Dietary of different forms of Humulus scandens on growth performance and intestinal bacterial communities in piglets

Humulus scandens (Hu), also referred to as Humulus japonicus, is an herb. Hu is reported to possess multiple biological functions, such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antimycobacterial, antioxidative, antimutagenic, and antitumor. Moreover, Hu contributed to improving the production performance of livestock. However, the effects of Hu with different forms on growth performance and bacterial communities in piglets have not yet been investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Hu with different forms on piglets. It was found that the growth performance was improved when supplementing with HS (Hu pulp), HSJ (Hu juice), and HSR (Hu residue). The effect of improving the serum immunity function and intestinal nutrient digestibility was shown. Moreover, HS exerts more significant effects on nutrient digestibility, serum immunity, and growth performance. HSR supplemental diets contribute to increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria in the cecum of piglets.