Feed Fermentation - Influence on Piglets Feces Microbiota and Mycotoxin Biotransformation in vivo

Abstract

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are beneficial microorganisms, which can ferment carbohydrates and produce organic acids, which suppress pathogenic bacteria growth (1). In addition, fermentation can reduce toxins in feed, and, during the fermentation, some of the microbial starters excrete enzymes that may transform mycotoxins into non-toxic compounds. However, fermentation can lead to the formation of masked mycotoxins (2). The aim of this study was to apply a combination of the microbial starters L. uvarum, L. casei, P. acidilactici, and P. pentosaceus for feed fermentation and to analyse the influence of fermentation on feed parameters, as well as on the piglet feces microbiota and mycotoxin biotransformation in vivo. The 36-day experiment was conducted using 25-day-old Large White/Norwegian Landrase (LW/NL) piglets with an initial body weight of 6.9–7.0 kg, which were randomly distributed into two groups (in each 100 piglets): control group, fed with basal diet, and treated group, fed with fermented feed at 500 g kg-1 of total feed. It was found, that fermented feed can modify microbial profile change in the gut of pigs, and fecal microbiota analysis showed an increased number of beneficial bacteria in the treated group, particularly Lactobacillus, when compared with the control group at the end of experiment. Mycotoxin analysis showed that alternariol monomethyl ether and altenuene were found in 61-day-old control piglets’ feces and in fermented feed samples. However, alternariol monomethyl ether was not found in treated piglets’ feces. Finally, feed fermentation is a promising means to modulate piglets’ microbiota and to increase mycotoxin detoxification in vivo.