Effect of Nucleotides and Peptides from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NUPRO) in the Feeding of Post-weaning Pigs

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of NUPRO (Alltech de Mexico SA de CV), product obtained from yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in post-weaning piglets, on feed intake, daily gain, feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratio (PER), survival, and on slaughter weight, weight and hot carcass yield, weight and length of the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) and its parts, and also on the levels of metabolites (glucose, urea, creatinine, cholesterol and total protein) and minerals (Ca, P, Mg and Zn) in blood serum. It was used 81 crossbred piglets from primiparous sows of crosses (Yorkshire, Hampshire, Duroc and Landrace). The piglets were weaned at 23 days of age, with 5.71 kg live weight in average at weaning. The diets were based on soybean meal Glycine max plus sorghum vulgare and were isoproteic (21.0\% crude protein) and isocaloric (3,110 Mcal metabolizable energy/kg), with a concentration of 1.33\% lysine; 1.37\% Ca, and 0.74\% P. It was used three treatments with three replications: T1 (basal diet, BD), T2 (BD + 2.0\% NUPRO) and T3 (BD + 4.0\% NUPRO). Feed intake, daily weight gain, feed efficiency, PER and piglet survivals were not affected by the addition of NUPRO to diet. However, in T1 was presented diarrheal and anorexia. The slaughter weight was similar among treatments (P >= 0.05). The hot carcass weight (kg) and hot carcass yield (\%) were significantly different (P <= 0.05) with values of 6.18, 7.55 kg and 6.78 kg and 49, 58 and 57\%, respectively for T1, T2, and T3. The weight (P <= 0.07) and length (P <= 0.01) of the large intestine differed between treatments, with respective values of 0.260, 0.390 and 0.340 kg and 2.15, 3.11 and 2.27 meters for T1, T2 and T3. The concentration of metabolites and minerals in blood serum were not affected by the NUPRO in diet, except for Mg, which was different; as in the diet increases NUPRO increases the Mg concentration in serum. It is concluded that supplementing diets with NUPRO improves weight and yields of hot carcass and the weight and length of the large intestine, without affecting the other variables.