Selected feed additives used in pig nutrition

Abstract

The paper provides an overview of the knowledge of the options of the use of selected feed additives in the feeding of sows and young pigs. Feed enzymes, organic acids, probiotics, prebiotics and phytobiotics are the most commonly used feed additives for these technology groups. Nowadays, in pig breeding and farming, it is not possible to achieve high production performance in the herd without the use of specialised feed additives. They are added to the feed ration always in small quantities, and the effects of their use are often clearly noticeable. They improve the flavour and digestibility of the feed, and thereby have a favourable effect on feed intake, piglets weight gain and sows milk yield, boost pig immunity and displace pathogens from the gastrointestinal system, stimulating the growth and development of the beneficial bacterial microflora. Fed to lactating sows, they have a positive effect not only on the sows, but above all on the growth and development of their litters. This allows maximising the weaning weight of piglets and improving their health and weight gain at further fattening stages. All this contributes to improved production performance and should encourage breeders to enrich pig feed with appropriate specialised feed additives.

Evaluation of Dietary Probiotic (Lactobacillus plantarum BG0001) Supplementation on the Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Blood Profile, Fecal Gas Emission, and Fecal Microbiota in Weaning Pigs

“…Therefore, the safe and economical feed additives that can replace antibiotics have received more and more research and attention. In the current reports, the substitution of probiotics [ 6 ], prebiotics [ 7 ], enzymes [ 8 ], and organic acids [ 9 ] has received more attention due to their antagonism to a variety of microorganisms and significant growth promotion.…”

The effect of nettle extract on antioxidant defense system in piglets after weaning

“…This is especially important for sensitive periods of the production cycle of animals characterized by a high susceptibility to gastric disorders, for example, during the gro wing of piglets or chickens. Researchers note that stabilizing the intestinal microbiota with plants makes animals less vulnerable to bacteria, toxins, and other unwanted bacterial metabolites such as ammonia and biogenic amines (Basak et al, 2020;Radzikowski & Milczarek, 2021).…”

Suplementación de extracto de Cynara scolymus L. y betaína en cerdas durante la lactancia

“…Los aditivos en las dietas tienen diferentes funciones, desde una mejora de la calidad de la dieta a una mejora en los procesos digestivos, cuyo objetivo en común es aprovechar al máximo el potencial genético del animal. Entre los aditivos más comunes se encuentran las enzimas, los ácidos orgánicos, los prebióticos, los probióticos y los extractos de plantas (Radzikowski & Milczarek, 2021).…”

“…La betaína es un compuesto natural derivado de la glicina, el cual se encuentra de forma natural en plantas como la remolacha azucarera (Radzikowski & Milczarek, 2021) o sintetizada como hidrocloruro de betaína. Este aditivo es un donador de grupos metilos, con funciones de osmoprotector (Eklund et al, 2005), que aumenta la retención de agua en las células y ayuda a la función de las bombas iónicas (Ramis et al, 2011).…”