Seaweed extracts could help improve piglet health and allow producers to rear pigs without the need for antibiotics, Irish scientists have found.

愛爾蘭科學家發(fā)現(xiàn)海藻提取物有助于改善仔豬健康，并實現(xiàn)無抗養(yǎng)豬。

As Pig Progress’ UK sister title Farmers Weekly reports, researchers at University College Dublin (UCD) discovered that feeding seaweed extract to sows can have lifetime impacts on piglet health and productivity.

英國《每周農(nóng)民》報道，都柏林大學(UCD)的研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)飼喂母豬海藻提取物，可以對仔豬健康和生產(chǎn)性能產(chǎn)生終生影響。

As well as improving the quality of colostrum, which leads to healthier piglets, scientists have found that seaweed extract changes the structure of the gut, cutting the risk of scouring during weaning. The researchers also discovered it reduces the amount of E. coli in the gut, reducing sickness in herds and potentially leading to a drop in the amount of antimicrobials farmers need to use.

改善初乳質量，使仔豬更健康?？茖W家發(fā)現(xiàn)海藻提取物可以改變腸道結構，降低斷奶期間腸道被侵染的風險。研究者還發(fā)現(xiàn)該提取物能減少腸道中大腸桿菌數(shù)量，降低豬群發(fā)病率，并可能會降低養(yǎng)豬戶抗生物類藥物的使用頻率。

Packed with nutrients

Speaking at the European Federation of Animal Science conference (EAAP 2016) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, early September 2016, John O’Doherty, professor of monogastric nutrition at UCD, said seaweed contains high levels of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, which are beneficial to animal health.

The sugars in seaweed however – particularly a type of glucose called laminarin, which is found in brown algae – show particular promise for the swine industry.

富含營養(yǎng)元素

今年9月初，UCD單胃營養(yǎng)學教授John O’Doherty在北愛爾蘭貝爾法斯特舉行的歐盟動物科學大會(EAAP)上強調(diào)：海藻含有豐富的維生素、礦物質和脂肪酸對動物健康非常有益。

Feeding laminarin to sows

During studies conducted over the past 10 years, Prof O’Doherty and his team have discovered that feeding seaweed extract containing laminarin to sows improved their gut structure.

This change in structure is passed on to piglets, resulting in guts that are more able to absorb nutrients and digest food. Supplementing sows’ diets also leads to faster-growing piglets, with piglets’ average daily gain measured at 13% higher than those fed a standard diet, Prof O’Doherty said.He added, “It shows the role that the sow plays in feeding the piglets is vital.”

昆布多糖飼養(yǎng)母豬

在過去10年進行的研究中，John O’Doherty教授和他的團隊發(fā)現(xiàn)給母豬飼喂海藻提取物昆布多糖可以改善母豬的腸道結構。

這種結構的變化可遺傳給仔豬，可提高仔豬的吸收和消化能力。John O’Doherty教授說母豬日糧添加昆布多糖還能幫助仔豬快速生長，仔豬平均日增重比飼喂標準飲食高出13%。他還補充說道，“這表明，母豬飼養(yǎng)在仔豬的生長過程中發(fā)揮著至關重要的作用。”

Reduction of presence of bacteria

Another unexpected effect of a seaweed-enriched diet was that it also reduced the presence of bacteria, which causes meat to decompose, meaning the shelf life of pork products could be improved, Prof O’Doherty added.“It has a lot of plus points for sustainable pig production. As well as helping animals to fight off infection, it helps improve meat quality, which will hopefully mean less nitrates being pumped into meat and less spoilage.”“We could see these extracts being available to farmers within the next year,” he added. “It will be one of the alternatives, along with better management, better nutrition, and more carefully monitored diets.”

減少細菌的存在

飼喂富含海藻飼料的另一個意想不到的效果是，它可以減少細菌的存在。這些細菌能加快肉類產(chǎn)品的腐敗變質。這就說明富含海藻的飼料還能改善貨架上豬肉產(chǎn)品的保質期，O’Doherty教授補充說，“它給豬肉的可持續(xù)發(fā)展加分不少。除了幫助動物抵御感染，它還有助于改善肉質，這很可能降低豬肉的亞硝酸鹽含量及減少豬肉腐敗?！薄！拔磥硪荒陜?nèi)，農(nóng)戶就可拿到這些提取物。除了更好的管理、更充足的營養(yǎng)及更細心地檢測飲食，海藻提取物飼喂豬只將是備選方案之一?！?/p>