Agrimonia procera exerts antimicrobial effects, modulates the expression of defensins and cytokines in colonocytes and increases the immune response in lipopolysaccharide-challenged piglets

Table 2 Growth performance and health parameters of piglets fed Agrimonia procera compared to control piglets

Parameters	Control (0 g/l)	Agrimonia procera (AP)
Parameters	Control (0 g/l)	AP1 (1 g/l)	AP2 (10 g/l)
Mean feed intake (g/d)^a
Intervention period (days 1–15)	220 ± 28	199 ± 13	239 ± 37
Follow-up period (days 15–38)	814 ± 91	810 ± 16	860 ± 2
Body weight (kg)
End of intervention period (day 15)	10.9 ± 2.3	10.7 ± 1.8	11.0 ± 1.8
End of follow-up period (day 38)	23.7 ± 3.2	23.4 ± 3.3	24.4 ± 2.6
Daily weight gain (g/d)
Intervention period (days 1–15)	157 ± 77	155 ± 64	175 ± 76
Follow-up period (days 15–38)	550 ± 59	554 ± 85	566 ± 72
Feed conversion ratio^a
Intervention period (days 1–15)	1.42 ± 0.03	1.29 ± 0.15	1.37 ± 0.12
Follow-up period (days 15–38)	1.48 ± 0.13	1.46 ± 0.02	1.52 ± 0.01
Fecal dry matter content (%) at day 15	19.8 ± 8.1	22.2 ± 6.1	24.8 ± 3.4
Number of piglets with fecal dry matter
< 15% at day 15	6	3	1
Plasma TEAC^b (μmol/ml) at day 15	6.28 ± 0.86	6.53 ± 0.97	7.22 ± 0.86

Growth performance and health parameters of piglets fed Agrimonia procera compared to controls for 15 days with a follow-up period of 23 days. Data are means and standard deviations (n = 20)
^aMeans of 2 piglets per pen
^bTEAC Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity

ISSN: 1746-6148