# Inclusion of Multi-Strained Probiotics Improves the Fecal Microbiota and Carcass Quality of Pigs

## TL;DR

Adding multi-strain probiotics to pig diets improves gut bacteria and meat quality compared to antibiotics.

## Contribution

This study is among the first to explore how multi-strain probiotics affect pig gut microbiota and meat quality.

## Key findings

- SYNLAC-LeanAd probiotics improved meat quality parameters like marbling and tenderness.
- SYNLAC-LeanAd increased populations of specific gut bacteria like Clostridiaceae and Coriobacteriaceae.
- SYNLAC-LeanAd enhanced amino acid and lipid metabolism pathways in pigs.

## Abstract

Probiotics are widely used to enhance animal intestinal health and gut-associated immunity, which could consequently lead to improved meat quality in pigs. However, the effects of multi-strain probiotics on the intestinal microbiome and their interaction further with meat quality in pigs remain under explored. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the influence of commercial multi-strain probiotics (SYNLAC-LeanAd) on the fecal microbiota and carcass quality of 4-week-old commercial piglets for 22 weeks. The results illustrated that the inclusion of multi-strain probiotics in pig diets positively altered their gut bacteria compared to traditional antibiotics used and enhanced pig meat quality. This study concludes that multi-strain probiotics can be sustainable additives for producing better meat quality, with potential implications for healthier and more sustainable livestock management practices.

Limited studies have addressed the effects of multi-strain probiotics on gut microbiota and their influence on meat traits in pigs. Thus, this study investigated the impact of including a commercialized multi-strain probiotic product (SYN) (SYNLAC-LeanAd) into the dietary regimen of crossbred Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc (LYD) pigs. The study spanned a duration of 22 weeks, from weaning until slaughtering, during which the carcass traits, meat quality, and fecal microbiota profile were compared to those of pigs fed diets with or without an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP). The results demonstrated that the inclusion of SYN significantly improved meat quality parameters, including marbling score, tenderness, and intramuscular fat (p < 0.05) in comparison to pigs fed with AGP. The analysis of fecal microbiota revealed that SYN inclusion increased the populations of Clostridiaceae, Coriobacteriaceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae compared to the control and AGP groups. Additionally, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis predicted that the amino acid and lipid metabolism pathways were facilitated in pigs from the SYN group. These findings suggest that the inclusion of SYNLAC-LeanAd has the potential to positively impact the fecal microbiota profile, which in turn may lead to improved carcass traits and meat quality in commercial crossbred pigs.