Dietary supplementation with Forsythia suspensa extract during late gestation improves reproductive performance, colostrum composition, antioxidant status, immunoglobulin, and inflammatory cytokines in sows and newborn piglets

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary Forsythia suspensa extract (FSE) supplementation during late gestation on reproductive performance, colostrum composition, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant status, immune status, and inflammatory cytokines in sows and newborn piglets. Forty healthy Yorkshire × Landrace gestating sows (average parity of 3.28 ± 0.61; average body weight of 240.16 ± 6.81 kg) were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments with 20 sows per treatment based on body weight, back fat thickness and parity. From d 85 of gestation to farrowing, sows were fed one of two diets including a control diet (CON) and a FSE diet (CON + 100 mg/kg FSE). The results showed that sows fed FSE had increased (P < 0.05) litter birth weight, enhanced (P < 0.05) fat and protein contents in colostrum, and decreased (P < 0.05) rate of stillbirth compared with CON. Dietary FSE supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, ether extracts, gross energy, and organic matter in gestating sows compared with CON. Dietary FSE supplementation in sows increased (P < 0.05) the contents of total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase, decreased (P < 0.05) the content of malondialdehyde in colostrum, and increased (P < 0.05) the contents of catalase and glutathione peroxidase in serum of their offsprings compared with CON. Additionally, sows fed FSE showed higher immunoglobulin A (P < 0.05) in serum of their offsprings and a trend for higher immunoglobulin M (P = 0.08) in colostrum compared with CON. Sows fed FSE showed increased (P < 0.05) content of glucose in colostrum and decreased (P < 0.05) content of urea in serum of their offsprings compared with CON. Sows fed FSE had decreased (P < 0.05) content of interleukin (IL)-6 and increased (P < 0.05) content of IL-10 in serum and colostrum compared with CON. Sows supplemented with FSE had decreased (P < 0.05) contents IL-6 and IL-8 in serum of their offsprings compared with CON. Sows supplemented with FSE also had increased (P < 0.05) content of gonadotropin-releasing hormone in serum of their offsprings compared with CON. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with FSE in sows during late gestation could improve litter birth weight, colostrum fat and protein contents, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant status, immunoglobulin, inflammatory cytokines in sows and newborn piglets. Moreover, FSE could also potentially modulate reproductive hormones in sows.