Influence of a blend of essential oils and an enzyme combination on growth performance, microbial counts, ileum microscopic anatomy and the expression of inflammatory mediators in weaned piglets following an Escherichia coli infection

摘要: Abstract This study evaluated the effects of nutritional supplementation with a blend essential oils (EO, thymol and cinnamaldehyde) an enzyme combination (XB, xylanase β-glucanase), given alone or together, on growth performance, microbial counts, ileum microscopic anatomy expression inflammatory mediators in weaned piglets challenged Escherichia coli K88. One hundred ninety-two were allocated to 8 treatments 35-day experiment 2 × 4 factorial design that compared 2 levels oral E. challenge [sham (−) infected (+)] under different dietary [fed basal diet (CTR) either without EO XB individually (EOXB)]. Half orally O149:F4 (K88) day 48 (1 piglet/pen) slaughtered 35. The was found decrease average daily gain (ADG) feed ( G : F ) ratio from days 7 14 P  = 0.02). increased populations fecal Clostridia , coliforms 9 counts  = 0.01, respectively). Dietary EOXB reduced count CTR group  = 0.02  = 0.051) cecum digesta. also decreased crypt depth villus-to-crypt up-regulated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1α, toll-like receptor (TLR)2 TLR4  = 0.03, respectively), down-regulated TNF-α  = 0.046) group. results suggest may have beneficial modulation consistency, following infection.