{"id":146265,"date":"2021-04-23T07:33:04","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T05:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ew-nutrition.com\/phytomolecules-for-pig-antibiotic-reduction\/"},"modified":"2022-09-21T08:11:29","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T06:11:29","slug":"phytomolecules-for-pig-antibiotic-reduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ew-nutrition.com\/en-uk\/phytomolecules-for-pig-antibiotic-reduction\/","title":{"rendered":"How phytomolecules support antibiotic reduction in pig production"},"content":{"rendered":"
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by\u00a0 Merideth Parke<\/b>, Regional Technical Manager, EW Nutrition<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

To contain and reverse antimicrobial resistance<\/a><\/span>, consumers and government regulators expect changes in pork production with the clear goal to reduce antibiotic use.\u00a0<\/strong>For healthy, profitable pig production with simultaneous antibiotic reduction, a holistic strategy<\/span><\/a> is required: refocusing human attitudes and habits, optimal pig health and welfare, and applying potential antibiotic alternatives.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Corn is often contaminated with Aspergillus fungi that can produce poisonous mycotoxins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Pig producers need to manage pathogenic pressure while reducing antibiotics<\/h1>\n

Intensive pig production has stress points associated with essential husbandry procedures such as weaning, health interventions, and dietary modifications. Stress is widely accepted to have a negative impact on immune system effectiveness, enhancing opportunities for pathogenic bacteria to invade at a local or systemic level. The gastrointestinal and respiratory systems are highly susceptible to developing disease as a result of these combined factors. Interventions such as antibiotics are commonly implemented to reduce the impact of pathogens and manage pig health. Processes that minimize the number of pathogens in the environment are the foundation for a successful antibiotic reduction plan. The challenge is to smartly combine strategies to keep the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract<\/a> intact and robust.<\/p>\n

Phytomolecules, the specific active defense compounds found in plants, have been identified as capable of enhancing pig health through antimicrobial (Cimanga et al., 2002<\/span><\/a>, Franz et al., 2010<\/span><\/a>), antioxidative (Katalinic et al., 2006<\/a><\/span>, Damjanovic-Vratnica et al., 2007<\/span><\/a>, Lee et al., 2011<\/a><\/span>), digestion-stimulating and immune-supportive functions. As many thousands of phytomolecules exist,\u00a0 laboratory research has focused on identifying those with the capability of microbial management, facilitating the end goal of reducing the reliance on antibiotics for pig health and welfare and the production of safe pork (Zhai et al., 2018<\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n

Which roles can phytomolecules play in reducing antibiotics?<\/h2>\n

The gastrointestinal tract benefits from applying phytomolecules such as capsaicin, carvacrol, and cinnamaldehyde, as they:<\/p>\n