Effects of tea tree oil supplementation on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune status and microbial community in weaned pigs

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-136
Author(s):  
Gang Zhang ◽  
Jinbiao Zhao ◽  
Wenxuan Dong ◽  
Xiaoming Song ◽  
Jianjun Zang ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lixue Wang ◽  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Ling Liu ◽  
Fei Huang ◽  
Bing Dong

Tea tree oil (TTO) exerts key roles in improving growth performance of pigs. However, knowledge is limited regarding comparative effects of Encp TTO and Un-encp TTO supplementation on growth performance of pigs. A study determined the effects of TTO or its capsulation on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiome of weaned pigs. A total of 144 healthy pigs (8.5 ± 0.24 kg) were subjected to four treatments for a 28-d trial with six replicates per treatment and six pigs per pen: negative control, NC; positive control, PC (antibiotic supplemented); Un-encp TTO (supplemented with unencapsulated TTO); Encp TTO (supplemented with encapsulated TTO). NC, TTO, and PC treatments were compared with regard to improved average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed conversion rate, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology (p < 0.05) and decreased diarrhea rate. TTO- and PC-treated pigs had higher levels of serum superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and immunoglobulin G; lower levels of liver aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase; and improved concentrations of interleukin 10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor α, and IL-1β (p < 0.05). TTO- and PC-treated pigs had higher abundance of beneficial bacterial species Subdoligranulum and lower abundance of diarrhea associated species Escherichia–Shigella in cecal and colonic digesta (p < 0.05). Encapsulation of TTO preserved more activities of TTO than its unencapsulated counterpart by showing higher ADG, ADFI, and feed conversion rate during day 1 (d1) to d14 (p < 0.05) and tended to lower diarrhea rate (p = 0.083) and improve villous height/crypt depth (VH/CD) ratio (p = 0.089) in jejunum. Encapsulation of TTO also improved antioxidant indexes and decreased liver injury and inflammation accordingly (p < 0.05). Encapsulated TTO-treated pigs had higher abundance of beneficial Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 and lower the abundance of harmful Escherichia–Shigella in cecal and colonic digesta (p < 0.05). Our results demonstrated TTO benefits on improving growth performance of weaned pigs and further proved that encapsulation of TTO was superior to its unencapsulated counterpart at multiples. Encapsulated TTO was similar to the PC group and could be potentially an alternative of feed antibiotics for weaned pigs.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2104
Author(s):  
Qi Wang ◽  
Jiafu Ying ◽  
Peng Zou ◽  
Yuanhao Zhou ◽  
Baikui Wang ◽  
...  

At present, the widespread use of high-dose zinc oxide and antibiotics to prevent post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in piglets has caused serious environmental problems. To solve this problem, we studied the effect of HNa as a substitute for zinc oxide (ZnO) and antibiotics on the growth performance, immune status, and antioxidant capacity of piglets. Seventy-two weaned piglets (body weight = 7.42 ± 0.85 kg, 26-d-old) were distributed in a randomized 2 × 3 factorial design (two sexes and three treatments) with six replicates of four piglets each. The three treatments were the control diet (basic diet), HNa diet (basic diet + 2000 mg/kg sodium humate), and ZoA group (basic diet + 1600 mg/kg zinc oxide + 1000 mg/kg oxytetracycline calcium). ANOVA and Chi-square tests were applied to compare the means (p < 0.05) between treatments. The results showed that body weight at 16 and 30 d and the average daily gain of piglets fed with HNa or ZoA were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the control group. Supplementing HNa or ZoA significantly increased (p < 0.05) the level of immunoglobulin M and G, and reduced (p < 0.05) the concentration of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukins IL-6 and IL-1β, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and diamine oxidase (DAO). Furthermore, dietary HNa or ZnO significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the level of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) compared with the control group. ZoA treatment showed an upward trend of IgA level and a downward trend of the concentration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and catalase (CAT). Overall, the study demonstrated that the addition of HNa in the diet partially replaced antibiotics and ZnO to improve the growth performance, immune function, and antioxidant capacity of weaned piglets, and maintained a good preventive effect on piglet diarrhea.


