Programa de uso terapêutico e subterapêutico de óleos essenciais em substituição aos antibióticos para suínos

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of essential oils replacing growth promoter antibiotics on intestinal health and the performance of newly weaned piglets challenged with E. coli K88 + in the nursery and the growing-finishing phase. The experiment was carried out at Experimental Center of Swine, Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Lavras – UFLA. A total of 108 barrows (6.3 ± 0.44 kg) were weaned at 23 days of age were distributed in randomized blocks with nine replications and four piglets per experimental plot in three treatments for 127 days: negative control diet without the addition of additives (NC); positive control: NC + antibiotic (PC); Essential oils: NC + essential oils blend consisting of 12% carvacrol and 6% cinnamaldehyde, capsaicin, anethole and cineol. (EO). A therapeutic dose of gentamicin (270 mg / kg) was provided for PC treatment and a blend therapeutic dose (40 mg / kg) for EO treatment during the first seven days of the day nursery phase and for the remainder of the period sub-therapeutic halquinol dose (20 mg / kg) for the PC treatment and a sub-therapeutic dose (30 mg / kg) of the blend for the EO treatment. In the first ten days of the growth and finishing phases, a therapeutic dose (45 mg / kg) of tylosin was provided for the PC treatment and a therapeutic dose (40 mg / kg) of the blend for the EO treatment and, considering the remainder of the periods, a subtherapeutic dose of enramycin for PC control in growth (12.5 mg / kg) and finishing (6.3 mg / kg) and a subtherapeutic dose (20 mg / kg) of the blend for the EO treatment. On days 1,2 and 3 of the experiment, all piglets were challenged with E. coli K88 + (1mL each day, 107 CFU / ml). Two days before being transferred to the growing and finishing facility, the animals were subjected to heat stress (average 31.8 ° C at day one and 31.7 ° C at day two). The Tukey test was used to compare the means. There was no treatment effect on growth performance during the nursery phase (P> 0.05). The incidence of diarrhea was lower in PC pigs from 0 to 7 days (P <0.05) and decreased in EO pigs from 14 to 28 days (P <0.05). Intestinal morphology, microbial counting, production of volatile fatty acids, antioxidant activity and intestinal gene expression were not influenced by treatments. There was no significant effect for TNF-α on the days evaluated, while IL-10 was lower in the EO pigs than in PC pigs at day 3 after challenge and lower than NC at day 10 (P <0.05). Higher daily weight gain and daily feed intake were observed during the therapeutic dosing at the termination phase compared to NC (P <0.05). These results suggest that the therapeutic dose of EO has a beneficial effect on animal performance compared to antibiotics and attenuates the inflammatory response, being a possible substitute for antibiotic use programs.