# Simulated Swine Digestion and Gut Microbiota Fermentation of Hydrolyzed Copra Meal

## TL;DR

This study shows that hydrolyzed copra meal improves digestion in young pigs and supports a healthy gut microbiome.

## Contribution

The study introduces hydrolyzed copra meal as a potentially beneficial feed supplement for weaned pigs.

## Key findings

- Hydrolyzed copra meal (HCM) was more digestible than non-hydrolyzed copra meal.
- HCM preserved certain beneficial gut bacteria like Actinobacterota and Proteobacteria.
- Both copra meal treatments showed potential to increase beneficial short-chain fatty acids like acetic and butyric acid.

## Abstract

This study investigated the impact of adding 1% processed coconut meal (hydrolyzed copra meal, HCM) to the diets of weaned pigs, comparing it to regular coconut meal (CM) and a control diet with no coconut meal. Processed to enhance digestibility, HCM showed better digestion than CM. Both treatments supported a diverse gut microbiome, with potential benefits for producing beneficial fatty acids crucial for gut health. More research is needed to fully evaluate HCM’s impact on pig growth and health, but initial findings suggest that incorporating HCM could enhance digestive health and overall well-being in young pigs.

This study aimed to compare the effects of hydrolyzed copra meal (HCM) inclusion at 1% on its in vitro digestibility and the microbiota and cecum fermentation using the gut microbiota of weaned swine, targeting microbial community and short-chain fatty acids (SCF). For this reason, three treatments were considered: control (no copra meal), 1% non-hydrolyzed copra meal (CM), and 1% HCM. Non-defatted copra meal was hydrolyzed and analyzed (reducing sugars and total carbohydrates) in our laboratory. For digestion, microbiota identification, and fermentation assays, fresh fecal samples from two weaned pigs (1 month old) were used. Three replicates of each treatment were employed. HCM was more digestible, with approximately 0.68 g of hydrolysate recovered after simulated digestion compared to 0.82 g of hydrolysate recovered from CM. This was shown by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images. Also, the three swine shared the majority of microbial species identified at the phylum and family levels. There were no differences (p > 0.05) between treatments in the microbial community and SCFA during fermentation. However, higher Chao-1 and Shannon indexes were observed in CM and HCM treatments. HCM was also found to be capable of preserving Actinobacterota and Proteobacteria at the phylum level, while at the family level, both treatments may help Lactobacillaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae survive in the long term. Also, there was a potential trend of increasing acetic acid and butyric acid in the CM and HCM treatments. While HCM shows promise in potentially modulating the gut microbiota of weaned swine, additional research is required to investigate the effects of higher doses of HCM on swine performance parameters.