Lipid matrix microencapsulation for effective delivery of essential oils to improve gut health in pigs

仔猪对各种应激因素（包括细菌性疾病）高度敏感，导致生长性能受损和高死亡率。长期以来，抗生素一直以亚治疗水平用于猪饲料，特别是保育饲料，以控制断奶后腹泻的发生率并保持生长性能。然而，由于公众对人畜共患病细菌病原体抗生素耐药性传播的担忧增加，全球养猪业目前的趋势是尽量减少或消除饲料中抗生素的使用，这对公众健康构成威胁。因此，人们对开发具有类似抗菌和促生长作用的抗生素替代品的兴趣显著增加，而不会诱导细菌耐药性和对猪的潜在副作用。精油是抗生素最有前途的替代品之一。然而，它们在养猪生产中的应用有限，主要是由于缺乏对作用方式和有效的投放方法的充分了解。我们的研究团队建议首先开发一种有效的脂质基质微胶囊化递送方法，以允许化合物在肠道中缓慢释放。然后，我们将功能性地评估胶囊化精油和有机酸在大肠杆菌K88+攻击的断奶仔猪中控制肠道细菌病原体和改善营养吸收和屏障功能的潜在作用。在这个项目中，我们将开发和优化适当的微胶囊技术，可以有效地提供精油，以改善肠道健康。这些发现将帮助我们的合作伙伴不仅改进现有技术，而且还将导致新产品的开发。这项研究将大大有助于马尼托巴和加拿大猪肉行业的可持续性和竞争力，通过制定创新战略，提高肠道健康和饲料效率，沿着猪肉产品的健康。

Piglets are highly susceptible to various stressors, including bacterial diseases, resulting in compromised growth performance and high mortality. Antibiotics have long been used at sub-therapeutic levels in pig diets especially in nursery diets to control incidences of post-weaning diarrhea and to maintain growth performance. However, the current trend in the swine industry world-wide is to minimize or eliminate the use of in-feed antibiotics due to increased public concerns over the spread of antibiotic resistance in zoonotic bacterial pathogens, which poses a threat to public health. As a result, there has been significantly increased interest to develop alternatives to antibiotics with similar antimicrobial and growth-promoting effects without inducing bacterial resistance and potential side effects to pigs. Essential oils represent one of the most promising alternatives to antibiotics. However, their application in pig production has been limited, largely owing to lack of full understanding the modes of action and effective delivery methods. Our research team proposes to first develop an effective delivery method with lipid matrix microencapsulation to allow slow release of compounds in the gut. Then we will functionally assess the potential effect of encapsulated essential oils and organic acids for controlling enteric bacterial pathogens and improving nutrient absorption and barrier function in weaned pigs challenged with Escherichia coli K88+. In this project, we will develop and optimize a proper microencapsulation technology that can effectively deliver essential oils for improving gut health. These findings will help our partners to not only improve exiting technology, but also lead to new product development. This research will contribute greatly to the sustainability and competitiveness of both Manitoba and Canadian pork industries by developing innovative strategies for enhancing gut health and feed efficiency, along with the healthfulness of pork products.