INFLUENCE OF Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Actisaf SC 47®) AS FEED ADITIVE IN GESTATION OR LACTATION DIETS ON SOWS AND NURSING PIGLETS HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE

Th e aim of this study was to investigate the eff ect of sows gestating or lactating diets supplemented with a commercial probiotic preparation (live yeast culture Saccharomyces cerevisiae, “Actisaf Sc47®”) on their health status, as well as the health status and productivity of their piglets during lactation. A total of 120 sows were divided into three groups: fi rst (G, n=40) and second (L, n=40) group was fed diets with probiotic during pregnancy (G) or lactation (L), respectively. Th e third group (C, n = 40) was the control, which was fed without probiotic. Uterus and/or the udder diseases were manifested in the smaller (p<0.01) proportion in treated group (G=7.5%, L=12.5%) compared to control group (22.5%). Th e incidence of piglets diarrhea was lower (p<0.05) in the treated litters (12.5%) compared to the control litters (27.5 %). Th e average weaned piglets per litter (p/l) and weaning litter weight (lw) (G=11.6 p/l and 103.6 kg/lw; L=11.1 p/l and 102.8 kg/ lw, C=10 p/l and 79 kg/lw) were higher (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively) in treated, compared to the control sows. Th ese results show that the use of probiotic signifi cantly improves the health status of lactating sows and piglets, as well as the piglets productivity within lactation.


UTICAJ DODAVANJA Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Actisaf SC 47®) U HRANU ZA KRMAČE TOKOM PERIODA GESTACIJE I LAKTACIJE NA ZDRAVLJE I PRODUKTIVNE PERFORMANSE PRASADI INTRODUCTION
Under the intensive production conditions, sows are exposed to numerous chronically stresogenic factors (Hyun et al., 1998;Sutherland et al., 2006), which reduce their immunity (Kick et al., 2012) and increase susceptibility to various infectious agents (Sutherland et al., 2006). In addition, the long-term application of conventional antimicrobial drugs for prevention or treatment of infectious diseases, result in signifi cantly increase of infectious agent resistance to these antimicrobial preparations (Cromwell et al., 2002;Pugh, 2002;Le Coz, 2012). Reduced immunity and increased resistance of microorganisms to antimicrobial agents result in the increase of numerous infectious diseases, and consequently, reduce sows reproductive performances (Yeske, 2007;Stančić et al., 2010).
Nowadays, the problem of lower sow reproductive performance, as a result of reduced immunity and increased infective agents resistance to conventional antimicrobial preparation, is frequently attempt to solve by using probiotic preparations as natural immunomodulators (Blecha, 2001; Gallois et al., 2008;Zvekić et al., 2012;. Live yeast culture (Gallois et al., 2009;Trckova et al., 2014) or their bioactive products (Kogan and Kocher, 2007;Shen et al., 2011) are one of the most active natural immunomodulator added to feed in order to prevent infectious diseases of the udder and the uterus, as well as to increase the reproductive performance of sows and their litters. However, according to previous studies, the eff ectiveness of replacing conventional antimicrobial agents with probiotics for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, as well as their impact on the sows reproductive performance, are not entirely consistent (Zvekić et al., 2012;Gallois et al., 2009;Trckova et al., 2014;. Th e results of Serbian authors (Gagrčin et al., 2002;Stančić et al., 2012), demonstrated that in more than 50% of pig farms in R. of Serbia, there is a problem of udder and/or uterus infectious diseases (mastitis-metritis-agalactia syndrome; MMA -syndrome), resulting in signifi cantly reduced sows reproductive performance.
Th erefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the eff ect of adding one commercial probiotic preparation (live culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in gestating or lactating diets on health status of sows and their litters, as well on productive performance of piglets within lactation.

Farm and sows management
Th e experiment was carried out at one Serbian commercial pig farm, with about 1,200 Swedish Landrace and Large White sows in the reproductive herd. A total of 120 experimental sows (between the fi rst and the sixth parity) were divided into three separate groups, immediately aft er artifi cial insemination. Th e fi rst group (n=40 sows) was fed with probiotic supplemented diets during gestation (G group), the second group (n=40 sows) was fed with probiotic supplemented diets only within lactation period (L group), and the third control group (n=40 sows) was fed only with basic diets, without probiotics (C group). Th e sows in each experimental group were equalized according to body condition, parity and health. Average lactation period was 33 days. Duration of lactation period and parity was not signifi cantly diff erent (p<0.05) between the experimental group of sows (Table 1). Th e pregnant sows were housed in group pens (10 sows per group) and equalized by age, body condition and the stage of pregnancy. Between 7 and 10 days before the scheduled date of farrowing, the sows were moved into the farrowing house with individual pens, where they stayed with their litters during lactation.

