TABLE 4.

Effects of Lactobacillus johnsonii BS15 on growth performance and tissue weight indexes.

Parameter	Controla	P groupa	P-value	Significancec
Initial weight, g	15.98 ± 0.89	16.44 ± 0.45	0.276	NS
Starting weight, g	23.33 ± 1.14	22.53 ± 1.13	0.251	NS
Final weight, g	29.47 ± 2.51	32.92 ± 1.92	0.023	*
DWGb, g/d	0.21 ± 0.07b	0.37 ± 0.09a	0.009	**
ADFIb (g/day)	3.80 ± 0.30	3.91 ± 0.54	0.669	NS
FCRb (g/g)	0.059 ± 0.027	0.096 ± 0.02	0.017	*
Tissue weight indexes (mg/g body weight)
Heart	4.62 ± 0.43	4.77 ± 0.50	0.481	NS
Liver	32.84 ± 3.58	34.92 ± 3.64	0.214	NS
Spleen	2.66 ± 0.30	2.70 ± 0.27	0.733	NS
Kidney	13.07 ± 0.95	13.44 ± 1.25	0.464	NS
Empty stomach	7.59 ± 0.59	7.75 ± 0.76	0.622	NS
Perirenal fat	12.22 ± 1.59	11.59 ± 1.04	0.305	NS
Abdominal fat	23.09 ± 2.04	22.85 ± 2.16	0.804	NS
Mesenteric fat	12.06 ± 1.08	11.57 ± 0.91	0.290	NS

The results were expressed as means ± standard error. ^aControl = basal diet + gavaged with 0.2 ml of PBS per day; P group = basal diet + gavaged with 0.2 ml of 1.0 × 10⁶ CFU L. johnsonii BS15 per day; ^bDWG, daily weight gain = (Final weight-Starting weight)/28 days; ADFI, average daily feed intake; FCR, feed conversion ratio = DWG/ADFI. ^cNS, not significant (P > 0.05); *, difference is significant at the 0.05 level (P < 0.05); **, difference is significant at the 0.01 level (P < 0.01). Cage (n = 6 per treatment group) was used as the experimental unit for initial weight, starting weight, final weight, DWG, ADFI and FCR; individual (n = 10 per treatment group) was used as the experimental unit for tissue weight.