This study examined the effect of a water acidifier containing free and buffered short-chain fatty acids (SCFA-WA) on growth performance and microbiota of weaned piglets. In total, 192 male piglets, approximately 4 wk of age, were allocated to 24 pens (12 per treatment) with 8 piglets per pen. The piglets received either regular drinking water (negative control) or drinking water with the acidifier supplied at 2 L/1,000 L. Body weight and feed intake were measured weekly on pen level. During the first 2 wk, daily visual assessment and scoring of the feces was conducted. Fecal samples of three piglets per pen were collected on days 14 and 42 for high-throughput sequencing analysis of the microbiota. Piglets offered SCFA-WA had significantly improved feed efficiency in the third week (P = 0.025) and over the whole study period (days 0 to 42, P = 0.042) compared with piglets in the negative control group, with a strong tendency observed during the first feeding phase (days 0 to 21, P = 0.055). Furthermore, the water acidifier group had a higher water intake than piglets provided with control water during the second feeding phase (days 21 to 42, P = 0.028) and over the whole study period (days 0 to 42, P = 0.043). There was no significant difference in body weight, average daily gain, or average daily feed intake (days 0 to 21, 21 to 42, 0 to 42). Furthermore, there was no overall significant difference in fecal scoring between the treatments. In terms of the fecal microbiota response, piglets offered the water acidifier showed a significantly higher relative abundance (RA) of genus Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and a lower RA of genus Streptococcus compared to the control. Furthermore, the redundancy analysis showed a positive association between improved feed efficiency and daily weight gain and RA of Butyricicoccus and Faecalibacterium. In conclusion, consumption of the water acidifier containing free and buffered SCFA modulated the microbiota and improved feed efficiency in piglets.

中文翻译：

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通过水酸化剂施用短链脂肪酸可提高饲料效率并调节断奶仔猪的粪便微生物群

本研究探讨了含有游离和缓冲短链脂肪酸 (SCFA-WA) 的水酸化剂对断奶仔猪生长性能和微生物群的影响。总共有 192 头雄性仔猪，大约 4 周龄，被分配到 24 个猪栏（每个处理 12 个），每个猪栏 8 头仔猪。小猪接受常规饮用水（阴性对照）或以 2 L/1,000 L 的酸化剂供应的饮用水。每周在围栏水平上测量体重和采食量。在前 2 周，每天对粪便进行视觉评估和评分。在第 14 天和第 42 天，每栏收集三头仔猪的粪便样本，用于微生物群的高通量测序分析。提供 SCFA-WA 的仔猪在第三周（P = 0.025）和整个研究期间（第 0 至 42 天，P = 0）显着提高了饲料效率。042）与阴性对照组的仔猪相比，在第一个喂养阶段（第0至21天，P = 0.055）观察到强烈的趋势。此外，在第二个饲喂阶段（第 21 至 42 天，P = 0.028）和整个研究期间（第 0 至 42 天，P = 0.043），水酸化剂组的饮水量高于提供对照水的仔猪。体重、平均日增重或平均日采食量（第 0 至 21、21 至 42、0 至 42 天）没有显着差异。此外，治疗之间的粪便评分总体上没有显着差异。在粪便微生物群反应方面，与对照相比，提供水酸化剂的仔猪表现出明显更高的广义梭菌 1 相对丰度 (RA) 和更低的链球菌属 RA。此外，冗余分析表明，提高饲料效率与日增重和酪球菌和粪杆菌的 RA 之间存在正相关关系。总之，食用含有游离和缓冲 SCFA 的水酸化剂可以调节微生物群并提高仔猪的饲料效率。