Abstract
Simple SummaryAfter weaning, piglets cannot absorb protein well and cannot get enough energy from the diet due to intestinal dysplasia. Medium-chain fatty acids are very effective in providing energy for piglets and may protect the integrity of the intestinal barrier to improve the healthy development of piglets. Therefore, we speculate that medium chain fatty acid glycerides can promote the growth of weaned piglets in a low protein diet. The present study examined the effects of medium-chain fatty acid glycerides on the growth performance, intestinal barrier function and inflammatory response of weaned piglets. These findings provide a new prospect for the application of medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides in piglets.Medium-chain fatty acid glycerides have been shown to provide energy for rapid oxidation in the body. The study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with medium-chain fatty acid glyceride on the growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets fed with a low-protein diet. Nighty healthy weaned piglets were randomly divided into five treatments: NP (Normal protein treatment, normal-protein diet no antibiotics included); NC (Negative control, low-protein diet no antibiotics included); PC (Positive control, low-protein diet +75 mg/kg quinocetone, 20 mg/kg virginiamycin and 50 mg/kg aureomycin); MCT (tricaprylin + tricaprin treatment, low-protein diet + tricaprylin + tricaprin); GML (glycerol monolaurate treatment, low-protein diet + glycerol monolaurate). The results showed that the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of the MCT treatment was significantly higher than that of the NP, NC treatments (p < 0.05). In the jejunum, the villus height of the GML treatment was significantly lower than that of the PC treatment (p < 0.05), and the number of goblet cells in the GML treatment was higher than that in the NC treatment (p < 0.05). Compared with the NC treatment, the MCT treatment significantly increased the level of claudin-1, Zonula occludens-1(ZO-1), while the GML treatment significantly increased the level of claudin-1, occludin, ZO-1 (p < 0.05). In the ileum, the level of ZO-1 in the GML treatment was significantly higher than that in the NP, NC, PC treatments (p < 0.05). Compared with the NC treatment, the GML treatment significantly increased the level of Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in the ileum and serum, while the MCT treatment significantly increased the level of SIgA and decreased the level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the ileum (p < 0.05). These results showed that the addition of medium-chain fatty acid glycerides to a low-protein diet could improve the growth performance and intestinal functional barrier of weaned piglets and also improve the immune function of weaned piglets.
Highlights
The intestinal mucosa of piglets has notably high energy demands because of their physiological functions, including the absorption and transport of nutrients, signal transduction, as well as the renewal of epithelial cells and maintenance of the structure [1]
SIgA and decreased the level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the ileum (p < 0.05). These results showed that the addition of medium-chain fatty acid glycerides to a low-protein diet could improve the growth performance and intestinal functional barrier of weaned piglets and improve the immune function of weaned piglets
Treatment significantly increased average daily feed intake (ADFI) when compared with the piglets of the Negative Control (NC) and Normal protein (NP) treatments (p < 0.05), but there were no differences in ADFI among the Positive control (PC), MCT or GML treatments (p > 0.05)
Summary
The intestinal mucosa of piglets has notably high energy demands because of their physiological functions, including the absorption and transport of nutrients, signal transduction, as well as the renewal of epithelial cells and maintenance of the structure [1]. Piglets can make good use of breast milk to provide energy when they are not weaned, because they have a high lipase activity from the moment of birth [2]. The inadequate feed intake immediately after weaning results in an energy intake that is insufficient for maintaining the structure and function of the intestinal epithelium [5]. A previous study showed that early weaning downregulated intestinal epithelial energy production in piglets, including the tricarboxylic acid cycle pathway, fatty acid oxidation and glycolysis [6]. A normal mucosal energy status is an important guarantee for relieving weaning stress and improving the growth performance of piglets [7]
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