Identification of gut microbes associated with feed efficiency by daily-phase feeding strategy in growing-finishing pigs

Qin Jiang; Chunlin Xie; Lingli Chen; Hongli Xiao; Zhilian Xie; Xiaoyan Zhu; Libao Ma; Xianghua Yan

doi:10.1016/j.aninu.2022.09.005

Identification of gut microbes associated with feed efficiency by daily-phase feeding strategy in growing-finishing pigs

Anim Nutr. 2022 Sep 29:12:42-53. doi: 10.1016/j.aninu.2022.09.005. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Authors

Qin Jiang^{1

2

3}, Chunlin Xie^{1

2

3}, Lingli Chen^{1

2

3}, Hongli Xiao^{1

2

3}, Zhilian Xie^{1

2

3}, Xiaoyan Zhu^{1

2

3}, Libao Ma^{1

2

3}, Xianghua Yan^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Frontiers Science Center for Animal Breeding and Sustainable Production, College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China.
² The Cooperative Innovation Center of Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China.
³ Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pig Precision Feeding and Feed Safety Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China.

Abstract

Feed efficiency is one of the most important issues for sustainable pig production. Daily-phase feeding (DPF) is a form of precision feeding that could improve feed efficiency in pigs. Gut microbiota can regulate host nutrient digestion, absorption, and metabolism. However, which key microbes may play a vital role in improving the feed efficiency during DPF remains unclear. In the present study, we used a DPF program compared to a three-phase feeding (TPF) program in growing-finishing pigs to investigate the effects of gut microbiota on feed efficiency. A total of 204 Landrace × Yorkshire pigs (75 d) were randomly assigned into 2 treatments. Each treatment was replicated 8 times with 13 to 15 pigs per replicate pen. Pigs in the TPF group were fed with a commercial feeding program that supplied fixed feed for phases I, II, and III, starting at 81, 101, and 132 d of age, respectively, and pigs in the DPF group were fed a blend of adjacent phase feed from 81 to 155 d at a gradual daily ratio and phase III feed from 155 to 180 d of age. Daily feed intake and body weight were recorded by a computerized device in the feeders. Feces and blood samples were collected from 1 pig per replicate at 155 and 180 d of age. The results showed that the DPF program remarkably improved the feed efficiency at 155 d (P < 0.001) and 180 d of age (P < 0.001), with a significant reduction of the intake of crude protein (P < 0.01), net energy (P < 0.001), crude fiber (P < 0.001), ether extract (P < 0.01), and ash (P < 0.001). The daily-phase feeding program increased the abundance of Prevotella copri (P < 0.05) and Paraprevotella clara (P < 0.05), while it decreased the abundance of Ocilibacter (P < 0.05) at 155 d of age. The results of correlation analysis indicated that the differentially abundant microbiota communities were closely associated with 20 metabolites which enriched amino acid and phenylalanine metabolism. Our results suggest that 2 key microbes may contribute to feed efficiency during daily-phase feeding strategies in pigs.

Keywords: Daily-phase feeding; Feed efficiency; Gut microbiota; Nutrient metabolism; Pig.