Post-weanling lag is the most stressful time for a nursery pig. Numerous
changes occur within the body of the pig, such as, a decrease in gastrointestinal
enzymes, hormonal changes, intestinal microbial changes, and a decrease in
villi. These changes are due to the drastic change in diet, milk to dry feed.
There is also a decrease in feed intake in association with post-weaning lag. All
of these changes produce a decrease in growth and performance in nursery pigs.
A common method to help alleviate the stressors of post-weaning lag is high
nutrient dense diets that contain subtherapeutic antibiotics. However, with the
growing concern of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the use of antibiotics in feed is
slowly starting to decrease. A possible replacement for subtherapeutic
antibiotics is plant extracts. Turmeric is an herbaceous spice that contains an
active component called curcumin. Turmeric and curcumin have been shown to
have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, the effects of turmeric
and curcumin on growth performance and immune response in swine were
studied.