Effects of the antimicrobial peptide WK3 on diarrhea, growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88

Background: Antibiotics are very effective for treating diarrhea in weaned pigs, but the global prohibition of antibiotics makes it urgent to find an alternative to antibiotics. Objective: An experiment was conducted to determine the antimicrobial activity of a linear trpzip-like β- hairpin antimicrobial peptide WK3 in vivo and to assess its effects on growth performance and intestinal health. Design: Thirty-two piglets were weaned at 21 days and housed in individual metabolic cages, which...