Adverse effects of soluble non-starch polysaccharide (guar gum) on piglet growth and experimental colibacillosis immediately after weaning.

This study evaluated the effects of adding soluble fibre to the diet of healthy weaner pigs and weaner pigs experimentally infected with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in a model of post-weaning colibacillosis. Bodyweight gain, intestinal changes and proliferation of ETEC were measured 7 days following weaning. The basal diet consisted of pregelatinised rice fortified with animal protein. Addition of guar gum to this diet elevated the soluble fibre content from 1 to 6 per cent, and was associated with reduced bodyweight gains, increased large intestinal weights and fermentation, and increased proliferation of ETEC in the small intestine. The optimal levels and type of dietary fibre used for weaner pig diets require further evaluation. Copyright 1999 Harcourt Publishers Limited.