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Coated tannin supplementation improves growth performance, nutrients digestibility, and intestinal function in weaned
Tingting Xu1, Xin Ma1, Xinchen Zhou2
1The Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science in East China of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
Journal of Animal Science
|March 17, 2022
Summary
Coated tannin (CT) supplementation significantly improved weaned piglet growth and nutrient digestibility. CT enhanced intestinal function and altered gut microbiota, showing potential to replace zinc oxide (ZnO) in pig farming.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Nutritional Science
- Veterinary Medicine
Background:
- Weaned piglets often experience growth retardation and intestinal dysfunction.
- Zinc oxide (ZnO) is commonly used to mitigate these issues but faces regulatory scrutiny.
- Alternative feed additives are needed to support piglet health and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of coated tannin (CT) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal health in weaned piglets.
- To compare the effects of CT with ZnO, a common feed additive.
- To investigate the impact of CT on gut microbiota and intestinal barrier function.
Main Methods:
- 180 piglets were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments: basal diet (Con), basal diet + 0.15% CT, or basal diet + ZnO (1,600 mg/kg Zn).
- Growth performance (average daily gain, average daily feed intake), nutrient digestibility (crude protein), and intestinal morphology were assessed.
- Intestinal microbiota composition, serum diamine oxidase, and tight junction protein expression (ZO-1, claudin-1) were analyzed.
- PICRUSt analysis was used to predict functional changes in the gut microbiome.
Main Results:
- CT supplementation significantly increased average daily gain and average daily feed intake compared to the control group.
- Crude protein apparent digestibility and digestive enzyme activity were enhanced by CT.
- CT improved intestinal villi and microvilli structure, upregulated tight junction proteins (ZO-1, claudin-1), and decreased serum diamine oxidase.
- CT altered gut microbiota, increasing butyrate-producing bacteria and pathways related to butyrate and tryptophan metabolism, while decreasing lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis.
- CT demonstrated comparable or superior effects to ZnO in improving piglet performance and intestinal health.
Conclusions:
- Coated tannin (CT) effectively improves growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal function in weaned piglets.
- CT positively modulates the gut microbiota, promoting beneficial bacteria and metabolic pathways.
- CT shows significant potential as a viable alternative to zinc oxide (ZnO) in piglet diets.
