A Fermented Herbal Formulation Improves Intestinal Health and Growth Performance in Post-Weaning Piglets

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Gut Health
• Natural Products

Background:

• Weaning negatively impacts piglet intestinal function and growth.
• Fermented herbal formulations (FHF) offer a potential solution due to bioactive compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a specific FHF in improving intestinal health and growth performance in weaned piglets.
• To investigate the in vitro and in vivo effects of FHF on intestinal cells and piglet physiology.

Main Methods:

• In vitro: Porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) were treated with FHF before lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge.
• In vivo: Weaned piglets were fed diets supplemented with FHF at different levels and timings.
• Assessed cell viability, inflammatory markers (cytokines), growth performance (body weight, ADG, ADFI, FCR), diarrhea rate, intestinal morphology, serum markers (TNF-α, DAO), tight junction proteins, gut microbiota, and short-chain fatty acids.

Main Results:

• FHF increased cell viability and suppressed LPS-induced inflammation (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, TNF-α) in vitro.
• Piglets receiving FHF (A2 group) exhibited improved final body weight, ADG, ADFI, and FCR, with a reduced diarrhea rate.
• FHF enhanced intestinal morphology, increased jejunal tight junction proteins, modulated gut microbiota (enriched Limosilactobacillus, Lactobacillus), and elevated beneficial short-chain fatty acids (acetic, butyric).

Conclusions:

• The fermented herbal formulation (FHF) effectively alleviates weaning-induced intestinal dysfunction and enhances growth performance in piglets.
• FHF demonstrates potential as a natural feed additive for improving gut health and productivity in post-weaning pigs.