Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of different dosages of sodium butyrate and niacin on the growth performance, fecal vitamin B and microbiota in weaned piglets.
Seventy-two weaned piglets (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire, age of 21d) were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 treatments (12 pigs / treatment): the control (CT) group was administered a basal diet. The groups which concentration ratio of sodium butyrate to niacin were 100: 1, 100: 2, 100: 4, 100: 8 and 100: 16 (BN1, BN2, BN4, BN8, BN16) were administered a basal diet supplemented with 2000 mg·kg sodium butyrate and 20 mg·kg , 40 mg·kg , 80 mg·kg , 160 mg·kg or 320 mg·kg niacin. After 14-d treatment, the samples were collected. The results showed that feed conversion rate (FCR) was reduced and average daily gain (ADG) was increased in BN2 (P < 0.05). The diarrhea index of pigs decreased with the low supplement. Additionally, compared with CT group, other groups significantly increased (P < 0.05) the abundance of Firmicutes (BN4, phylum), Lactobacillaceae (BN8, family), Megasphaera (BN8, genus), and Lactobacillus (BN8, genus). Furthermore, the sodium butyrate and niacin supplementation influence vitamin B1, vitamin B2, pyridoxine, niacin, nicotinamide, and vitamin B12 (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis of the association of microorganisms with vitamin B indicated that changes of vitamin B metabolism have potential correlation with alterations of fecal microbiota in weaned piglets.
The results indicated that adding of sodium butyrate and niacin in the diet could promote the performance and improve the fecal microbiota and vitamin B metabolism in weaned piglets.
Our study might provide clues to the research of correlations between fecal bacteria and fecal vitamin B, and these findings will contribute to the direction of future research in weaned piglets.

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