Application of borneol essential oil in promoting growth performance of piglets

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of livestock breeding, and particularly relates to application of borneol essential oil in promoting growth performance of piglets. The invention focuses on the research on the influence of addition of borneol essential oil in daily ration on weaned piglets, and analyzes the influence of addition of borneol essential oil in daily ration on the growth performance, serum antioxidant ability and small intestine morphological development of weaned piglets. Results show that the borneol essential oil, as a novel green feed additive, has huge potentials of replacing feed antibiotics and promoting green breeding. The invention not only provides a nutrition regulation and control scheme with a new target for piglet breeding, but also provides scientific theoretical support for related breeding practices, and has important significance for sustainable development of piglet breeding industry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of animal husbandry, and particularly relates to application of borneol essential oil in promoting the growth performance of piglets. Background Art

[0002] In the piglet growth and development process of the swine industry, 2-4 weeks of age is considered the weaning stage, which is crucial for the piglet's growth and development. During weaning, piglets experience changes in dietary nutrition, sudden separation from the sow, and drastic changes in the external environment, all of which can cause significant physiological and psychological stress. This stress poses a significant challenge to the digestive and immune functions of weaned piglets, leading to stunted growth and development, and even morbidity and mortality. Therefore, a series of dietary nutritional interventions or management strategies are necessary to maintain the health of weaned piglets. Currently, under the general trend of "antibiotic reduction and prohibition" in pig farming, the development and promotion of natural, green feed additives is a necessary path and an inevitable choice for the sustainable, green and healthy development of the pig farming industry.

[0003] Plant essential oils (PEO) are considered to be one of the good alternative feed antibiotics and are oily substances extracted from natural plants. According to research, natural plant essential oils have a series of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties, and are non-toxic, low in residue and pollution-free. Borneol camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphorach var. Borneol), a new type of camphor tree in the genus Cinnamomum of the Lauraceae family, is named "plant gold" because it is rich in natural d-borneol. The essential oil extracted from its leaves or branches is called borneol essential oil (BEO). BEO has been shown to have significant antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in mice and microorganisms. However, there are currently no studies reporting whether the addition of borneol essential oil to the diet has a promoting effect on the growth performance of weaned piglets.

[0004] Essential oils are mostly liquid, volatile, oxidizable, and temperature-sensitive. These characteristics limit their use in feed and their effects in animals. With the deepening of research on natural active substances, microencapsulation technology can isolate the encapsulated substances from the outside world, allowing them to be released under specific conditions, thereby protecting the active ingredients. Therefore, if essential oils can be microencapsulated, the utilization rate and stability of their active ingredients are expected to be improved, providing broader application prospects for the development and application of borneol essential oil. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the shortcomings of the above-mentioned prior art, the present invention uses 21-day-old Duchangda Sanyuan hybrid castrated piglets as research subjects to explore the effects of adding different concentrations of microencapsulated borneol essential oil to the diet on the growth performance of weaned piglets. This is to evaluate the application effect of borneol essential oil as a potential functional feed additive in weaned piglet breeding, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the development of borneol essential oil as a green, safe, and effective feed additive.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0007] The invention provides application of borneol essential oil in promoting the growth of piglets.

[0008] The invention also provides the use of borneol essential oil in preparing feed for promoting the growth of piglets.

[0009] Preferably, the effective dose of borneol essential oil is 100-400 mg / kg.

[0010] More preferably, the effective dose of borneol essential oil is 200 mg / kg.

[0011] Studies have shown that adding borneol essential oil to the diet can improve the growth performance of piglets, and there are differences in dose effects. The optimal dose is 200 mg / kg, which significantly increases the average daily weight gain and reduces the feed-to-meat ratio, indicating that the feed conversion rate is improved at this dose; at the same time, it still has potential antioxidant effects at this lower dose. In addition, it can also promote the morphological development of the small intestine of piglets, which is manifested by a significant increase in the height of the villi in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, an increase in the villus-crypt ratio, and a decrease in the crypt depth.

