Effect of dietary organic acids supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and gut morphology in weaned pigs

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with different organic acid (OA) mixtures on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and gut morphology in weaned pigs. A total of 56 weaned pigs (7.93 ± 1.04 kg body weight) were assigned to four dietary treatments with seven replicates per treatment for a 35-day study conducted over two phases: phase 1 (day 1 to 14) and phase 2 (day 14 to 35). Diets consisted of (1) a corn–soybean meal basal diet without any additive (negative control, NC); (2) NC + formic and propionic acids (TRT1); (3) NC + butyric, formic, and propionic acids (TRT2); and (4) NC + antibiotic (positive control, PC). During the overall period, the gain to feed ratio of pigs fed the PC and TRT1 diets tended to be higher (P = 0.059) than that of those fed the NC diet. However, OA supplementation had no effects on nutrient digestibility. Jejunal villus height to crypt depth ratio was higher (P < 0.05) in pigs fed the TRT1 diet than those fed the NC diet. In conclusion, dietary OA supplementation tended to increase overall feed efficiency and improved gut morphology in weaned pigs.