ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2024 47 Starting from animal acceptance research in the 1970s, Phytobiotics have fine-tuned their products based on market needs and extensive feeding trials over decades. The range spans from vanilla, citric, and tropical to herbal flavour notes, and stevia- and saccharine-based sweetener blends, offering unique solutions to meet specific feed and nutritional requirements. USE OF PHYTOBIOTICS’ VANILLA FLAVOUR IN PIGLET FEEDING A field study conducted in Germany demonstrated the positive effect of combining one of Phytobiotics’ vanilla flavour with a sweetener in piglets. A total of 256 piglets, 3 weeks of age, were purchased from a commercial pig farm and housed in a research facility at Haus Düsse in Bad Sassendorf, Germany. The piglets, with an average body weight of 7.5kg, were randomly divided into 4 groups, with 8 piglets per pen. They were then assigned to either a control or one of 3 treatment diets, each containing pellets with varying concentrations of a heat-stable vanilla flavour. Treatment 1 included 150g of Bigarol® Cremarom PE per ton of feed in the control diet. Treatment 2 had 300g of Bigarol® Cremarom PE per ton of feed added to the control diet. Treatment 3 was offered to piglets as a control diet plus 150g Bigarol® Cremarom PE per ton of feed combined with 133g sweetener per ton of feed. Performance data, including body weight, feed intake, and weight gain of piglets, were monitored and recorded weekly over a 5-week trial period. PROMISING RESULTS In all three treatment groups, there was a significant increase in both the average daily feed intake and the average daily gain of piglets compared to those fed the control diet. Despite the notable increase in feed intake observed with an application rate of 150g of Bigarol® Cremarom PE per ton of feed, the addition of a sweetener led to a remarkable 47% boost compared to the control group, resulting in even greater weight gain among piglets. These findings strongly indicate that combining a vanilla flavour, such as Bigarol® Cremarom PE, with a sweetener into the diet contributes to enhanced feed acceptance, thereby facilitating a seamless transition from sow´s milk to solid feed. About Dr. Anne Winkler After obtaining a Diploma in Agricultural Science, Dr. Anne Winkler pursued a Master's degree in Agricultural Science and Environmental Protection at the University of Applied Sciences in Bingen. In 2018, she earned a PhD in Agricultural Science from Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg. With her strong scientific background, Dr. Winkler now brings her expertise to her role as the Global Product Manager for Flavours & Sweeteners at Phytobiotics. 252a 326b a,b,... Means with different superscripts differ: p<0.05 (ANOVA, post hoc Tukey HSD test) 306b 371b 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Average daily feed intake (g) Control 150g Bigarol® Cremarom PE 300g Bigarol® Cremarom PE 150g Bigarol® Cremarom PE 133g Sweetener Control Average weight gain (g) 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 236b 188a 229b 314b a,b,... Means with different superscripts differ: p<0.05 (ANOVA, post hoc Tukey HSD test) 150g Bigarol® Cremarom PE 300g Bigarol® Cremarom PE 150g Bigarol® Cremarom PE 133g Sweetener Figure 1. Adding Bigarol® Cremarom PE to the diet led to a significantly higher average daily feed intake in weaned piglets. Figure 2. Adding Bigarol® Cremarom PE to the diet led to significantly increased average daily gains in weaned piglets.
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