What is it about?

The addition of prebiotics like inulin to diets, can improve digestion and gut health. We studied the ability of an industry by product (citrus pulp) and a pasture (alfalfa) to improve gut health and digestion in piglets, comparing them with the known prebiotic inulin.

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Why is it important?

We observed that the addition of fresh alfalfa and citrus pulp had beneficial effects promoting fermentation in the gut. However, they limited intake of piglets and protein absorption. These are negative aspects related to the fibrous characteristic of both feedstuffs.

Perspectives

This paper is about the use of some fresh feedstuffs (fresh citrus pulp and fresh alfalfa) used in low inclusion levels in young pig diets, as potential gut health improvers. We demonstrated that, even used in small quantities, these feedstuffs limited intake and nutrient absorption in piglets. This is important limitation for their use in this animal category.

Professor María Cecilia Cajarville
UdelaR

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Addition of inulin, alfalfa and citrus pulp in diets for piglets: Influence on nutritional and faecal parameters, intestinal organs, and colonic fermentation and bacterial populations, Livestock Science, August 2015, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2015.06.003.
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