Evaluation of Dietary Supplementation with a Blend of Organic Acids and Cinnamaldehyde on Performance and Health Status in Weaned Piglets.

Abstract

The post-weaning period represents a critical phase in swine production, often associated with increased disease susceptibility, impaired growth performance, and a consequent high antibiotic use. Therefore, innovative nutritional strategies based on functional feed additives are gaining increasing attention as strategies to support intestinal health and reduce the need for antimicrobials. This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with a blend of organic acids and cinnamaldehyde on growth performance, health status, and antibiotic use in weaned piglets. A total of 148 piglets (Landrace × Large White; 28 ± 1 days of age) were allocated to two dietary treatments for 54 days: a control group (CTRL) receiving a standard basal diet, and a treatment group (TRT) fed the same diet supplemented with 0.1% of a blend containing propionic acid, formic acid, sodium formate, propionic acid glycerides, butyric acid glycerides, and cinnamaldehyde. Growth performance parameters were recorded, and health status was assessed through mortality, antibiotic treatments, and the occurrence of lesions. Piglets in the TRT group showed a significantly higher final body weight (p < 0.01) and average daily gain (p < 0.05) compared with CTRL, while no significant differences were observed for average daily feed intake or feed conversion ratio. Feed efficiency calculated at the pen level was not affected by dietary treatment. Importantly, the total number of antibiotic treatments was lower in the TRT group. Additionally, the incidence of auricular lesions was numerically lower in TRT compared with CTRL. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with a blend of organic acids and cinnamaldehyde improved growth performance and reduced antibiotic use in weaned piglets without negatively affecting feed efficiency. These findings highlight the potential of combining functional feed additives as a promising approach for the development of nutritional strategies aimed at supporting growth performance and health-related outcomes during the post-weaning period, while potentially contributing to a reduced need for therapeutic antibiotic interventions in swine production systems.