This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with a coated complex of essential oils, organic acids, vitamin E, and selenium on growth performance, intestinal health, immune responses, and gut microbiota in Escherichia coli-challenged weaned pigs. Twenty-four crossbred (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) weaned pigs (12 barrows and 12 gilts; 4 weeks of age; initial body weight 9.61 ± 0.81 kg) were randomly assigned to four treatments in a completely randomized design, with six replicates per treatment and one pig per pen, for 14 days experimental period. The dietary treatments were as follows: non-challenged control (PC), challenged control (NC), NC with 0.05% additive (T1), and NC with 0.10% additive (T2). Pigs in NC, T1, and T2 were orally challenged with E. coli K88 on days -2 to 0. On day 7, body weight was significantly higher in T1 and T2 than NC (p 0.05). Ileal villus height to crypt depth ratio was significantly higher in PC, T1, and T2 than NC (p E. coli-challenged weaned pigs.
Yang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.