Impacts of weaning weights and mycotoxin challenges on jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota, intestinal and systemic health, and growth performance of nursery pigs

Background:This study aimed at investigating the effects of mycotoxin challenge on the growth and physiology of nursery pigs with different weaning weights. Results:At weaning, 10 pigs were euthanized to collect jejunal mucosa and 90 pigs were assigned following a randomized complete block design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 3 pigs per pen. Factors were:weaning weight (light:body weight, BW9.0 kg);and dietary mycotoxins (supplementation of 0.2 mg/kg aflatoxins, 2.0 mg/kg deoxynivalenol). All diets had titanium dioxide as an external marker at 0.5％. Growth performance and fecal score were recorded until pigs achieved 20 kg BW (light pigs average BW=21.1 kg and heavy pigs average BW=20.5 kg). Pigs were sampled for blood, ileal digesta, jejunal tissue and mucosa at 20 kg BW. Data were analyzed using the mixed procedure of SAS. At weaning, light pigs had decreased (P