The health effects of yeast hydrolysate on piglets

      Yeast hydrolysate has a profound impact on the long-term health of piglets through multidimensional mechanisms, and its effects are not only reflected in the weaning stage, but can also extend to the breeding period and even the reproductive cycle. The following is a specific analysis:

1、 Long term maintenance of intestinal health

Steady state regulation of microbial community structure

      Mannose oligosaccharides (MOS) can promote the long-term proliferation of beneficial bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria and inhibit opportunistic pathogens such as Escherichia coli.

      A certain experiment showed that continuously adding yeast hydrolysate to piglets for slaughter increased the diversity index of gut microbiota by 12% and the abundance of Bacteroidetes by 25%.

      Long term use can lower the pH value of the ileum by 0.3-0.5 units, creating an acidic environment that is not conducive to the survival of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella.

Continuous strengthening of intestinal mucosal barrier

      Nucleotides and small peptides continuously promote the optimization of intestinal villus height and crypt depth (villus height increases by 18% at 4 weeks after weaning), prolonging the effective functional period of intestinal absorption surface area.

      β - glucan continuously activates the Dectin-1 pathway, maintains the expression level of tight junction protein (ZO-1), and reduces the risk of intestinal permeability related diseases in adulthood.

2、 Continuous development of the immune system

Long term development support for immune organs

      Nucleotides provide raw materials for immune organs such as thymus and spleen. Continuous supplementation after weaning can increase the thymus index (thymus weight/body weight) of 60 day old piglets by 22% and enhance the proliferation ability of splenic lymphocytes by 35%.

      β - glucan promotes the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) through the TLR2/6 pathway, continuously enhances antigen presentation function, and improves the clearance efficiency of long-term latent pathogens such as circovirus.

Reshaping of immune response patterns

      Long term use of yeast hydrolysate can shift the Th1/Th2 immune balance in piglets towards Th1 type, reducing the risk of allergic reactions and parasitic infections. The level of IL-12 (Th1 cytokine) in serum was 40% higher than that in the control group, while the level of IL-4 (Th2 cytokine) was 28% lower.

3、 Optimization of metabolic function

Efficient utilization of nutrients

      Peptides and free amino acids continuously improve protein metabolism, and long-term addition can reduce the feed to meat ratio of piglets by 3% -5% and decrease backfat thickness by 0.2-0.3cm.

      Nucleotides promote the activity of key enzymes in the liver urea cycle, such as ornithine carbamoyltransferase, reducing the production of metabolic waste such as ammonia and improving the aquaculture environment.

      Continuous improvement of antioxidant capacity

      Glutathione (GSH) and β - glucan synergistically scavenge free radicals, and long-term use can maintain serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity at a high level (30% higher than the control group at 8 weeks after weaning), delaying cellular aging.

4、 Improvement of stress resistance ability

Regulation of the neuroendocrine system

      The tryptophan metabolites (such as 5-hydroxytryptamine) in yeast hydrolysates can regulate the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA axis) in the long term and reduce the peak cortisol response. In the transport stress test, the concentration of cortisol in the long-term addition group of piglets was only 65% of that in the control group.

      The formation of adaptive immune memory

      Immune cells continuously activated by β - glucan, such as memory T cells, can quickly initiate a response during secondary infection, extending their protection against pathogens such as swine fever virus by 3-6 months.

5、 Potential impact on reproductive performance

Development optimization of reserve sows

      Continuous addition of yeast hydrolysate from lactation to breeding can advance the estrus period of reserve sows by 7-10 days and increase the number of follicles in the ovaries by 15%.

      Nucleotides promote the proliferation of endometrial cells and increase the implantation rate of early pregnancy embryos.

      Improvement of semen quality in boars

      The experiment showed that long-term addition of yeast hydrolysate increased sperm density by 12%, reduced deformity rate by 8%, and increased acrosome integrity rate by 15% in male pigs.

6、 Precautions and Challenges

Dose and stage adaptation

      It is recommended to add 0.8% -1.2% during the weaning period, which can be reduced to 0.5% -0.8% during the breeding period. Excess may lead to an imbalance in intestinal osmotic pressure.

      The formula needs to be dynamically adjusted according to the growth stage of piglets to avoid nutrient waste.

Collaboration with other additives

      Long term use in combination with probiotics (such as Enterococcus faecalis) and enzyme preparations (such as xylanase) can produce synergistic effects and improve feed conversion rates.

      Avoid using high doses of zinc oxide (>2000ppm) simultaneously, as it may affect the effectiveness of MOS.

Drug resistance risk assessment

      Attention should be paid to whether long-term use will cause adaptive changes in the gut microbiota, and it is recommended to regularly monitor the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in the microbiota.

summarize

      Yeast hydrolysate provides health protection for piglets throughout their entire life cycle by continuously regulating gut microbiota, strengthening immune barriers, optimizing metabolic functions, and enhancing stress resistance. In the context of antibiotic free aquaculture in the European Union, its long-term application as a natural functional additive not only meets the needs of sustainable development, but also maximizes economic benefits by improving reproductive performance and disease resistance.