Bacillus
and
Lactobacillus
synergy in low‐protein diets boosts gro
Shenghao Chen, Wendong An, Zhixin Lin, Tingting Lu, Hui Miao, Zhengjun Xie, Xinyan Han Abstract
BACKGROUND
Low‐protein diets can reduce nitrogen losses in pig production, but complementary strategies are needed to maintain productivity. This study evaluated whether supplementation with a fermentation mixture of Bacillus subtilis and Lactobacillus acidophilus (FAM) improves growth performance, nitrogen utilization, and nitrogen emission in finishing pigs.
RESULTS
A total of 180 crossbred Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire finishing pigs with an initial body weight of 100.01 ± 8.39 kg were randomly allocated into three groups, namely, Con, 153.3 g kg −1 crude protein (CP); LP, 133.7 g kg −1 CP; FAM, 133.7 g kg −1 CP + 1 g kg −1 FAM, and the test period was 49 days. Compared with the Con and LP groups, FAM supplementation increased average daily gain by 14.6% and 12.0%, respectively ( P < 0.05), and decreased feed‐to‐gain ratio by 11.3% and 12.2%, respectively ( P < 0.01). Compared to the LP group, FAM supplementation further reduced ammonia emission, serum urea nitrogen, and fecal ammonium nitrogen content ( P < 0.05). Additionally, both LP and FAM groups exhibited lower muscle shear force ( P < 0.01) and higher intramuscular fat content ( P < 0.05) compared to the Con group. Metagenomic analysis revealed that FAM enriched Prevotella and Porphyromonadaceae and enhanced microbial pathways related to nitrogen metabolism, ATP‐binding cassette transporters, amino acid transport and metabolism, and coenzyme transport and metabolism.
CONCLUSION
These findings demonstrate that FAM supplementation in low‐protein diets synergistically improves growth efficiency, meat quality, and environmental sustainability in pig production. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.