THE PERFECT COMBINAION: THE SYMBIOTIC EFFECT OF PROBIOTICS AND PREBIOTICS IN MILK REPLACERS – FOR HEALTHIER NEWBORN ANIMALS
Newborn animals have a difficult time adjusting to a regular nutritional intake and are extremely susceptible to infections caused by a variety of bacteria and viruses. The common approach to these issues has frequently been a wide use of antibiotics as a prophylactic treatment to avoid increased mortality and morbidity, and in order to improve animals’ performance and reduce the need for medical treatments. However, frequent use of antibiotics has led to microbial resistance to antibiotic treatment, leading to the need of different prophylactic treatments1.
Probiotics, which are live microorganisms such as bacteria and yeasts, have been found to be beneficial when supplemented in animals’ nutrition by creating a more balanced gut microbial presence, and therefore protecting young animals from gut-related disorders. The mechanism by which probiotics affect animals’ gut is through the action of lactic acid bacteria which lead to the inhibition of pathogens growth2.
Prebiotics are carbohydrates which are non-digestible and are therefore not metabolized in the small intestine and continue to the large intestine where they are fermented. These carbohydrates, when fermented, form short fatty acids which are able to prevent microbial invasion, by stopping the pathogenic adhesion to the mucosal layer of the gut3.
Several studies have tested the effects of a combined supplement to animals’ nutrition, including both probiotics and prebiotics.
Studies in calves have found that symbiotics, which combine both prebiotics and probiotics, lead to lower fecal scores4, enhanced daily weight gain and reduced bacterial fecal count5, reducing morbidity during the early development of calves’ immune system.
Studies testing the symbiotic effect of probiotics and prebiotics in piglets found that the combination of the two additives leads to a synergistic effect in the microbiota and improve piglets’ performance. Moreover, piglets showed increased nutrient digestibility, which is extremely important during the weaning stage6. Genetic studies on the effects of prebiotics and probiotics showed that each additive has a different mechanism of action for changing the gut microbiota, and when combined together they have complementary effects, leading to a stronger impact on gut performance7.
Studies on the effects of combined probiotics and prebiotics in milk replacers for newborn lambs also showed decreased fecal bacterial count, increased lactic acid bacteria, greater body weight gain, increased feed intake, as well as decreased serum cholesterol levels8.
Halavit, a longstanding producer of milk replacers, uses advanced technologies to process milk replacers for multiple animals, including calves, piglets and lambs. The final products undergo strict quality control and assurance. Halavit’s accumulated experience and knowhow, its constant development of innovative products of the highest quality, comprehensive response to diverse needs, and fast and dedicated service are the foundations on which the company is built.
The milk replacers produced for all animals are made under food safety standards, and include the highest level ingredients and a variety of products with rich formulas, including a combined supplementation of both probiotics and prebiotics.
Contact us for more information on Halavit’s milk replacers, and their probiotics and prebiotics supplementation, which will allow for a healthy gut development in all of your animals.
References:
1 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369527400002411
2 https://www.jarvm.com/articles/Vol8Iss1/Mcleod.pdf
4 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1740-0929.2010.00861.x
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25049688
6 https://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/wurpubs/fulltext/121655
7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4919990/
