Effect of probiotic CenBiot on the control of diarrhoea and feed efficiency in pigs.

The production and testing of a probiotic formulated with a strain of Bacillus cereus (Probiotic CenBiot) is reported. The strain was grown in fed batch fermenters, desiccated, and mixed with cornflour. To test the effect of the probiotic in controlling piglet diarrhoea, two groups of sows and their respective litters received feed supplemented with probiotic CenBiot or Furazolidone; the control group received the same basic feed but not supplemented. Probiotic CenBiot was as effective as Furazolidone, reducing the prevalence of diarrhoea to half that in the control group. It also significantly improved feed conversion, daily weight gain and total weight gain in pigs in the nursery phase. Feed conversion ratios of weaned pigs were 1.904, 2.146 and 2.099 for the groups that received Probiotic CenBiot, a commercial probiotic, and basic feed, respectively. In terms of food consumption, the Probiotic CenBiot group consumed 12.6% less than the commercial probiotic group, and 10% less than the control group, to achieve the same weight.