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The aim of this study was to assess the performance, microbiological profile, enzymatic profile and detection of pathogenic strains by multiplex PCR of 40 piglets (females and males) in the nursery phase. The experimental design was entirely randomised, with four treatments, five replications and sex as a blocking factor. The treatments were distributed as follows: T1 (control); T2 (Plant Extract (VE) (500ppm)); T3 (Amoxicillin (A) (20mg kg-1) and T4 (A (20mg kg-1) + VE (500ppm)). There was no influence (P>0.01) between the treatments on initial and final weight and daily weight gain, but the males in the control group had an average daily feed consumption 1.8 per cent higher (P<0.01) than the other treatments. The total bacterial colony count of the control group was 35.9 per cent, 70.9 per cent and 63.8 per cent higher (P<0.01) than the treatments with A, EV+A and EV, respectively. The animals that received EV or its interaction with amoxicillin showed genes for fimbriae and toxins. The supplementation of EV to the diets of weaned piglets did not determine the absence of genes for the presence of fimbriae and toxins.
About the author
He graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the Federal University of Santa Maria. He has a Masters in Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in animal production, with an emphasis on pigs, from the Federal University of Santa Maria. He completed his post-doctorate in animal production and is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Large Animal Clinic Department at UFSM.
