Open AccessNatural capsicum extract replacing chlortetracycline enhances performance via improving digestive enzyme activities, antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory function, and gut health in weaned pigs
Author(s) -
Shenfei Long,
Sujie Liu,
Jian Wang
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
animal nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 2405-6545
pISSN - 2405-6383
DOI - 10.1016/j.aninu.2020.12.004
Subject(s) - dry matter , antioxidant , superoxide dismutase , zoology , amylase , catalase , malondialdehyde , lipase , biology , basal (medicine) , digestive enzyme , feed conversion ratio , weight gain , medicine , endocrinology , biochemistry , enzyme , body weight , insulin
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of natural capsicum extract (NCE, containing 2% natural capsaicin, the rest is carrier) replacing chlortetracycline (CTC) on performance, digestive enzyme activities, antioxidant capacity, inflammatory cytokines, and gut health in weaned pigs. A total of 108 weaned pigs (Duroc × [Landrace × Yorkshire], initial body weight = 8.68 ± 1.34 kg; weaned on d 28) were randomly allotted into 3 treatments with 6 replicate pens per treatment (3 barrows and 3 gilts per pen). The treatments include a corn-soybean meal basal diet as a control group (CON), a CTC group (basal diet + CTC at 75 mg/kg), and a NCE group (basal diet + NEC at 80 mg/kg). Compared with CON and CTC, NCE had increased ( P < 0.05) average daily gain in phase 2 (d 15 to 28) and overall (d 1 to 28), and higher ( P < 0.05) apparent total tract digestibility of gross energy, dry matter, crude protein, and organic matter in phase 1 (d 1 to 14). These pigs also had increased ( P < 0.05) pancrelipase activity in pancreas, α-amylase, lipase and protease activities in the jejunal mucosa, and lipase activity in the ileal mucosa on d 28. Moreover, NCE had increased ( P < 0.05) the contents of growth hormone, β-endorphin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, total antioxidant capacity, total superoxide dismutase, catalase, and IL-10, as well as decreased ( P < 0.05) contents of malondialdehyde, tumor nuclear factor-α, interferon-γ, and interleukin-6 in serum on d 28 compared with CON and CTC. NCE showed higher ( P < 0.05) propionic acid, butyric acid and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) contents, and increased ( P < 0.05) relative abundance of Faecalibacterium in colon, as well as higher ( P < 0.05) propionic acid and total volatile fatty acids in cecum on d 28 compared with CON. In conclusion, NCE replacing CTC could enhance performance via improving digestive enzyme activities, antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory function, gut VFA composition and microbiota community in weaned pigs, and it could be used as a potential target for the development of feed additives.