The effects of aromatic oils on growth performance and physiological parameters in the intestine of weaned pigs

Abstract

The influence of aromatic oils from aromatic and spicy plants on the basic production parameters and on the incidence of intestinal disorders of weaned pigs (weaning at the age of 30-32 days) was compared in a trial. The trial was performed with three experimental and one control (n = 12) group in the commercial pig fattening farm (Michalovce, Slovak Republic). Aromatic oils isolated from Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Ness, Lauraceae; the compounds according to gas chromatography analyse: eugenol 77 % ± 3) Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L., Myrtaceae; eugenol 85 % ± 3) and Oregano (Origanum vulgare L., Lamiaceae; carvacrol 65 % ± 3) were added to feed mixtures of the 1st (20 ml 100 kg-1), 2nd (22 ml 100 kg-1) or 3rd experimental group (17 ml 100 kg-1) from 35th to 66th day of age. The daily average weight gains of experimental groups increased in the trial by 66,67 g day-1 (1st), by 43,79 g day-1 (2nd) and by 32,15 g day-1 (3rd) compared with control. A decrease of the incidence of diarrhoeal diseses was observed in the experimental groups of the trial as follows: by 60.84 % (1st exp. group), by 24.70 % (2nd exp. group) and by 27.71 % (3rd exp. group) in comparison with the control group. A significant decrease of Enterobacteriaceae was observed by colony forming unit (CFU) 118.41 ± 38.6 (p<0,01), 261.59 ± 96.25 (p<0,01) and 645.3 ± 147.72 (p<0,01) 106 . g-1 100% DM of faeces in the particular experimental groups as a result of antibacterial activity of aromatic oils on 21st day of experiment. In the case of quantification of Enterococcus spp. the differences were insignificant. A significant decrease of amylolytic activity was observed after intake of aromatic oils from Cinnamon (26.33 m kat.l-1 ± 9.62, p<0,01) and Clove (30.99 m kat.l-1 ± 7.28, p<0,01) but increase after intake of aromatic oil from Oregano (49,40 m kat.l-1 ± 21.24) in the faeces in comparison with the control group.