Determination of the effectiveness of the use of the feed additive prebiotic «STIM Vet» on piglets

Abstract

The dynamic balance between the components of the intestinal microbiocenosis is normally characterized by rather high stability. The balance between the microbial ecosystem and the macroorganism can be disturbed both under the influence of environ mental factors, for example medications, first of all antimicrobial drugs, and during pathological processes in the organism, such as immunodeficiency states. The pathological state, which arises when this balance is disturbed, is manifested by decrease in the symbiotic «useful» microflora and by the increase in the number of the population of opportunistic and pathogenic microflora. Medicines and feed additives containing probiotic strains of microorganisms are widely used for the prevention and treatment of this pathological state (disbacteriosis). But the use of probiotics does not always lead to colonization of the intestine by these microorganisms; this fact considerably reduces the effect of the use of these preparations. Therefore, at present much attention is paid to the use of substances and compounds that are not digested in the upper parts of the intestinal tract, but at the same time serve as nutrient medium and stimulate the reproduction of bifidum bacteria, lactic acid bacilli and other symbiotic microflora, that is prebiotics. This article presents the results of production experiment of studying the effect of the domestic prebiotic feed additive «STIM Vet» on the maintenance and normalization of the microbiota of gastrointestinal tract, the safety and increase in live weight of piglets during weaning and changing of the basic diet. It was found that the introduction of the feed additive «STIM Vet» at the recommended doses into the diet of piglets during weaning and changing of the basic diet does not cause changes in behavior, appetite and physiological rhythms of animals; it is tolerated by animals well, helps to reduce episodes of diarrhea, to raise the safety of the pig population and to increase the average daily and gross weight.