It is hypothesized that dietary supplementation with Acanthopanax senticosus extract (ASE) may enhance gut health in weanling piglets. This hypothesis was tested by determining the frequency of diarrhea, intestinal microbiota and morphology in weanling piglets on day 21 after the initiation of dietary supplementation with ASE. It was found that dietary supplementation with ASE effectively increased villus height in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, and decreased crypt depth in the gut, which resulted in a decreased incidence of diarrhea, compared with the control group.
These findings suggest that ASE as a dietary additive could enhance gut health by regulating the microbiota composition
and maintaining a normal morphology in weanling piglets, thereby decreasing the incidence of diarrhea resulting from
weaning stress.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/livsci