Influences of phytoncide supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, diarrhea scores and fecal microflora shedding in weaning pigs

The multicomponent residue depletion of Gelsemium elegans in pig tissues, urine, and plasma

Introduction

Gelsemium elegans (G. elegans) as a traditional medicinal plant used in livestock production. The use of G. elegans in veterinary clinics may pose safety risks to human health.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate tissue residue depletion in pigs fed G. elegans powder.

Methods

A precise quantitation method and a simultaneous semi-quantitation method for multiple components independently of standards in pig tissues were developed for the first time. The two methods were validated in terms of specificity, LODs, LOQs, linearity, accuracy, precision, and matrix effects. They were then applied to a tissue residue depletion study after G. elegans powder at a dose of 2% per kg feed were fed to pigs.

Results

Compared with precise quantitation, the method validation results indicated that the semi-quantitation method was reliable and acceptable for multicomponent quantification independent of standards. Many G. elegans alkaloids are widely distributed in most tissues of pigs. Tissue residue depletion studies indicated that 14-hydroxygelsenicine, 11-hydroxygelsenicine, and gelsemoxonine could be used as potential residue markers, and pancreas, small intestine, and lung tissues could be considered as potential residue target tissues of G. elegans. In addition, both urine and plasma could be used to predict 14-hydroxygelsenicine and gelsemoxonine residues in the liver, pancreas, and small intestinal tissues of pigs.

Conclusion

The developed semi-quantification method can be applied to monitor the application and residue of G. elegans. The results provide scientific evidence for evaluating the safety of animal-derived food from G. elegans for consumers and will be helpful for its application and future development.

Early-Life Nutrition Interventions Improved Growth Performance and Intestinal Health via the Gut Microbiota in Piglets

Intestinal infections in piglets are the main causes of morbidity before and after weaning. Studies have not explored approaches for combining pre-weaning and post-weaning nutritional strategies to sustain optimal gut health. The current study thus sought to explore the effects of early-life nutrition interventions through administration of synthetic milk on growth performance and gut health in piglets from 3 to 30 days of age. Twelve sows were randomly allocated to control group (CON) and early-life nutrition interventions group (ENI). Piglets were fed with the same creep diet from 7 days of age ad libitum. Piglets in the ENI group were provided with additional synthetic milk from Day 3 to Day 30. The results showed that early-life nutrition interventions improved growth performance, liver weight, spleen weight, and reduced diarrhea rate of piglets after weaning (P < 0.05). Early-life nutrition interventions significantly upregulated expression of ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin4, GALNT1, B3GNT6, and MUC2 in colonic mucosa at mRNA level (P < 0.05). Early-life nutrition interventions reduced activity of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) in serum and the content of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in plasma (P < 0.05). The number of goblet cells and crypt depth of colon of piglets was significantly higher in piglets in the ENI group relative to that of piglets in the CON group (P < 0.05). The relative mRNA expression levels of MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8, and the protein expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 in colonic mucosa of piglets in the ENI group were lower compared with those of piglets in the CON group (P < 0.05). Relative abundance of Lactobacillus in colonic chyme and mucosa of piglets in the ENI group was significantly higher relative to that of piglets in the CON group (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that abundance of Lactobacillus was positively correlated with the relative mRNA expression levels of ZO-1, Claudin4, and GALNT1, and it was negatively correlated with the level of MCP-1 in colonic chyme and mucosa. In summary, the findings of this study showed that early-life nutrition interventions improved growth performance, colonic barrier, and reduced inflammation in the colon by modulating composition of gut microbiota in piglets. Early-life nutrition intervention through supplemental synthetic milk is a feasible measure to improve the health and reduce the number of deaths of piglets.

Effects of Three-Layer Encapsulated Tea Tree Oil on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Capacity, and Intestinal Microbiota of Weaned Pigs

