Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Herbal Mixture on Hematobiochemical and Antioxidant Status of Large White Yorkshire Young Pigs during Post-weaning Period

Background: The potential of plant extracts to improve pig performance has led to their widespread use as effective feed additives in the swine industry. These extracts have a variety of effects on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including immune function enhancement and morphological modulation, which improves nutrient absorption, reduces gastrointestinal secretions and optimizes feed efficiency, all of which contribute to improved growth performance. The study assesses the impact of dietary supplementation of herbal mixture on haemato-biochemical indices and antioxidant status of Large White Yorkshire weaned piglets during the post-weaning period (from 28 to 70 days of age) raised under Mizoram farm conditions. Methods: A total number of 144 (18 litters) Large White Yorkshire young pigs weaned at 28 days old were taken for the study period of 42 days (Day 28-70) and were randomly divided into three groups viz., Control (C) fed basal diet, Treatment-1 (T-1) fed basal diet incorporated with 0.6% herbal mixture and Treatment-2 (T-2) fed basal diet incorporated with 1.2% herbal mixture in such a way that there were 6 replicates in each group with 1 litter as onereplicate. The present study revealed that haemato-biochemical indices such as haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), total leukocyte count (TLC), total erythrocyte count (TEC), total protein (TP), serum albumin (ALB), total cholesterol (TCHO), triglyceride (TRI), creatinine (CREA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and blood glucose (GLU) analysed on day 70 of age were within the normal range and were not affected by dietary inclusion of herbal mixture. Significant (P less than 0.05) increase in total superoxide dismutase levels was observed in piglets reared under treatment groups on day 70 of age compared to piglets reared under control group. However, total glutathione peroxidase levels showed no significant differences among the experimental groups but remained within the normal range. Result: In conclusion, supplementation of herbal mixture at 0.6% and 1.2% in the diet exert no adverse effects on the health status of the weaned piglets, demonstrating its safety for use during the post-weaning period.