title: Effect of fermented medicinal plants on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal noxious gas emissions, and diarrhea score in weanling pigs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antibiotics used as growth promoters in livestock have been banned in the European Union since 2006. Alternatives of antibiotics have focused on phytogenic plants, such as herbs and medicinal plants. No studies have evaluated the use of fermented medicinal plants (FMP) made up of Gynura procumbens, Rehmannia glutinosa and Scutellaria baicalensis in weanling pigs. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to determine the effects of FMP on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal noxious gas emissions and diarrhea score in weanling pigs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FMP supplementation increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain, average daily feed intake, gain:feed, apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen and gross energy compared with NC treatment, while a linear effect (P < 0.05) was observed on those criteria. Ammonia, total mercaptans and hydrogen sulfide concentrations were decreased (P < 0.05) by the supplementation of FMP compared with NC. Additionally, diarrhea score was lower (P < 0.05) by FMP addition compared with NC during days 0-7 and days 8-14.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggested that FMP could be used as an alternative to antibiotics by enhancing growth performance and nutrient digestibility, and decreasing fecal noxious gas emission and early diarrhea score of weanling pigs.
authors: Department of Animal Resource and Science, Dankook University, Cheonan, Chungnam, 330-714, South Korea.
authors: Pinyao
authors: P
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Animal Resource and Science, Dankook University, Cheonan, Chungnam, 330-714, South Korea.
authors: Hanlin
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Department of Animal Resource and Science, Dankook University, Cheonan, Chungnam, 330-714, South Korea.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Lei
authors: Department of Animal Resource and Science, Dankook University, Cheonan, Chungnam, 330-714, South Korea.
authors: Tianshui
authors: T
authors: Li
authors: Sunbio Ltd, Cheonan, Chungnam, 330-714, South Korea.
authors: Sunki
authors: S
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Animal Resource and Science, Dankook University, Cheonan, Chungnam, 330-714, South Korea.
authors: Inho
authors: I
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004063:Digestion; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005285:Fermentation; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000032:analysis; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D032267:Rehmannia; D031364:Scutellaria baicalensis; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000254:growth & development; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; C000600512:tusanqi; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide
keywords: diarrhea score; fecal noxious gas emission; fermented medicinal plants; growth performance; nutrient digestibility; weanling pig