Effects of dietary fiber sources during late gestation and lactation on sow performance, milk quality, and intestinal health in piglets

Qinghui Shang, Hansuo Liu, Sujie Liu, Tengfei He, Xiangshu Piao

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with 2 sources of fiber, sugar beet pulp (SBP), and wheat bran (WB), on sow performance, milk quality, and intestinal health in piglets. Forty-five multiparous sows at day 85 of gestation were allocated to the following 3 treatments: 1) a corn-soybean meal basal diet (CON); 2) the CON diet supplemented with 20% SBP in gestation and 10% SBP in lactation (SBP); and 3) the CON diet supplemented with 30% WB in gestation and 15% WB in lactation (WB). The SBP diets increased (P < 0.05) sow ADFI during lactation, litter and piglet weaning weight, piglet ADG, immunoglobulin A (IgA), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels in the colostrum and IgA levels in the milk, while the WB diets only increased (P < 0.05) IL-10 levels in the milk when compared with the CON diets. Piglets from SBP-fed sows had greater (P < 0.05) serum growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels than those from WB-fed or CON-fed sows, whereas piglets from WB-fed sows had greater (P < 0.05) serum GH levels than those from CON-fed sows. Serum diamine oxidase activity, endotoxin, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were reduced (P < 0.05) in piglets from SBP-fed or WB-fed sows. Piglets from SBP-fed sows also had greater (P < 0.05) serum IL-10 levels than those from CON-fed sows. The ileal mRNA expression of TNF-α was reduced (P < 0.05) in piglets from SBP-fed or WB-fed sows. Piglets from SBP-fed sows had lower (P < 0.05) IL-6 expression, and greater (P < 0.05) IL-10 expression and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) levels in the ileum than those from WB- or CON-fed sows. Piglets from WB-fed sows had greater (P < 0.05) IL-10 expression and SIgA levels compared with those from CON-fed sows. The ileal mRNA expression of occludin in the ileum was greater (P < 0.05) in piglets from SBP-fed sows than those from CON-fed sows. The ileal mRNA expression of ZO-1 was greater (P < 0.05) in piglets from WB-fed sows than those from CON-fed sows, but lower (P < 0.05) than those from SBP-fed sows. Piglets from SBP-fed sows had greater (P < 0.05) abundance of Christensenellaceae and butyrate levels in the colon, while piglets from WB-fed sows had greater (P < 0.05) abundance of Lactobacillaceae. Collectively, maternal SBP supplementation was more effective than WB in improving milk quality, enhancing growth performance and intestinal barrier function, and ameliorating intestinal inflammation in piglets.