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Effect of fermented medicinal plants on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal noxious gas emissions, and diarrhea score in weanling pigs
Author(s) -
Zhao Pinyao,
Li Hanlin,
Lei Yan,
Li Tianshui,
Kim Sunki,
Kim Inho
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.7217
Subject(s) - weanling , diarrhea , feces , dry matter , scutellaria baicalensis , zoology , feed additive , feed conversion ratio , nutrient , clostridium perfringens , chemistry , food science , biology , veterinary medicine , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , body weight , broiler , bacteria , alternative medicine , organic chemistry , traditional chinese medicine , pathology , endocrinology , genetics
BACKGROUND Antibiotics used as growth promoters in livestock have been banned in the European Union since 2006. Alternatives of antibiotics have focused on phytogenic plants, such as herbs and medicinal plants. No studies have evaluated the use of fermented medicinal plants ( FMP ) made up of Gynura procumbens , Rehmannia glutinosa and Scutellaria baicalensis in weanling pigs. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to determine the effects of FMP on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal noxious gas emissions and diarrhea score in weanling pigs. RESULTS FMP supplementation increased ( P < 0.05) average daily gain, average daily feed intake, gain:feed, apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen and gross energy compared with NC treatment, while a linear effect ( P < 0.05) was observed on those criteria. Ammonia, total mercaptans and hydrogen sulfide concentrations were decreased ( P < 0.05) by the supplementation of FMP compared with NC . Additionally, diarrhea score was lower ( P < 0.05) by FMP addition compared with NC during days 0–7 and days 8–14. CONCLUSION These results suggested that FMP could be used as an alternative to antibiotics by enhancing growth performance and nutrient digestibility, and decreasing fecal noxious gas emission and early diarrhea score of weanling pigs. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry