Assessment of a 50:50 mixture of two Bacillus subtilis strains as growth promoters for finishing pigs: productivity improvement and noxious gas reduction.

In this study, we aimed to assess the potential of a 50:50 mixture of two Bacillus subtilis strains in improving the productivity and health of finishing pigs and reducing noxious gases in their feces. These strains were found to abundantly secrete surfactin which has been shown to alleviate the effects of lipopolysaccharides in vitro. For the 10-wk experiment, 200 finishing pigs ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) with an average body weight of 54.15 ±â€…1.70 kg were divided into four groups. Each group was fed with a basal diet supplemented with an equal amount of spores from the two B. subtilis strains at different levels: control group, no addition; treatment group 1, 0.5 × 109; treatment group 2, 1.0 × 109; treatment group 3, 1.5 × 109 cfu·kg-1 addition. During the 10-wk feeding period, dietary supplementation of 0.5 × 109, 1.0 × 109, and 1.5 × 109 cfu·kg-1 of the spore cells from these two strains resulted in a 0.9%, 1.9%, and 2.5% increase in body weight, respectively (linear P < 0.095). During the final 5 wk, the average daily gain (ADG) in weight was increased by the strains at amounts of 0.5 × 109, 1.0 × 109, and 1.5 × 109 cfu·kg-1 with a clear dosage effect (linear P < 0.05). However, neither the gain-to-feed ratio, the average daily feed intake, nor nutrient digestibility was affected by the supplementation. In blood, the endotoxin lipopolysaccharides, and two liver toxicity indicator enzymes; aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase were decreased (P < 0.05) in the 1.0 × 109 cfu·kg-1 spores-feeding group. Furthermore, four noxious gases were reduced by 8 to 20% in feces excreted by pigs fed with 1.5 × 109 cfu·kg-1 spores with a linear dosage effect (linear P < 0.001 to 0.05) during the final 5 wk. Our findings suggest that the mixture of B. subtilis strains may enhance the productivity of finishing pigs by reducing the risk of mild endotoxemia, rather than increasing digestibility or daily feed intake. Therefore, these Bacillus strains have the potential to act as growth promoters for pigs, leading to improved animal health and productivity. These results have significant implications for pig farmers seeking to optimize the health and growth of their animals.

In a previous study, we discovered two new strains of Bacillus subtilis that showed high surfactin secretion during growth in culture media. This surfactin proved effective in reducing endotoxin effects, particularly lipopolysaccharides, in vitro. To explore their potential as pig growth promoters, we administered 50:50 bacteria blend to 200 finishing pigs, dividing them into four groups for a 10-wk trial. Results showed that supplementing the pigs' diet with 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 billion bacteria per kilogram led to weight gains of 0.9%, 1.9%, and 2.5%, respectively, with a dosage effect. The weight gain was notably higher during the final 5 wk. However, there were no significant differences in feed intake or nutrient digestibility. Blood analysis revealed reduced lipopolysaccharides and liver toxicity indicators, suggesting improved animal health. Moreover, the pigs that received the bacterial mixture showed reduced noxious gas levels in their feces with a dosage effect. These findings suggest that these new B. subtilis strains could serve as effective growth promoters for pigs by minimizing the risk of mild endotoxemia, leading to enhanced animal health and productivity. These results could have valuable implications for pig farmers seeking to optimize the health and growth of their animals.

Prevalence of Rare Genetic Variations and Their Implications in NGS-data Interpretation.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has improved enough to discover mutations associated with genetic diseases. Our study evaluated the feasibility of targeted NGS as a primary screening tool to detect causal variants and subsequently predict genetic diseases. We performed parallel computations on 3.7-megabase-targeted regions to detect disease-causing mutations in 103 participants consisting of 81 patients and 22 controls. Data analysis of the participants took about 6 hours using local databases and 200 nodes of a supercomputer. All variants in the selected genes led on average to 3.6 putative diseases for each patient while variants restricted to disease-causing genes identified the correct disease. Notably, only 12% of predicted causal variants were recorded as causal mutations in public databases: 88% had no or insufficient records. In this study, most genetic diseases were caused by rare mutations and public records were inadequate. Most rare variants, however, were not associated with genetic diseases. These data implied that novel, rare variants should not be ignored but interpreted in conjunction with additional clinical data. This step is needed so appropriate advice can be given to primary doctors and parents, thus fulfilling the purpose of this method as a primary screen for rare genetic diseases.