ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Over the past years, antibiotic growth promoter had been restricted in animal husbandry production in many countries because of antimicrobial resistance and foodborne antibiotic residues. However, the problems of poor intestinal health and low growth efficiency of piglets have not been solved completely in an antibiotic-free diet, and it is urgent to explore alternatives to antimicrobial growth promoters. METHODS: Here, a total of 532 weaned pigs were assigned to one of 4 treatments, the low amino acid (AA) level diet (d 1 to d 14 is 1.35%, d 15 to d 42 is 1.25%) (Low AA), the low AA level diet supplementation with a carvacrol-thymol blend (50 mg carvacrol and 50 mg thymol/kg of diet) (CB) (Low AA+CB), the high AA level diet (d 1 to d 14 is 1.50%, d 15 to d 42 is 1.40%) (High AA), and the high AA level diet supplementation with a CB (High AA+CB), respectively. Then we measured growth performance and intestinal health indicators of weaned pigs. RESULTS: Results showed that high AA level significantly reduced plasma urea nitrogen, plasma Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and fecal lipocalin-2 contents (P < 0.05), significantly increased the relative abundance of fecal Lactobacillus and Enterococcus, and had a trend to increase the fecal secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and mucin 2 (MUC 2) contents (P < 0.05) in piglets, thereby alleviating the diarrhea of piglets and reducing the feed conversion ratio (FCR) of piglets during d 1~14 after weaning. Dietary supplementation with CB significantly increased the activity of plasma antioxidant enzymes T-SOD and GSH-px (P < 0.05), while significantly reduced plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), plasma interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), plasma endotoxin and D-lactic acid contents (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, CB significantly decreased fecal lipocalin-2 contents and the abundance of fecal Escherichia coli (P < 0.05). Thus, we hypothesis that dietary supplementation with CB significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG) of piglets (P < 0.05) during d 1~14 after weaning through promoting intestinal health. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that high AA level and dietary supplementation with CB improved the growth performance of weaned pigs in an antibiotic-free diet by improving AA metabolism and intestinal antioxidant capacity.
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to investigate the effect of the fermented soybean meal on the reproductive performance, oxidative stress and colostrum composition of sows, and the growth performance of their progeny. A total of 44 sows were allotted to four dietary groups (n = 11/group). The dietary groups included the basal diet group (control) and the treatment groups in which soybean meal in the basal diet was replaced with 2%, 4%, and 6% fermented soybean meal, respectively. The experimental diets were fed to the sows from the 78th day of gestation to the 21st day of lactation. Replacing soybean meal in the basal maternal diet with the fermented soybean meal decreased the levels of malondialdehyde, cortisol, and 8-iso-prostaglandinF2α in the serum of sows and increased the average weight of piglets on the 14th day and the 21st day after birth. The activity of superoxide dismutase in the serum of sows was increased in the group with 4% fermented soybean meal on the 17th day of lactation. The levels of estrogen and growth factors in the serum of sows were enhanced in the group with 6% fermented soybean meal. In the colostrum, the levels of the protein and the immunoglobulin G were enhanced in the group with 4% fermented soybean meal. In conclusion, replacing the soybean meal in the basal maternal diet with the fermented soybean meal attenuates the oxidative stress status of the gestational and lactational sows, and enhances the average weight of their offspring.
