Controlling salmonella infection in weanling pigs through water delivery of direct-fed microbials or organic acids: Part II. Effects on intestinal histology and active nutrient transport

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of water-delivered, direct-fed microbials (DFM) or organic acids on intestinal morphology and active nutrient absorption in weanling pigs after deliberate Salmonella infection. Pigs (n = 88) were weaned at 19 ± 2 d of age and assigned to 1 of the following treatments, which were administered for 14 d: 1) control diet; 2) control diet + DFM (Enterococcus faecium, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus licheniformis) in drinking water at 10⁹ cfu/L for each strain of bacteria; 3) control diet + organic acid-based blend (predominantly propionic, acetic, and benzoic acids) in drinking water at 2.58 mL/L; and 4) control diet + 55 mg/kg carbadox. Pigs were challenged with 10¹⁰ cfu Salmonella enterica var Typhimurium 6 d after commencement of treatments. Pigs (n = 22/d) were harvested before Salmonella challenge and on d 2, 4, and 8 after challenge. Duodenal, jejunal, and ileal mucosal tissues were sampled for measurement of villus height and crypt depth. Jejunal tissue was sampled for determination of active nutrient absorption in modified Ussing chambers. Duodenal villus height was greater in pigs fed in-feed antibiotic before infection (P < 0.05). Jejunal crypts were deeper in DFM- and acid-treated pigs on d 4 after infection compared with all other treatments (P < 0.05). Salmonella infection resulted in a linear decrease in phosphorus (P < 0.001) and glucose (P < 0.05) active transport, and an increase (P < 0.001) in glutamine uptake immediately after challenge. Salmonella infection reduced basal short-circuit current (I_sc); however, water-delivered DFM or organic acid treatments caused greater basal I_sc on d 2 after challenge than did carbadox. Carbachol-induced chloride ion secretion was greatest in negative control pigs before infection (P < 0.01) and DFM-treated pigs (P < 0.05) after infection. In conclusion, both the DFM and acidify cation treatments induced increases in basal activeion movement and jejunal crypt depth, which could be interpreted as responses consistent with increased Salmonella pathology, but none of the additives markedly affected intestinal absorptive and secretory function in response to Salmonella challenge.