Chlorhexidine Nanoparticles: A New Molecule for Improving Performance and Intestinal Health of Piglets in the Nursery Phase

• Grant number: 24/10939-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Cesar Augusto Pospissil Garbossa
• Grantee: Ana Clara Rodrigues de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Given the growing concern about antimicrobial resistance, alternatives to the use of antibiotics as growth promoters are being sought. The chlorhexidine nanoparticle has antimicrobial actions and effects, making it a promising technology that can be applied in swine production. There are no studies that demonstrate the effects of chlorhexidine nanoparticles on the performance of piglets in challenging and stressful periods, such as post-weaning. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the effects of adding a new nutritional additive, composed of chlorhexidine nanoparticles, in piglets during the nursery phase, on productive performance and parameters related to intestinal and systemic health. The experiment will be conducted at the Swine Research Laboratory of the University of São Paulo (LPS - USP), located in Pirassununga, São Paulo. One hundred and twenty (120) piglets (castrated males and females), weaned at an average of 21 days of age, will be randomly allocated to one of 5 experimental treatments: T1 - negative control diet; T2 - positive control diet (with the addition of 120ppm of halquinol); T3 - control diet with addition of 25 ppm of chlorhexidine nanoparticles; T4 - control diet with the addition of 50 ppm of chlorhexidine nanoparticles and T5 - control diet with the addition of 75 ppm of chlorhexidine nanoparticles. The experimental design will be in randomized blocks (initial weight and sex). The experimental unit considered will be the average number of animals in each pen (consisting of three animals), totaling eight replications per treatment. Through individual weighing, control of the amount of feed supplied and wasted, parameters related to the animal's productive performance will be analyzed (weight, average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake and average feed conversion). Fecal score analysis will be carried out daily in the pens to calculate the incidence of diarrhea. Blood samples will be collected for analysis of complete blood count, liver function and kidney function at 4 different times throughout the experiment. At the end of the experiment, fecal samples will be collected to evaluate the fecal microbiome and digestibility. It is expected that the inclusion of the new chlorhexidine nanoparticle molecule will result in better or equivalent production performance to the positive control treatment (with antibiotics), without causing harm to the intestinal and systemic health of the animals.