Project Number: 3602-32000-009-02
Project Type: Trust

Start Date: Aug 15, 2007
End Date: Aug 14, 2009

Objective:
Specific objectives of this cooperative research project are to: 1) Establish efficacy of yeast products to promote earlier feed consumption following weaning and reduce weaning ¿lag¿. 2) Determine the efficacy of yeast products to promote commensal bacterial population stability. 3) Determine the efficacy of yeast products to enhance resting expression of intestinal TLRs. 4) Determine the efficacy of yeast products to reduce the prevalence of coliform bacteria and enhance lactobacilli populations.

Approach:
We propose to use 108 pigs from 24 sows in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (supplementation and transport) in 2 seasons (fall and spring). Two piglets within each litter will be assigned to the yeast supplement (XPC) and two assigned to the control (milk only) diets. One from each of those dietary treatments will be transported at weaning at 18 d-of-age. One additional pig from 12 litters will be assigned to each of the dietary treatments (6 each) as the baseline controls prior to transport. The baseline pigs will be euthanized at weaning. Six pigs from each dietary treatment will be euthanized immediately after transport, and on d 3, 7, and 14 post-transport. Samples will include BW, 5-part differential counts, commensal bacterial population analysis by DGGE of contents and tissues of the jejunum, ileum, cecum and mesenteric lymph nodes. These samples will also be analyzed specifically for enumeration of E. coli, coliforms, and Lactobacillus and selectively enriched for isolation of Salmonella. Ileal-cecal junction tissues and MLN will be analyzed for RNA expression of toll-like receptors 2, 4, and 5, which are pathogen recognition molecules.