# Maternal 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol Supplementation Dynamically Altered Milk Fatty Acid and Amino Acid Profiles and Improves Sow Performance

## TL;DR

This study shows that adding 25-hydroxycholecalciferol to a sow's diet changes milk composition and improves piglet growth and sow health.

## Contribution

The study reveals how maternal 25-OH-D3 supplementation dynamically alters milk fatty acid and amino acid profiles, linking these changes to improved sow and piglet performance.

## Key findings

- 25-OH-D3 supplementation increased weaning weight and piglet weight gain.
- Milk fatty acid levels were suppressed early but recovered later, especially for oleic and linoleic acids.
- Amino acid concentrations dropped faster in supplemented sows, suggesting altered milk composition.

## Abstract

Given the presence of vitamin D receptors in mammary glands and their more efficient absorbability, this study was performed to evaluate the effects of maternal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) supplementation on sow performance, as well as the dynamic alterations of both the amino acid and fatty acid profiles in milk. Herein, the concentration of all amino acids in milk was higher in colostrum, following a dramatic drop. The rate of reduction for all amino acids was increased by dietary 25-OH-D3 supplementation. The addition of dietary 25-OH-D3 initially suppressed both saturated and unsaturated fatty acid levels from days 1 to 7. Subsequently, the 25-OH-D3 group exhibited elevated levels of specific fatty acids relative to the control during l4 to 21 d of lactation, especially oleic and linoleic acids and arachidonic acid. These findings support the hypothesis that maternal supplementation of 25-OH-D3 in gestation and lactation diets could alter milk composition, which might be linked to the improved body weight of piglets, with an effective maintenance of body condition in sows.

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of maternal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) supplementation on sow performance, as well as the dynamic alterations of both the amino acid and fatty acid profiles in milk. On day 85 of gestation, twenty primiparous hybrid sows were allocated into two groups (10 sows/group) and fed a basal diet (3200 IU/kg vitamin D3) containing either 0 or 50 μg/kg 25-OH-D3 until weaning on d 21 of lactation. Milk was collected at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 d of lactation. The results showed that dietary 25-OH-D3 supplementation notably decreased the score of tear stain at 101 d of gestation when compared to the Ctrl group (p = 0.030). No significant difference was found in terms of the gestation day, litter size, and litter weight at birth, whereas maternal 25-OH-D3 intervention notably increased weaning weight and weight gain of the piglet (p < 0.05), while dietary 25-OH-D3 supplementation contributed to a 16.4% body gain during lactation. The concentration of all amino acids in milk was higher in colostrum, following a dramatic drop. The rate of reduction for all amino acids was increased by dietary 25-OH-D3 supplementation. The contents of saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids were increased and decreased linearly throughout lactation (both p < 0.05). Dietary 25-OH-D3 supplementation initially suppressed both saturated and unsaturated fatty acid levels from d 1 to 7, while prompting a recovery of specific fatty acids from d 14 to 21 of lactation, particularly oleic acid, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid. These findings indicate that maternal 25-OH-D3 supplementation alters the pattern of milk fatty acid and amino acid composition, which may be associated with the observed improvement in piglet outcomes.