Effects of Aronia melanocarpa juice-powder on hindgut function and performance in post-weaned pigs

Abstract

Twenty-four gilts and barrows (n = 8/trt) were divided into three treatment groups: control (CON), 0.5% Aronia melanocarpa juice powder (AM; LoBerry), and 1.0 % AM juice powder (HiBerry). Pigs were fed for 14 d and tissues were collected. No differences in performance were observed. Ileum IL-18 tended to be lower in LoBerry pigs, while colonic IFN-γ was increased in pigs fed either AM diet. There were several changes in ileal gene expression in pigs fed the LoBerry diet compared to pigs fed the CON diet, including BMI1, CLDN2, JAM2, and MYLK, which are largely related to barrier and stem cell function. In the colon, CLDN2, REG3G, SI, and SLC6A19 were increased in pigs fed the LoBerry diet. There were no differences found in the colonic microbiome due to diets. In conclusion, feeding AM juice powder may have a positive impact in young pigs, but may require longer feeding time to observe performance differences.