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Weaning is a critical time for piglets, often leading to weight loss, diarrhea, and increased mortality due to factors like environment, feeding methods, and diet. Essential oils are known for their antimicrobial and antioxidant effects, which support animal health, but they are quickly metabolized in the upper GI tract, limiting their effectiveness in the intestines. Microencapsulation offers a way to deliver essential oils effectively to the lower intestine. However, limited research exists on the effects of microencapsulated essential oils (MEO) on growth and gut health in weaned piglets. This study investigates MEO's impact on weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, diarrhea, gut structure, and antioxidant activity in weaned piglets, aiming to identify new feed additives to improve gut health.
Methods: A total of 120 weaned piglets (weaned at 30 days of age) were divided into four groups, each receiving either a basic diet (control) or the same diet with different doses of MEO (300, 500, or 700 mg/kg for the Low-MEO, Medium-MEO, and High-MEO groups, respectively). The piglets, at 28 days of age, were pre-fed for a duration of three days, followed by a formal testing period of 14 days. At the end of the experiment, one piglet from each pen was randomly selected for sampling. The collected samples included blood, along with vital organ tissues such as the heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, and lungs. Additionally, intestinal tissues and contents were gathered for further analysis.
Results: Adding MEO improved average daily gain and feed intake in the piglets, which also experienced less diarrhea than those on the control diet. MEO supplementation also positively impacted the intestinal structure, increasing the villus height in the jejunum and the villus-to-crypt ratio in the duodenum, key indicators of gut health. Additionally, MEO improved the antioxidant capacity in the jejunum and enhanced the diversity of beneficial gut bacteria. Interestingly, only the highest dose of MEO (High-MEO) significantly increased the levels of isobutyric acid in the colon, while other acids remained unaffected.
Conclusion: Microencapsulated essential oils appears to support growth, reduce digestive issues, and improve gut health, making it a beneficial supplement for piglets transitioning through the weaning period.
Chen K, Dai Z, Zhang Y, Wu S, Liu L, Wang K, Shen D, Li C. (2024). Effects of Microencapsulated Essential Oils on Growth and Intestinal Health in Weaned Piglets. Animals (Basel). 18;14(18):2705. doi: 10.3390/ani14182705
