F

Keeping pace with trends and challenges in pig production

by Ester Vinyeta, Species Leader Swine and Kostas Syriopoulos, Customer Technical Service Swine,
Delacon Biotechnik GmbH
s the global population and its
prosperity are steadily on the rise,
the animal protein demand will
further increase in the near future.
Pig meat is the most consumed
meat worldwide among the others,
closely followed by poultry. Last
year it comprised 38 percent
(or 118 Mt) of the total meat
consumption whereas poultry meat accounted for 35 percent (or
110 Mt). Though this growing demand is challenged on the one
hand by consumers awareness for safe food and on the other
hand by sustainable and efficient swine production. At the same
time, production costs should be kept as low as possible whilst
controlling the high risk of developing drug resistant bacteria
for humans due to the use of in-feed antibiotics, as antimicrobial
growth promoters (AGP) or as disease treatment. Over the last
decades, many feed additives have been developed and evaluated,
within which phytogenic (plant derived) substances have
attracted much attention.

widely used, therapeutic or prophylactic, medicines applied in

animal production. Natural PFAs contain many active substances,
which distinguish them among the other nature-identical products
available on the market. These blends of leading and secondary
active components, in combination of mixtures of more than
one plant based ingredient, have proven effectiveness in animal
nutrition. Especially for swine, single PFAs and/or mixtures of
them have been reported to improve piglets feed conversion ratio
(FCR) by 1-4 percent. Effects in fatteners are even bigger.

Fresta F the gold-standard in the feed-industry

To date only one pure plant-derived feed additive has received

the zootechnical registration by the European Union, and this is
Delacon's product for piglets, Fresta F. A mixture of selected
essential oils in combination with dried herbs and spices, has

Feed additives of natural origin

Plants have been used for many centuries in human culinary and
medicine as flavor enhancer, preservatives and for their healing
properties. Phytogenic feed additives (PFAs), also referred to as
Phytogenics, contain various natural active substances, such as
essential oils, pungent and bitter substances, tannins and saponins
that are solely derived from herbs, spices and other plants. As
such, PFAs are promising ingredients in a natural strategy to
face todays challenges in livestock production. At the same
time, consumers recognise and accept them as safe alternative to
54 | November 2015 - Milling and Grain

Graph 1: Performance improvement with the use of phytogenic

feed additives in piglets (Fresta F, Delacon) and fatteners
(Aromex Pro, Delacon). [Feed intake (FI), Average Daily Gain
(ADG) and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR)]

Picture 1: In vitro digestive tract simulation of dissolving the microencapsulated essential oils. Pictures under electronic microscope.

shown consistent improvement of piglet daily gain, feed intake,

and FCR compared to the control animals (Graph 1).
A novel microencapsulation technology ensures the stability
and high recovery of the volatile essential oils. It prevents
losses during product storage and feed processing, where high
temperatures are used for e.g. conditioning and pelleting. They
can pass through the aggressive low pH of the stomach intactly
and release the active components where needed: in the small
intestine, where the microcapsules are digested (picture 1).
By microencapsulation, the strong and intense flavor of some
substances is masked, guaranteeing high acceptance from
young animals. Fresta F is considered as the scientific gold
standard in the feed industry, because it has passed through the
strict approval processes that require considerable expertise,
experience, planning and investment. The commercial advantage

of such products to users is the confidence that they have passed

a stringent, independent assessment of quality, safety and efficacy
and will deliver consistent performance in commercial farms.

Palatability and feed intake

Feed intake is a common problem for weaning piglets. The

abrupt separation of the piglet from their mother and the change
from a liquid/animal based diet (milk) to a solid/plant origin
feed during weaning results in a sudden drop of feed intake and
consequently health issues (post weaning diarrhea) followed
by impaired growth. Various essential oils, aromatics herbs and
spices have been used successfully to enhance the sensorial
stimulation of piglet diets. They are used to improve feed
palatability in order to increase feed intake and thus, overcome
the negative consequences while increasing piglets performance.

Milling and Grain - November 2015 | 55

F
plants are the phenolic rings, which have the ability to
incorporate the free radicals into their aromatic rings and that
way, clear the body. In addition, many non-phenolic components
of those plants have antioxidant properties by helping the
internal antioxidant mechanism. They enhance gene expression
for the antioxidant enzyme production. The antioxidant effect is
not only limited to animal level but also affects the shelflife of
pork meat.

Reducing bacterial pathogenicity

Graph 2: Ammonia reduction with the use of a phytogenic feed

additive (Aromex Pro, Delacon) in dirty (trial 1) and cleaned
(trial 2) slurry channels.

Increased enzymatic activity in the intestinal tract

Pancreatic digestive enzymes, protease, lipase and amylase, are

essential for breaking down feed components. Their secretion
rate and activity are critical factors for the better and more
complete nutrient absorption. PFAs have shown clear positive
effects on production and activity of pancreatic enzymes and
bile secretion in the digestive tract. Thus, the improved rate of
digestion of the feed resulted in higher nutritional value and
enhanced animal performance (mainly FCR).

Antioxidant effects are essential for health promoting

effects of PFA

Oxidation is a natural process in cells and the final products

are free radicals. Certain antioxidant mechanisms have the
ability to detoxify these components. During pigs lifetime,
various stressful conditions like weaning, feed change, poor
ventilation, overstocking, heat stress and transport increase
oxidation processes and thus, the production of free radicals.
Overproduction and accumulation of free radicals cause protein
and lipid oxidation as well as DNA cell damage. Many aromatic
plants and/or their essential oils have been studied for their
antioxidant activity. The main active components of those

56 | November 2015 - Milling and Grain

The gut ecosystem is composed of various different, beneficial

and harmful, bacterial species. The right balance towards the
beneficial ones ensures animal health and enhanced performance.
Essential oils from herbs and spices have been tested against
harmful bacteria and some of them were able to show strong
properties against microbial pathogenicity. Although, the level
used to prove the bacteriostatic properties were very high and
nearly economically infeasible to use them in swine feed for that
purpose. In recent years, the reduction, respectively inhibition
of bacterial pathogenicity has gained a lot of attention. Studies
have shown that essential oils in much lower concentration than
the bacteriostatic are able to inhibit bacterial toxin production.
Also, mucilage type substances prevent bacterial adhesion to the
intestinal wall. In both cases harmful bacteria are present indeed,
but their virulence factors, like toxin production and attachment
factors, are inhibited.

Emission reduction of noxious gases

Animal production is responsible for a large amount of noxious

gas production, especially ammonia. Plant components such
as saponins, have shown to reduce considerably ammonia
production from swine units (graph 2). This benefit is not only
for the good of the environment, but also improves air quality
in the barns, which again improves animal welfare and working
conditions for the employees.

Conclusion

Be it for reasons of flavouring, preserving, or healing plants

have always played an important role in humans. Over the last
years, plant derived additives have successfully found their way
also into animal nutrition and justifiably so! Phytogenic feed
additives have
shown many beneficial
effects in swine
nutrition, such as
improved palatability
and feed intake,
increased enzymatic
activity and digestibility,
antioxidant effects, reduction of
bacterial pathogenicity, as well as
emission reduction.
Relating to the proven beneficial
characteristics, phytogenic feed
additives are foreseen to have the
potential to become a new generation
of substances, respectively additives
for innovative pig nutrition and welfare
and thus, being able to contribute to a
profitable production - perhaps soon
a crucial tool for keeping pace with
upcoming trends and challenges in pig
farming.