Inclusion of a fish oil processing fraction as additive in diets for weaning piglets

Belanche, Alejandro (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Diago, Sergio ; Fondevila, Manuel (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: The weaning process in pig production is commonly associated to low feed intake, slow growth rate and increased morbidity of piglets. This study evaluates a nutritional intervention consisting of supplementing with a fish oil product rich in mono- and diglycerides (FOMG) and containing 0.069 g/g of ω-3, to improve animal health and productive performance during the post-weaning period. In a preliminary experiment (experiment 1), a total of 136 piglets were randomly distributed in two groups (4 pens per group) to evaluate the productive effects of dietary supplementation with FOMG at 15 g/kg (T15) in substitution of lard (T0) as fat source during the post-weaning period in a commercial farm. Besides, in experiment 2 a total of 72 weaned piglets were fed on a control diet (T0) or supplemented with 15 (T15) or 30 g FOMG/kg (T30) in substitution of sunflower oil, with 6 pens of 4 piglets per treatment. In experiment 2 growth and intake were weekly controlled, and blood was sampled on days 14 and 34. At day 35 post-weaning, 6 piglets per treatment were euthanized to study the microbial fermentation and the ileal and caecal bacterial community by 16 S amplicon sequencing. Results indicated that piglets fed T15 diet tended to have a higher growth gain during the post-weaning period in experiment 1 (P = 0.067). This increased growth was partially explained by a greater feed intake (0.14 higher) but also due to improved animal health as showed by the lower proportion of neutrophils (P = 0.006), blood cortisol (P = 0.098) and morbidity (P < 0.05) in experiment 2. Treatment T15 also tended (P = 0.064) to promote a higher volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration at the ileum, which could be compatible with a higher nutrient absorption and a subsequent lower VFA concentration in the hindgut (P < 0.001). Moreover, FOMG supplementation at T15 exerted modulatory effects on the gut microbiota promoting a shift in the bacterial community structure, lower diversity (Richness index, P < 0.05) and a trend (P = 0.076) for a higher butyrate proportion at the ileum, together with a lower (P < 0.05) and most favourable Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio at the caecum. On the contrary, T30 diet promoted less beneficial effects than T15. These findings indicated that supplementation of piglets with FOMG at a level of 15 g/kg represents a suitable strategy to improve pig performance and gut health during the post-weaning period.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2022.115517

Año: 2023

Publicado en: Animal Feed Science and Technology 295 (2023), 115517 [13 pp.]
ISSN: 0377-8401

Factor impacto JCR: 2.5 (2023)

Categ. JCR: AGRICULTURE, DAIRY & ANIMAL SCIENCE rank: 13 / 80 = 0.162 (2023) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 6.0 - Animal Science and Zoology (Q1)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.69 - Animal Science and Zoology (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/RYC2019-027764-I/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Producción Animal (Dpto. Produc.Animal Cienc.Ali.)