Application of Chinese herbal medicine extracts in weaned piglets

1. Astragalus extract

Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is known to boost the immune system and improve intestinal function. The use of astragalus polysaccharide in piglets can effectively improve weaning-related intestinal dysfunction and growth retardation syndrome in pigs. There is evidence that adding APS to the diet can improve the growth performance of early weaned piglets. On days 14 and 28 of the trial, the addition of APS to the diet significantly increased the levels of most essential and non-essential AAs (including arginine, proline, glutamate, lysine, methionine and methionine and threonine). apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and serum concentrations of amino acids. Circulating levels of total AA were affected by pig age and the treatment × time interaction. In short, APS can improve the digestion and absorption function of AA, regulate AA metabolism, and beneficially increase the entry of dietary AA into the systemic circulation, which provides a mechanism to explain the growth-promoting effect of APS on weaned piglets. Although the addition of APS had no significant effect on the AIDs of threonine and valine on the 14th day of the test, and the AIDs of leucine, isoleucine, methionine and phenylalanine on the 28th day of the test, it increased serum concentrations. Since these AA cannot be synthesized in porcine intestinal epithelial cells or extraintestinal cells but can be extensively degraded by intestinal luminal bacteria, the increase in these serum concentrations in the APS-treated group may be due to reduced metabolism of these amino acids by intestinal microorganisms Caused by. This raises the possibility that APS may beneficially modulate the abundance, population, and activity of intestinal microorganisms, thereby favoring the entry of dietary AA into the portal circulation.

2. Acanthopanax acanthopanax extract

Acanthopanax acanthopanax (AS) is a tonic and sedative Chinese herbal medicine that is known to be very effective in treating various diseases, including stress-induced pathophysiological changes and inflammation. Substantial evidence indicates that saponins and phenolics are bioactive components of Acanthopanax plants. AS extract enhances cellular and humoral immune responses in weaned piglets by regulating the production of immune cells, cytokines and antibodies.Compared with the colistin group and the control group, adding AS extract (1g/kg) to the diet of 21-day-old weaned piglets gradually increased serum AA concentration and AID by 15.3%-80.8% and 4.1%-30.8%, respectively. This revealed that AS extract can enhance the digestion and absorption capacity of AA, which may be one of the potential mechanisms for its growth-promoting effect.

3. Licorice extract

Licorice is believed to have the properties of invigorating the spleen, replenishing qi (vitality), eliminating phlegm, stopping coughs, clearing away heat and detoxifying, relieving spasms and pain, and modulating the properties of other medicines. Modern pharmacological research shows that glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), the main component of licorice, has multiple therapeutic properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anti-allergic, anti-viral, hepatoprotective, anti-tumor and immunomodulatory effects. Interestingly, some herbal extracts contain GA (a pentacyclic triterpene derivative of type I² amylase), which has a chemical structure similar to cortisol and is often used clinically as a substitute for cortisol. Of particular note is the recent report that cortisol can enhance the synthesis of arginine (AA necessary for newborns). Dietary supplementation of 0.02% GA in piglet diets increased the 21-day plasma arginine concentration and arginine concentration in the jejunum of pigs. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity. GA treatment did not affect circulating levels of cortisol, growth hormone, or insulin compared with controls. On day 21, small intestinal villus height and daily body weight gain were 30% and 21% higher, respectively, in pigs treated with 0.02% GA than in controls. %. These results indicate that 0.02% GA increases the endogenous arginine supply and intestinal ODC expression, improves small intestinal morphology, and enhances piglet growth performance.4. Yucca ExtractYucca plants are endemic to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Baja California, Mexico. They have been widely used in livestock and poultry production to improve production performance, health, and livestock house environment. Of particular note, yucca extract contains steroidal derivatives that may modulate intestinal remodeling like physiological glucocorticoids. We have previously reported that injecting cortisol into sow-raised piglets increases intestinal arginase expression, thereby promoting the conversion of arginine into polyamines, which are essential for DNA and protein synthesis. It is worth noting that similar results were obtained for intestinal arginase and ODC activities in post-weaning piglets fed diets supplemented with 120 and 180 ppm biologics. Therefore, yucca extract stimulates arginine degradation, leading to polyamine synthesis in porcine intestinal epithelial cells.

Possible mechanism of action of Chinese herbal extracts

In addition to common anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms, Chinese herbal extracts may participate in mechanisms related to amino acid nutritional metabolism, including (a) increasing the digestion and absorption of dietary amino acids; (b) changing the catabolism of amino acids in the small intestine and other tissues ; (c) Enhanced synthesis of functional amino acids (such as arginine, glutamine, and proline) and polyamines; (d) Improved metabolic control of nutrient utilization through cell signaling.