Dietary supplementation of benzoic acid and essential oils combination enhances intestinal resilience against LPS stimulation in weaned piglets

Background The benefits of combining benzoic acid and essential oils(BAO)to mitigate intestinal impairment during the weaning process have been well established,while the detailed underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated.Previous research has primarily focused on the reparative effects of BAO on intestinal injury,while neglecting its potential in enhancing intestinal stress resistance.Methods In this study,we investigated the pre-protective effect of BAO against LPS-induced stress using a modified experimental procedure.Piglets were pre-supplemented with BAO for 14 d,followed by a challenge with LPS or saline to collect blood and intestinal samples.Results Our findings demonstrated that BAO supplementation led to significant improvements in piglets’final weight,average daily gain,and feed intake/body gain ratio.Additionally,BAO supplementation positively influenced the composition of intestinal microbiota,increasing beneficial Actinobacteriota and Alloprevotella while reducing harmful Desulfobacterota,Prevotella and Oscillospira.Furthermore,BAO supplementation effectively mitigated oxidative disturbances and inflammatory responses induced by acute LPS challenge.This was evidenced by elevated levels of T-AOC,SOD,and GSH,as well as decreased levels of MDA,TNF-α,and IL-6 in the plasma.Moreover,piglets subjected to LPS challenge and pre-supplemented with BAO exhibited significant improvements in intestinal morphological structure and enhanced integrity,as indicated by restored expression levels of Occludin and Claudin-1 compared to the non-supplemented counterparts.Further analysis revealed that BAO supplementation enhanced the jejunal antioxidative capacity by increasing GSH-Px levels and decreasing MDA levels under the LPS challenge and stimulated the activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway.Additionally,the reduction of TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathways activation and proinflammatory factor were also observed in the jejunal of those piglets fed with BAO.Conclusions In summary,our study demonstrates that pre-supplementation of BAO enhances the anti-stress capacity of weaned piglets by improving intestinal microbiota composition,reinforcing the intestinal barrier,and enhancing antioxidative and anti-inflammatory capabilities.These effects are closely associated with the activation of Nrf2 and TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathways.

Restored intestinal integrity,nutrients transporters,energy metabolism,antioxidative capacity and decreased harmful microbiota were associated with IUGR piglet's catch-up growth before weanling

Background:Intrauterine growth restriction(IUGR)is a major inducer of higher morbidity and mortality in the pig industry and catch-up growth(CUG)before weanling could significantly restore this negative influence.But there was limited knowledge about the underlying mechanism of CUG occurrence.Methods:Eighty litters of newborn piglets were divided into normal birth weight(NBW)and IUGR groups according to birth weight.At 26 d,those piglets with IUGR but over average body weight of eighty litters of weaned piglets were considered as CUG,and the piglets with IUGR still below average body weight were considered as NCUG.This study was conducted to systemically compare the intestinal difference among NBW,CUG and NCUG weaned piglets considering the crucial role of the intestine for piglet growth.Results:The results indicated that the m RNA expression of nutrients(amino acids,glucose,and fatty acids)transporters,and mitochondrial electron transport chain(ETC)I were upregulated in CUG piglets'gut with improved morphology compared with those NCUG,as well as the ratio of P-AMPK/AMPK protein expression which is the indicator of energy metabolism.Meanwhile,CUG piglet's gut showed higher antioxidative capacity with increased SOD and GSHPx activity,decreased MDA levels,as well as higher m RNA expressions of Nrf2,Keap1,SOD,and GSH-Px.Furthermore,inflammatory parameters including TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,and IL-12 factors,and the activation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways were significantly elevated in the NCUG intestine,while the protein expression of ZO-1,Occludin and Claudin-1 was reduced.The alpha diversity of fecal microbiota was higher in CUG piglets in contrast with NCUG piglets,and the increased beneficial bacteria and decreased pathogenic bacteria was also observed in CUG piglets.Conclusions:CUG piglet's intestine showed comprehensive restoration including higher nutrients transport,energy metabolism,antioxidant capacity,and intestinal physical barrier,while lower oxidative stress,inflammatory response,and pathogenic microbiota.

