PARTNER FEATURE ▶▶▶
Better gut health for pigs? Nature has many answers
In order to get a piglet through weaning without much trouble, dependence on antibiotics or zinc oxide is neither allowed nor is it necessary. In nature, many compounds exist that can be potent stimuli to a pig’s gut – and thus can help a piglet on her way. When mixing the right ones together, long-lasting effects can be created.
BY GRETE BRUNSGAARD, HEAD OF R&D, AND KARSTEN C. KJELDSEN, DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, R2 AGRO, DENMARK
W
eaning is a stressful event in a piglet’s life and is often accompanied by gastrointestinal disorders. The separation from the sow (loss of contact, milk and the mother’s bacterial
environment), the changed environment, the transport to another room or building, the mixing of litters and the tran- sition from milk to creep feed are all stress factors that will negatively impact the health of the piglet. Piglets face several great challenges related to an immature digestive system and an immature immune system. Numer- ous strategies have been tested to control post-weaning dis- orders, including the use of phytogenic feed products. The bioactive components of phytogenic products are plant-derived, and chemically can be grouped into either
Figure 1 - Antibiotic treatments due to post-weaning diarrhoea
(body temperature > 40.0⁰ C). 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
T1, control Faecal score day 1-14 T2 Faecal score day 1-42 Faecal score: 0 = Firm faeces; 1 = Soft faeces; 2 = Pasty faeces; 3 = Liquid diarrhoea. T3 Antibiotic treated, %
0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0
terpenoids or polyphenols. Some of these have proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and/or antibacterial effects and may even have effect on the spontaneous activity of the smooth muscles of the small intestines. All these effects may individually have a positive impact on how well a piglet gets through the weaning period. More than 8,000 types of polyphenols and terpenoids have been identified, and there is clear evidence that bioactivity varies greatly among compounds. Herbs, spices, fruits and other plant species are known to be rich sources of com- pounds with high bioactivity, each plant species having a unique profile of terpenoids and polyphenols. It is evident that a careful selection is crucial to obtain a phytogenic product with a broad and long-lasting effect.
Phytogenic product The phytogenic product InflaMove from Danish animal nutri- tion company R2 Agro contains selected parts from rosemary, grape, fenugreek seeds, olive leaves, quillaja bark and thymol extract. The ingredients are selected for their rich sources of highly potent terpenoids and polyphenols, ensuring a broad-spectrum gastrointestinal tract effect with emphasis on antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity, as well as a relaxation of the spontaneous activity of the smooth muscles of the small intestines. Part of the terpenoids and polyphenols of those ingredients are bioaccessible for the enterocyte surface of the small intes- tine, due to their lack of or low degree of polymerisation. The bioactivity may therefore be partly systemically or locally me- diated within the enterocytes. Stimulating the production of mucin in the gut as well as inducing relaxation of the sponta- neous activity of the smooth muscles in the small intestines will prevent colonisation of pathogens on the mucosa and excessive loss of fluid and nutrients.
Testing at a German farm The phytogenic product was tested at a commercial German pig farm with a high incidence rate of Escherichia coli in post-weaning piglets (about 15%). The trial was carried out by Professor Klaus Männer, attached to the Free University of Berlin, Germany. The aim of the trial was to test the effect of the phytogenic supplement for its ability to reduce post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) and improve production performance in piglets from
50 ▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 38, No. 3, 2022
Antibiotic treated, %
Faecal score
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
