Weaning is without doubt one of the most difficult phases in a piglet’s life, marked by vital stressors that always result in intestinal disturbances and diarrhea. For years, growth-promoting antibiotics have been used to counteract these results, however their use has been more and more restricted on account of considerations over bacterial resistance.
Goal: This research aimed to guage phytogenic compounds as a pure different to antibiotic progress promoters like zinc bacitracin, assessing their potential to assist intestine well being, antioxidant protection, and general efficiency in weaned piglets.
Strategies: Two experiments have been carried out, evaluating three dietary remedies: a management food regimen, a food regimen supplemented with zinc bacitracin (300 g/t), and a food regimen containing blended phytogenic compounds (400 g/t). Within the first experiment, 15 crossbred piglets (castrated males, weaned at 28 days, averaging 9.4 kg) have been housed in metabolic cages to evaluate the digestibility of dry matter, natural matter, crude protein, crude power, and metabolizable power, together with blood parameters and intestine microbiota. The second experiment concerned 108 crossbred piglets (females and castrated males, weaned at 26 days, averaging 7.52 kg) housed in group stalls to guage progress efficiency.
Outcomes: Outcomes confirmed no vital variations in digestibility or efficiency among the many remedies. Nevertheless, piglets receiving the phytogenic mix exhibited decreased ranges of superoxide dismutase, lipid peroxidation, and haptoglobin, together with elevated ranges of non-protein thiol compounds and IgA, indicating enhanced antioxidant protection. Moreover, there was an inclination for higher range within the intestinal microbiota of piglets fed the phytogenic complement.
Conclusion: Given its constructive results on antioxidant standing and intestine microbiota, the phytogenic mix exhibits potential as a pure different to antibiotic progress promoters in weaned piglet diets.
Santos MKR, Seghetto R, Hauptli L, Paiano D, da Silva AS, Benetti Filho V, Wagner G, de Oliveira Moraes P. Blended phytogenics as an alternative choice to growth-promoting antibiotics in newly weaned piglets. Trop Anim Well being Prod. 2024 Dec 23;57(1):5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-024-04225-2
