Effects of dietary supplementation of sericite on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles and fecal microflora shedding in growing pigs

A total of 60 growing pigs with an average initial BW of 32.51 ± 1.75 kg were randomly allotted into one of three groups for a 24-d study to determine effects of sericite (silicate clay) supplementation on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, blood profiles and fecal microflora. Treatments were: Sericite-0.0%, control diet; Sericite-0.5%, control diet + 0.5% sericite and Sericite-1.0%, control diet + 1.0% sericite. Pigs fed the diet supplemented with 0.5% sericite had 6.6% higher (P<0.05) ADG and 5.1% higher (P<0.05) G/F ratio compared with their control counterparts. Dietary supplementation with 0.5% and 1.0% sericite increased (P<0.05) the CTTAD of DM by 3.9% and 7.5%, as well as the CTTAD of N by 4.9% and 5.7%, respectively. Simultaneously, the CTTAD of Ca and P were increased by 5.0–19.1% when pigs were fed supplementation of 0.5% and 1.0% sericite. Dietary supplementation of 1.0% sericite decreased (P<0.05) blood iron concentration by 34.2% compared with other two treatments. The blood IgG concentration, lymphocyte and monocyte percentage in pigs fed 0.5% and 1.0% sericite were increased (P<0.05) by 5.2–24.9% compared with control group. Supplementation of 0.5% and 1.0% sericite decreased (P<0.05) fecal E. coli population counts by 12.6% and 11.6% and increased (P<0.05) fecal Lactobacillus counts by 9.5% and 14.7% respectively. The results suggest that sericite has the potential to enhance nutrient digestibility and the performance of pigs and to alter indicators of immune status and gut microflora and warrants further investigation.