# Medium-Chain Triglyceride Emulsion with Phytocannabinoids and Monolaurin Improves Growth and Survival in Suckling Piglets

## TL;DR

A new supplement combining medium-chain triglycerides, phytocannabinoids, and monolaurin improves growth and survival in newborn piglets, potentially replacing antibiotics.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel nutraceutical combination of MCT emulsions with phytocannabinoids and monolaurin for neonatal piglet health.

## Key findings

- MCT emulsions improved weight gain and survival rates in piglets compared to antibiotic controls.
- MCTE-PM reduced diarrhea-related deaths and aggressive suckling behaviors in low-birth-weight piglets.
- MCTE-PM showed the lowest pre-weaning mortality and improved blood parameters compared to other treatments.

## Abstract

Pre-weaning mortality is a persistent challenge in pig production, particularly among low-birth-weight piglets from hyper-prolific sows. To support early growth and survival, this study evaluated a medium-chain triglyceride emulsion (MCTE) and its derivatives supplemented with hemp-derived phytocannabinoids (MCTE-P) or with both phytocannabinoids and monolaurin (MCTE-PM). Compared with antibiotic prophylaxis, emulsion-supplemented piglets showed faster growth, greater colostrum and milk intake, and reduced mortality. MCTE-PM shows clearer benefit in reduced diarrhea-related deaths, improved blood parameters, and alleviated aggressive suckling behaviors such as teat competition and facial lesions. These findings suggest that MCT-based emulsions, particularly MCTE-PM, represent promising nutritional alternatives to antibiotics for improving neonatal piglet health and welfare.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) emulsions enriched with hemp-derived phytocannabinoids, with or without monolaurin, on neonatal piglet growth, health, and behavior. Trial 1 used an augmented factorial design with 75 sows and 1063 piglets to compare a baseline MCT emulsion (MCTE) with a phytocannabinoid-supplemented emulsion (MCTE-P) at low or high doses against toltrazuril control. All MCT emulsions improved key performance indicators such as weight gain and survival rates compared to the control group. In particular, live-born piglets at 24 h in the MCTE-P groups showed significantly greater body weight gain and colostrum intake compared with controls (p < 0.05). While overall pre-weaning mortality rates were similar across groups, the incidence of diarrhea- and starvation-related deaths was significantly lower in MCTE-P piglets (p < 0.05). Based on these results, Trial 2 involved 36 sows and 509 piglets assigned to three groups: low-dose MCTE-P (the optimal regimen from Trial 1), low-dose MCTE-P supplemented with monolaurin (MCTE-PM), and a toltrazuril control. Both MCTE-P and MCTE-PM improved average daily gain at weaning relative to the control group. MCTE-PM showed the lowest pre-weaning mortality (14.3%) and diarrhea-related deaths (0.86%), compared with 29.4% and 10.4% in controls, respectively (p < 0.05). Hematological analyses indicated that eosinophil percentages were lowest in the MCTE-PM group (p < 0.05), while serum total protein and globulin concentrations remained elevated in emulsion-treated piglets (p < 0.001). Behavioral assessments of 108 low-birth-weight piglets showed prolonged latency to first suckling in emulsion-treated groups, while teat competition and facial lesion scores, reflecting aggressive interactions, were reduced compared with controls. Overall, these findings demonstrate that MCT emulsions supplemented with phytocannabinoids and monolaurin improved growth and survival in neonatal piglets, especially those of low to medium birth weight, and highlight their potential as nutraceutical alternatives to antibiotic prophylaxis in swine production.