Heat Stress Increases In Vitro Hindgut Fermentation of Distinct Substrates in Iberian Pigs

Abstract

Heat stress reduces the feed intake and growth of pigs. We hypothesized that heat stress affects the intestinal fermentation capacity of pigs. Sixteen Iberian pigs (44 ± 1.0 kg) were randomly assigned to one of two treatments (eight pigs/treatment) for 4 weeks—heat stress (HS; 30 °C) ad libitum or thermoneutral (TN; 20 °C) pair feeding. Frozen rectum contents were used as inocula for 24 h in vitro incubations in which a mixture of starches, citrus pectin, inulin from chicory, and cellulose were the substrates. Cellulose was poorly degraded, whereas pectin and the mixture of starches were the most fermentable substrates according to total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. The mixture of starches and inulin produced the greatest amount of gas. For all substrates, heat stress enhanced gas production (8%, <i>p</i> = 0.001), total SCFA production (16%, <i>p</i> = 0.001), and the production of acetate and propionate (12% and 42%, respectively; <i>p</i> = 0.001). The increased isoacid production (33%, <i>p</i> = 0.001) and ammonia concentration (12%, <i>p</i> = 0.001) may indicate protein fermentation under heat stress. In conclusion, the in vitro intestinal fermentation capacity of pigs under heat stress was increased compared to thermoneutral conditions, which may indicate an adaptive response to heat stress.