Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus reuteri as Functional Feed Additives to Prevent Diarrhoea in Weaned Piglets

The effects ofLactobacillus plantarumandLactobacillus reuteriand their combination were assessedin weaned piglets. Three hundred and fifty weaned piglets (Landrace×Large White), balanced in termsof weight and sex, were randomly allotted to four experimental groups (25 pens, 14 piglets/pen). Pigletswere fed a basal control diet (CTRL, six pens) and a treatment diet supplemented with2×108CFU/gofL. plantarum(PLA, 6 pens), 2×108CFU/gL. reuteri(REU, six pens) and the combination of both bacterialstrains (1×108CFU/g ofL. plantarumcombined with1×108CFU/gofL. reuteri, P+R, 7 pens) for28 days. Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly. Diarrhoea occurrence was assessed weeklyby the faecal score (0–3; considering diarrhoea≥2). At 0 and 28 days, faecal samples were obtained fromfour piglets per pen for microbiological analyses and serum samples were collected from two piglets perpen for serum metabolic profiling. Treatments significantly reduced diarrhoea occurrence and decreasedthe average faecal score (0.94±0.08 CTRL, 0.31±0.08 PLA, 0.45±0.08 REU, 0.27±0.08 P+R;p< 0.05).The PLA group registered the lowest number of diarrhoea cases compared to other groups (20 cases CTRL,5 cases PLA, 8 cases REU, 10 cases P+R;p< 0.01). After 28 days, the globulin serum level increased inPLA compared to the other groups (24.91±1.09 g/L CTRL, 28.89±1.03 g/L PLA, 25.91±1.03 g/LREU,25.31±1.03 g/L P+R;p< 0.05).L. plantarumandL. reutericould thus be considered as interestingfunctional additives to prevent diarrhoea occurrence in weaned piglets.