Inclusion of Milk Thistle Seed and <i>Achyranthes japonica</i> Extract Alone or in Combination in Diet of Weaning Pigs Results in Similar Growth Outcomes
The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of milk thistle seed (MTS) and Achyranthes japonica extract (AJE), both individually and in combination, on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal score, fecal gas emissions, and cytokine responses in <i>n</i> = 120 crossbr...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Shanmugam Suresh Kumar Se Yeon Jang In Ho Kim |
| author_facet | Shanmugam Suresh Kumar Se Yeon Jang In Ho Kim |
| author_sort | Shanmugam Suresh Kumar |
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| description | The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of milk thistle seed (MTS) and Achyranthes japonica extract (AJE), both individually and in combination, on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal score, fecal gas emissions, and cytokine responses in <i>n</i> = 120 crossbred [(Landrace Yorkshire) × Duroc] weaning piglets with an initial body weight of 6.53 ± 1.24 kg. Pigs were selected based on sex and randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments for 6 weeks. The experimental diets were as follows: (1) CON—control/basal diet; (2) AJE (CON + 0.10% AJE); (3) MTS (CON + 0.10% MTS); and (4) CMB—combo feed (CON + 0.05% of AJE + 0.05% of MTS). Each treatment consisted of six replicates with five pigs (three ♀ and two barrows ♂) per pen. The incorporation of MTS has the potential to enhance (<i>p</i> < 0.05) the average daily gain in weaning pigs, particularly when used alone or in combination with AJE. But there were no significant effects or adverse effects observed on other growth parameters such as body weight, average daily feed intake, and gain-to-feed ratio. Also, there were no notable changes found in nutrient digestibility, fecal score, fecal gas emissions, or cytokine production. In summary, MTS and AJE, administered alone or in combination, reveal similar growth outcomes, suggesting that both additives could serve as potential options to improve animal performance without adverse effects. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6a00134714c14a05ac30c19d6a157e5b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-6a00134714c14a05ac30c19d6a157e5b2025-08-20T03:58:30ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292025-07-01157111410.3390/life15071114Inclusion of Milk Thistle Seed and <i>Achyranthes japonica</i> Extract Alone or in Combination in Diet of Weaning Pigs Results in Similar Growth OutcomesShanmugam Suresh Kumar0Se Yeon Jang1In Ho Kim2Department of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of KoreaThe objective of this study was to assess the impacts of milk thistle seed (MTS) and Achyranthes japonica extract (AJE), both individually and in combination, on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal score, fecal gas emissions, and cytokine responses in <i>n</i> = 120 crossbred [(Landrace Yorkshire) × Duroc] weaning piglets with an initial body weight of 6.53 ± 1.24 kg. Pigs were selected based on sex and randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments for 6 weeks. The experimental diets were as follows: (1) CON—control/basal diet; (2) AJE (CON + 0.10% AJE); (3) MTS (CON + 0.10% MTS); and (4) CMB—combo feed (CON + 0.05% of AJE + 0.05% of MTS). Each treatment consisted of six replicates with five pigs (three ♀ and two barrows ♂) per pen. The incorporation of MTS has the potential to enhance (<i>p</i> < 0.05) the average daily gain in weaning pigs, particularly when used alone or in combination with AJE. But there were no significant effects or adverse effects observed on other growth parameters such as body weight, average daily feed intake, and gain-to-feed ratio. Also, there were no notable changes found in nutrient digestibility, fecal score, fecal gas emissions, or cytokine production. In summary, MTS and AJE, administered alone or in combination, reveal similar growth outcomes, suggesting that both additives could serve as potential options to improve animal performance without adverse effects.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/7/1114achyranthes japonica extractcytokine productiongrowth performancenutrient digestibilitymilk thistle seed |
| spellingShingle | Shanmugam Suresh Kumar Se Yeon Jang In Ho Kim Inclusion of Milk Thistle Seed and <i>Achyranthes japonica</i> Extract Alone or in Combination in Diet of Weaning Pigs Results in Similar Growth Outcomes Life achyranthes japonica extract cytokine production growth performance nutrient digestibility milk thistle seed |
| title | Inclusion of Milk Thistle Seed and <i>Achyranthes japonica</i> Extract Alone or in Combination in Diet of Weaning Pigs Results in Similar Growth Outcomes |
| title_full | Inclusion of Milk Thistle Seed and <i>Achyranthes japonica</i> Extract Alone or in Combination in Diet of Weaning Pigs Results in Similar Growth Outcomes |
| title_fullStr | Inclusion of Milk Thistle Seed and <i>Achyranthes japonica</i> Extract Alone or in Combination in Diet of Weaning Pigs Results in Similar Growth Outcomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inclusion of Milk Thistle Seed and <i>Achyranthes japonica</i> Extract Alone or in Combination in Diet of Weaning Pigs Results in Similar Growth Outcomes |
| title_short | Inclusion of Milk Thistle Seed and <i>Achyranthes japonica</i> Extract Alone or in Combination in Diet of Weaning Pigs Results in Similar Growth Outcomes |
| title_sort | inclusion of milk thistle seed and i achyranthes japonica i extract alone or in combination in diet of weaning pigs results in similar growth outcomes |
| topic | achyranthes japonica extract cytokine production growth performance nutrient digestibility milk thistle seed |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/7/1114 |
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