PSI-A-1 Effects of Agolin-Pig on Milk Composition Throughout Lactation

Abstract

Abstract Essential oils are increasingly being used in the swine industry as an alternative to antibiotics. New areas of research indicate that essential oils may alter milk composition and production in lactating sows with the potential of increasing resistance of piglets to harmful bacteria. The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine the effects of Agolin-Pig, a product containing micro-encapsulated essential oils, on milk composition and production. The treatment group (n = 13) consisted of sows fed 200 ppm of Agolin-Pig mixed in an in-house premix combined with a standard lactation diet (NRC, 2012). The control group (n = 13) consisted of sows fed the same diet without added essential oils. All sows were started on their corresponding diets 14 days before their calculated farrowing date. Sows were induced on day 114 of gestation if they had not already farrowed. Colostrum was collected within 2 hours of the onset of farrowing from all teats and mixed to form a 50 to 100 mL homogenate, representative sample. On days 3 and 14 of lactation, sows were administered 0.5 mL of oxytocin via their ear vein to induce milk ejection. Three teats were selected along the midline of the sow and milked completely into 3 separate, corresponding 50 mL conical tubes. All milk samples were stored at -20°C until analysis. Protein composition of the three teats was averaged by sow before statistical analysis. Weigh-suckle-weigh (WSW), an indirect measure of milk production, was performed on d 10 to 12 of lactation by removing piglets from the sow for 45 minutes before recording a litter weight. The piglets were then returned to the sow to nurse for 30 minutes and weighed again. Colostrum and milk samples were analyzed for protein composition via a Bradford assay using a bovine serum albumin (BSA) standard. The PROC Mixed procedure of SAS v9.4 (Cary, North Carolina) was used to evaluate the effects of Agolin-Pig on the protein composition of milk at day 0, day 3, and day 14 of lactation along with WSW data. Treatment and parity (P1 vs P ≥ 2) were main effects with day of collection as a repeated measure and the random effect of sow. There was a significant decrease for both groups in protein composition from day 0 to 3 (P = 0.0001) and day 0 to 14 (P < 0.0001) with no significant change between day 3 to 14, which is expected as colostrum transitions into whole milk. There were no significant differences between treatment groups in protein milk composition throughout lactation. WSW data showed no significant differences between treatments in milk production. While no significant differences were observed in milk composition and production, future analysis will show the effects of Agolin-Pig on milk fat and immunoglobulin composition during lactation.