Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Medium-Chain Triglycerides on the Growth Performance and Gut Health of Weanling Pigs

• Main Authors: Yen, Hung-Che, 顏宏哲
• Other Authors: Chiang, Shu-Hsing
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/16691425613879557593

碩士 === 東海大學 === 畜產與生物科技學系 === 100 === Two trials were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and colistin sulfate (CS) on growth performance and gut health of weanling pigs. Trial 1, 256 pigs (5.94 kg) weaned at 21 days were randomly allotted to 4 treatments, 4 replicates per treatment, 16 pigs per replicate. Pigs were fed diets supplemented with 0 or 3% MCT (C6:C8:C10=1:2:1) and 0 or 40 ppm CS in a 2 × 2 factorial design for 2 weeks. Trial 2, 544 pigs (6.32 kg) weaned at 26 days were randomly allotted to 8 treatments, 4 replicates per treatment, 16 to 18 pigs per replicate. Pigs were fed diets supplemented with 0, 1, 2 or 3% MCT and 0 or 40 ppm CS in a 4 × 2 factorial design for 2 weeks. Growth performances, survival rate, diarrhea score, pH and microbial counts of digestive tract contents, plasma composition, liver weight and glycogen content were measured in trial 1 and 2. Villus height and crypt depth of jejunum were measured in trial 2 only. Because of the inconsistency and large variation, the results of same treatment in two trials were combined. The combined results showed that dietary supplementation of MCT did not affect body weight gain and feed intake, but improved feed efficiency at 3 to 7 day and 0 to 14 day (P<0.05), and tended to decrease average number of diarrhea pigs at 0 to 3 day after weaned (P<0.10). Dietary supplementation of MCT decreased large intestine E. coli (E) count (P<0.05), and tended to decrease large intestine total counts of Lactobacillus and E. coli (L+E) (P<0.10). Dietary supplementation of CS did not affect body weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency, decreased cecum E and L+E counts (P<0.05), and large intestine E and L+E counts (P<0.05), increased large intestine L/E (P<0.05), and tended to decrease small intestine and large intestine Lactobacillus counts (P<0.10), also tended to increase Lactobacillus to E. coli ratio (P<0.10). Dietary supplementation of MCT or CS did not affect survival rate, diarrhea score, pH of digestive tract contents, plasma composition, liver weight and glycogen content, and villus height and crypt depth. No interaction but additive effects between MCT and CS in most of measurements were found indicating the mechanism for the measurements between MCT and CS are different. In conclusion, MCT can be used as an alternative of CS to improve the growth performance of weanling pigs. Their efficacy can be maximized by supplementing MCT and CS simultaneously in weanling pig diet.