Piglets who received supplemental Progut with their diet for 28 days after weaning displayed an improvement in feed conversion ratio as well as improvements in various immune health markers, scientists from Schothorst Feed Research, Wageningen University, and Hankkija Oy/Suomen Rehu report in Animal Feed Science and Technology.
“The results of the present study show that yeast derivative supplementation as 2 g Progut/kg to weaning pigs suggests that the immune system is triggered to a more responsive state, which could potentially be beneficial for overcoming disease challenges,” wrote the researchers.
The Progut ingredient is derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and is covered by European patent number 0946108. Previous research indicating that it may boost the immune system and gut health of piglets. According to the researchers, the main active components of the yeast derivative are beta-glucans and mannanoproteins. While each of these components have been reported to boost immune health in different ways, some experimental evidence indicated negative effects on piglet performance.
In order to assess the Progut ingredient specifically, the Dutch and Finnish researchers used 120 piglets and randomly distributed them into two equal groups. Both groups received the same post-weaning diet, with one group receiving supplemental Progut (Hankkija Oy/Suomen Rehu, Hyvinkää, Finland) at a dose of two grams per day.
Results showed Progut supplementation was associated with a significantly improved feed conversion ratio for the overall period, compared with the control diet.
In addition, the supplemented piglets tended to have increased levels of the immune health markers, including immune globulin (IgG) and IgM antibodies.
“Collectively, these data suggest that yeast derivative supplementation as 2 g Progut/kg to weanling pigs triggered the immune system to a more responsive state without penalizing the animal performance which could potentially be beneficial for overcoming disease challenges,” said the researchers. “Piglets fed with 2 g Progut/kg for 28 days after weaning also showed an improvement in feed conversion ratio.”
Source: Animal Feed Science and Technology
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2014.04.020
“Effects of inclusion of hydrolyzed yeast on the immune response and performance of piglets after weaning”
Authors: F. Molist, E. van Eerden, H.K. Parmentier, J. Vuorenmaa