In pig feed, dried tominabur worked perfectly

Genetic factors and growing conditions, including nutrition and feed additives, determine the efficiency of growing high-quality pork production. In this context, it is of interest to be able to immediately affect the sensory quality of pork through simple manipulation of feed ingredients, including fructooligosaccharides - inulin.

A group of Polish scientists from the University of Natural Sciences in Lublin, the National Research Institute of Animal Breeding and the Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition. Kelanowski, Polish Academy of Sciences, proposed a solution to quickly improve the quality of pork with the help of a feed additive.

In their study, published in Animals 2021, the authors explain the importance of working with natural feed additives: “In the post-antibiotic era, it is important to have a complete understanding of how gut bacteria interact with prebiotics and animals. Probiotics and prebiotics are among the many supplements that are being considered in pig nutrition and deserve attention.

Various types of oligosaccharides, such as inulin, are considered a source of prebiotics.

Inulin is a water-soluble polymer of fructose found primarily in chicory roots (Cichorium intybus) or Jerusalem artichoke tubers (Helianthus tuberosus). It contains both oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, which are responsible for its HEALTH benefits.

Dietary inulin and fructooligosaccharides are not hydrolyzed by mammalian enzymes, but are readily fermented by the bacterial community in the caecum and colon and promote the growth of intestinal bifidobacteria. The growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli is the most well-known effect of inulin, which has a strengthening effect on health.

In this study, we examined the effect of adding inulin probiotic bacteria or dried Jerusalem artichoke tubers to pig diets on productivity, pork quality, and fatty acid profile in MEAT and bacon, providing new information about their use as supplements in animal husbandry.

144 hybrid pigs were divided into six groups and fattened from 30 to 114 kg.

The effect of adding a probiotic consisting of the following bacterial strains was evaluated: Lactococcus lactis IBB500 > 109 CFU/g, Carnobacterium divergens > 109 CFU/g, Lactobacillus casei ŁOCK > 109 CFU/g, Lactobacillus plantarum ŁOCK > 109 CFU/g and Sacharomyces cerevisiae ŁOCK > 107 cfu/g for diets supplemented with prebiotic - pure inulin (linear β-fructans with degree of polymerization (DP) ≥ 15) or containing inulin in dried Jerusalem artichokes.

After 98 days of fattening, the average body weight of the fattened was 114.2 kg. The results of the present study showed higher final weight and better daily gain (p ≤ 0.05) when pigs were fed diets supplemented with both inulin and dried Jerusalem artichoke; however, a stronger effect was observed with the addition of inulin. This was due to the better action of chemically pure inulin than the inulin contained in dried Jerusalem artichoke.

None of the additives affected the feed conversion rate. Fresh meat from both groups of prebiotics was brighter.

The additives used in the present study also contributed to the differentiation of fat content in pig carcasses, since animals fed a diet supplemented with both forms of prebiotics had a lower fat thickness at all measurement points. Probably because the oligosaccharides found in Jerusalem artichoke, as well as in pure inulin, limit the deposition of stored fat through the production of short-chain organic acids in the colon.

An improvement in the antioxidant status of the meat and its water-holding capacity can also be mentioned as relevant results. This study is part of ongoing global work on feed additives that keep animals healthy while limiting the use of antibiotics. Thus, the results of the experiment are of great practical importance and can be proposed for use in pig production as a way to offer consumers healthier food with high quality.”