Dietary turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) supplementation improves growth performance, short-chain fatty acid production, and modulates bacterial composition of weaned piglets

Neeraja Recharla, Balamuralikrishnan Balasubramanian, Minho Song, Pradeep Puligundla, Soo Ki Kim, Jin Young Jeong, Sungkwon Park

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In livestock nutrition, natural feed additives are gaining increased attention as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters to improve animal performance. This study investigated the effects of dietary turmeric supplementation on the growth performance and gut health of weaned piglets. A total of 48 weaned piglets (Duroc × [Landrace × Yorkshire]) were used in a 6-week feeding trial. All piglets were allotted to two dietary treatments: corn-soybean meal basal diet without turmeric (control) and with 1% weight per weight (w/w) turmeric powder (turmeric). The results showed that dietary inclusion of turmeric with the basal diet improved final body weight and total average daily gain (p < 0.05). The concentrations of short-chain fatty acids in the fecal samples, including acetic, butyric, and propionic acids, were higher in the turmeric group (p <0.05). The villus height-to-crypt depth ratio was higher in the ileum of turmeric-fed piglets (p = 0.04). The 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal microbiota indicated that, at the phylum level, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the most predominant taxa in all fecal samples. Bacteroidetes were significantly decreased in the turmeric group compared to the control group (p = 0.021). At the genus level, turmeric showed a decreased abundance of Prevotella (p = 0.021) and an increasing trend of Lactobacillus (p = 0.083). Among the total detected species, nine bacterial species showed significant differences between the two groups. The results of this study indicated that turmeric altered the gut microbiota and shortchain fatty acid production. This suggests that turmeric could be used as a potential alternative growth promoter for piglets.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)575-592
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Animal Science and Technology
Volume63
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • 16S rRNA sequencing
  • Growth promoters
  • Gut health
  • Gut microbiota
  • Turmeric
  • Weaned piglets

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Food Science
  • Ecology
  • Animal Science and Zoology
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous)
  • veterinary (miscalleneous)

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