[0012] The present invention also provides a feed additive for promoting the growth of piglets, characterized in that the feed additive uses borneol essential oil as a main active ingredient.

[0013] Preferably, the feed additive comprises a microcapsule carrier and borneol essential oil on the carrier.

[0014] Microcapsule carriers mainly include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, gums, and cellulose derivatives. Among them, carbohydrate wall materials mainly include maltodextrin, corn syrup, beta-cyclodextrin, and modified starch; protein wall materials mainly include soy protein isolate, zein, whey protein, and gelatin; fat wall materials mainly include hydrogenated vegetable oil, stearic acid, palm oil, and lecithin; gums mainly include alginate, gum arabic, and xanthan gum; and cellulose derivatives mainly include methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, and cellulose acetate butyrate.

[0015] More preferably, the preparation method of the feed additive is: using palm oil as a carrier, mixing it with borneol essential oil, and allowing the essential oil to be adsorbed on the carrier.

[0016] More preferably, the mass ratio of borneol essential oil to palm oil is 1:4-7.

[0017] More preferably, after the palm oil and borneol essential oil are mixed, the mixture is dispersed in water at a solid-liquid ratio of 1-2 mg:10-20 mL to form a suspension, and then the water is evaporated.

[0018] Preferably, the feed additive is in the form of solid particles.

[0019] More preferably, the size of the solid particles is 20-30 mesh.

[0020] Preferably, the feed additive is used by adding it to the basic diet of piglets, mixing it well and then feeding it.

[0021] More preferably, the piglet basal diet consists of corn, soybean meal, puffed soybeans, glucose, zeolite powder, stone powder, whey powder, calcium hydrogen phosphate, salt, and a premix; the premix mainly comprises zinc monohydrate, multivitamin 436, 98% lysine, threonine, methionine, antioxidant, choline, enzyme preparation, phytase, flavoring agent, sweetener, citric acid, mildew inhibitor, compound mineral, and glucose oxidase.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] The present invention focuses on the study of the effects of adding borneol essential oil to the diet on weaned piglets, and deeply explores its effects on growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity and small intestinal morphological development. At the growth performance level, studies have shown that adding borneol essential oil to the diet has a positive effect on the growth of weaned piglets and can help piglets grow and develop better. In terms of serum antioxidant capacity, the addition of borneol essential oil can effectively improve the serum antioxidant capacity of weaned piglets and enhance the piglet's body's antioxidant defense system. In terms of small intestinal morphological development, it helps to improve the small intestinal morphology of weaned piglets and promote the healthy development of the small intestine, which is manifested in a significant increase in the height of the villi in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, an increase in the villus-crypt ratio, and a decrease in the crypt depth.

[0024] Comprehensive research results indicate that borneol essential oil, as a new green feed additive, demonstrates significant potential to replace feed antibiotics and promote green farming. This not only provides a new target for nutritional regulation in piglet farming but also provides scientific theoretical support for related farming practices, which is of great significance to the sustainable development of the piglet farming industry. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 This is a diagram of the experimental design for studying the growth performance of weaned piglets;

[0026] Figure 2The effect of borneol essential oil supplementation on intestinal morphology in weaned piglets is shown. Representative H&E staining images of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum are shown (×5).

[0027] Figure 3 To show the effect of adding borneol essential oil to the diet on the intestinal development morphology of weaned piglets, a bar chart of quantitative parameters of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum is shown (Duodenum, Jejunum, Ileum from top to bottom); Villus height: villus height, Crypt deepth: crypt depth, V / C: villus-crypt ratio; "*" in the bar chart indicates significant difference (p<0.05), and "ns" indicates no significant difference (p>0.05). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following is a further description of specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that the description of these embodiments is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and does not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below may be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0029] The experimental methods in the following examples are conventional methods unless otherwise specified, and the experimental materials used in the following examples are commercially available unless otherwise specified.

