Dietary administration of probiotics to sows and/or their neonates improves the reproductive performance, incidence of post-weaning diarrhea and histopathological parameters in the intestine of weaned piglets.

Probiotics have gained considerable attention with respect to their beneficial effects on livestock performance and health. The most significant effects of probiotics on the gut microbiota and the host animals take place when they are included in diets during particularly stressful periods such as weaning and/or at the beginning of the lactation period. The probiotics Bacillus mesentericus strain TO-A at 1 × 10  colony forming units (CFU)/g, Clostridium butyricum strain TO-A at 1 × 10  CFU/g and Enterococcus faecalis strain T-110 at 1 × 10  CFU/g were used.