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Effect of Threonine Addition to a Low Protein Diet on IgG Levels in Body Fluid of First-Litter Sows and Their Piglets |
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C. B. Hsu, S. P. Cheng, J. C. Hsu, H. T. Yen |
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| Abstract |
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First-litter gilts were used to determine how different dietary treatments during gestation affect the reproductive performance of gilts and immunity development of their piglets. Twenty-two crossbred Landrace횞Yorkshire gilts were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments. Following conception, the gilts were fed experimental diets until farrowing occurred. The diet for treatment 1 was low protein diet (8% CP), treatment 2 had an additional supplement of 0.14% threonine that was added to the low protein diet, and treatment 3 was a control diet containing 12% CP. During gestation, net body weight gain of sows in treatment group 2 was higher than in treatment group 1 (p=0.075). However, during lactation there was no difference between all treatments groups on body weight loss and their live piglets at birth. Although milk IgG between treatments did not differ, treatment groups 2 and 3 were slightly higher than treatment group 1 was. Plasma IgG concentrations in piglets were however equal within all treatment groups at birth and at 7 days of age, at 21 days of age, it was higher in treatment group 1 than it was in the other two groups (p<0.01). Threonine supplementation to a low protein diet during gestation slightly increases milk IgG of sows. It is beneficial for piglets to acquire more passive immunity, but a suppressive effect was also noted on the endogenous IgG synthesis in piglets. A gestation diet of 8% CP for gilts can stimulate immuno-system of her piglets. |
| Keywords:
Immunoglobulin G; Piglets; Pregnancy Diets; Sows; Threonine |
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