Abstract
<jats:p>The early postnatal period in piglets is highly sensitive to feeding changes, because the gradual shift from sow milk to pre-starter feed coincides with marked adjustments in protein, lipid and mineral metabolism and an increased functional load on the liver. This study evaluated the effect of the phytogenic feed additive “AppetiX” included in pre-starter compound feed at 0.1 or 0.2 kg/t on serum biochemical parameters of piglets before weaning. The trial was conducted on a commercial pig farm (PP “Chernyuk”, Rivne region, Ukraine). Three groups were formed: control, “AppetiX” 0.1 kg/t (D1) and “AppetiX” 0.2 kg/t (D2). Blood was collected on the 5th, 19th and 33th days of life. Serum albumin, calcium, phosphorus, triglycerides, cholesterol, urea, and ALT and AST activities were determined. The clearest differences were observed in the 0.2 kg/t group during the key adaptation window to solid feed. Cholesterol was lower than in the control by 39.2% on day 19 and by 20.9% on day 33 (P<0.05). Urea concentration decreased by 25.7% and 47.4% on days 19 and 33, respectively (P<0.05), indicating a distinct pattern of nitrogen metabolism in the pre-weaning period. On day 33, ALT and AST activities were lower than in the control by 19.1% and 21.4% (P<0.05), while all measured values remained within physiological limits. Albumin and mineral indices mostly showed upward trends in the supplemented groups. Overall, “AppetiX” at 0.2 kg/t can be recommended as a practical feeding option to support piglets during the pre-weaning stage.</jats:p>