Value of clay as a supplement to swine diets

Abstract

The use of practical management factors to maximize pig health improvement cannot guarantee freedom from diseases. Moreover, because of health safety concerns, the use of antibiotics has been restricted in livestock, including pigs. Therefore, the swine industry has been looking for various alternatives to antibiotics to improve pig’s health and performance. Clay is a dietary factor generally accepted for improving pig health. It is a naturally occurring material and is primarily composed of fine-grained minerals. It has a specific structure with polar attraction. Because of this structure, clay has the ability to lose or gain water reversibly. In addition, clay has beneficial physiological activities. First, clay has anti-diarrheic and antibacterial effects by penetrating the cell wall of bacteria or inhibiting their metabolism. Second, it can protect the intestinal tract by absorbing toxins, bacteria, or even viruses. When added to the diet, clay has also been known to bind some mycotoxins, which are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi, namely in cereal grains. Those beneficial effects of clay can improve pigs’ health and performance by reducing pathogenic bacteria, especially pathogenic Escherichia coli, in the intestinal tract. Therefore, it is suggested that clay has a remarkable potential as an antibiotics alternative.