Experimental sows diets
Standard feed for gestating and lactating sows were used as complete concentrate diet (produced by Veterinary Institute, "Subotica", Serbia). Composition of basic diets are given in Table 1. Th ese diets were supplemented with 600g per ton of commercial probiotic preparation "Actisaf Sc47 ® ", which contains live cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain CNCM I-4407 (Société Industrielle Lesaff re, Lesaff re Feed Additives, Marcq-en-Baroeul, France), to the basic feed for sows in gestation or lactation. During the fi rst half of gestation, all sows received 3.2 kg of complete basic diet per day, and during the second half of gestation, 3.5 kg per day. Water was available ad libitum for pregnant and lactating sows.

Estrus detection, artifi cial insemination and pregnancy diagnosis
Th e estrus detection was performed twice daily by direct contact with the sexually mature teaser boar, starting on the fi rst day aft er weaning. Th e semen was collected by hand-gloved method, from the boars of proven fertility, using phantom. Th e double artifi cial insemination (AI) was performed in the sows with estrus detected within fi rst 7 days aft er weaning. Th e sows were fi rst AI a few hours aft er standing estrus detection, and second time about 24 hours later. Freshly diluted insemination doses were used (dose volume of 100 mL, with about 4×10 9 progressively motile sperm). Th e insemination doses were kept in a thermo box at +17 o C, and were used not more than 12 hours aft er collection.
Th e detection of possible return to estrus (i.e. fi rst repeated estrus, rebreeding) start at day 14 aft er the fi rst post-weaning AI. Th e diagnosis of pregnancy was recorded based on the absence of repeated estrus manifestation, as well as on the basis of a positive pregnancy testing results, using the "pulse-echo" ultrasound device. Th e ultrasound examination was performed 30 and 40 days aft er the last AI.

Lactating sows management
Gestating, lactating and the control sows and their litters were housed in a farrowing house with individual pens. First 3 days aft er farrowing, the sow rectal temperature was measured twice daily (according to the usual farm clinical practice, elevated rectal temperature was considered as ≥39.3 o C). Water and adequate diets for each group of sows was available ad libitum. Group C was fed with basic diet, and group L and group G were fed with basic diet supplemented with "Actisaf Sc47 ® ". Sows with clinically manifestation of uterine and/ or udder disease, were treated by standard classical antimicrobial procedure.
In the case of occurrence of the uterine disease, the following signs were recorded: elevated rectal temperature, uterine discharge, no appetite. For udder disease (mastitis) recognizable clinical symptoms were: elevated rectal temperature, udder edema, hyperemia and pain, sternal position, hypo-or agalactia and no appetite.
Piglets were heated by fl oor heater and electric lamp (150W). Ten days aft er farrowing, until to weaning, piglets has received complete concentrated diets for nursing piglets (produced by Veterinary Institute "Subotica", R. of Serbia).

Data recorded
For sows the following data were recorded: sows rectal temperature within fi rst 3 days aft er farrowing, clinically manifestation of uterine and/or mammary gland diseases aft er farrowing. Litter size and litter weight at farrowing, diarrhea, preweaning piglets mortality, litter size and litter weight at weaning were recorded.

Statistical analysis
Th e evaluation of phenotypic parameters of the research results was done by the "Statistic 12" soft ware package according to the average, minimum and maximum values and standard deviation of the experimental results.
T-test was used to test the diff erence between the arithmetic means of the results and p<0.05 or lower was considered as a signifi cant diff erence.

RESULTS
Th e experimental groups (G and L group) and control group (c group) were set up in such a way that between them there is no a statistically signifi -cant diff erence (p<0.05) in the duration of lactation period and sows parity, as shown in Table 2. In the fi rst three days aft er farrowing a signifi cantly higher proportion of control sows (22.5%) had elevated rectal temperatures (≥39.3 o C) compared with those fed with diets supplemented with probiotic in gestation (7.5%) or lactation (12.5%). Th e results are given in Table 3. In the sows with elevated rectal temperature, metritis with hypogalactia or agalactia, mastitis with hypogalactia or agalactia, or mastitis-metritis-agalactia syndrome (MMA) was noted mainly within the fi rst week aft er farrowing (Table 3).
Th e average number of live born piglets per litter were 12.22 in the Ggroup, 11.53 in the L-group, and 11.42 piglets in the control group. Th ese values were signifi cantly (p<0.05) higher in the G-group in comparison with the control and L group of sows. However, average number of live born piglets per litter was not signifi cantly diff erent (p>0.05) between L and C group of sows (Table 4). Th e average weight of a live born piglets per litter, in both treatment groups (G = 16.4 kg; L = 16.1 kg) was signifi cantly higher (p<0.01) than in the control group (13.5 kg). Signifi cantly higher average weaned piglets per litter were estimated in G-group (11.65 piglets, p<0.01), and in L-group sows (11.15 piglets, p<0.05) than in the control group of sows (10.0 piglets). Diarrhea in suckling piglets was manifested in 12.5% litters in both probiotic treated groups (G and L group), which is signifi cantly lower (p<0.05) than in the untreated (control, C group) sows (27.5%). Preweaning piglet mortality was approximately 10% lower in the probiotic-treated sows (G = 4.9%; L = 3.4%) compared to the control sows (C = 14.2%). Th e average weaned litter weight was signifi cantly higher (p<0.01) in both probiotic treated groups (G = 103.6 kg; L = 102.8 kg) in comparison with the control group of sows (79.1 kg) ( Table 4).