Tea tree oil (TTO) exerts key roles in improving growth performance of pigs. However, knowledge is limited regarding comparative effects of Encp TTO and Un-encp TTO supplementation on growth performance of pigs. A study determined the effects of TTO or its capsulation on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiome of weaned pigs. A total of 144 healthy pigs (8.5 ± 0.24 kg) were subjected to four treatments for a 28-d trial with six replicates per treatment and six pigs per pen: negative control, NC; positive control, PC (antibiotic supplemented); Un-encp TTO (supplemented with unencapsulated TTO); Encp TTO (supplemented with encapsulated TTO). NC, TTO, and PC treatments were compared with regard to improved average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed conversion rate, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology (p < 0.05) and decreased diarrhea rate. TTO- and PC-treated pigs had higher levels of serum superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and immunoglobulin G; lower levels of liver aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase; and improved concentrations of interleukin 10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor α, and IL-1β (p < 0.05). TTO- and PC-treated pigs had higher abundance of beneficial bacterial species Subdoligranulum and lower abundance of diarrhea associated species Escherichia-Shigella in cecal and colonic digesta (p < 0.05). Encapsulation of TTO preserved more activities of TTO than its unencapsulated counterpart by showing higher ADG, ADFI, and feed conversion rate during day 1 (d1) to d14 (p < 0.05) and tended to lower diarrhea rate (p = 0.083) and improve villous height/crypt depth (VH/CD) ratio (p = 0.089) in jejunum. Encapsulation of TTO also improved antioxidant indexes and decreased liver injury and inflammation accordingly (p < 0.05). Encapsulated TTO-treated pigs had higher abundance of beneficial Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 and lower the abundance of harmful Escherichia-Shigella in cecal and colonic digesta (p < 0.05). Our results demonstrated TTO benefits on improving growth performance of weaned pigs and further proved that encapsulation of TTO was superior to its unencapsulated counterpart at multiples. Encapsulated TTO was similar to the PC group and could be potentially an alternative of feed antibiotics for weaned pigs.

Performance of phytoncide (Pinus koraiensis extract) as an alternative to zinc oxide supplementation in weaning pig diet

This study was implemented to assess the effect of Pinus koraiensis extract (PKE) compared with zinc oxide on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profile, fecal bacterial count, and fecal gas emission of post-weaned pigs. This 6 wk experiment was divided into phase 1 (days 1–7), phase 2 (days 8–21), and phase 3 (days 22–42). A total of 150 crossbred weaning pigs (body weight; 10.14 ± 0.78 kg) were randomly sorted in five treatment diets (six replications per treatment; five pigs per pen) presented as CON, basal diet; ZnO, CON + 0.30% zinc oxide; PKE1, CON + 0.05% PKE; PKE2, CON + 0.10% PKE; and PKE3, CON + 0.15% PKE. Pinus koraiensis extract supplementation linearly reduced gain to feed ratio in all phases except phase 3. It also linearly increased average daily gain in the overall experiment compared with the CON group. The increasing level of PKE supplementation brought linear improvement in aspartate aminotransferase of blood profile. Escherichia coli bacterial count and NH3 gas emission were decreased linearly by PKE supplementation in comparison to the CON diet. Though PKE supplementation did not show similar influence as ZnO, it showed beneficial results in weaning pigs’ growth, nutrient digestibility, fecal bacterial count, and reduction of fecal gas emission.

Boosting animal performance, immune index and antioxidant status in post-weaned bull calves through dietary augmentation of selective traditional medicinal plants

Traditional medicinal plants (TMP) are considered valuable alternatives to hazardous synthetic chemical utilized as animal growth promoters. This study aimed to evaluate effects of dietary supplementation of seed and leaf powder (75:25) of three Bangladeshi TMP viz. Emblica officinalis Gaertn., Terminalia bellirica Gaertn. Roxb., and Terminalia chebula Retz. on growth performance, digestibility of nutrients, hematological indices, immune index and antioxidant status in post-weaned bull calves. Dietary treatments: TMP1 (basal diet = green grass + concentrate), TMP2 (basal diet + 0.5% mixture of seed and leaf (75:25) of E. officinalis Gaertn.), TMP3 (basal diet + 0.5% mixture of seed and leaf (75:25) of T. bellirica Gaertn. Roxb.), and TMP4 (basal diet + 0.5% mixture of seed and leaf (75:25) of T. chebula Retz.). Supplementation of TMP significantly (p < 0.10) improved weight gain without affecting digestibility. Hematological indices did not change much by treatment of TMP except for enhancement of monocyte (p < 0.10) and platelet percentage (p < 0.05). A reduction in IGF, enhancement (p < 0.05) of lymphocyte proliferation, and IgG were recorded in TMP2, TMP3 and TMP4 compared to TMP1. Decreasing (p < 0.05) trend of interleukins-1 and 6, and an elevation of TNF-α and antioxidant status were recorded in the TMP2, TMP3, and TMP4 in comparison to TMP1. An elevated level of total antioxidant and glutathione peroxidase activities were found in calves treated with TMP2, TMP3, and TMP4 (p < 0.05) relative to TMP1. Taken together, our results indicate that supplementation of feed with Bangladeshi TMP promoted growth and some health indices like immune-advocating efficacy of post-weaned bull calves.

