The effects of a phytogenic additive on the histomorphometric characteristics of the intestines in weaned pigs with a subclinical natural infection with lawsonia intracellularis

Abstract

Proliferative enteropathy, also known as proliferative ileitis, is considered to be one of the most economically important diseases in pig production worldwide. The estimated losses per affected growing pig usually range from US $1 to $5. The disease is caused by Lawsonia intrawellularis, a Gram-negative, obligately intracellular bacterium. Control of the disease can be achieved with the use of vaccines or antibiotics. Recently there has been an increase in the efforts in the control of certain pathologies of the digestive system with phytogenic additives. The aim of this work was to assess the effects of a phytogenic additive on the histomorphometric characteristics of the intestines in weaned pigs with a subclinical infection with L. intracellularis acquired spontaneously. Histomorphometry analysis showed that crypt depth was significantly shorter (P <0.05), and the villus-height-to-crypt-depth ratio (P<0.05) significantly greater in the treatment group than the control. This improvement in the histological parameters of the intestine, considered to be indicators of its health, proved the positive effect of the tested additive on the digestive system in pigs.

Proliferativna enteropatija poznata kao i proliferativni ileitis smatra se jednom od ekonomski najznačajnih bolesti u svinjarskoj proizvodnji širom sveta. Procenjeni gubici po obolelom tovljeniku obično se kreću od 1 do 5 američkih dolara. Uzročnik ovog oboljenja je Lawsonia intracellularis, gram negativna obligatna intracelularna bakterija. Kontrola ovog oboljenja ostvaruje se primenom vakcinacije ili antibiotika. U poslednje vreme sve je češća primena fi togenih aditiva u cilju kontolisanja određenih patoloških stanja digestivnog trakta. Cilj ovog rada bio je da se ustanove efekti fi togenog aditiva na histomorfometrijske karakteristike creva kod odlučenih prasadi supklinički prirodno infi ciranih L. intracellularis. Histomorfometrijska analiza pokazala je da su kripte bile značajno (P<0,05) pliće, a količnik visine vilusa i dubine kripti značajno veći (P<0,05) u tretiranoj grupi prasadi nego u kontroli. Ovo poboljšanje histoloških parametara creva, koje se smatraju indikatorima njegovog zdravlja, dokaz je pozitivnog efekta ispitivanog aditiva na digestivni sistem svinja.