Dietary Supplement Blend for Young Piglets on Farms

Jim Crocker
16th September, 2024

Dietary Supplement Blend for Young Piglets on Farms

Image Source: Luke Miller (photographer)

Key Findings

  • The study from Università degli Studi di Milano tested a dietary blend on weanling piglets to improve their health and growth
  • Piglets fed the blend showed better weight gain and average daily growth compared to those on a standard diet
  • The blend improved gastrointestinal health and reduced stress levels in piglets, as indicated by better fecal scores and lower salivary cortisol levels
The study conducted by researchers from the Università degli Studi di Milano[1] aimed to evaluate the effects of a dietary blend on weanling piglets. This blend consisted of carvacrol, tannic acid derived from Castanea sativa mill and Glycyrrhiza glabra, and medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) glycerides. The researchers sought to determine whether this blend could improve the health and growth performance of piglets during the critical weaning period. Weaning is a stressful time for piglets, often leading to reduced growth rates and increased susceptibility to diseases. Previous studies have shown that tannic acid, a key component of the blend, has several beneficial properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects[2]. Another study highlighted that tannins could improve feed efficiency and reduce intestinal bacterial proteolytic reactions in piglets[3]. These findings provided a rationale for investigating the potential benefits of the blend in the current study. The study began with an in vitro digestion process to assess the total phenolic content (TPC) and total antioxidant activity (TAC) of the blend. Results showed that both TPC and TAC peaked during the oral and gastric phases, indicating a high content of phenolic compounds (P < 0.05). This initial assessment suggested that the blend could provide significant antioxidant benefits when ingested by the piglets. Following the in vitro assessment, 210 weanling piglets were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (CTR) fed a standard basal diet and a treated group (T) fed the basal diet mixed with 1,500 mg/kg of the blend. The researchers monitored various parameters, including body weight, average daily gain, fecal score, and salivary cortisol levels, over a 35-day period. The results were promising. The treated group (T) showed significant improvements in body weight and average daily gain compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, the fecal scores were better in the treated group on days 6, 7, and 8 after weaning (P < 0.05), indicating better gastrointestinal health. At the end of the study, salivary cortisol levels, a marker of stress, were lower in the treated group (P < 0.05), suggesting that the blend helped reduce stress in the piglets. Further examination of the piglets' intestinal health revealed that the treated group had higher villi and deeper crypts in the duodenum and jejunum sections (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). These structural improvements were associated with a higher villus-to-crypt (V/C) ratio (P < 0.01), indicating better nutrient absorption capacity. The control group, on the other hand, showed higher expression of duodenal Occludin, a protein involved in maintaining tight junctions between cells (P < 0.05). However, the treated group had higher expressions of E-cadherin and Occludin in the jejunum sections (P < 0.05), suggesting enhanced gut barrier function. The study also analyzed the gut microbiota composition and found twelve differentially abundant genera in the caecal samples of the treated group. Notably, the potentially harmful Clostridium sensu stricto 13 was reduced by the treatment (P < 0.05). This finding aligns with previous research that showed tannins could modulate gut microbiota and reduce harmful bacterial populations[4]. In conclusion, the dietary blend tested in this study positively affected the growth performance, stress markers, and gut health of weaned piglets. The blend's components, including tannic acid, contributed to these beneficial effects through their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. This study provides a promising dietary intervention to improve the well-being of piglets during the weaning period, potentially leading to better overall health and productivity in pig farming.

AgricultureNutritionAnimal Science

References

Main Study

1) Dietary supplementation with a blend composed of carvacrol, tannic acid derived from Castanea sativa and Glycyrrhiza glabra, and glycerides of medium chain fatty acids for weanling piglets raised in commercial farm.

Published 13th September, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-024-10539-1

Related Studies

2) Biomedical applications of tannic acid.

https://doi.org/10.1177/08853282211058099

3) Effect of tannins on growth performance and intestinal ecosystem in weaned piglets.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17450390903461584

4) Habitat fragmentation is associated to gut microbiota diversity of an endangered primate: implications for conservation.

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep14862


Related Articles

An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