Maximum levels of cross-contamination for 24 antimicrobial active substances in non-target feed. Part 6: Macrolides: tilmicosin, tylosin and tylvalosin

The specific concentrations of tilmicosin, tylosin and tylvalosin in non-target feed for food-producing animals, below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect in terms of growth promotion/increased yield, were assessed by EFSA in collaboration with EMA. Details of the methodology used for this assessment, associated data gaps and uncertainties, are presented in a separate document. To address antimicrobial resistance, the Feed Antimicrobial Resistance Selection Concentration (FARSC) model developed specifically for the assessment was applied. However, due to the lack of data on the parameters required to calculate the FARSC, it was not possible to conclude the assessment until further experimental data become available. To address growth promotion, data from scientific publications obtained from an extensive literature review were used. Levels in feed that showed to have an effect on growth promotion/increased yield were reported for tilmicosin and tylosin, whilst for tylvalosin no suitable data for the assessment were available. It was recommended to carry out studies to generate the data that are required to fill the gaps which prevented the calculation of the FARSC for these three antimicrobials.

Exposure to greenspaces could reduce the high global burden of pain

Painful conditions are among the leading causes of years lived with disability, and may increase following the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to temporary closure of some healthcare services for people with chronic pain. To reduce this burden, novel, cost-effective and accessible interventions are required. We propose that greenspace exposure may be one such intervention. Drawing on evidence from neuroscience, physiology, microbiology, and psychology, we articulate how and why exposure to greenspaces could improve pain outcomes and reduce the high global burden of pain. Greenspace exposure potentially provides opportunities to benefit from known or proposed health-enhancing components of nature, such as environmental microbiomes, phytoncides, negative air ions, sunlight, and the sights and sounds of nature itself. We review the established and potential links between these specific exposures and pain outcomes. While further research is required to determine possible causal links between greenspace exposure and pain outcomes, we suggest that there is already sufficient evidence to help reduce the global burden of pain by improving access and exposure to quality greenspaces.

Dietary supplementation of plant essential oil improves growth performance, intestinal morphology and health in weaned pigs

The present study was conducted to explore the effect of plant essential oil (PEO) on growth performance, intestinal morphology and health in weaned pigs. Twenty-four weaned pigs were assigned into four groups fed with a basal diet (CON) or basal diet containing PEO at a concentration of 50 (PEO50), 100 (PEO100) or 200 ppm (PEO200). After 21 days, pigs were slaughtered and blood and tissue samples were collected. Result showed that PEO200 group significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG) compared with CON group (p < .05). Moreover, PEO supplementation significantly improved the digestibility of DM (p < .05). However, it significantly decreased the serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentration (p < .05). Interestingly, PEO supplementation significantly increased the activity of sucrase in the duodenal and the activity of lactase in the jejunal mucosa (p < .05). Moreover, PEO supplementation improved the growth of intestinal mucosa. As compared to the CON group, the jejunum and ileum villus height were significantly elevated in the PEO200 group (p < .05). Importantly, the expression levels of critical genes associated with nutrient transportation (i.e., GLUT2 and SGLT1) and barrier function (occludin) were significantly elevated in the PEO200 group (p < .05). Moreover, the PEO100 and PEO200 group had higher propionic acid concentration and higher total bacterial gene copies in colon digesta than the CON group (p < .05) respectively. These results not only suggest that PEO has a positive role in the regulation of growth and intestinal health in weaned pigs, but also offer a potential candidate substituting the conventionally used antibiotics in the livestock industry.

Immunohaematological status and mRNA expression of the genes encoding interleukin-6, nuclear-factor kappa B, and tumor-necrosis factor-α in the spleen of broilers supplemented with dietary rutin

