Effects Of Clostridium Butyricum And Glutamine On The Growth Performance Of Weanling Piglets And The Mechanism

The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Glutamine and Clostridium butyricum on the growth performance of early weaned piglets. And the mechanism was also studied from the aspects of intestinal structure and function and immunity. Two hundred and eighty-eight Duroc×Landrace×L. Yorkshire piglets weaned at the age of 21 d were randomly divided into four groups:the control group (basic ration), Group I (basic ration +1%Glutamine), Group II (basic ration +500mg/kg Clostridium butyricum) and Group III (basic ration+1%Glutamine+ 500mg/kg Clostridium butyricum), with three repeats in every group and twenty-four piglets in every repeat. The experiment lasted for 21 days starting from the weaning day. The diarrhea incidence was recorded every day. Every week, piglets in every repeat were weighed and feed consumption was also recorded for the computing of average daily feed intake, average daily gain and feed gain ratio. We randomly selected 4 pigs on the 1st day, one pig in every repeat on the 7th day and 14th day and slaughtered them to collect samples as follows:serum, liver, spleen, pancreas, segments of intestine and cecal content.Results indicated that in 14-21 days after weaning and in the whole experiment period, the average daily gain (ADG) of Group I and GroupIII was significantly (P<0.05) increased than control; the ADG of Group III was increased compared with Group I (P>0.05) and Group II (P<0.05).The feed gain ratio(F/G) of Group III was significantly lower than that of control. The diarrhea incidence in every trial group was slightly lower than control (P>0.05).On the 14th day after weaning, E.coli in cecum of Group I and Group III was significantly (P<0.05) less than that of control while bifidobacterium significantly (P<0.05) more than control. In addition, the number of E. coli was smaller in Group III than that in Group I and Group II, and the number of Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium larger than Group I and GroupⅡ(P>0.05)On the 7th day after weaning, the villus height of duodenum in three trial groups was significantly (P<0.01) increased than that in control group,and it is higher in Group III than in Group I and GroupⅡ. The villus height of ileum was increased significantly (P<0.05) compared with control. At 14th day after weaning, the villus height of duodenum (P<0.01) and ileum (P<0.05) in Group III was significantly increased than control.On the 7th day after weaning, the crypt depth of jejunum and ileum in Group III was significantly (P<0.05) reduced than control and the crypt depth of ileum in Group I was reduced (P<0.05) compared with control. At 14th day, the crypt depth of duodenum and ileum in Group III was reduced significantly (P<0.05) than control and the crypt depth of ileum in Group III was smaller than that in GroupⅡ(P<0.05). On the whole, the crypt depth of small intestine in Group III was reduced compared with Group I and GroupⅡ.On the 7th day after weaning, the concentration of C4 was significantly (P<0.05) higher in Group III than in control. On the 14th day, the concentration of complement C3,C4 in Group I and Group III was significantly (P<0.05) higher than control, and the concentration of C3 was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of GroupⅡ.On the 7th day, the SOD activity in every trial group was significantly (P<0.05) higher than control. On the 14th day, the SOD activity in every trial group was also significantly (P<0.01) higher than control and the SOD activity in GroupⅠand Group III was significantly(P<0.05) higher than Group II.On the 7th day after weaning, the total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC) of Group II and Group III was increased significantly (P<0.05) than control. On the 14th day, the T-AOC of three trial groups was significantly (P<0.05) increased compared with control.The AKP activity in every group decreased after weaning. On the 7th day after weaning, the AKP activity was significantly (P<0.05) higher in Group I and Group III than control. On the 14th day, the AKP activity of three trial groups was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of control. And the AKP activity of Group III was slighty higher (P>0.05) than that of Group I and Group II.Results indicated that there was synergy between Glutamine and Clostridium butyricum when they were added to the ration of weanling pigs. However, the optimal dosage should be determined through further experimental study. Results showed that the combination of the two relieved the intestinal damage caused by weaning stress, promoted the beneficial bateria and inhibited the harmful bacteria, enhanced the non-specific immunity. It might just be through these aspects that Glutamine and Clostridium butyricum enhanced the growth performance of weanling piglets.