Enhancing Growth and Health in Weanling Pigs: The Impact of Monzogranite Supplementation

Monzogranite is known for its high surface area and cation exchange capacity, which play a crucial role in ameliorating the challenges by enhancing nutrient adsorption and facilitating nutrient availability during the weaning period. Weaned crossbred piglets (Duroc × Yorkshire × Landrace), initially weighing 5.36 ± 0.26 kg, were allocated into four treatments with 6 replicates each (10 pigs per replicate). The treatments encompassed CON (basal diet), Z0.1 (0.1% monzogranite supplementation in basal diet), Z0.2 (0.2% monzogranite supplementation), and Z0.3 (0.3% monzogranite supplementation). In phase 1, a linear increase in total average daily gain (ADG) was observed across treatment groups, with a concomitant linear increase in ADG and gain-to-feed ratio (G/F). The overall results showed a linear increase in ADG and G/F. A linear decrease in aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase levels was observed across treatment groups. Conversely, no significant differences were noted in the levels of albumin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen, triglycerides, and gamma-glutamyl transferase among the treatment groups. Faecal scoring indicated a linear reduction in scores at Day 7 among the treatment groups. However, no significant differences were observed at Days 14 and 28. The assessment of immunoglobulins demonstrated a significant increase in both immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A levels in the Z0.1 treatment group compared to the CON. In both phase 1 and phase 2, a linear decrease in cortisol levels was evident. In conclusion, a linear increase in total ADG and G/F during phase 1, sustained across both phases, suggests monzogranite potential to enhance growth performance. Moreover, stress mitigation was shown through a consistent linear decrease in cortisol levels across phases. These findings underscore monzogranite multifaceted impact, emphasizing its potential as a dietary supplement to enhance growth, liver health, and stress resilience in weanling pigs.