Vet World   Vol.18   July-2025  Article - 29 

Synergistic effects of Bacillus subtilis QST 713 and L-arginine supplementation during late gestation on reproductive performance in Landrace × Yorkshire sows: A randomized controlled trial

Background and Aim: Low birth weight and within-litter variations are major challenges in swine production, often exacerbated by highly prolific sow lines. Nutritional interventions such as amino acid and probiotic supplementation have shown promise, but their combined effects remain unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the individual and interactive effects of Bacillus subtilis QST 713 and L-arginine supplementation during late gestation on reproductive performance in sows.

Materials and Methods: A randomized trial was conducted on 247 Landrace × Yorkshire sows allocated to four dietary groups from day 85 of gestation to farrowing: (1) Basal diet (control), (2) basal diet + B. subtilis, (3) basal diet + L-arginine, and (4) basal diet + both supplements. Reproductive outcomes–including individual birth weight (IBW), total litter birth weight (TBW), born-alive birth weight (NBABW), proportion of runt (<1.1 kg) and large piglets (>1.5 kg), and within-litter coefficient of variation in birth weight [CVBW])–were assessed. Linear and generalized linear mixed models were used for analysis.

Results: Co-supplementation with B. subtilis and L-arginine significantly increased IBW (1434.7 g vs. 1310.0 g, p < 0.001), TBW (19.6 kg vs. 16.9 kg, p < 0.001), NBABW (18.1 kg vs. 15.9 kg, p = 0.006), and the proportion of large piglets (33.7% vs. 19.5%, p = 0.0002), while reducing runt piglet incidence (4.0% vs. 14.4%, p < 0.001). Neither supplement alone produced significant improvements. No treatment significantly affected litter size, CVBW, stillbirth, or mummification rates.

Conclusion: Co-supplementation of sows with B. subtilis and L-arginine during late gestation produces synergistic impro-vements in piglet birth weight and litter quality. This strategy offers a practical and cost-effective approach to enhance swine reproductive efficiency.

Keywords: amino acid supplementation, Bacillus subtilis, L-arginine, piglet birth weight, probiotics, reproductive perf-ormance, sow nutrition.

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How to cite this article: Khoudphaithoune T, Lanh DTK, Thanh NV, Dung BV, Sukon P, and Nam NH (2025) Synergistic effects of Bacillus subtilis QST 713 and L-arginine supplementation during late gestation on reproductive performance in Landrace × Yorkshire sows: A randomized controlled trial, Veterinary World, 18(7): 2087-2094.

Received: 22-04-2025   Accepted: 01-07-2025   Published online: 30-07-2025

Corresponding author: Nguyen Hoai Nam    E-mail: nguyenhoainam@vnua.edu.vn

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.2087-2094

Copyright: Khoudphaithoune, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.