FORMIK STOP: a complementary powder feed to be added to the ration, featuring acidifying components, prebiotic action, and high concentrations of adsorbent substances.
In today’s article, we will delve into the acidifying properties of FORMIK STOP and focus on the action of its blend of short-chain fatty acids adsorbed onto special carriers that allow the release of acidic molecules throughout the gastrointestinal tract.
Acidification is a practice now well-established in pig farming, beneficial for various aspects.
The main reason for acidifying the pig’s diet is to optimize the activity of the enzyme pepsin, which degrades proteins to facilitate their utilization.
Improving the utilization of dietary protein not only enhances performance but also reduces the loss of nitrogenous substances through feces, leading to a lower environmental impact and greater economic return.
GASTRIC ACIDITY IN THE PIGLET AND WEANED PIG
In piglets, the stomach’s acidic secretion is insufficient to ensure optimal activity of the pepsin enzyme, and lactic fermentation by lactic acid bacteria becomes the primary source of acidity. This occurs not only because piglets have not yet fully developed their hydrochloric acid production capacity, but also because lactic acid produced by bacterial fermentation inhibits hydrochloric acid secretion. Conversely, the intake of solid feed reduces the level of lactic acid in the stomach and instead stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid.
It is also true, however, that while in piglets a pH of about 4 is sufficient to coagulate the milk caseins and achieve a maximum digestibility of this protein of 98%, in weaned pigs fed with plant or fish protein sources, a pH of about 2–3.5 is necessary to reach the maximum activity of the pepsin enzyme. This level can only be achieved through the integration of organic acids into the diet.
At weaning, the insufficient acid secretion, no longer supported by lactose fermentation due to the removal of milk from the diet, combined with the consumption of large and infrequent meals, can lead to an increase in gastric pH and compromise protein digestion. Studies show that providing organic acids during this period greatly helps to rapidly lower gastric pH, thus promoting proper protein digestion and facilitating the transition from milk to weaning feed.
Avoiding an increase in stomach pH after weaning translates to preventing poor feed digestion, which will then be fermented in the intestines with the risk of causing diarrhea, as well as failing to maintain the stomach’s acid barrier to prevent the entry of pathogens that could survive and have greater opportunities to colonize the digestive tract.
DIET ACIDIFICATION AND INTESTINAL MICROBIOTA
Providing acids delivered by specific carriers also means promoting their release at the intestinal level, where they play an important role in modulating the intestinal microflora, known as the microbiota.
The term microbiota refers to the community of microorganisms that colonize the intestine: a population consisting of various species of bacteria, yeasts, protozoa, and other microorganisms.
It is a true invisible world to our eyes, on which, along with the integrity of the intestinal barrier and its functions, the animal’s performance depends.
The key to intestinal health is the state of perfect balance that occurs among the different microbial populations, known as “eubiosis.”
A microbiota in a state of eubiosis produces substances with important metabolic roles, protects the mucosa from potential pathogens, and stimulates the immune system.
The action of organic acids at the intestinal level occurs through the modulation of the intestinal microflora via a bacteriostatic-bactericidal mechanism against bacterial populations sensitive to their action.
Non-ionized organic acids can penetrate bacterial cells and disrupt normal bacterial physiology, leading to death from energy deprivation as the cell attempts to restore electrochemical balance. Bacteria such as coliforms, Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., Clostridium spp., etc., are very sensitive to this mechanism of action, as they cannot replicate or survive significant pH changes, unlike bacteria such as Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.
It is well known that the transition from a milk diet to solid feed during weaning, if not followed by a decrease in pH, promotes the proliferation of coliforms, drastically reduces Lactobacillus spp., and can lead to potential gastrointestinal disturbances.
Therefore, promoting proper acidification of the gastrointestinal tract helps maintain the state of eubiosis, leading to changes in the intestinal environment that favor the proliferation of acidophilic populations and preventing the intestine from colonization by potential pathogenic species or the development of dysbiosis, which can cause digestive disturbances and reduced performance.
This is an essential concept to keep in mind during weaning but not only. There is growing evidence that dietary acidification may also be beneficial for growing pigs.
ACIDIFICATION AND PERFORMANCE
Correct diet acidification, by reducing its buffering capacity, enhances digestion, supports the maintenance of a healthy microbiota, promotes mineral absorption, and improves animal performance.
FORMIK STOP should be thoroughly mixed with the complete feed at a rate of 2-5 kg per 1000 kg of feed.
For more information about FORMIK STOP, contact us – https://tecnozoo.it/contatti-aziendali-mail-telefono-tecnozoo/
In today’s article, we will delve into the acidifying properties of FORMIK STOP and focus on the action of its blend of short-chain fatty acids adsorbed onto special carriers that allow the release of acidic molecules throughout the gastrointestinal tract.
