion of increasing dose of CSB in the diet increased (linear effect, P < 0.05) the villi length of duodenum. In addition, linear (P < 0.05) and quadratic (P < 0.05) responses in villi length were observed in jejunum and ileum from pigs fed graded levels of CSB. Taken together, low or medium levels of CSB supplementation can have a beneficial role in enhancing performance, and digestibility of weaning pigs.