PSV-4 - Dietary Supplementation of Botanical Extracts on Intestinal Health and Serum Inflammatory Biomarkers of Weaned Pigs Experimentally Infected with a Pathogenic Escherichia coli

Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of dietary supplementation of two blends of botanical extracts (GRAS) comprised of capsicum oleoresin and garlic varieties on intestinal health and serum inflammatory biomarkers of weanling pigs experimentally infected with a pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli). Sixty weaned pigs (body weight = 7.17 ± 0.97 kg) were individually housed and allotted to one of five treatments: negative control (NC), positive control (PC), control+GRAS1 (100 ppm), control+GRAS2 (50 ppm), and control+GRAS2 (100 ppm). The experiment lasted 28 days: from day -7 to 21 post-inoculation (PI). All piglets except the pigs in NC were orally inoculated with E. coli F18 (10¹⁰ CFU/3 mL). Serum samples were collected throughout the experiment to analyze TNF-α and haptoglobin. Jejunal and ileal mucosa were collected from 30 pigs (6 pigs/treatment) on d 5 and 21 PI to measure mRNA expression of genes related to gut barrier function and immune responses. Data were analyzed by ANOVA using PROC MIXED of SAS with randomized complete block design. Pigs supplemented with GRAS1 and 100 ppm of GRAS2 had lower (P < 0.05) serum TNF-α on d 4 PI than pigs in PC. On d 21 PI, pigs supplemented with GRAS1 and GRAS2 (100 ppm) had lower (P < 0.05) expression of MUC2 or ZO1 in jejunal mucosa than pigs in PC. Pigs in PC expressed more (P < 0.05) PTGS2 in ileal mucosa than pigs in NC on d 21 PI. Supplementation of GRAS reduced (P < 0.05) mRNA expression of PTGS2 in ileal mucosa of weaned pigs, regardless of dose and garlic variety. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of botanical blends modulated intestinal health and systemic immunity of weaned pigs infected with E. coli F18.