Effects of bovine colostrum on performance, survival, and immunoglobulin status of suckling piglets during the first days of life

Supplementation of bovine colostrum (BC) has shown to improve growth performance, intestinal development, and immune response in early-weaned pigs. Little is known about whether BC may have similar effects in neonatal piglets. In the present study, the effect of BC supplementation on mortality, growth performance, and blood parameters (plasma proteins and white blood count) of suckling piglets in the first 10 days of life was investigated under practical conditions with special emphasis on low birth weight piglets. In total, 258 newborn piglets from 30 multiparous sows in a commercial breeding unit were randomly assigned to two different treatment groups. Piglets received either 1 ml of BC orally on days 1-3 of life (group BC, n = 128) or 1 ml of saline (0.9%) (control (CON) group; n = 130). Body weight was measured on days 1, 4, and 10 of life. Blood was collected on days 1 and 4 from 60 piglets per group. No differences in mortality, body weight, and average daily weight gain were observed between treatment groups in days 1-10. However, compared to CON, particularly in low birth weight piglets the administration of BC supported (P < 0.01) their survival. Group BC exhibited lower plasma total protein (P = 0.03) and beta-globulin (P = 0.02) concentrations compared to group CON. In conclusion, BC improved low and normal birth weight piglets' survival during their first 10 days of life. Further research is needed to clarify whether the survival rate is related to earlier gut closure indicated by lower plasma protein levels, which might be beneficial due to a lower uptake of potential antigenic substances

Effects of bovine colostrum on performance, survival, and immunoglobulin status of suckling piglets during the first days of life

Supplementation of bovine colostrum (BC) has shown to improve growth performance, intestinal development, and immune response in early-weaned pigs. Little is known about whether BC may have similar effects in neonatal piglets. In the present study, the effect of BC supplementation on mortality, growth performance, and blood parameters (plasma proteins and white blood count) of suckling piglets in the first 10 days of life was investigated under practical conditions with special emphasis on low birth weight piglets. In total, 258 newborn piglets from 30 multiparous sows in a commercial breeding unit were randomly assigned to two different treatment groups. Piglets received either 1 ml of BC orally on days 1-3 of life (group BC, n = 128) or 1 ml of saline (0.9%) (control (CON) group; n = 130). Body weight was measured on days 1, 4, and 10 of life. Blood was collected on days 1 and 4 from 60 piglets per group. No differences in mortality, body weight, and average daily weight gain were observed between treatment groups in days 1-10. However, compared to CON, particularly in low birth weight piglets the administration of BC supported (P < 0.01) their survival. Group BC exhibited lower plasma total protein (P = 0.03) and beta-globulin (P = 0.02) concentrations compared to group CON. In conclusion, BC improved low and normal birth weight piglets' survival during their first 10 days of life. Further research is needed to clarify whether the survival rate is related to earlier gut closure indicated by lower plasma protein levels, which might be beneficial due to a lower uptake of potential antigenic substances

Differences in intestinal size, structure, and function contributing to feed efficiency in broiler chickens reared at geographically distant locations

The contribution of the intestinal tract to differences in residual feed intake (RFI) has been inconclusively studied in chickens so far. It is also not clear if RFI-related differences in intestinal function are similar in chickens raised in different environments. The objective was to investigate differences in nutrient retention, visceral organ size, intestinal morphology, jejunal permeability and expression of genes related to barrier function, and innate immune response in chickens of diverging RFI raised at 2 locations (L1: Austria; L2: UK). The experimental protocol was similar, and the same dietary formulation was fed at the 2 locations. Individual BW and feed intake (FI) of chickens (Cobb 500FF) were recorded from d 7 of life. At 5 wk of life, chickens (L1, n = 157; L2 = 192) were ranked according to their RFI, and low, medium, and high RFI chickens were selected (n = 9/RFI group, sex, and location). RFI values were similar between locations within the same RFI group and increased by 446 and 464 g from low to high RFI in females and males, respectively. Location, but not RFI rank, affected growth, nutrient retention, size of the intestine, and jejunal disaccharidase activity. Chickens from L2 had lower total body weight gain and mucosal enzyme activity but higher nutrient retention and longer intestines than chickens at L1. Parameters determined only at L1 showed increased crypt depth in the duodenum and jejunum and enhanced paracellular permeability in low vs. high RFI females. Jejunal expression of IL1B was lower in low vs. high RFI females at L2, whereas that of TLR4 at L1 and MCT1 at both locations was higher in low vs. high RFI males. Correlation analysis between intestinal parameters and feed efficiency metrics indicated that feed conversion ratio was more correlated to intestinal size and function than was RFI. In conclusion, the rearing environment greatly affected intestinal size and function, thereby contributing to the variation in chicken RFI observed across locations