[0030] Example: Study on the application of borneol essential oil in promoting the growth performance of weaned piglets

[0031] 1. Materials and Methods

[0032] 1.1 Experimental Animals

[0033] This experiment selected healthy 21-day-old three-way hybrid (Du Changda) castrated weaned piglets, which were provided by Yige Family Farm in Liuyang City, Hunan Province.

[0034] 1.2. Borneol essential oil coating process and characteristics

[0035] 1.2.1, Borneol essential oil coating process

[0036] The microencapsulation process for borneol essential oil (purchased from Guangdong Wansen Ecological Technology Development Co., Ltd.) involves carrier adsorption, granulation, primary coating, and secondary coating. Palm oil was used as the carrier for microencapsulation, which was mixed with borneol essential oil (borneol essential oil: palm oil = 1:5, w / w) to allow the essential oil to adsorb onto the carrier. Subsequently, the mixture was dispersed in water at a solid-liquid ratio of 1 mg:15 mL to form a suspension. This suspension was then spray-dried into fine droplets using hot air to rapidly evaporate the water, resulting in a white powdery solid.

[0037] 1.2.2 Characteristics of borneol essential oil after coating

[0038] After coating, borneol essential oil is white powder solid particles with a particle size of 24 mesh (0.800 mm); it is directed released in the digestive tract (released through the stomach and small intestine); the product after coating is added (mixed with the piglet basal diet powder in Table 1 and fed).

[0039] Table 1 Basic diet formula for piglets

[0040]

[0041] Note: The main ingredients of the premix (purchased from Hunan Lifeng Biotechnology Co., Ltd.) are zinc monohydrate, multivitamin 436, 98% lysine, threonine, methionine, antioxidants, choline, enzyme preparations, phytase, flavoring agents, sweeteners, citric acid, mold inhibitors, compound minerals, and glucose oxidase.

[0042] 1.3 Experimental Grouping and Treatment

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, 40 healthy, disease-free, castrated weaned piglets (Duchangda Sanyuan hybrid, 21 days old) weighing 6.41±0.45 kg were selected and divided into 4 treatment groups: control group (without borneol essential oil), 100 mg / kg borneol essential oil group, 200 mg / kg borneol essential oil group, and 400 mg / kg borneol essential oil group, with 10 replicates in each group and 1 pig in each replicate.

[0044] The experimental period was 24 days, with a 3-day pre-feeding adaptation period and a 21-day main feeding period. Sampling was performed on the 22nd day of the main feeding period. The basal diet was formulated according to the NRC 2012 standard.

[0045] 1.4 Animal husbandry and management

[0046] Before the experiment began, the piggery was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected inside and out. Each piglet was housed in a separate pen, equipped with a separate feed trough and waterer to ensure free access to water and food. The piggery was cleaned regularly every morning to ensure good air circulation.

[0047] 1.5 Growth performance and feces index

[0048] Growth performance was measured with each replicate as the unit. Piglets were weighed at the beginning and end of the formal experimental period to calculate the average daily gain (ADG) of the piglets. The feed intake was counted and the average feed intake (ADFI) and feed-to-gain ratio (F / G) of the piglets were calculated.

[0049] Average daily gain (ADG) = (weight at the end of the experiment - weight at the beginning of the experiment) / number of days of the experiment;

[0050] Average daily feed intake (ADFI) = total feed intake during the experimental period / (number of experimental days × number of piglets);

[0051] Feed to gain ratio (F:G) = average daily gain / average daily feed intake.

[0052] At the same time, the piglet feces index was calculated according to Table 2: feces index = (sum of feces scores) / number of test piglets.

[0053] Table 2 Piglet feces index

[0054]

[0055] 1.6. Determination of serum antioxidant indexes

[0056] Serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), and catalase (CAT) levels were measured using corresponding diagnostic kits from the Nanjing Jiancheng Bioengineering Institute (Nanjing, Jiangsu, China) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serum samples were removed from a −80°C freezer and thawed at 4°C. After thawing, the samples were centrifuged at 4000 rpm / min at 4°C for 10 minutes, and the supernatant was collected. The OD values ​​were then entered into the formula to calculate the serum antioxidant index levels according to the manufacturer's instructions.

