Effect of supplementing lactation and nursery pig diets with capsaicin on growth performance and gene expression of nursery pigs

Published on: 05/02/2022

Author/s : Eduardo A. Rosa-Medina 1; Pedro E. Urriola 1; Jae C. Jang 1; Christopher D. Faulk 1; Lee J. Johnston 1,2; and Gerald C. Shurson 1 / 1 Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA; 2 West Central Research and Outreach Center, University of Minnesota, Morris, MN 56267, USA.

INTRODUCTIONOne of the greatest challenges in optimizing growth performance and health of newly weaned pigs is to overcome low and variable feed consumption which adversely affects gastrointestinal health during this critical transition period on commercial swine farms (Pluske et al., 1997; Langendijk et al. 2007; Dong and Pluske, 2007). Therefore, dietary interventions that encourage fa...

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Joshua A. Jendza

Qualitech

May 2, 2022

Tendency toward higher ADFI leading to increased G:F suggests that the higher apparent feed intake may have been an artifact of higher feed wastage. Otherwise the increased intake would be expected to improve ADG.

I frequently see Capsicum positioned as a way to combat heat stress, but I'm just not convinced. Too many examples like this one where no benefit is seen, or in-fact the opposite is observed (sow trends discussed at the top are also unflattering to this compound).

If the gene expression data is truly worthwhile (no real discussion of it here), then some sort of encapsulation may be necessary. Or training piglets to eat it young, with a hit to performance at that age, to hopefully be offset later on when he pigs are older.

Liu et al (2013) also showed reduced ADFI in piglets fed Capsicum. It may be time to conclude that pigs, like my kids, just don't like spicy foods.

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