Rutin, also known as vitamin P or rutoside, has been explored for many pharmacological activities. Apples, tea leaves, and many other plants contain rutin as one of the active constituents. Haematological, immunological indices and the expression of inflammatory cytokine genes in spleen tissue were assessed to investigate the influence of different levels of dietary rutin supplement (0.25, 0.5, or 1 g/kg diet) on the immune response of broilers. After 6 weeks, rutin-fed chickens showed an increase in the haematological indices, including the number of blood lymphocytes. Similarly, serum total protein and globulin were also elevated. By contrast, serum cholesterol, triglycerides and liver enzymes were lower in the experimental birds than in the control birds. Moreover, compared with the control birds, there was no significant change in the bilirubin concentration, either total or direct, and kidney-function indices in response to rutin supplementation in the experimental birds. Among the immune parameters examined, lysozyme activity, nitric oxide concentrations, and immunologlobulin M (IgM) production were significantly higher in rutin-fed birds than in the control birds; however, there was no significant effect of rutin at any concentration on the IgG and IgA concentrations and lymphoid organ weight. Of the cytokine-encoding genes studied, the genes encoding interleukin-6, nuclear-factor kappa B, and tumour-necrosis factor-α were upregulated in the spleen of the experimental birds, while the expression of interferon gamma-encoding gene was unaffected in the experimental birds. Here, rutin promoted the immune strength in birds mainly at 1 g/kg diet, suggesting that rutin is a promising feed additive for broilers.

Essential oil from Korean Chamaecyparis obtusa leaf ameliorates respiratory activity in Sprague‑Dawley rats and exhibits protection from NF-κB-induced inflammation in WI38 fibroblast cells

To date, Korean hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), has been widely used for household and commercial purposes. Although the medicinal efficacy of hinoki cypress essential oil has been observed, that of the essential oil‑derived terpenes, which exhibit a mechanism that acts against lung inflammation, remains to be fully elucidated. The present study investigated the anti‑inflammatory effect of hinoki cypress leaf extracted essential oil on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑stimulated WI38 fibroblast cells by inhibiting the nuclear factor κ‑light‑chain‑enhancer of activated B cells (NF‑κB) pathway, which exhibited lung tissue protection through the olfactory administration of essential oil in Sprague‑Dawley rats. GC/MS analysis derived 24 terpenes from the essential oil. The morphological observations revealed that, upon LPS stimulation of WI38 fibroblast cells, inflammation was induced, whereas the condition of the cells reverted to normal in the essential oil extract pre‑treated group. The results of western blot analysis revealed the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase, activation of cyclooxygnase‑2, and the degradation of cytosolic p65 and inhibitor of NF‑κB‑α in the LPS‑stimulated group. Additionally, confocal imaging of nuclei revealed the translocation of phosphorylated p65, which was recovered in the cytosol in the phytoncide essential oil pre‑treated group. Histopathological observation revealed that the alveolar capacity was enhanced in the essential oil olfactory administered rat group, compared with that in the normal rat group. These findings suggest that terpenes in essential oil from the Chamaecyparis obtusa leaf have therapeutic potential against respiratory inflammation‑related disease.

Effects of dietary supplemental phytoncide instead of zinc oxide on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, and faecal microflora in growing pigs

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of phytoncide (PTC) instead of zinc oxide on growth performance, blood profile, nutrient digestibility and faecal microflora in growing pigs. A total of 120 growing pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] with initial body weight 24.48 ± 1.62 kg were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments for a 6 weeks feeding trials, the treatments as follow: CON (base diet)，ZO (CON + 0.03% Zinc Oxide), PTC1 (CON + 0.5% PTC), PTC2 (CON + 1.0% PTC). Compared to basal diet, during weeks 1-3, 3-6, and overall experimental period, the ADG of growing pigs fed phytoncide diet trend to be increased, and fed ZO diet was significantly increased (p < 0.05). During weeks 3-6 and overall experiment period, pigs fed the ZO diet showed improvement in feed intake compared to pigs fed basal diet as a trend. Compared with basal diet, the pigs receiving phytoncide diet significantly increased the digestibility of DM and reduced the concentration of aspartate transaminase in pigs receiving 1.0% phytoncide diet. These results suggested that dietary supplement of phytoncide, Korean pine extract, could be used as an alternative to zinc oxide by decreasing detoxify to soil and plants without influencing the performance of growing pigs. Further study is needed to determine the systemic estimation of the dose of phytoncide.

