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EFFECTS OF FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES ON PERFORMANCE, VFA CONCENTRATION AND ENTERIC MORPHOLOGY IN PIGLETS

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium, 18-20 May 2005 (Beijing, China) Publication Date 18 May 2005  701P0205.(doi:10.13031/2013.18415)
Authors:   Xudong Chen, Qiugang Ma, ChuanLai Xu, Cheng JI
Keywords:   FOS, growth performance, enteric morphology, serum, VFAs, piglet

Effects of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) as one possible alternative to antibiotics in piglets were investigated. 90 crossbred weaned pigsiDuroc ~ Landrace ~ Large Whitejweighing 7.86}0.06 kg were randomly allotted to one of three dietary treatments. Control diets were a fed common corn-soybean meal diet with no antibiotics (as a basal diet). The two treatment groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 75 mg kg-1 Aureomycin or 0.4% FOS in order to study the effect on the performance, serological indices, enteric morphology and volatile fatty acids content in intestinal digesta and feces. The results indicate that the diets containing FOS (0.4%) improved feed efficiency (37%, P=0.011) and decreased diarrhea incidence (71%, P=0.05), as well as increasing the concentration of propionic acid (P=0.033) and butyric acid (P=0.049), total volatile fatty acids (VFAs)(P=0.013) in caecum and acetic acid (P=0.027), isobutyric acid (P=0.048), isovaleric acid (P=0.025), and total VFAs (P=0.048) in feces. Supplementation with FOS also resulted in significantly longer mucosal villi height (jejunum P=0.001; cecum P=0.007) and a higher percentage of goblet cells (jejunum P=0.025; ileum P=0.004; cecum P=0.000) compared with the control. No differences were found in crypt depth (jejunum P=0.082; ileum P=0.164; cecum P=0.129) among the three treatments. While serum glucose levels were significantly higher following FOS supplement (P=0.000), differences in serum total protein, albumin, globulin, and urea nitrogen levels were not significant (P>0.05) compared with the control. The difference on mechanism of action between FOS and Aureomycin and a possible substitution of antibiotics with FOS in piglet diets were shown.

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