Abstract
Two experiments were conducted simultaneously to evaluate the effects of dietary plant extract supplement (YGF251) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF1) secretion and reproductive performance in sows. A total of 15 primiparous sows [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] and their litters were used in Exp. 1, and 15 third-parity sows [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] and their litters were used in Exp. 2. Sows were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 treatments with 5 replicates per treatment. The dietary treatments were as follows: 1) CON (basal diet), 2) PE1 (CON + plant extracts 0.5g/kg diet) and 3) PE2 (CON + plant extracts 1g/kg diet). In Exp. 1, the sows fed PE diet showed linear increase in the dry matter (P=0.03) and energy content (P=0.04) in colostrum compared with CON. Dry matter content in the milk of sows fed PE diets was also linearly increased (P=0.04) and energy content tended to increase (P=0.06) with the increase in the level of supplemented plant extract. Sows fed PE supplemented diet linearly increased IGF-1 concentration (P=0.04) with the increase in the dosage of supplemented plant extract. In Exp. 2, the body weight loss of third-parity sows was decreased linearly (P=0.04) at weaning with PE2 treatment showing lower body weight loss. Multiparous sows fed PE diet showed linear decrease (P=0.02) in back fat thickness loss. Sows fed PE diet showed linear increase in dry matter (P= 0.03) and energy content (P= 0.02) in the colostrum and there was a tendency of increase in fat (P=0.08) and energy content (P=0.06) in milk. In conclusion, plant extracts supplementation partially had positive effects in sows serum IGF-1, dry matter and energy content in colostrum in both first and third parity sows.
Published Version
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