Lignocellulose should be considered as a tool that contributes to the reduction of antibiotic use in pig farms.
Weaning is considered as one if not the most demanding phase in a piglet’s life. During this period animals are challenged with significant stress, causing negative impacts on performance and in some cases this can even result in mortality.
The physiological aspects of weaning have been widely discussed by Lallès et al. (2007) and Montagne et al. (2007) who suggested that this process can be divided into 2 well-defined stages:
1 Acute phase
2 Regenerative phase
1 Acute Phase
The first of these stages, lasts approximately one week after weaning, and it is characterized by marked variations in the structure and function of the gastrointestinal tract, coupled with reductions in feed intake.
There is no current consensus amongst authors regarding the mechanisms through which post-weaning stress affects the intestinal structure.
Pluske and Williams (1996) indicated that changes in enzymatic activities and gut morphology observed in weaning piglets could be directly triggered by stress or by reduced daily consumption. Considering the fact that anorexia is common during this stage.
Brooks et al. (2001) concluded that approximately 10% of animals weaned at 28 days of age do not eat any food during the first 48 hours.
This results in a lower production of hydrochloric acid (HCl) by the parietal cells of the stomach, which hinders the beginning of the digestion process. This leads to intestinal modifications such as a reduction in enzymatic activity at the brush border, which causes an accumulation of digestive content in the distal sector of the intestine. This in turn increases the risk of post-weaning diarrhea due to bacterial proliferation (Kenworthy and Allen, 1966; Hampson, 1986).
2 Regenerative phase
The second phase lasts from 7 to 15 days post-weaning and is a period characterized by the piglet’s progressive adaptation to the solid diet.
Amongst the noticeable changes during this period, there is an increase in size of the jejunum mucosa thanks to greater nutrient availability within the intestinal lumen, which promotes the growth of intestinal villi. In addition, the size of the pancreas increases during this stage, recovering enzymatic activity (Montagne et al., 2007).
What is the role of lignocellulose in preventing diarrhea?
Considering the fact that every year ...
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