In intensive swine production, piglets are separated from the
sow at weaning, joined with other litters, and abruptly
transitioned from milk to dry feeding at an early age (typically
21−28 days). Thus, weaning is the most stressful phase of the
pig’s productive life. Consequently, at this stage, piglets often
show a decreased growth and increased digestive disturbances.
As such, they may benefit the most from the supply of highly
digestible or bioactive nutrients and probiotics in order to
promo…
Read moreIn intensive swine production, piglets are separated from the
sow at weaning, joined with other litters, and abruptly
transitioned from milk to dry feeding at an early age (typically
21−28 days). Thus, weaning is the most stressful phase of the
pig’s productive life. Consequently, at this stage, piglets often
show a decreased growth and increased digestive disturbances.
As such, they may benefit the most from the supply of highly
digestible or bioactive nutrients and probiotics in order to
promote gut health, which will have a determining impact on
adequate digestive capacity, performance, and overall health.
Microalgae have been considered a sustainable and functional feedstuff of potential use in piglet diets.1,2
Indeed,
depending on culture conditions, many microalgae species can
present high crude protein contents, such that their biomass
may partially replace widely used conventional feedstuffs such
as soybean meal.2,3 Other species could also be an interesting
source of lipids, particularly of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty
acids that have beneficial effects on piglet health and
performance.4,5 Microalgae use mainly CO2, nitrogen, and
phosphorus and are capable of generating large biomass
production with solar radiation as the only energy source,
without the direct requirement of arable land. Nevertheless,
the effects of microalgae on piglet physiology and the impact
on production performance at weaning remain understudied,
limiting support for broader industrial applications.
Among the microalgae available commercially, C. vulgaris is
particularly promising for swine nutrition due to its high
protein, antioxidant, and vitamin contents.3 Most studies have
addressed C. vulgaris, or other Chlorella species, for aquaculture
applications,6,7
and to date, only a few studies have addressed
the effect of dietary inclusion of Chlorella sp. on weaning piglet
performance. In thisregard, Hintz & Heitman8 used a biomass
derived from a semicontrolled cultivation of predominantly
Chlorella and Scendesmus; Yap et al.9
explored the use of an
unidentified Chlorella sp.; and Yan et al.10 utilized a fermented
C. vulgaris product. Recently, Martins et al.11−13 conducted an
extensive study with a defined C. vulgaris, in spray-dried
powder, autotrophically grown in photobioreactors, and fed to
weaning piglets in metabolic cages. Martins et al.13 also
highlighted the importance of testing their findings in growth
trials with ad libitum feeding and group housing where animal
performance better approximates that of commercial conditions. If adequately used by piglets, this microalga may
supply high-quality protein, essential fatty acids, or antioxidant
compounds and vitamins.