Recent progress of porcine milk components and mammary gland function

As the only nutritional source for newborn piglets,porcine colostrum and milk contain critical nutritional and immunological components including carbohydrates,lipids,and proteins(immunoglobulins).However,porcine milk composition is more complex than these three components.Recently,scientists identified additional and novel components of sow colostrum and milk,including exosomes,oligosaccharides,and bacteria,which possibly act as biological signals and modulate the intestinal environment and immune status in piglets and later in life.Evaluation of these nutritional and non-nutritional components in porcine milk will help better understand the nutritional and biological function of porcine colostrum and milk.Furthermore,some important functions of the porcine mammary gland have been reported in recent published literature.These preliminary studies hypothesized how glucose,amino acids,and fatty acids are transported from maternal blood to the porcine mammary gland for milk synthesis.Therefore,we summarized recent reports on sow milk composition and porcine mammary gland function in this review,with particular emphasis on macronutrient transfer and synthesis mechanisms,which might offer a possible approach for regulation of milk synthesis in the future.

Regulation of amino acid transporters in the mammary gland from late pregnancy to peak lactation in the sow

Background: Milk protein is crucial for milk quality in sows and health of newborn piglets. Plasma amino acids(AA)in sows are important precursors for milk protein synthesis in the mammary gland. In order to study the regulation of AA transported in sow mammary glands and possible underlying mechanisms, we measured the expression of genes coding for milk proteins, AA transporter expressions, and plasma AA concentrations in sows at three different physiological stages(D-17, D1 and D17 of lactation), and then further investigated the regulation of AA transport across the cell membrane by adaptive mechanisms using pig mammary epithelial cells(PMEC) as an in vitro model.PMEC were cultured in DMEM:F12 with 4 amino acid concentrations(0 × AA complex, 1 × AA complex, 5 × AA complex,and 25 × AA complex). Classes of AA complexes evaluated in this study included neutral AAs(L-Ala + L-Ser + L-Cys), acidic AAs(L-Asp, L-Glu) and neutral + basic AAs(L-Ala + L-Ser + L-Cys + L-Lys).Results: Our results indicated that m RNA expression of genes coding for milk protein(αs1-casein, αs2-casein,β-casein and κ-casein) increased significantly with the advance of physiological stage(P < 0.05), and plasma concentrations of most AAs including threonine, serine, glutamate, alanine, valine, cysteine, methionine, isoleucine and tyrosine were greater at D1 of lactation compared with D-17 and D17 of lactation(P < 0.05). Additionally, protein and gene expressions of AA transporters including excitatory AA transporter 3(EAAT3), alanine/serine/cysteine/threonine transporter(ASCT1) and sodium-coupled neutral AA transporter 1(SNAT2) were greater in lactating sow mammary glands compared with sow mammary glands in late pregnancy(P < 0.05). The m RNA expressions of SLC38 A2, SLC1 A1,SLC6 A14 increased significantly in the cell mediums supplemented with 5 × and 25 × of AA complexes compared with those cells cultured in DMEM/F12 cell medium(P < 0.05). The m RNA expressions of SLC38 A, SLC1 A4, and SLC6 A14 also increased in EBSS cell medium compared to DMEM/F12. However, only m RNA expression of SLC38 A decreased when AA complex was added into EBSS(P < 0.05).Conclusion: AA transportation was positively regulated in sow mammary glands with the advance of physiological stage from late pregnancy to peak of lactation and AA transporters in PMECs were adaptively regulated by changed AA concentrations.

Maternal sodium acetate supplementation promotes lactation performance of sows and their offspring growth performance

Milk yield and composition are critical determining factors for the early growth and development of neonates.The objective of this experiment was to comprehensively evaluate the effects of dietary sodium acetate(SA)supplementation on the milk yield and composition of sows and the growth performance of their offspring.A total of 80 sows(Landrace×Yorkshire,3 to 6 parity)were randomly assigned to 2groups(with or without 0.1%SA)from d 85 of gestation to d 21 of lactation.The result shows that maternal 0.1%SA supplementation significantly increased sows milk yield,milk fat,immunoglobulin A(IgA)and IgG content in milk(P<0.05),with the up-regulation of short-chain fatty acids receptors(GPR41 and GPR43)expression and the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex C1(mTORC1)signaling pathway.Consistently,in our in vitro experiment,SA also activated m TORC1signaling in porcine mammary epithelial cells(P<0.05).Furthermore,the improvement of milk quality and quantity caused by maternal SA supplementation led to the increase in body weight(BW)and average daily weight gain(ADG)of weaning piglets,with the improvement of gut health and colonization of the beneficial bacteria(P<0.05).In conclusion,maternal supplementation of 0.1%SA improved the lactation performance(milk yield and milk fat)of sows,possibly with the activation of GPR41/GPR43-mTORC1 signaling.Furthermore,enhanced milk quality improved growth performance,gut health and the colonization of beneficial microbial flora of their piglets.

