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Spray-dried plasma (SDP) is extensively used in nursery pig diets due to its advantages of improvements in health status. Supplementation of SDP in sow diet during gestation or lactation also showed improvements in sow productivity and growth of their offspring, but information regarding nursing and weaned pigs from sows fed SDP during late gestation and lactation period is still limited. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of spray-dried plasma (SDP) supplementation during late gestation and lactation on productive performance and immune responses of sows and their litters. Twelve sows (227.78 ± 2.16 kg average body weight; 2.0 average parity) were randomly allotted to two dietary treatments: a basal diet (CON) and the basal diet supplemented with 1% SDP. Sows were fed experimental diets from d 30 before farrowing to weaning of their piglets. Blood samples were collected from sows on d 1, 3, and 7 of lactation and from two randomly selected nursing pigs per litter on d 3 and 7 after birth, and d 1, 3, and 7 after weaning. Productive performance and immune responses of sows and their piglets were measured.
There was a trend of less bodyweight loss in sows supplemented with SDP during the lactation period and a trend of greater average daily gain in SDP piglets compared to those in the CON group. Sows in the SDP group tended to have lower serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and cortisol on d 3 and lower serum concentration of TNF-α on d 7 compared with sows in CON group. In comparison with CON piglets, piglets from SDP sows tended to have lower serum concentrations of TNF-α, TGF-β1, and cortisol on d 7 after birth, lower serum TNF-α and C-reactive protein on d 3 and 7 after weaning, and greater average daily gain after weaning. Moreover, weaned pigs from sows fed SDP had significantly lower serum concentrations of cortisol and TGF-β1 on d 3 and 7 postweaning, respectively, than CON piglets.
In conclusion, SDP supplementation in sow diets from late gestation to weaning improved the productive performance of sows and their offspring; the beneficial effects of SDP may be mediated in part through modulation of immune responses of both sows and piglets.
Kim K, Kim B, Kyoung H, Liu Y, Campbell JM, Song M, Ji P. Dietary spray-dried plasma supplementation in late-gestation and lactation enhanced productive performance and immune responses of lactating sows and their litters. Journal of Animal Science and Technology. 2021; 63(5): 1076. https://doi.org/10.5187/jast.2021.e83