Role of Benzoic, Lactic and Sorbic Acid in In Vitro Swine Cecal Fermentation
Published:June 21, 2016
By:A. Piva, E. Grilli
Organic acids have long been used in human history as preservatives to increase food shelf-life. Their mode of action is strictly related to food pH and the degree of undissociated acid available to inhibit spoilage by microorganisms. Furthermore, some organic acids used as feed preservatives appear to exert their antimicrobial action after ingestion resulting, in varying degrees of gastrointestinal microbial control in relation to their bioavaiability. Such antimicrobial activity may be of interest to reduce the negative effect of the Post Weaning malabsorption Syndrome (PWS). Benzoic, lactic and sorbic acids added to swine weaner diet were shown to lower the incidence of PWS and improve growth performance (Kirchgessner et al., 1995; Maribo et al., 2000; Tsiloyiannis et al., 2001). Reliable and safe strategies to control intestinal microflora are badly needed as AGP have been banned from The European Union as of January 1st 2006. The aim of the present study was to evaluate how benzoic, lactic and sorbic acids can modulate swine in vitro cecal fermentations.
Veterinary Research Communications, 31(Suppl.1) (2007) 401-404