Effect of Schisandra chinesnsis and citric acid on growth performance and antioxidation of weaned piglets

This study was designed to investigate the effect of Schisandra chinesnsis(SC),citric acid(CA) and their complex on growth performance and antioxidation of weaned piglets.Total 48 crossbred(Yorkshire×Landrace) weaned piglets(BW=7.4±0.6 kg) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments(three pens/treatment),four pigs per pen(two gilts and two barrows) for four-week trial.Testing Groups were fed basal diet supplemented with 1% CA,0.5% SC and 1% CA+0.5% SC,respectively.The control group was fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet.The result showed: CA supplementation increased feed efficiency(P0.05),but did not influence the average daily gain(ADG) or the average daily feed intake(ADFI) of piglets(P0.05).Incidence of diarrhea was decreased by SC or complex supplementation(P0.05).As compared to the control,superoxide dismutase(SOD) activity of liver and spleen,glutathione reducetase(GR) activity of serum were improved and malondialdehyde(MDA) concentration of heart or liver was reduced 1% SC supplementation significantly(P0.05).The results indicated that diets supple-ment with SC enhanced antioxidation of weaned piglets,CA or SC supplementation improved some growth performances of weaned piglets.