Effects of dietary chlortetracycline, Origanum essential oil, and pharmacological Cu and Zn on growth performance of nursery pigs

Two 47-d experiments were conducted with 21-d-old weaned pigs (PIC 1050, initially 6.1 kg) to determine the effects of feeding low or high doses of chlortetracycline (CTC) and antibiotic alternatives (Cu, Zn, and essential oil [EO]), alone or in combination, on growth performance. On d 5 postweaning, pens of 5 pigs were allotted to diet treatments with 8 (exp. 1) or 7 (exp. 2) replicate pens per treatment. In exp. 1, treatments were fed from d 5 to 26 postweaning and arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial with main effects of added ZnO (0 vs. 2,500 ppm of Zn) and CTC (0, 55, or 441 ppm). In exp. 2, treatments were fed from d 5 to 33 and structured in a (2 × 2 × 2) + 2 factorial with main effects of added CuSO₄ (0 vs. 125 ppm Cu), added ZnO (0 vs. 3,000 ppm Zn from d 5 to 12 and 2,000 ppm Zn from d 12 to 33), and Regano EX (0 vs. 0.1% Regano EX containing 5% Origanum oil). The 2 additional treatments were subtherapeutic (55 ppm) and therapeutic (441 ppm) levels of CTC. Following the treatment period, a common diet without antimicrobial was fed until d 47. All diets contained 16.5 ppm Cu and 110 ppm Zn from the trace mineral premix. In exp. 1, no ZnO × CTC interactions were observed. Feeding ZnO increased (P < 0.05) ADG, ADFI, and BW during the treatment period and increased (P < 0.05) ADG and ADFI overall (d 5 to 47). Pigs fed CTC had increased (linear, P < 0.05) ADG, ADFI, and BW during the treatment period and had marginally significant increases (linear, P < 0.10) in overall ADG and ADFI, but overall G:F tended (quadratic, P = 0.070) to increase then decrease as CTC increased. During the treatment period in exp. 2, EO did not affect ADG or ADFI, whereas pharmacological levels of Cu, Zn, and CTC increased (P < 0.05) ADG with coinciding increases (P = 0.055, 0.006, and linear 0.079, respectively) in ADFI. Copper, Zn, and CTC did not affect G:F. EO decreased (P = 0.009) G:F. Diet treatments had minimal carryover effects on subsequent nursery pig growth performance. Overall from d 5 to 47, Cu increased (P = 0.018) ADG, Zn increased (P < 0.05) ADG and ADFI, and EO tended to decrease (P = 0.086) G:F. In conclusion, increased dietary Cu, Zn, or CTC improved weanling pig performance while EO elicited no growth benefits. The benefits of added Zn from ZnO and CTC were additive and could be included together in diets to maximize growth performance of weaned pigs.

Enrichment of Animal Diets with Essential Oils-A Great Perspective on Improving Animal Performance and Quality Characteristics of the Derived Products

Food industry operates in a competitive market and is continually facing challenges to retain or even increase its market share. Consistent high-quality animal products are required to maintain consumer confidence and consumption. Enrichment of foods with bioactive compounds such as the essential oils appears to improve quality characteristics of the derived products and protects consumers against oxidation and bacterial spoilage effects. Synthetic additives are nowadays questioned due to their suspected carcinogenic potential, and therefore extensive research has been undertaken to identify safe and efficient alternatives. Aromatic plants and their respective essential oils belong to natural products and are generally used in pig, poultry, rabbit and ruminant nutrition. The inclusion of essential oils in livestock diets is nowadays becoming a common practice, since dietary supplementation has been proven a simple and convenient strategy to effectively inhibit the oxidative reactions or microbial spoilage at their localized sites. A wide range of essential oils contain bioactive compounds that have the potential to act as multifunctional feed supplements for animals including effects on growth performance, digestive system, pathogenic bacterial growth and lipid oxidation. However, further studies are needed to clarify their exact action and establish their regular use in animal production.

Effects of fenugreek seed extract supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, diarrhoea scores, blood profiles, faecal microflora and faecal noxious gas emission in weanling piglets

