Effect of a trub, hops, and yeast mixture on jejunal mucosal immune status, oxidative stress status, structure, and growth performance of nursery pigs

Lay Summary A trub, hops, and yeast mixture (THYM) derived from the craft brewing process contains high levels of hop acids and yeast cells, and a comparable nutritive value to traditional feedstuffs. This co-product currently lacks commercial use and poses a significant burden to brewers who must dispose of it as waste. In the animal feeding industry, the use of co-products from other industries has been commonly investigated to decrease the cost of animal feeding as well as reduce the impact of animal production on the environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of THYM at various inclusion levels on the jejunal mucosal immune status, oxidative stress status, and structure, as well as growth performance of nursery pigs. The inclusion of THYM up to 2.1% of the diet increased the amount of proliferative cells in the crypt of the small intestine, improved feed efficiency, and increased the expression of genes related to innate immune system recognition and signaling without inducing unnecessary inflammatory responses. Therefore, THYM shows potential as a sustainable feed ingredient with unique characteristics to enhance intestinal health of nursery pigs.