Effect of Dietary Oregano (Lippia origanoides) and Clover (Eugenia caryophillata) Essential Oilsʼ Formulations on Intestinal Health and Performance of Pigs

Abstract

The incorporation of natural essential oils to the pigsʼ diet in intensive production systems is a potential tool to improve gut health and prevent infections without using antibiotics. Nevertheless, different products, even containing the same compounds, coming from the same botanical species, may exert dissimilar biological effects due differences in the technological processes by which they are produced and preserved. For this reason, suitability of a given product based on natural extracts, intended for swine production must be thoroughly evaluated. In the present study, we assessed the effects of three additives containing oregano (Lippia origanoides) essential oil, alone or in combination with clover (Eugenia caryophillata) essential oil, with or without being microencapsulated, on gastrointestinal health and on some performance parameters in a commercial pig production farm. Recently weaned piglets were randomly divided in four groups, and basal diet or essential oil-supplemented diet (OCE; MOCE; MOE) was randomly assigned to each of the groups from weaning to finishing. Blood samples were collected at pre-established days after weaning. Intestinal sampling took place at 42 and 72 days of age. Pigs consuming the supplemented diets showed higher intestinal metabolic activity during the post-weaning period, decreasing the impact of weaning stress on enterocytesʼ metabolism. Intestinal barrier function was not affected in pigs consuming microencapsulated products. All treated groups showed improved intestinal architecture, increased digestive enzymes activity and caecal VFA concentrations. The incorporation of the dietary essential oils products brought beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health that were reflected in improved performance parameters.

Citrullinemia is a suitable biomarker for post weaning performance in piglets under intensive farming

“…In previous studies, we obtained similar citrullinemia profiles in weaned piglets that received different diets. 29 These events are consistent with Montagne et al, 10 who described detrimental changes in the gut architecture and function associated to weaning during an acute and short time period (up to 5 days postweaning) followed by a gradual adaptative and maturational phase. Also, in agreement with our findings, Berkeveld et al 8 showed that weaned piglets had lower plasmatic citrulline concentrations than their unweaned littermates during the first week postweaning with the nadir 4 days postweaning.…”

“…The cortisol surge that we observed during the initiation of the postweaning period in the present study is in agreement with other investigations. 29,36,37 Noteworthy, even though Wu et al 37 demonstrated that augmented cortisol levels after weaning enhance the transcription of pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase mRNA and therefore the capacity of enterocytes for citrulline synthesis from glutamine, it is possible that the lack of substrates overrides the improved enzymatic activity. The upregulation of citrulline biosynthetic pathway by cortisol may be an adaptative response to the lack of nutrient absorption during stressful situations.…”

Effects of dietary supplementation with a carvacrol–cinnamaldehyde–thymol blend on growth performance and intestinal health of nursery pigs

“…In contrast to the CON group, CEO supplementation in this study enhanced VH, CD, and the VH:CD ratio in nursery pigs. SN Dieguez, JM Decundo, G Martínez, FA Amanto, CP Bianchi, DS Pérez Gaudio and AL Soraci [ 25 ] demonstrated that dietary supplemented oregano essential oil improved intestinal architecture. Given that the total luminal villus’ absorptive surface area and the VH:CD ratio have a positive correlation [ 26 ], our results suggest suggested that EO treatment can increase the absorption surface area and increase the utilization rate of feed.…”

Productive, biochemical and morphological blood parameters of piglets for fitobiotic feed additive “Activo’’ feeding

“…Оскільки ефірні олії є ліпофільними та леткими, є проблема ефективного потрапляння ефірних олій у кишечник свині, і цю проблему можна частково вирішити за допомогою мікрокапсуляції та нанотехнологій. Нещодавно були розроблені технології високопродуктивних систем, які дозволяють нам вивчити механізми, що ле-жать в основі функції ефірних олій і полегшить їх використання у свинарстві (Reichling et al, 2009;Vaillancourt et al, 2018;Omonijo et al, 2018;Ruzauskas et al, 2020;Peng et al, 2021;Dieguez et al, 2022).…”