Effects of extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis and Lonicerae Flos on reproductive performance, milk quality and serum indexes in sows and growth performance in suckling piglets

Abstract

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis and Lonicerae Flos (SL) on reproductive performance, milk quality and serum indexes in sows and growth performance in suckling piglets. The experiment was adopted a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement design, one factor was the periods of supplementing sows with SL (d 80 ∼ d 107 of gestation & d 108 of gestation ∼ d 21 of lactation), the other factor was SL (0 mg/kg & 1000 mg/kg). Eighty crossbred gestating sows were randomly divided into four treatments, a basal diet (BD) treatment (T1), BD + SL from d 108 of gestation ∼ d 21 of lactation (T2), BD + SL during d 80 ∼ d 107 of gestation (T3), and BD + SL from d 80 of gestation ∼ d 21 of lactation (T4). The results showed that compared with T1, T2 increased piglet average weight, litter weight gain, the protein, whole milk solid (WMS) and non-fat milk solid (NFMS) contents in colostrum, the total protein (TP), globulin (GLB) contents and the catalase (CAT) activity at parturition, the CAT and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activities on d 14 of lactation (P < 0.05), T3 decreased the concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) at parturition (P < 0.05), T4 increased the litter weight, piglet average weight, litter weight gain, rearing rate of piglet, the protein, WMS and NFMS contents in colostrum, the TP and GLB contents, CAT and T-AOC activities at parturition, the T-AOC activity on d 14 of lactation, the concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM of piglets at 14 d (P < 0.05), decreased the concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α at parturition (P < 0.05). Compared with T3, T2 and T4 increased piglet average weight and litter weight gain, T2 decreased the total bilirubin (TBIL) content at parturition (P < 0.05), T4 increased the CAT, T-AOC activities at parturition and T-AOC activity on d 14 of lactation, the concentration of IgM of piglets at 14 d (P < 0.05). Two-way analysis of variance showed that the SL treatment during the late gestation increased the rearing rate of piglets, the WMS content in colostrum, the CAT, T-AOC activities at parturition (P < 0.05). The SL treatment during the perinatal-weaning period increased the litter weight, piglet average weight,litter weight gain, rearing rate of piglets, the protein, WMS and NFMS contents in colostrum, the TBIL, TP and GLB contents, the CAT and T-AOC activities (P < 0.05), decreased the concentrations of TNF-α at parturition (P < 0.05). In conclusion, SL supplementation from late gestation to weaning improved antioxidant capacity, liver function, colostrum quality and immunity in sows, the growth performance and immunity in piglets.