title: Effects of Chinese traditional herbal medicine complex supplementation on the growth performance, immunity and serum traits of pigs.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine complex supplementation on the growth performance, immunity and serological traits of pigs, and the feasibility of its use as a substitute for antibiotics. Thirty-six weaned pigs LYD with average initial body weight of 10 ± 0.55 kg were randomly divided into three treatments with three replicates. These constituted the control, the antibiotics group (chlortetracycline 100 µg/kg, oxytetracycline 100 µg/kg), and 0.3% Chinese herbal medicine complex group (CHM). Experiment results indicated that the CHM group exhibited significantly increased average feed intake and peripheral blood CD3(+)CD8(+) T cell percentage as compared with those of the antibiotics group (P < 0.05). High-density lipoprotein (HDL) level was greater while low-density lipoprotein + very low-density lipoprotein (LDL + VLDL) level was lower in the CHM group than the control group (P < 0.05). The in vitro results indicated that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated by Con-A produced a greater interleukin (IL)-6 level in the CHM group and IL-6 level stimulated by lipopolysaccharide was greater than the antibiotics groups (P < 0.05). Above all, this study has indicated that the addition of Chinese traditional herbal complex to pigs' diets has beneficial results.
authors: Department of Animal Science, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors: Hui Shuang
authors: HS
authors: Yeh
authors: Bor Chun
authors: BC
authors: Weng
authors: Tu Fa
authors: TF
authors: Lien
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D017252:CD3 Complex; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D013552:Swine / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL