Effect of dietary phytobiotic mixture on growth performance, nutrient utilization, and immunity in weaned piglets

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production 2021-11, Vol.53 (5), p.459-459, Article 459
• Main Authors: Samanta, Arup Kumar, Gali, Jagan Mohanrao, Dutta, Tapan Kumar, Rajkhowa, Tridib Kumar, Mandal, Guru Prasad, Patra, Amlan Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animals; Antibiotics; Bacitracin; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Body weight; Cholesterol; Density; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Supplements; Digestibility; Essential oils; Feces; Feed conversion; Feed efficiency; IL-1β; Immune response; Immune system; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; Lactobacilli; Life Sciences; Lipids; Lymphocytes; Microorganisms; Nutrient utilization; Nutrients; Oils & fats; Physical growth; Plant extracts; Populations; Regular Articles; Serum proteins; Swine; Trachyspermum copticum; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Weaning; Zoology
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02910-0

This study investigated the effects of dietary phytobiotic mixture on growth performance, blood profiles, immune response, and fecal microorganisms in weaned piglets. Twenty four weaned crossbred piglets were equally divided into four groups in a completely randomized design. The animals in 4 groups were fed a basal diet added with (1) no antibiotics and phytobiotics (CON), (2) bacitracin (0.5 g/kg; AB), (3) a blend of C innamomum zeylanicum and Trachyspermum copticum essential oils (0.3 g/kg and 0.4 g/kg, respectively; EO), and (4) plant extracts (PEO) of Mikania micrantha and Garcinia lanceifolia (2.8 g/kg and 1.4 g/kg, respectively) and C. zeylanicum and T. copticum essential oils (0.3 g/kg and 0.4 g/kg, respectively). Inclusion of AB, EO, and PEO did not affect final body weight, average daily gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, and nutrient digestibility. Compared with the CON, serum protein profiles were not affected, but a few lipid profiles were improved, particularly cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein in the EO and PEO groups. Lymphocyte proliferation index and concentrations of IgG and IgA and TNF-α were not affected by any treatments. The concentrations of IgM increased ( P  = 0.04) at 28 days and tended to increase ( P  = 0.10) at 56 days in the EO group. Serum IL-1β levels decreased on days 28 and 56 in the EO and PEO groups. Fecal Lactobacilli population generally increased ( P