Abstract
This study was carried out to determine the effect of Sugar Cane Extract (SCE) on immune performance in piglets. Eighteen piglets whose initial and final bodyweight were 30 kg and 70 kg, respectively, were assigned to three dietary treatment groups : no SCE supplemental diet without dietary antimicrobial supplement (control diet), a control diet with 0.05% dietary supplement SCE, and a control diet with dietary antimicrobial supplement. Each of the three groups comprised almost equal numbers of piglets from two breeding sows. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) was significantly higher (P＜0.01) in the SCE diet group than in the other groups. CD4 lymphocytes were significantly higher (P＜0.05) in the SCE diet group than in the antimicrobial diet group. Average daily gain in the SCE diet group was higher than in the other groups, and feed conversions in the SCE diet and the antimicrobial diet groups were higher than in the control group. These results suggest that SCE improves the reinforcement of the helper T-cell immune response, improving the protective capacity and productivity in growing piglets.