Plant-derived polyphenols in sow nutrition:An update

Oxidative stress is a potentially critical factor that affects productive performance in gestating and lactating sows.Polyphenols are a large class of plant secondary metabolites that possess robust antioxidant capacity.All polyphenols are structurally characterized by aromatic rings with multiple hydrogen hydroxyl groups;those make polyphenols perfect hydrogen atoms and electron donors to neutralize free radicals and other reactive oxygen species.In the past decade,increasing attention has been paid to polyphenols as functional feed additives for sows.Polyphenols have been found to alleviate inflammation and oxidative stress in sows,boost their reproductivity,and promote offspring growth and development.In this review,we provided a systematical summary of the latest research advances in plant-derived polyphenols in sow nutrition,and mainly focused on the effects of polyphenols on the(1)antioxidant and immune functions of sows,(2)placental functions and the growth and development of fetal piglets,(3)mammary gland functions and the growth and development of suckling piglets,and(4)the long-term growth and development of progeny pigs.The output of this review provides an important foundation,from more than 8,000 identified plant phenols,to screen potential polyphenols(or polyphenol-enriched plants)as functional feed additives suitable for gestating and lactating sows.

Combined yeast culture and organic selenium supplementation during late gestation and lactation improve preweaning piglet performance by enhancing the antioxidant capacity and milk content in nutrient-restricted sows

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with yeast culture(YC)and organic selenium(Se)during late gestation and lactation on reproductive performance,milk quality,piglet preweaning performance,antioxidant capacity,and secretion of immunoglobulin in multiparous sows.A total of 160 healthy cross-bred sows(Landrace×Yorkshire,mean parity 4.1±0.3)were randomly assigned to 4 groups as follows:1)high nutrient(HN),3,420 kcal/kg digestible energy(DE)and 18.0%crude protein(CP);2)low nutrient(LN),3,240 kcal/kg DE and 16.0%CP;3)LN+YC,LN diet+10 g/kg YC;4)LN+YC+Se,LN diet+10 g/kg YC+organic Se(1 mg/kg Se).Feeding trials of sows started from d 85 of pregnancy to d 35 of lactation.Compared with sows in the LN group,sows fed the LN+YC+Se diet had greater litter weaning weight,average litter gain,and milk fat content(14-d and25-d milk)(P<0.05).The content of malonaldehyde(MDA)(colostrum and 14-d milk)was lesser,and the activity of glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)(colostrum and 25-d milk)was greater when sows were fed the LN+YC+Se diet,compared with sows fed the LN diet(P<0.05).Supplementation of YC and organic Se in the nutrient-restricted diet improved sows’reproductive performance and pig weaning body weight by enhancing the antioxidant capacity and fat content in milk.

Dietary fiber and microbiota interaction regulates sow metabolism and reproductive performance

Dietary fiber is a critical nutrient in sow diet and has attracted interest of animal nutritionists for many years.In addition to increase sows’satiety,dietary fiber has been found to involve in the regulation of multiple biological functions in the sow production.The interaction of dietary fiber and gut microbes can produce bioactive metabolites,which are of great significance to sows’metabolism and reproductive performance.This article reviewed the interaction between dietary fiber and gut microbes in regulating sows’gut microbial diversity,intestinal immune system,lactation,and production performance,with the aim to provide a new strategy for the use of dietary fiber in sow diets.

Nutritional strategies to alleviate oxidative stress in sows

The performance of high-yielding sows is directly related to the productivity of pig farming. Fetaldevelopment mainly occurs during the last month of pregnancy, and the aggressive metabolic burden ofsows during this stage eventually leads to systemic oxidative stress. When affected by oxidative stress,sows exhibit adverse symptoms such as reduced feed intake, hindered fetal development, and evenabortion. In addition, milk synthesis during the lactation period causes a severe metabolic burden. Thebiological response to oxidative stress during this period is associated with a decrease in milk production,which further affects the growth of piglets. Understanding the nutritional strategies to alleviateoxidative stress in sows is crucial to maintain their reproduction and lactation performance. Recently,advances have been made in the field of nutrition to relieve oxidative stress in sows during late pregnancyand lactation. This review highlights the nutritional strategies to relieve oxidative stress in sowsreported within the last 20 years.