[0057] 1.7 Intestinal sectioning and morphological analysis

[0058] On the 22nd day of the experiment, the animals were slaughtered and their body weights were recorded. At slaughter, approximately 3 cm long intestinal segments were extracted from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum and fixed with fixative for the preparation of tissue sections. After a series of treatments, the samples were made into wax blocks and paraffin sections were made using a microtome, followed by staining and sealing. Finally, images were collected using a microscopic camera, and the villus length and crypt depth were measured using CaseViewer software to calculate the villus-crypt ratio.

[0059] 1.8 Data Statistics and Analysis

[0060] GraphPad Prism 9.0 software was used to analyze the experimental data using one-way ANOVA or t test to assess differences between groups, and the LSD method was used for multiple comparisons. Graphs were also drawn using GraphPad Prism 9.0 software. Results are presented as mean ± standard error, and p < 0.05 indicated a significant difference.

[0061] 2. Test results

[0062] 2.1 Effects of borneol essential oil supplementation in diet on growth performance of weaned piglets

[0063] Table 3 Effects of borneol essential oil added to diet on growth performance of weaned piglets

[0064]

[0065] Note: Data in the same industry do not contain the same lowercase letters, which indicates significant differences (p<0.05); data in the same industry do not contain the same lowercase letters or no letters, which indicates no significant differences (p>0.05).

[0066] As shown in the results of Table 3, compared with the control group, the average daily weight gain of the 200 mg / kg borneol essential oil group was significantly increased (p<0.05), the feed-to-meat ratio was significantly reduced (p<0.05), and the fecal index had no significant difference (p>0.05); the feed-to-meat ratio and fecal index of the 400 mg / kg borneol essential oil group were significantly reduced (p<0.05), while the average daily weight gain had no significant difference (p>0.05); there were no significant differences in the growth performance indicators of the 100 mg / kg borneol essential oil group (p>0.05).

[0067] The results showed that borneol essential oil can improve piglet growth performance, with dose-response differences. The optimal dose was 200 mg / kg, significantly increasing average daily gain and reducing feed-to-meat ratio, indicating improved feed conversion efficiency. Meanwhile, while the 400 mg / kg dose reduced feed-to-meat ratio and fecal index, it had no significant effect on daily gain, potentially suggesting that the growth-promoting effect is limited at high doses. Furthermore, the relatively low dose of 100 mg / kg had no significant effect on piglet growth performance.

[0068] 2.2 Effect of borneol essential oil supplementation in diet on serum antioxidant enzyme activities in weaned piglets

[0069] Table 4 Effects of borneol essential oil added to diet on serum antioxidant indices in weaned piglets

[0070]

[0071] Note: Data in the same industry do not contain the same lowercase letters, which indicates significant differences (p<0.05); data in the same industry do not contain the same lowercase letters or no letters, which indicates no significant differences (p>0.05).

[0072] Weaning stress in piglets may induce oxidative stress, reduce serum antioxidant enzyme activity, and thus disrupt redox balance, suppress immune system function, and disrupt endocrine homeostasis, ultimately leading to decreased growth performance, such as decreased daily weight gain and feed conversion rate. Numerous studies have shown that T-AOC, SOD, CAT, and GSH-PX are important indicators of antioxidant capacity. To further explore the mechanism by which borneol essential oil promotes growth performance in weaned piglets, we measured antioxidant enzyme-related indicators in weaned piglets. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0073] As shown in Table 4, compared with the control group, the total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase of the 400 mg / kg borneol essential oil group were significantly increased (p<0.05); there were no significant differences in the antioxidant indicators between the 100 mg / kg and 200 mg / kg borneol essential oil groups, but there was a certain upward trend.

