Effects of catechins on litter size,reproductive performance and antioxidative status in gestating sows

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of catechins on reproductive performance, antioxidative capacity and immune function of gestating sows. A total of 60 cross-bred（Landrace × Large White） multiparious sows were blocked by body weight, parity and backfact and randomly allocated to 1 of 5 treatments: 0.100,200,300, or 400 mg/kg catechins. Dietary treatments were imposed from mating to d 40 of gestation of sows. At farrowing, litter total born, born alive, dead, and normal-（healthy piglets,>0.85 kg） and low-birth weight piglets（<0.85 kg） were recorded. Within 3.00 ± 0.50 days after farrowing litter size was standardized to 8,00 ± 1.50 piglets within treatment. The piglets were weighed at birth（d 1） and weaning（d 28）. Sows serum samples were obtained from blood samples collected on d 40 of gestation for analyses of glutathione peroxidase（GSH-Px）, superoxide dismutase（SOD）, catalase（CAT）,malondialdehyde（MDA）, hydrogen peroxide（H2 O2）, nitric oxide synthetase（NOS） and nitrogen monoxide（NO）. Our results showed that supplementation of catechins at levels of 200 or 300 mg/kg led to improvements in litter born alive（P < 0.01） and piglet born healthy（P < 0.01） and a decrease in stillborn（P < 0.05） at farrowing when compared with the control. In comparison with the control, catechins at any supplemental levels all enhanced the serum SOD（P < 0.05） and CAT（P < 0.01） activities of sows at farrowing but no obvious differences in the serum GSH-Px and NOS activities were observed in this trial（P > 0.05）. Sows received 200 mg catechin per kg diets showed a reduction（P < 0.05） of the serum MDA level at farrowing compared with all other treatments. Sows received all the levels of catechin showed a reduction（P < 0.05） of serum H2 O2 level compared with sows received the control diet on both d 40 of gestation and farrowing. Our results demonstrated that the catechins may be a potential antioxidant to increase the reproductive performance and antioxidative capacity of sows when it was added into diets during the early gestation.

Wheat bran inclusion level impacts its net energy by shaping gut microbiota and regulating heat production in gestating sows

An accurate estimation of net energy(NE)of wheat bran is essential for precision feeding of sows.However,the effects of inclusion level on NE of wheat bran have not been reported.Inclusion level was hypothesized to impact NE of wheat bran by regulating gut microbiota and partitioning of heat production.Therefore,twelve multiparous sows(Yorkshire×Landrace;2 to 4 parity)were assigned to a replicated 3×6 Youden square with 3 successive periods and 6 diets in each square.The experiment included a corn-soybean meal diet(WB0)and five diets including 9.8%(WB10),19.5%(WB20),29.2%(WB30),39.0%(WB40)and 48.7%wheat bran(WB50),respectively.Each period included 6 d of adaptation to diets followed by 6 d for heat production measurement using open-circuit respiration chambers.Compared with other groups,WB30,WB40,and WB50 enriched different fiber-degrading bacteria genera(P<0.05).Apparent total tract digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber of wheat bran were greater in WB30 and WB40(P<0.05).Physical activity(standing and sitting)decreased as inclusion level increased(P=0.04),which tended to decrease related heat production(P=0.07).Thermic effect of feeding(TEF)was higher in WB50 than other treatments(P<0.01).Metabolizable energy of wheat bran was similar among treatment groups(except for WB10).NE of wheat bran conformed to a quadratic regression equation with inclusion level(R^(2)=0.99,P<0.01)and peaked at an inclusion level of 35.3%.In conclusion,increasing inclusion level decreased energy expenditure of sows on physical activity and promoted growth of fiber-degrading bacteria,which improved energy utilization of fiber.Fermentation of wheat bran fiber by Prevotellaceae_UCG-003 and norank_f_Paludibacteraceae might increase TEF.Consequently,sows utilized energy in wheat bran most efficiently at an inclusion level of 35.3%.

Bacillus subtilis ANSB01G culture alleviates oxidative stress and cell apoptosis induced by dietary zearalenone in first-parity gestation sows

This study was conducted to evaluate the alleviation of Bacillus subtilis ANSB01G culture as zearalenone(ZEA)biodegradation agent on oxidative stress,cell apoptosis and fecal ZEA residue in the first parity gestation sows during the gestation.A total of 80 first-parity gilts(Yorkshire×Landrace)were randomly allocated to 4 dietary treatments with 20 replications per treatment and one gilt per replicate.The dietary treatments were as follows:CO(positive control);MO(negative control,ZEA level at 246μg/kg diet);COA(CO+B.subtilis ANSB01G culture with 2×10^9 CFU/kg diet);MOA(MO+ZEA level at 260μg/kg diet+B.subtilis ANSB01G culture with 2×10^9 CFU/kg diet).The experiment lasted for the whole gestation period of sows.Results showed that feeding the diet naturally contaminated with low-dose ZEA caused an increase of cell apoptosis in organ and the residual ZEA in feces as well as a decrease of antioxidant function in serum.The addition of B.subtilis ANSB01G culture in the diets can effectively alleviate the status of oxidative stress and cell apoptosis induced by ZEA in diets of gestation sows,as well as decrease the content of residual ZEA in feces.