061 Effect of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (n-3 PUFA) Supplementation to Lactating Sows on Growth and Indicators of Stress in the Post-Weaned Pig

Abstract Dietary n-3 PUFA are precursors for lipid metabolites that reduce inflammation. Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that enriching the sow diet in n-3 PUFA during late gestation and throughout lactation reduces stress and inflammation, and promotes growth in weaned pigs. A...

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Published in:Journal of animal science 2016-12, Vol.95 (suppl_1), p.30-30
Main Authors: McAfee, J. M., Kattesh, H. G., Lindemann, M. D., Voy, B. H., Kojima, C. J., Carroll, J. A., Burdick Sanchez, N. C., Gillespie, B. E., Saxton, A. M.
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Language:English
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Summary:Abstract Dietary n-3 PUFA are precursors for lipid metabolites that reduce inflammation. Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that enriching the sow diet in n-3 PUFA during late gestation and throughout lactation reduces stress and inflammation, and promotes growth in weaned pigs. A protected fish oil product (PFO; GromegaTM) was used to enrich the diet in n-3 PUFA. Experiment 1, time-bred gilts (n = 14) were fed a gestation and lactation diet supplemented with 0 (control; n = 5), 0.25 (n = 4), 0.5 (n = 4) or 1% (n = 5) PFO from 101 ± 2 d of gestation to d 16 of lactation. Adding 1% PFO to the diet increased the n-3:n-6 PUFA ratio in colostrum and milk compared to controls (P = 0.05). A subsequent experiment was performed to determine if supplementing the sows' diet with 1% PFO improved growth and reduced circulating markers of acute inflammation and stress in their offspring. Plasma was harvested from piglets (16 /treatment group) on d 0 (d of weaning) and d 1 and 3 postweaning. Pigs from the 1% PFO treatment group weighed more (P = 0.03) on d 3 postweaning and had a greater (P < 0.01) n-3:n-6 PUFA ratio in plasma on each day sampled compared to 0% PFO controls. There was an overall treatment effect (P = 0.02) on plasma total cortisol, with lesser concentrations in pigs on the 1% PFO diet. Plasma corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) concentrations were not different between treatment groups but were lesser (P < 0.001) on d 1 and 3 when compared to d 0. The resultant free cortisol index [FCI (cortisol/CBG)] was lesser (P = 0.02) on d 1 and 3 for pigs from the 1% treatment group compared to the controls. An ex vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge of whole blood collected on d 0 and 1 was used to determine if 1% PFO attenuated release of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). Pigs from the 1% PFO treatment group tended (P = 0.098) to have a lesser mean concentrations of TNF-α in response to LPS compared to controls. These results suggest that providing a PFO supplement as 1% of the diet to sows beginning in late gestation and during lactation can increase the n-3:n-6 PUFA ratio in their offspring, which may improve growth and reduce the acute physiological stress response in the pigs postweaning.
ISSN:0021-8812
1525-3163
DOI:10.2527/ssasas2017.061