Short-chain fatty acids promote jejunal barrier function and caecal muscle contractibility in laying hens ex vivo

1. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) exert beneficial actions in the gut; nevertheless, information about the effect of SCFA on physiological responses in the small intestine of chickens is rare.2. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of 1) different molar acetate:butyrate ratios (Ac:But; Experiment 1; 78.5% acetate and 7.3% butyrate versus 71.4% acetate and 14.0% butyrate) and 2) SCFA concentrations (Experiment 2; final concentration in chambers: 70.5 versus 141 µmol SCFA/ml buffer) on the jejunal and caecal contractibility and jejunal barrier function in laying hens. The change in muscle contractibility due to the SCFA was measured in mid-jejunal and caecal segments (n = 4 each per hen) from four laying hens using the organ bath system after precontraction with acetylcholine for 15 min. Changes in short-circuit current (ISC) and transepithelial tissue conductivity (GT) as indicators for net ion flux and barrier function, respectively, were measured in mid-jejunal tissue (n = 3/hen and treatment), mounted into Ussing chambers.3. In Experiment 1, the addition of SCFA, irrespective of the Ac:But ratio, decreased jejunal muscle tension (P < 0.05), jejunal GT as well as caused a less negative ISC (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, the increasing SCFA concentrations increased the caecal muscle contraction and jejunal ISC by 75.6% while decreasing the GT by up to 19.6% (P < 0.05).4. In conclusion, results demonstrate that increasing butyrate proportions and SCFA concentrations stimulate caecal muscle contraction, thereby increasing caecal mixing and emptying in vivo. Jejunal ISC and GT support a strong SCFA sensing capacity in the jejunum, as both, more butyrate and higher SCFA, increased mucosal ion uptake and barrier function

Short-chain fatty acids promote jejunal barrier function and caecal muscle contractibility in laying hens ex vivo

1. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) exert beneficial actions in the gut; nevertheless, information about the effect of SCFA on physiological responses in the small intestine of chickens is rare. 2. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of 1) different molar acetate:butyrate ratios (Ac:But; Experiment 1; 78.5 acetate and 7.3 butyrate versus 71.4 acetate and 14.0 butyrate) and 2) SCFA concentrations (Experiment 2; final concentration in chambers: 70.5 versus 141 µmol SCFA/ml buffer) on the jejunal and caecal contractibility and jejunal barrier function in laying hens. The change in muscle contractibility due to the SCFA was measured in mid-jejunal and caecal segments (n = 4 each per hen) from four laying hens using the organ bath system after precontraction with acetylcholine for 15 min. Changes in short-circuit current (ISC) and transepithelial tissue conductivity (GT) as indicators for net ion flux and barrier function, respectively, were measured in mid-jejunal tissue (n = 3/hen and treatment), mounted into Ussing chambers. 3. In Experiment 1, the addition of SCFA, irrespective of the Ac:But ratio, decreased jejunal muscle tension (P < 0.05), jejunal GT as well as caused a less negative ISC (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, the increasing SCFA concentrations increased the caecal muscle contraction and jejunal ISC by 75.6 while decreasing the GT by up to 19.6 (P < 0.05). 4. In conclusion, results demonstrate that increasing butyrate proportions and SCFA concentrations stimulate caecal muscle contraction, thereby increasing caecal mixing and emptying in vivo. Jejunal ISC and GT support a strong SCFA sensing capacity in the jejunum, as both, more butyrate and higher SCFA, increased mucosal ion uptake and barrier function. © 2021 British Poultry Science Ltd

Total SCFAs (A), acetate (B), propionate (C), butyrate (D), valerate (E), isobutyrate (F), isovalerate (G), and total lactate (H) concentrations in ileal digesta and feces of pigs fed the control or enzymatically modified starch (EMS) diet.

<p>Values are presented as least square means ± SEM; n = 8 per dietary treatment. **Control diet and EMS diet differ within the ileal digesta or feces, <i>P</i><0.05.</p

Characteristics of digesta and total lactate and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) output at the terminal ileum and feces of pigs fed control and enzymatically-modified starch (EMS) diets.

<p>Characteristics of digesta and total lactate and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) output at the terminal ileum and feces of pigs fed control and enzymatically-modified starch (EMS) diets.</p