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary fenugreek seed extract (FSE) on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), diarrhoea scores, blood profiles, faecal microflora and faecal gas emission in weanling pigs. A total of 135 weanling pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace)  × Duroc] with an average BW of (7.96 ± 1.03 kg; 28 days of age) were used in a 42-day study. Piglets were randomly allotted to three experimental diets with nine replicate pens and five pigs per pen. Dietary treatments were as follows: CON, basal diet; FSE1, basal diet + 0.1% FSE; FSE2, basal diet + 0.2% FSE. Pigs were fed with phase 1 (0-14 days) and phase 2 (14-42 days) diets in the form of mash. Average daily gain (ADG) was linearly increased (p = 0.031) by FSE supplementation compared with CON diet during days 0-14. From days 14-42, FSE2 diet had increased ADG and growth efficiency (G/F) compared with the CON diet (p = 0.014 and 0.026 respectively). Moreover, ADG and G/F were increased by FSE supplementation during days 0-42 (linear, p = 0.037 and 0.014 respectively). Energy digestibility was higher (linear, p = 0.030) by FSE supplementation at 6 weeks. On day 42, dietary supplementation of FSE linearly increased red blood cells (RBC) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration (p = 0.042 and 0.038 respectively). Piglets fed FSE2 diet had higher (linear, p = 0.025) serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration compared with those fed CON diet. However, piglets fed FSE2 diet had linearly reduced faecal ammonia (NH₃ ) and hydrogen sulphide (H₂ S) gas emission compared with those fed the CON diet (p = 0.018 and 0.010 respectively). In conclusion, FSE supplementation increased the performance and reduced faecal gas emission in weanling pigs.

Natural environments, nature relatedness and the ecological theater: connecting satellites and sequencing to shinrin-yoku

Recent advances in research concerning the public health value of natural environments have been remarkable. The growing interest in this topic (often housed under terms such as green and/or blue space) has been occurring in parallel with the microbiome revolution and an increased use of remote sensing technology in public health. In the context of biodiversity loss, rapid urbanization, and alarming rates of global non-communicable diseases (many associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation), discussions of natural vis-a-vis built environments are not merely fodder for intellectual curiosity. Here, we argue for increased interdisciplinary collaboration with the aim of better understanding the mechanisms—including aerobiological and epigenetic—that might help explain some of the noted positive health outcomes. It is our contention that some of these mechanisms are related to ecodiversity (i.e., the sum of biodiversity and geodiversity, including biotic and abiotic constituents). We also encourage researchers to more closely examine individual nature relatedness and how it might influence many outcomes that are at the interface of lifestyle habits and contact with ecodiversity.

Dietary Phytoncide Supplementation Improved Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Finishing Pigs

We conducted this 10-wk experiment to evaluate the effects of dietary phytoncide, Korean pine extract as phytogenic feed additive (PFA), on growth performance, blood characteristics, and meat quality in finishing pigs. A total of 160 pigs ([Landrace×Yorkshire]×Duroc, body weight (BW) = 58.2±1.0 kg) were randomly allocated into 1 of 4 treatments according to their BW and sex, 10 replicate pens per treatment with 4 pigs per pen were used (2 barrows and 2 gilts). Dietary treatments were: CON, control diet; PT2, CON+0.02% PFA; PT4, CON+0.04% PFA; PT6, CON+0.06% PFA. Overall, average daily gain (ADG) was higher in PT4 (p<0.05) than in PT6, average daily feed intake (ADFI) was lower in PT6 than in CON (p<0.05). Besides ADFI decreased linearly (p<0.05) with the increased level of phytoncide and gain:feed ratio in PT4 treatment was higher (p<0.05) than CON treatment. During 5 to 10 weeks and overall, quadratic (p<0.05) effect was observed in ADG among the treatments. At the end of this experiment, pigs fed with PT4 diet had a greater (p<0.05) red blood cell concentration compared to the pigs fed CON diet. Water holding capacity increased linearly (p<0.05) with the increased level of phytoncide supplementation. Moreover, firmness, redness, yellowness, and drip loss at day 3 decreased linearly (p<0.05) with the increase in the level of phytoncide supplementation. In conclusion, inclusion of phytoncide could enhance growth performance without any adverse effects on meat quality in finishing pigs.

Essential oil and aromatic plants as feed additives in non-ruminant nutrition: a review

This paper summarizes the current knowledge regarding the possible modes of action and nutritional factors involved in the use of essential oils (EOs) for swine and poultry. EOs have recently attracted increased interest as feed additives to be fed to swine and poultry, possibly replacing the use of antibiotic growth promoters which have been prohibited in the European Union since 2006. In general, EOs enhance the production of digestive secretions and nutrient absorption, reduce pathogenic stress in the gut, exert antioxidant properties and reinforce the animal’s immune status, which help to explain the enhanced performance observed in swine and poultry. However, the mechanisms involved in causing this growth promotion are far from being elucidated, since data on the complex gut ecosystem, gut function, in vivo oxidative status and immune system are still lacking. In addition, limited information is available regarding the interaction between EOs and feed ingredients or other feed additives (especially pro- or prebiotics and organic acids). This knowledge may help feed formulators to better utilize EOs when they formulate diets for poultry and swine.