摘要It has been found that thymol(Thy)and rosmarinic acid(Ros-A)improve the growth performance of piglets and relieve intestinal inflammation in animals.The effects of Thy and Ros-A separately or in combination(Thy × Ros-A)on the intestinal function and health of piglets challenged with Escherichia coli K88(E.coli K88)were investigated.A total of 30 piglets aged 21 d were assigned to 5 groups(n=6).The control(Con)and K88 groups piglets received a basal diet,while the Thy,Ros-A,and Thy × Ros-A groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg Thy,500 mg/kg Ros-A,and 250 mg/kg Thy+250 mg/kg Ros-A,respectively.On the 19th and 20th day,piglets in the K88,Thy,Ros-A,and Thy × Ros-A groups were orally administered 10 mL of phosphate-buffered saline(PBS)containing approximately 1 × 109 CFU/mL of E.coli K88,while the Con group received an equal volume of PBS.The results showed that the Thy × Ros-A treatment reduced the damage to ileal villi induced by the E.coli K88 challenge,leading to longer villi in the ileum(P＜0.05).Thy and Ros-A modulated the composition of the ileal microbiota.Compared to the K88 group,the Thy × Ros-A group had a higher abundance of Lactobacillus and Romboutsia,while Escherichia-Shigella and Desulforvibrio were lower(P＜0.05).Addi-tionally,the Thy × Ros-A group showed elevated levels of gene and protein expressions for zonula occludens-1,occludin,and claudin-1 compared to the K88 group(P＜0.05).In conclusion,combining Thy and Ros-A reduced ileal damage and relieved the inflammation in weaned piglets challenged with E.coli K88 by regulating intestinal microflora and improving barrier function.