Effects of a Multi-Nutrient Feed Additive on the Growth Performance, Gut Health, and Antioxidant Status of Weaned Piglets

Weaning stress commonly leads to impaired intestinal function, diarrhea, and growth retardation in piglets. As restrictions on antibiotic use in animal feed increase, nutritional strategies are gaining attention as effective alternatives. This study examined the impact of Grosol®Plus, a multi-nutrient feed additive containing vitamins, amino acids, isomaltooligosaccharides, and electrolytes, on the growth performance, intestinal health, and oxidative stress levels of weaned piglets. One hundred twenty piglets were randomly assigned to either a control group (receiving a basal diet) or a treatment group (receiving a basal diet plus 0.1% Grosol®Plus) for a 45-day trial. Supplementation significantly improved average daily gain from days 15 to 45 and increased final body weight ( P  < 0.05). It also reduced diarrhea incidence from days 8 to 14 ( P  = 0.06) and from days 15 to 45 ( P  < 0.01). At the molecular level, the treatment group exhibited increased fecal mRNA expression of the tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin on days 7 and 14 and higher TGF-β expression. Pro-inflammatory markers such as IL-1β and lipocalin-2 showed decreasing trends. On day 14, the abundance of Escherichia coli in feces was significantly lower in the treatment group ( P  < 0.01). Additionally, plasma antioxidant indicators (T-AOC, GSH-Px, and SOD) increased significantly, while MDA decreased. These results suggest that dietary supplementation with Grosol®Plus alleviates the effects of weaning stress in piglets. This is achieved by improving intestinal barrier function, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, and promoting gut microbial balance. This ultimately leads to better health and growth under antibiotic-free conditions.