Effect of a Multi-Strain Probiotic on Growth Performance, Lipid Panel, Antioxidant Profile, and Immune Response in Andaman Local Piglets at Weaning

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the role of a multi-strain probiotic compound containing Bacillus mesentericus, Bacillus coagulans, Enterococcus faecalis, and Clostridium butyricum as an in-feed zinc oxide (ZnO) alternative in growth performance, diarrhea incidence, antioxidant profile, lipid panel, stress, and immunity in piglets at weaning. Seventy-two piglets weaned at 27 ± 1 day were divided randomly into three groups with four replicates of six piglets each: (i) a negative control group (WC) fed only a basal diet, (ii) a probiotic group (WB) fed a basal diet with the current probiotic formulation, and (iii) a positive control (PC) group fed a basal diet with 2500 mg/kg ZnO. The experiment was conducted for 28 days. Probiotic supplementation showed a positive effect on growth performance and reduced the diarrhea rate. The mean body weight of the piglets in the WB and PC groups was significantly higher than that of piglets in the WC group (14.88 ± 0.12, 14.97 ± 0.13 vs. 13.80 ± 0.06 kg; p ≤ 0.001). The addition of probiotic to the diet improved the lipid panel; the WB group showed a significantly higher level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL) (32.67 ± 0.85 in WB vs. 12.48 ± 0.76 in WC; p ≤ 0.001) and lower levels of total cholesterol (mg/dL) (59.78 ± 1.97 in WB vs. 119.11 ± 2.12 in WC; p ≤ 0.001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL) (17.90 ± 1.12 in WB vs. 69.10 ± 3.37 in WC; p ≤ 0.001) compared with the negative control group. Moreover, probiotic supplementation enhanced the antioxidant defense system and provided protection from oxidative damage by increasing the concentrations of serum catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, and superoxide dismutase and by decreasing the concentrations of serum malonyldialdehyde and total nitric oxide. Heat shock proteins and other stress markers, such as serum cortisol, were reduced in the probiotic-fed group. The probiotic group also displayed higher levels of serum IgG and IgM at all time points and higher IgA on day 28 compared with the negative control group. Altogether, these results indicate that feeding with the currently used multi-strain probiotic formulation minimizes weaning stress, thereby improving the growth performance, antioxidant profile, lipid panel, and systemic and mucosal immunity. Therefore, multi-strain probiotic compounds may be used to replace ZnO in weaned piglets.