Abstract

COSTA, L.B. et al. Phytobiotic additives and sodium butyrate as alternatives to antibiotics for weanling pigs. Arch. zootec. [online]. 2011, vol.60, n.231, pp.733-744. ISSN 1885-4494.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S0004-05922011000300061.

The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the effects of phytobiotic additives and sodium butyrate as alternatives to antimicrobial growth promoters based on organs morphometry and intestinal histology for piglets weaned at 21 days old. A 34-d randomized complete block design experiment was carried out, with sixty weanling pigs, to compare five treatments: control (T1) basal diet; antimicrobial (T2); phytobiotic (T3); sodium butyrate (T4) and phytobiotic + sodium butyrate (T5), three animals per pen (experimental unit) and four replications per treatment. Specific contrasts were tested. Organs morphometry showed that the average of treatments T2, T3, T4 e T5 for weight:length ratio of small intestine was lower (p= 0.02) than that of control treatment. The average of T3 and T4 treatments for caecum relative weight was lower (p= 0.09) and for DV of duodenum of weanling pigs was higher (p= 0.06) than that of the T5. Piglets of T3 showed higher DV (p= 0.02) than those of T4. Jejunum DV average of treatments T2, T3, T4 e T5 was higher (p= 0.03) than that of T1, and piglets of T4 showed higher DV (p= 0.08) than those of T3. The additives were effectives in keeping or improving villous number of jejunum. However, phytobiotic additives and sodium butyrate added individually in animal diets provided morphological and physiological integrity in the intestine of piglets weaned at 24 days old.

Keywords : Antimicrobials; Growth promoters; Nutrition; Swine.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )