Abstract
BackgroundOligosaccharides (OS) are indigestible carbohydrates naturally found in milk. The composition of porcine colostrum OS may influence the growth and the health of the neonate and consuming optimal concentrations of OS may reduce piglet susceptibility to illness. In this manner, targeted supplementation of animal feed with OS is being explored as a health management tool in the livestock industry. The variation in OS composition between different breeds of pig and its association with the litter performance is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize the colostrum OS composition from sows of different breed and parity and correlate this data with sow maternal traits.MethodsEighty-three colostrum samples from parities 1 to 8 were gathered from 3 different breeds of sow: 44 Large White sows, 27 Landrace sows and 12 Duroc sows. Samples were taken between the birth of the first and the last piglet from sows that were not pharmacologically induced to farrow. OS were purified from the samples and analysed by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry (21 OS compositions detected). The farrowing season and the maternal data were recorded for each sow, including the number of live piglets and the litter body weight at birth, at day (d) 3 and at weaning.ResultsFive OS compositions, including isomers of the bifidogenic Sialyllactose, Lacto-N-Tetraose and Lacto-N-Hexaose series, were detected in all the samples. Twelve other OS were identified in at least 50% of samples, and their abundances were affected by breed (P < 0.05; 6 of 12), marginally affected by season (P < 0.10; 3 of 12) and never by parity number. The abundances of each OS component were standardized by Z-score scaling (μ = 0 and SD = 1), transformed by principal component analysis, and four similarity clusters were generated. Cluster membership was associated with litter weight gain within 3 days (P = 0.063) and at weaning (P < 0.05), but not with piglet mortality within 3 days.ConclusionsOS composition of colostrum may partially explain the variability in maternal performance within and between different breeds of sow. The obtained OS data can provide useful information for the development of novel prebiotic food supplements for suckling and weaning pigs.
Highlights
Oligosaccharides (OS) are indigestible carbohydrates naturally found in milk
Milk OS consist of a lactose core that can be linked by several different bonds to N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetylgalactosamine units during synthesis in the mammary gland
The animals belonged to three different breeds of pig that are important in typical Italian pork production: 44 Large White sows (LW), 27 Landrace sows (LA) and 12 Duroc sows (DU)
Summary
Oligosaccharides (OS) are indigestible carbohydrates naturally found in milk. The composition of porcine colostrum OS may influence the growth and the health of the neonate and consuming optimal concentrations of OS may reduce piglet susceptibility to illness. Milk OS consist of a lactose core that can be linked by several different bonds to N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetylgalactosamine units during synthesis in the mammary gland They can be further modified by the addition of fucose or sialic acid residues at the terminal positions and are joined by a multitude of linkages. A well-known case of individual variability is exemplified by the degree of OS fucosylation in human milk, which depends on the secretor/non-secretor and Lewis blood group statuses of different women [1]. Previous research in this field has evidenced that the milk OS composition of domestic animals can be quite similar to human milk OS. Porcine milk OS in particular [2] have been indicated to be more similar to human milk OS than bovine milk OS are [3]
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