Seaweed extracts could help improve piglet health and allow producers to rear pigs without the need for antibiotics, Irish scientists have found.
爱尔兰科学家发现海藻提取物有助于改善仔猪健康，并实现无抗养猪。
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.
英国《每周农民》报道，都柏林大学(UCD)的研究人员发现饲喂母猪海藻提取物，可以对仔猪健康和生产性能产生终生影响。
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.
改善初乳质量，使仔猪更健康。科学家发现海藻提取物可以改变肠道结构，降低断奶期间肠道被侵染的风险。研究者还发现该提取物能减少肠道中大肠杆菌数量，降低猪群发病率，并可能会降低养猪户抗生物类药物的使用频率。
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.
富含营养元素
今年9月初，UCD单胃营养学教授John O’Doherty在北爱尔兰贝尔法斯特举行的欧盟动物科学大会(EAAP)上强调：海藻含有丰富的维生素、矿物质和脂肪酸对动物健康非常有益。
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.”
昆布多糖饲养母猪
在过去10年进行的研究中，John O’Doherty教授和他的团队发现给母猪饲喂海藻提取物昆布多糖可以改善母猪的肠道结构。
这种结构的变化可遗传给仔猪，可提高仔猪的吸收和消化能力。John O’Doherty教授说母猪日粮添加昆布多糖还能帮助仔猪快速生长，仔猪平均日增重比饲喂标准饮食高出13%。他还补充说道，“这表明，母猪饲养在仔猪的生长过程中发挥着至关重要的作用。”
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.”
减少细菌的存在
饲喂富含海藻饲料的另一个意想不到的效果是，它可以减少细菌的存在。这些细菌能加快肉类产品的腐败变质。这就说明富含海藻的饲料还能改善货架上猪肉产品的保质期，O’Doherty教授补充说，“它给猪肉的可持续发展加分不少。除了帮助动物抵御感染，它还有助于改善肉质，这很可能降低猪肉的亚硝酸盐含量及减少猪肉腐败。”。“未来一年内，农户就可拿到这些提取物。除了更好的管理、更充足的营养及更细心地检测饮食，海藻提取物饲喂猪只将是备选方案之一。”