DISCUSSION
Studies carried out on a large farm, representative for Serbian intensive pig production, shows that the average farrowing number per sow was 3.5 with the average 2.1 annual farrowing index. Th e average farrowing rate was 78.9%, and the average number of live born piglets per litter was 10.9. Total sows culling rate was 38.4% per year. About 42% of total culled sows were culled due to the health problems. According to Stančić et al. (2012) and Maletić et al. (2012) the diseases of the uterus and/or udder were primary reasons for culling 30,4% of the total sows culled due to the health problems in the Serbian pig farms. Th ese authors also found permanent effi cacy decreasment of conventional antimicrobial drugs used for treatment of uterus and/or udder diseases in sows, as well as for treatment of infectious diarrhea in newborn piglets, primarily due to increased resistance of the infectious agents to the number of antimicrobials. Similar problems related to increasing microbial resistance to conventional antimicrobial preparations have been shown by other authors (Wray and Gananou, 2000;McEwen and Fedorka-Cray, 2002). Th erefore, the aim of this study was to solve this problem in lactating sows and their litters, by addition of commercial natural probiotic preparations in the diets of gestating or lactating sows, under Serbian intensive pig production conditions.
Th e results obtained in the present study indicate that feeding sows during pregnancy or lactation period by standard complete diets supplemented with probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-4407 (Actisaf Sc47 ® ) signifi cantly improve their health status, (7.5% in G and 12.5% in L group of sows with clinical manifestation of uterine and/or mammary gland diseases, compared with 22.5% in the control group), as well as the health status of their piglets (12.5% litters with diarrhea in probiotic treated group in comparation with 27.5% litters with diarrhea in the control sows), and preweaning piglet mortality (4.9% in G-group, 3.4% in L-group and 14.2% in control group of sows). In addition, the average number of weaned piglets per litter (G = 11.65; L = 11.15) and the average litter weight at weaning (G = 103.6 kg; L= 102.8 kg) were signifi cantly higher in the sows feed with probiotics in comparison with the control sows (79.1 kg). Periparturient uterine and/or udder infectious diseases in the sows and coliform diarrhea in the newborn piglets are the main health factors that signifi cantly reduce weaned piglets production (Yeske, 2007 In the present study, the signifi cant decrease of postpartal uterus and/or udder infectious diseases in the sows fed with diets supplemented with probiotics during gestation or lactation, may be the result of probiotics ability to enhance the sows natural immunity, as eff ect of Glucans + Mannan Oligosaccharide (Kogan and Kocher, 2007;Böhmer et al., 2006;Salmon, 2012). On the other hand, it has been shown that live yeast or their bioactive product mannan oligosaccharides can stimulate maternal immunoglobulin (Ig) production and their increasing presence in colostrum and milk (Gallois et al., 2009). Health protection of newborn piglets solely depends on these Ig (Zanello et al., 2012). Consequently, signifi cant higher preweaning piglets mortality in the litters of postpartal sick sows, particulary in the control sows, obtained in the present study, can be primarily due to increasing incidence of diarrhea (Blecha, 2001), as a result of signifi cant reduced or totally absent of milk production and/or Ig in colostrum and milk (Giang, 2010).

CONCLUSION
Live yeast probiotic supplementation in gestation diets signifi cantly decrease the occurrence of postpartal uterine and/or udder diseases (7.5%) and increase the average number of live born piglets per liter (12.2), compared to sows fed diets supplemented with probiotic within lactation period (uterine and/or udder diseases 12.5%, and 11.5 live born piglets per litter), as well as with the control sows (uterine and/or udder diseases 22.5%, and 11.4 live born piglets per litter). Utilization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae live culture in the diets for pregnant or lactating sows, signifi cantly improves their health status and the health status of their piglets within lactation in Serbian intensive pig production conditions. In addition, litter productive parameters (average number of weaned piglets per litter and litter weight at weaning) were significantly higher in sows treated with probiotic than in untreated (control) sows.