Effect of Microencapsulated Medium-Chain Fatty Acids, Lignocellulose, and Heat-Killed Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 Supplementation on Lactating Sow Performance, and Nutritional and Immunological Parameters in Colostrum

TL;DR

This study shows that supplementing sows with specific feed additives improves colostrum quality and increases live-born piglets.

Contribution

The novel contribution is the synergistic effect of combining microencapsulated medium-chain fatty acids, lignocellulose, and heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum on sow and colostrum performance.

Findings

Supplementation increased live-born piglet numbers and colostrum yield significantly.

Colostrum fat content and immunoglobulin levels (IgG and IgM) were elevated in supplemented groups.

The combination of miMCFA, lignocellulose, and HKL137 showed the best overall performance improvements.

Abstract

Feeding and nutrition of sows during late-gestation and lactation are crucial for maximizing piglet production and survival. In this study, the administration of microencapsulated medium-chain fatty acids (miMCFA) demonstrated significant enhancement of live-born piglet numbers, and elevated colostrum yield. Furthermore, the synergistic application of miMCFA in conjunction with lignocellulose and heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum L137 (HKL137) exhibited additional neonatal piglet benefits and sow performance, specifically in terms of fat content and immunoglobulin G and M (IgG and IgM) concentrations in colostrum. Compared to the control group, sows with enhanced immune transfer produced 60.5% more colostrum during their first piglet parturition period. The colostrum exhibited increased concentrations of lipids (28%) along with significant IgG and IgM levels. These results highlight our strategic feeding leads to higher colostrum quality resulting in increasing the number of live-born piglets.

This experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementing miMCFA, lignocellulose, and HKL137 on lactating sow performance and nutritional composition and immunity in colostrum. Fifty 3–4 parity sows (Large White × Landrace) were randomly assigned to one of five treatments: (1) control (CON) without supplementation, (2) miMCFA (S1), (3) miMCFA + lignocellulose (S2), (4) miMCFA + HKL137 (S3), and (5) miMCFA + lignocellulose + HKL137 (S4). Supplements were daily added to the morning meal for 21 days (day 100 of gestation to day 7 post-farrowing). Compared with CON, the S1 and S4 groups had improvements (p < 0.01) in live-born piglet numbers, and colostrum yield. Fat content in colostrum was significantly increased (p < 0.01) in the S3 and S4 groups than those of CON group. Additionally, IgG levels were significantly greatest (p < 0.05) in the S3 and S4 groups. Likewise, IgM levels were notably highest (p < 0.05) in the S2 and S4 groups. These results indicated that the synergistic administration of miMCFA, lignocellulose, and HKL137 resulted in significant enhancements in both sow performance indices and colostrum metrics, encompassing both quantitative and qualitative parameters.

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