Leslie A. Dabovich, Lindsey Hulbert, Anthony Rudine, Sungwoo Kim, Fei Ji and John J. McGlone
Pork Industry Institute, Department of Animal and Food Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409
Non-traditional feed ingredients may have effects on pig immunity and health. One possible nutriceutical is Promax (Promax®, HumaTech, Inc., Houston, TX) which is a natural, carbon-mineral feed supplement that is mined and minimally processed. Carbon compounds include humic acid, fulvic acid, and other organic compounds and minerals including bioavailable iron and other trace minerals. In this study we evaluated the effects of Promax formula against a standard corn-soybean meal diet. In study 1, treatments included a control, 46162, and 48162, each added at 0.5% of the diet from weaning (21 d) to market. In Study 2, treatments included a control, 4600, and 5600 each added at 0.5% of the diet from weaning (21 d) to market. Each study involved 8 replicate pens per treatment with each pen containing 8 pigs (192 pigs per study). Immune measures were collected during the late nursery period in study 1 and during the finishing period in study 2. Immune measures included total number of white blood cells (WBC), differential counts, red blood cell numbers, hemoglobin, hematocrit, lymphocyte proliferation under phytohemagglutinin mitogen, and neutrophil chemokinesis and chemotaxis. In study 1, nursery pigs fed 46162 had elevated (P < 0.01) neutrophil chemotaxis compared with pigs fed control or 48162 (82.2, 184.5, 119.5, SEp=17.2, control, 46162, and 48162, respectively). During study 2, pigs were inadvertently exposed to erysipelas during the early grower phase. All pigs had stimulated immune measures compared with study 1 pigs (e.g., WBC were increased 48%). Immune measures were not different among treatments. However, mortality was influenced by treatment (9.4, 9.4, and 4.7% for control, 4600 and 5600, respectively). In conclusion, Promax has nutriceutical properties in that it stimulates neutrophil activity which may protect against bacterial pathogens and reduce mortality during acute bacterial infections.