An Encapsulated Organic Acid and Essential Oil Mixture Improves the Intestinal Health of Weaned Piglets by Altering Intestinal Inflammation and Antioxidative Capacity

This study investigates the effects of an encapsulated organic acid and essential oil mixture (OAEO) on the growth performance, immuno-antioxidant capacity and intestinal health of weaned piglets. In total, 120 weaned piglets (23 days of age; 6.96 ± 0.08 kg) were randomly allotted to four treatments (six replicates/group; five piglets/replicate): the control group (CON) was fed the basal diet (BD), the antibiotic growth promoters group (AGP) received the BD with 20 mg/kg colistin sulphate and 10 mg/kg bacitracin zinc, and OAEO1 and OAEO2 were fed the BD with 1000 mg/kg and 2000 mg/kg OAEO, respectively. The trial lasted 21 days and then one piglet per replicate was selected for sample collection. OAEO increased the average daily gain, spleen index, serum interleukin (IL)-10, immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgA levels; serum superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities; and jejunal villus height (VH), VH/crypt depth, goblet cell number, and amylase and trypsin activities (<i>p</i> < 0.05) compared with CON but reduced the diarrhea rate, serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, malondialdehyde (MDA), and _D-lactic acid contents and diamine oxidase (DAO) activity (<i>p</i> < 0.05). OAEO also increased the jejunal zonula occludens-1, occludin, claudin-1, mucin-2, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), GPX and IL-10 mRNA levels, GPX activity and IL-10 content (<i>p</i> < 0.05) compared with CON but reduced jejunal MDA, IL-1β and TNF-α contents and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4, nuclear factor (NF)-κB and TNF-α mRNA levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05). In addition, AGP increased ADG, serum IgA level and GPX activity, jejunal trypsin activity and IL-10 content and mRNA level (<i>p</i> < 0.05) compared with CON but reduced the serum TNF-α content and DAO activity and jejunal NF-κB mRNA level (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Overall, OAEO as an alternative to AGP improved the growth performance, immuno-antioxidant status and gut health of weaned piglets partly via activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway and suppressing the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.