Coated omega-3 fatty acid from linseed oil positively affect sow immunoglobulin G concentration and pre-weaning performance of piglet

Abstract

A total of 45 multiparous sows (Landrace × Yorkshire, average parity is 4.2) and their piglets were used in a 35 days experiment to evaluate the effects of coated omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (COF) on colostrum and milk immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations and fatty acid composition, and piglet growth performance. Sows were randomly allocated to three treatments with 15 replications per treatment. Dietary treatments were as follows: CON, basal diet; COF1, CON + 2.5 g/kg of COF; (3) COF2, CON + 5.0 g/kg of COF. No significant (P > 0.05) responses were observed for reproductive performance parameters such as litter size, lactating average daily feed intake, body weight (BW) loss, backfat thickness loss, and estrus interval days. A significant linear increase (P < 0.05) observed with an increasing COF supplementation at the IgG concentration in milk during 16 days. Nevertheless, the fatty acid compositions of colostrum, at 4 days and 16 days milk was not affected by the increased COF supplementation. Moreover, increasing dietary COF resulted in significant linear (P < 0.05) increase in piglet BW on days 21 and average daily gain during days 1−7, 8−14, 15−21, and 1−28. In summary, inclusion of COF in lactating sow diets improved the milk IgG concentrations, and suckling pig growth performance but had no effect on reproductive performance, and colostrum and milk fatty acid compositions.