This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of nutritional supplement of a blend of essential oils (EO; thymol and cin- namaldehyde) and an enzyme combination (XB; xylanase and β- glucanase) either alone or in combination on the growth per- formance, microbial counts, and morphology in the ileum of weaned piglets challenged with Escherichia coli K88. One hun- dred and ninety-two piglets were weaned at 24 days and allocated to 8 treatments for a 35-d experiment with a 2×4 factorial design comparing oral E. coli challenges [sham (-) or infected (+)] and different dietary treatments [fed the basal diet (CTR) either without or with EO, XB, or their combination (EO + XB)]. On day 8, half of the piglets were orally inoculated with 4 mL E. coli 0149: F4 (K88). On day 35, forty-eight piglets (6 piglets/treatment) were slaughtered. E. coli challenge significantly (P<0.05) impaired the growth performance, induced severe diarrhea, and increased the populations of Clostridia, E. coli and Coliforms. In the unchallenged group, dietary EO reduced the Clostridia popu- lation in the feces on day 14 compared to the CTR group (P<0.05), and dietary XB or EO + XB decreased the E. coli count in the cecum digesta compared to the CTR group (P<0.05). In addition, dietary EO + XB decreased the crypt depth and increased the villus to crypt ratio of piglets compared to the CTR group (P<0.05). In the challenged group, XB and EO + XB sup- plementation improved the feed efficiency when compared to the CTR group during the last week of the trial (P<0.05), and dietary EO + XB reduced fecal consistency compared to the EO and XB groups at 1 day post-infection (P<0.05). Challenged piglets fed EO + XB had less Coliforms populations than the CTR animals in the feces on day 14 and in the digesta of cecum (P<0.05). Moreover, EO + XB piglets had lower crypt depth and higher V:C ratio than the CTR animals (P<0.05). The results suggest that the combination of EO and XB supplementation may improve the gut health status of post-weaning piglets by modulating fecal.
Effects of a blend of essential oils and an enzyme combination on growth performance, microbial counts, and ileum morphology in Escherichia coli K88 challenged piglets / X.-. Jiang, A. Agazzi, F. Cheli, A. Awati, M. Crestani, F. Vitari, H. Bento, G.L. Alborali, C. Domeneghini, V. Bontempo. - In: ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE. - ISSN 1594-4077. - 14:suppl. 1(2015), pp. 55-56. ((Intervento presentato al 21. convegno Congresso dell'Associazione per la Scienza e le Produzioni Animali (ASPA) tenutosi a Milano nel 2015.
Effects of a blend of essential oils and an enzyme combination on growth performance, microbial counts, and ileum morphology in Escherichia coli K88 challenged piglets
A. Agazzi;F. Cheli;M. Crestani;F. Vitari;C. Domeneghini;V. Bontempo
2015
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of nutritional supplement of a blend of essential oils (EO; thymol and cin- namaldehyde) and an enzyme combination (XB; xylanase and β- glucanase) either alone or in combination on the growth per- formance, microbial counts, and morphology in the ileum of weaned piglets challenged with Escherichia coli K88. One hun- dred and ninety-two piglets were weaned at 24 days and allocated to 8 treatments for a 35-d experiment with a 2×4 factorial design comparing oral E. coli challenges [sham (-) or infected (+)] and different dietary treatments [fed the basal diet (CTR) either without or with EO, XB, or their combination (EO + XB)]. On day 8, half of the piglets were orally inoculated with 4 mL E. coli 0149: F4 (K88). On day 35, forty-eight piglets (6 piglets/treatment) were slaughtered. E. coli challenge significantly (P<0.05) impaired the growth performance, induced severe diarrhea, and increased the populations of Clostridia, E. coli and Coliforms. In the unchallenged group, dietary EO reduced the Clostridia popu- lation in the feces on day 14 compared to the CTR group (P<0.05), and dietary XB or EO + XB decreased the E. coli count in the cecum digesta compared to the CTR group (P<0.05). In addition, dietary EO + XB decreased the crypt depth and increased the villus to crypt ratio of piglets compared to the CTR group (P<0.05). In the challenged group, XB and EO + XB sup- plementation improved the feed efficiency when compared to the CTR group during the last week of the trial (P<0.05), and dietary EO + XB reduced fecal consistency compared to the EO and XB groups at 1 day post-infection (P<0.05). Challenged piglets fed EO + XB had less Coliforms populations than the CTR animals in the feces on day 14 and in the digesta of cecum (P<0.05). Moreover, EO + XB piglets had lower crypt depth and higher V:C ratio than the CTR animals (P<0.05). The results suggest that the combination of EO and XB supplementation may improve the gut health status of post-weaning piglets by modulating fecal.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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