Efecto preventivo de la harina de laritaco (vernonanthura patens) para el control de diarreas en lechones

Abstract

The present investigation evaluated the preventive effect of vernonanthura patens for the control of post-weaning diarrhea in fattening piglets. For the study, 37 hybrid piglets (Landrace x Pietrain) were used, adding two inclusion levels of 0.5 (T1) and 1% (T2) to the feed ration, plus a control (T0), with four replicates. Therefore, the experimental unit was three piglets per replicate. The following parameters were evaluated: productive parameters (feed intake, weekly weight, weight gain, and feed conversion), intestinal morphometry (width, height, depth, number, and width between intestinal villi, as well as width and number of crypts and wall thickness) and bacterial load (Salmonella spp and E. coli). In the laboratory, culture media for bacteria were made, taking samples at 30 and 65 days of piglets' age, and fecal and intestinal samples were collected. A cut was made to the intestine, randomly sacrificing one piglet at the beginning and two piglets per treatment at the end. The addition of vernonanthura patens in the experiment showed no differences in the productive parameters and intestinal morphometry, except for the width of the villi. Still, in the bacterial load, it was noted that the levels were medium for E. coli and in the case of Salmonella spp, the level was null. The conclusion is that vernonanthura patens can control post-weaning diarrhea due to the presence of bacteria that induce good intestinal health.

Keywords: Nutrition, vernonanthura patens, microflora, escherichia coli, salmonella spp.