The Effect of Phytonutrient Supplementation on Pig Growth

As the global population continues to increase, the demand for livestock production also rises. This has led to growing interest in efficient approaches to enhance animal growth and development. Phytonutrients are considered a promising alternative to synthetic compounds to improve animal growth performance. The objective of the study was to examine the effects of varying doses of phytonutrient supplementation on pig growth and metabolism. Thirty-two crossbred pigs (approximately 2 months of age, 17.7 kg± 0.82 kg) were randomly assigned to one of four phytonutrient groups (Control: 0 ppm; 1: 62.5 ppm; 2: 125 ppm; 3: 250 ppm) fed ad libitum for 28 days. Body weight was recorded on days -5, -1, 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Feed intake was recorded daily, and body composition measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was obtained on days -1, 14, and 28. Pigs increased (P<0.0001) in body weight, irrespective of treatment (P≤0.0535). Control pigs had greater average daily gain (ADG) when compared with other diets (P<0.001). Treatment 3 had the highest (P<0.05) feed:gain when compared with other treatments. Lean percentage of body weight decreased (P<0.0001) while fat mass increased (P<0.0001) over the duration of the study. Overall, supplementation of this phytonutrient blend did not show significant improvement to the growth of the pigs.