Use of Plectranthus amboinicus in Feeding Fattening Pigs

Corresponding Author: Angel Roberto Sánchez Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Universidad Técnica de Machala, Machala-Ecuador, Research Group on Food Production and Animal Health (GIPASA), Seedbed for Research in Animal Production (SIPA), Spain Email: arsanchez@utmachala.edu.ec Abstract: This research was developed at the Hacienda "Los Hermanos" belonging to the company Super Mac, located in Balao canton, Guayas province, coastal region of Ecuador, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of ground dehydrated P. amboinicus in the feed of fattening pigs on their productive parameters and antibacsterial response. Four treatments were distributed, each one with 20 animals, regardless of sex for a total of 80 pigs, starting at 49 days of age and ending the experiment at 105 days, considering each pig as an experimental unit. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used, with the following treatments: Treatment 1, control (T1), to which a commercial diet was administered, T2, T3, T4 to which 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75% of the dehydrated P. amboinicus was added to the commercial diet, respectively. For data analysis, the statistical program Statgraphics Centurion XV.I ® was used, applying a one factor Analysis (ANOVA) and to establish the differences between the means obtained, the procedure of the multiple comparison of Bonferroni was used with a 95% level of confidence, the variables evaluated were: Live weight gain and accumulated feed consumption in kg, feed conversion, mortality in percentage, total microbial flora and total coliforms in CFU. The results showed that, for the variables of productive parameters, there is no statistically significant difference, although there is a difference for the variables of total coliforms and total microbial flora when compared with T1, especially at the end of the experiment. As a conclusion there is an effect at the level of the antibacterial response, showing a positive correlation, the higher the percentage of dehydrated P. amboinicus included the greater efficacy in the control of CFUs. No mortality was found during this experiment.