2011 ◽  
Vol 106 (5) ◽  
pp. 688-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. G. Leonard ◽  
T. Sweeney ◽  
B. Bahar ◽  
B. P. Lynch ◽  
J. V. O'Doherty

The present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of a seaweed extract (SWE) to sows and weaned pigs on post-weaning growth performance, intestinal morphology, intestinal microflora, volatile fatty acid concentrations and immune status of pigs at days 11 and 117 post-weaning. Gestating sows (n20) were supplemented with a SWE (0v.10·0 g/d) from day 107 of gestation until weaning (day 26). At weaning, pigs (four pigs per sow) were divided into two groups based on sow diet during lactation and supplemented with a SWE (0v.2·8 g/kg diet), resulting in four treatment groups: (1) BB (basal sows–basal pigs); (2) BS (basal sows–treated pigs); (3) SB (treated sows–basal pigs); (4) SS (treated sows–treated pigs). Pigs weaned from SWE-supplemented sows had a higher average daily gain (ADG) between days 0 and 21 (P < 0·05) post-weaning compared with pigs weaned from non-SWE-supplemented sows. Pigs offered post-weaning diets (PW) containing SWE had decreased colonicEscherichia colipopulations on day 11 (P < 0·01) and decreased colonic Enterobacteriaceae numbers on day 117 (P < 0·05). Pigs offered PW containing SWE had a greater mRNA abundance ofMUC2in the colon at day 11 post-weaning (P < 0·05) compared with pigs offered unsupplemented diets. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that SWE supplementation post-weaning provides a dietary means to improve gut health and to enhance growth performance in starter pigs. Dietary SWE supplementation increased ADG during the grower–finisher (GF) phases. However, there was no growth response to SWE inclusion in GF diets when pigs were weaned from SWE-supplemented sows.


RSC Advances ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (16) ◽  
pp. 9669-9679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Wan ◽  
Fei Jiang ◽  
Qingsong Xu ◽  
Daiwen Chen ◽  
Bing Yu ◽  
...  

Chitosan oligosaccharide (COS), an oligomer ofd-glucosamine, is a vital growth stimulant in the pig industry.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1537
Author(s):  
Se Young Yoon ◽  
Soo Jin Sa ◽  
Eun Seok Cho ◽  
Han Seo Ko ◽  
Jung Woo Choi ◽  
...  

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the l-arginine (Arg) inclusion and different doses of ZnO on the growth performance, intestinal microbiota and integrity, and immune status of weaned pigs. A total of 180 pigs (28-day-old) were randomly allotted to six treatments with six replicate pens in each treatment and five pigs per pen. The dietary treatments were Con (1.1% Arg); P-Zn (1.1% Arg + 2500 mg Zn as ZnO/kg diet); ARG (1.6% Arg); ZnArg1 (500 mg of Zn as ZnO/kg diet + 1.6% Arg); ZnArg2 (1000 mg of Zn as ZnO/kg diet + 1.6% Arg); ZnArg3 (2500 mg of Zn as ZnO/kg diet + 1.6% Arg). The overall result showed that the inclusion of ZnArg3 significantly improved the average daily gain of pigs compared with the Con treatment. There was a reduction in feed intake in pigs fed the Con diet compared with pigs fed the ZnArg3 diet at phase 1 and overall. At phase 1, pigs fed the ZnArg3 diet and P-Zn diet showed a decreased population of Clostridium spp. in the ileum compared with those of the Con treatment. In addition, a lower ileal Clostridium spp. population was detected in pigs fed the ZnArg2 diet compared with pigs fed the Con diet. The pigs fed ZnArg1 and ZnArg3 diets showed a greater villus height of duodenum compared with the Con and P-Zn treatments. The pigs in the Con treatment showed increased mRNA expression of heat shock protein-27 in the liver compared with the P-Zn, ZnArg1, ZnArg2, and ZnArg3 treatments. When fed the basal diet, mRNA expressions of interleukin-6 were increased in the muscle compared with the ZnArg3 treatment. Dietary supplementation with ZnArg2 decreased the mRNA expressions of interferon-γ in the muscle compared with the Con treatment. Supplementation with P-Zn, ZnArg1, ZnArg2, and ZnArg3 decreased mRNA expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) compared with the Con treatment. The mRNA gene expressions of interleukin-4 were decreased in the jejunum of pigs fed P-Zn, ARG, ZnArg1, ZnArg2, and ZnArg3 diets compared with pigs fed the Con diet. The jejunum gene expression of toll-like receptor-4 was upregulated in the Con and ARG treatments compared with the ZnArg1 and ZnArg3. The ZnArg1, ZnArg2, and ZnArg3 treatments showed lower mRNA expression of TNF-α compared with the Con treatment. In conclusion, there was no difference in growth performance, intestinal microbiota, gene expression of interleukins between ZnArg1 and ZnArg3 treatments. Therefore, the low level of ZnO (500 mg/kg) plus 1.6% dietary Arg may be recommended for pigs during the weaning stress.


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