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

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.