Weanling pigs are vulnerable to a variety of stressors and pathogen infections. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the leading causes of diarrhea and growth retardation in weanling pigs. The postbiotics, Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation postbiotics (SCFP), and essential oil (EO, mainly thymol, and cinnamaldehyde) were reported to exert health benefits in different sites of the intestine. However, whether SCFP and EO have dose and synergistic effects on weanling pigs, especially against ETEC infection, is incompletely understood. Our research has revealed that SCFP, EO, and their combination all enhanced the growth performance and intestinal barrier function, and reduced diarrhea of piglets, albeit to varying degrees, under both health conditions and ETEC infection. We further elucidated the disparity in the regulation of redox and immune homeostasis by SCFP, EO, and their combination contributing to their different action in distinct states. This has led to a reevaluation of the function of additives in the context of gut health and disease susceptibility.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.