Evaluation of Three Doses of Dietary Sialyllactose on Growth and Intestinal Development in the Neonatal Piglet

Abstract

Oligosaccharides are the third most abundant component in human milk and modulate neonate microbiota, gut and immune development. This study investigated potential dose‐dependent effects of sialyllactose (Lacprodan SAL‐10®, SL) on growth and gut development of neonatal piglets. Beginning at 2 d of age, 38 vaginally‐derived male piglets (mean body weight (BW) 1.64 ± 0.04 kg) were randomized to diets formulated to contain: control (CONT) [0 mg SL/L milk replacer], low (LOW) [130 mg SL/L], moderate (MOD) [380 mg SL/L], and high (HIGH) [760 mg SL/L]. Diets contained 4 g/L of a 1:1 mixture of polydextrose and galactooligosaccharides. Diets were prepared at 20% (wt/vol) and piglets received 285 mL and 325 mL per kg BW on d2–5 and 5–33, respectively. On d32 or 33, piglets were euthanized and samples were collected. Outcomes were analyzed using a one‐way ANOVA; significance was set at p ≤ 0.05 and trends at 0.05 < p < 0.10. Dietary SL was well tolerated regardless of dose and growth patterns were similar among the groups. Weight gain between d2 and 33 did not differ among the groups and the average gain was 4.23 ± 0.29 kg (CONT: 4.19 kg ± 0.42; LOW: 4.08 kg ± 0.64; MOD: 4.43 kg ± 0.69; HIGH: 4.22 kg ± 0.68). Similarly, intestinal length and weight, villus and crypt morphology in the small and large intestine and the number of acidic sulfated mucin‐secreting goblet cells did not differ among the groups. Short‐chain and branched‐chain fatty acid profiles in colonic contents were similar between all four groups. No differences in complete blood counts were observed and serum clinical chemistry values were similar (minerals, electrolytes, protein, enzymes, kidney function, liver function and acid:base balance and prothrombin time), except for activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and glutathione dehydrogenase (GLDH). APTT (seconds) in HIGH (12.6 ± 0.5) was lower (p<0.02) than CONT (14.1 ± 0.2), LOW (13.8 ± 0.4) and MOD (13.6 ± 0.2). GLDH (U/L) in CONT (0.9 ± 0.1) was lower (p<0.02) than LOW (1.3 ± 0.1) and MOD (1.5 ± 0.2) and tended (p<0.09) to be lower than HIGH (1.2 ± 0.08). Due to the low magnitude of differences and lack of a clear dose response, the differences in aPTT were not clinically significant. In addition to a lack of dose‐response in our study, normal values for other liver enzymes suggest that slightly higher GLDH values are also unlikely of clinical significance. In conclusion, dietary SL at up to 760 mg/L was well tolerated and supported similar growth and intestinal development as the CONT formula in neonatal piglets.Support or Funding InformationMead Johnson Nutrition