Phytobiotics and Organic Acids As Potential Alternatives to the Use of Antibiotics in Nursery Pig Diets

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of phytobiotics and organic acids on growth performance of nursery pigs as an alternative to antibiotics. Phytobiotics refer bioactive compounds from plant materials including essential oils and herbal extracts. In Exp. 1, 144 pigs, weaned at 23.4±0.3 d age, were allotted to three dietary treatments. Treatment diets were: 1) NC (no antibiotics and no phytobiotics); 2) PC (NC+carbadox, 50 mg/kg); and 3) PB (NC+phytobiotics; 0.1% PEP1000-1 ® ). Each treatment had six replicates with eight pigs per pen. Pigs were fed the experimental diets for 5 wks in 3 phases (phase 1 for 2 wk; phase 2 for 2 wk; phase 3 for 1 wk). In Exp. 2, 192 pigs, weaned at 19.2±0.3 d age, were allotted to three dietary treatments: 1) NC; 2) PC; and 3) PBO (NC+phytobiotics; 0.2% or 0.1% PEP1000-1 ® and organic acids; 0.4% or 0.2% Biotronic ® for the phase 1 and 2, respectively) with eight replicates per treatment and eight pigs per pen. Pigs were fed the assigned diets for 5 wks in 2 phases (phase 1 for 2 wk; phase 2 for 3 wk). Body weights were measured at the beginning of the experiment and at the end of each week in both Exp. 1 and 2. Feed intake was measured at the end of each week in both Exp. 1 and 2. Diarrhea score was measured daily during the entire period for Exp. 1 and during the phase 1 for Exp. 2. In Exp. 1, the PC had a higher (p<0.05) overall ADG than the NC, but the overall ADG of the PB did not differ (p>0.05) from the NC or the PC. In Exp. 2, the overall ADG did not differ (p>0.05) among all the treatments during the entire experimental period. The overall ADFI and the overall gain:feed ratio did not differ (p>0.05) among all the treatments during the entire experimental period in both Exp. 1 and 2. The PC had a higher (p<0.05) overall diarrhea score (harder stools) than the NC and the PB in Exp. 1, and a higher (p<0.05) overall diarrhea score than the NC in Exp. 2. The overall diarrhea score of the PB and the PBO did not differ (p>0.05) from the NC or the PC in Exp. 1 and 2. Results from this study show that the growth of pigs fed the diets with phytobiotics or the combination of phytobiotics and organic acids did not differ from those both with antibiotics and without antibiotics when tested in an environmentally controlled research facility. Further experiments are required to study the growth performance in disease challenged conditions.

A carvacrol–thymol blend decreased intestinal oxidative stress and influenced selected microbes without changing the messenger RNA levels of tight junction proteins in jejunal mucosa of weaning piglets

“…Most of the studies suggested that supplementation of plant extracts and essential oil blends does not improve performance of weaning pigs, regardless of whether carvacrol or thymol is contained or not (Namkung et al, 2004;Cho et al, 2006;Kommera et al, 2006;Manzanilla et al, 2006;Nofrarias et al, 2006). For example, the dietary supplementation with the plant extract containing 5% (w/w) carvacrol, 3% cinnamaldehyde and 2% capsicum oleoresin at dose of 300 mg/kg does not affect the performance of weaning pigs Nofrarias et al, 2006).…”

Feed additives for swine: Fact sheets – prebiotics and probiotics, and phytogenics (2010)

“…9 Another possible mechanism by which a probiotic may exert its benefi cial effect is through its effect on the permeability of the gut, which may increase nutrient uptake and thus improve growth performance. Unfortunately, research results have failed to consistently demonstrate benefi cial effects.…”

“…Unfortunately, research results have failed to consistently demonstrate benefi cial effects. [9][10][11] What are synbiotics?…”

Natural alternatives to in-feed antibiotics in pig production: can immunomodulators play a role?

“…Mixtures of essential oils based on thymol and carvacrol whose major sources are thyme and oregano, respectively (Burt, 2004), seem promising due to their antimicrobial (Kim et al, 1995;Cosentino et al, 1999;Baydar et al, 2004) and potential immunomodulatory properties (Woollard et al, 2007). A plant extract containing 6% of carvacrol and 0.14% of thymol, incorporated at 0.05% to 0.15% in a pig diet, had no effect on the plasma levels of the acute phase proteins, haptoglobin and C-reactive protein (Muhl and Liebert, 2007) and the inclusion of a commercial plant product composed of oregano oil mixed with anis and citrus oils did not improve the health status of piglets (Kommera et al, 2006). In contrast, an extract of Origanum vulgare, enriched with both thymol and carvacrol in similar proportions, was reported to protect low-weight growingfinishing pigs from disease (Walter and Bilkei, 2004).…”