This article summarizes experimental knowledge of the efficacy, modes of action and applications of herbal extracts and organic acids as feed additives for pigs. Herbal extracts comprise a wide variety of herbs, spices and, most importantly, essential oils. Organic acids, characterized as short-chain weak acids, are widely distributed in nature as normal constituents of herbal or animal tissues. Herbal extracts and organic acids can stimulate feed intake and the production of endogenous secretions and nutrient absorption, protect against the colonization of pathogenic microorganisms in the animal gut, reduce the fermentation process and production of toxic metabolites, and present a beneficial effect on the intestinal microbiota. Therefore, these compounds could replace antibiotics as growth promoters for pig production. However, a systematic approach to the efficacy and safety of herbal extracts and organic acids as feed additives for swine is still non-existent.
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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding pigs with diets containing increasing levels of Brazilian red pepper essential oil ( Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) on the physical attributes, fatty acid profile and oxidative stability of precooked meat. Seventy-two weanling pigs (5.7±0.8kg) were allotted in a completely randomized block design experiment with four treatments, six replicates per treatment, and three animals per experimental unit (pen). Animals were fed with a basal diet supplemented with 0, 500, 1,000, or 1,500mg kg-1 Brazilian red pepper essential oil during the 35-d experimental period. At the end of the experiment, one animal per experimental unit (16.4±2.2kg) was slaughtered to sample Longissimus dorsi muscle for analysis. Dietary supplementation of Brazilian red pepper had no effect (P>0.05) on pork meat color, pH, cooking loss and shear force. Inclusion of essential oil in the diet provided a linear increase (P<0.05) of the saturated fatty acids content of L. dorsi, especially myristic (C14:0) and stearic (C18:0) fatty acids. Utilization of essential oil in pig diets reduced significantly the production of secondary lipid oxidation compounds measured as TBARS in raw pork meat (P<0.001) and immediately after cooking (P<0.001). However, during 8-d storage assay, the addition of essential oil in the diet did not protect pork meat lipids from oxidation. Therefore, Brazilian red pepper added to pig diets increased the saturated fatty acids content and reduced lipid oxidation in fresh meat and short-term heat treatment without affecting pork meat physical attributes.
A carne suína sempre foi circundada de opiniões, tanto dos apreciadores, quanto das pessoas que não a consomem. A divergência entre os dois lados sempre existiu e de tempos em tempos, conforme a evolução das ideias sobre a produção animal, os parâmetros vão se modificando. A Bíblia afirma a proibição do consumo da carne suína é por considerar o suíno um animal impuro. Milhares de anos depois, na era feudal, comer carne suína era sinônimo de riqueza. No entanto, atualmente mitos são criados sobre a carne suína baseados em situações antigas que não se aplicam ao sistema de criação atual. Antes era um suíno do tipo banha e atualmente é do tipo carne, além disso, grande parte da população ainda apresenta o pensamento estereotipado sobre "comer carne suína faz mal e é perigosa à saúde" e "a carne suína tem muita gordura e colesterol". De modo que, esses mitos estão sendo desmistificados aos poucos, devido ao aumento da exigência do mercado consumidor, havendo um aumento de tecnologias dentro das granjas produtoras de suínos com o melhoramento genético em conjunto com estratégias de manejo sanitário, ambiental e nutricional adequados. A qualidade da carne oferecida hoje é superior a que era oferecida há 30 anos, sendo um resultado positivo, que pode auxiliar na promoção da carne suína diante baixo consumo pelos brasileiros. Sendo assim, é necessário demonstrar a mudanças das criações, melhorar o marketing para que o pensamento seja modificado e a carne suína seja aceita.
ObjectiveEvaluate the partial replacement of soybean meal with different protein sources in piglet feed during the nursery phase in terms of digestibility of feed, nitrogen balance, growth performance and blood parameters.MethodsExperiment I involved 24 crossbred entire male pigs with an initial body weight (BW) of 18.28±0.7 kg and used a randomized complete block design consisting of 3 treatments (fish meal, FM; soybean protein concentrate, SPC; and soybean meal, SBM) and 8 replicates, with 1 pig per experimental unit. Experiment II involved 1,843 crossbred male and female pigs with an initial BW of 6.79±0.90 kg and was based on a completely randomized design with a 2×3 factorial arrangement (2 sexes and 3 protein sources) and 13 replicates.ResultsThe results of Exp. I indicate effects (p<0.05) of dietary protein sources on digestible protein (FM, 17.84%; SPC, 16.72%, and SBM, 18.13%) and on total nitrogen excretion (TNE, g/kg BW0.75/d) in which pigs fed with SBM-based feed had TNE values that were 5.36% and 3.72% greater than SPC and FM, respectively. In the Exp. II, there was difference (p<0.01) between sexes in the pre-starter I and starter phases, and total period in average daily feed intake (ADFI), which were greater in females, and between the protein sources, ADFI, final weight and daily weight gain. For urea in the pre-starter II and starter phases and glucose in the pre-starter II phase, there was a difference (p<0.05) between protein sources and between sexes, in starter phase in urea concentrations (females: 57.11 mg/dL and males: 50.60 mg/dL).ConclusionThe use of SBM as only protein source influences larger TNE (g/kg BW0.75/d), reduces the growth performance of piglets and increases plasma urea concentrations in pre-starter II phase.
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