In a completely randomized design, 5 experimental diets (T1 to T5) were fed to 5 groups of animals with 6 animals (35 kg ± 1.3 body wt.) in each group. The diets were supplemented with or without herbal residues (turmeric, amla, ginger) and enzyme cocktail (xylanase, b-glucanase, cellulase and phytase). Thus the five diets were a standard diet (T1), economic diet with enzyme cocktail but without herbal residue (T2), T2 with turmeric residue (T3), T2 with amla residue (T4) and T2 with ginger residue (T5). After assessing the sensitivity of the individual herbal residue to inhibit the bacterial growth, Ginger residue exhibited the maximum (P<0.05) inhibition of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium than amla while the inhibition of turmeric was comparable with ginger and amla. It was shown that the maximum inhibition of all pathogenic bacteria was at 2 per cent level. The total viable count (CFU/gm) was significantly higher (P<0.01) in T1 or T2 than in T3, T4 or T5 fed pigs. Feeding diets containing herbal residues (T3 to T5) reduced (P<0.01) the Coliform, Staphylococci and Salmonella count. It can be concluded that herbal residues when included in the pig diets at 2% level were able to inhibit the growth of pathogens in the gut and thereby reducing the competition by the microbes for the nutrients leading to a better utilization and performance.