[0074] The results showed that borneol essential oil can enhance the antioxidant capacity of piglets in a dose-dependent manner. The 400mg / kg dose showed a significant effect, with a significant increase in total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. While the 100mg / kg and 200mg / kg doses did not reach statistical significance, antioxidant indices showed an upward trend, indicating that borneol essential oil may have potential antioxidant effects at lower doses, but higher doses are required to achieve significant effects.

[0075] 2.3 Effects of borneol essential oil supplementation in diet on intestinal morphology in weaned piglets

[0076] Intestinal morphology and structure are one of the important indicators for evaluating the development of the piglet's intestine. The height of the villi is positively correlated with the number of intestinal epithelial cells. At the same time, the surface area of ​​the small intestine for digestion and absorption will also increase. The shallower the crypts, the stronger the migration and differentiation level of the surface epithelial cells, and the higher the maturity. These all contribute to the digestion and absorption of nutrients by the small intestine. The degree of integrity of its structure reflects the piglet's ability to digest and absorb nutrients. The small intestine is the main place for digestion and absorption of nutrients, among which the height of the villi and the depth of the crypts are one of the key indicators for evaluating intestinal morphology. Therefore, HE staining was used to observe the morphology of the villi and the depth of the crypts in the small intestine of piglets to judge the developmental status of the piglet's intestine and to evaluate the effect of borneol essential oil addition on the development of intestinal structure. See the results. Figure 2 、 3 .

[0077] like Figure 2 、 3The results showed that compared with the control group, the 200 mg / kg borneol essential oil group significantly increased the villus height and villus-crypt ratio of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum (p<0.05), and significantly reduced the crypt depth (p<0.05); the 400 mg / kg borneol essential oil group significantly increased the villus height of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the crypt depth (p>0.05); the 100 mg / kg borneol essential oil group significantly increased the villus height of the jejunum (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the crypt depth (p>0.05).

[0078] These results indicate that dietary borneol essential oil can promote the morphological development of the small intestine in piglets, with the 200mg / kg dose showing the best effect, as evidenced by a significant increase in villus height and villus-crypt ratio in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, while also reducing crypt depth. While a 400mg / kg dose increased villus height, it had no significant effect on crypt depth. A 100mg / kg dose significantly increased only villus height in the jejunum. This suggests that borneol essential oil has a dose-dependent effect in promoting intestinal development and enhancing digestion and absorption, with 200mg / kg being the optimal concentration.

[0079] In summary, this study analyzed the effects of borneol essential oil supplementation on growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, and small intestinal morphological development in weaned piglets. The results demonstrate that borneol essential oil, as a novel green feed additive, has significant potential to replace antibiotics and promote green farming. Furthermore, it provides a novel nutritional regulation strategy and scientific theoretical support for piglet farming.

[0080] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations of these embodiments may be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and the changes still fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. Application of borneol essential oil in promoting the growth of piglets.

2. Application of borneol essential oil in preparing feed for promoting piglet growth.

3. The use according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The effective dosage of the borneol essential oil is 100-400 mg / kg.

4. A feed additive for promoting piglet growth, characterized in that: The feed additive takes borneol essential oil as a main active ingredient.

5. A feed additive for promoting piglet growth according to claim 4, characterized in that: The feed additive comprises a microcapsule carrier and borneol essential oil on the carrier.

6. A feed additive for promoting piglet growth according to claim 5, characterized in that: The preparation method of the feed additive comprises the following steps: using palm oil as a carrier, mixing the palm oil with borneol essential oil, and allowing the essential oil to be adsorbed on the carrier.

7. A feed additive for promoting piglet growth according to claim 6, characterized in that: The mass ratio of the borneol essential oil to the palm oil is 1:4-7.

8. A feed additive for promoting piglet growth according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that: The dosage form of the feed additive is solid particles.

9. A feed additive for promoting piglet growth according to claim 8, characterized in that: The size of the solid particles is 20-30 mesh.

10. A feed additive for promoting piglet growth according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that: The feed additive is used in the following manner: adding the feed additive to the basic daily diet of piglets, mixing the feed additive evenly and then feeding the piglets.

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