Effects of feeding prebiotics to pigs for 1 or 2 weeks before slaughter

Summary

Prebiotics are non-digestible oligosaccharides acting by stimulating the growth of bacteria being beneficial for the gastrointestinal health of the host and may serve as a means to control pathogens. This study aimed to assess if inclusion of chicory or lupins (prebiotics) in the diet of pre-slaughter pigs for just 1 or 2 weeks could change the composition of their intestinal microbiota and help to lower the level of the important foodborne pathogen Campylobacter spp.
The study showed that even a short-term alternative feeding strategy with prebiotics in the diet of pre-slaughter pigs elicited changes in the composition of intestinal microbiota with stimulation of the growth of bifidobacteria in caceum and a reduction of the Campylobacter spp. excretion level.