Dietary supplementation of proteases on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics and gut microbiota of growing pigs fed sorghum-based diets
X. Peng,
Q. Zhou,
C.Q. Wang,
Z.M. Zhang,
Z. Luo,
S.Y. Xu,
B. Feng,
Z.F. Fang,
Y. Lin,
Y. Zhuo,
X.M. Jiang,
H Zhao,
J.Y. Tang,
D. Wu,
L.Q. Che
Affiliations
X. Peng
Laboratory for Bio-feed and Molecular Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Q. Zhou
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
C.Q. Wang
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Z.M. Zhang
College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Z. Luo
Kemin (China) Technologies Co., Ltd., Sanzao, Zhuhai 519040, China
S.Y. Xu
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
B. Feng
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Z.F. Fang
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Y. Lin
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Y. Zhuo
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
X.M. Jiang
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
H Zhao
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
J.Y. Tang
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
D. Wu
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
L.Q. Che
Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Corresponding author.
Low-tannin sorghum is an excellent energy source in pig diets. However, sorghum contains several anti-nutritional factors that may have negative effects on nutrient digestibility. The impacts of proteases on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, and gut microbiota of growing pigs fed sorghum-based diets were studied in this study. Ninety-six pigs (20.66 ± 0.65 kg BW) were allocated into three groups (eight pens/group, four pigs/pen): (1) CON (control diet, sorghum-based diet included 66.98% sorghum), (2) PRO1 (CON + 200 mg/kg proteases), (3) PRO2 (CON + 400 mg/kg proteases) for 28 d. No differences were observed in growth performance and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients between CON and PRO1 groups. Pigs fed PRO2 diet had increased (P < 0.05) BW on d 21 and 28, and increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain during d 14–21 and the overall period compared with pigs fed CON diet. In addition, pigs fed PRO2 diet had improved (P < 0.05) ATTD of gross energy, CP, and DM compared with pigs fed CON and PRO1 diets. Pigs fed PRO2 diet had lower (P < 0.05) plasma globulin (GLB) level and higher (P < 0.05) plasma glucose, albumin (ALB) and immunoglobulin G levels, and ALB/GLB ratio than pigs fed CON and PRO1 diets. Furthermore, pigs fed PRO2 diet had decreased (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of Acidobacteriota at the phylum level and increased (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of Prevotella_9 at the genus level. The linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis also showed that pigs fed PRO2 diet had significantly enriched short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, such as Subdoligranulum and Parabacteroides. In conclusion, protease supplementation at 400 mg/kg improved the growth performance of growing pigs fed sorghum-based diets, which may be attributed to the improvement of nutrient digestibility, host metabolism, immune status and associated with the altered gut microbiota profiles.
