Effect of spray-dried porcine plasma protein on feed intake, growth rate, and efficiency of gain in mice

No carryover effect of feeding spray dried plasma to weanling pigs in phase 1 on energy and nutrient digestibility in phase 2 were observed

Spray dried plasma (SDP) is commonly used in phase 1 diets for weanling pigs, but it is unknown if SDP affects energy or nutrient digestibility of the subsequent diet. Therefore, two experiments were conducted to test the null-hypothesis that inclusion of SDP in a phase 1 diet fed to weanling pigs will not affect energy or nutrient digestibility of a phase 2 diet without SDP. In experiment 1, 16 newly weaned barrows with an initial body weight (BW) of 4.47 ± 0.35 kg were randomly allotted to a phase 1 diet without SDP or a diet including 6% SDP for 14 d. Both diets were fed on an ad libitum basis. All pigs (BW: 6.92 ± 0.42 kg) had a T-cannula surgically inserted in the distal ileum, moved to individual pens, and fed the common phase 2 diet for 10 d with ileal digesta collection on days 9 and 10. In experiments 2, 24 newly weaned barrows (initial BW: 6.60 ± 0.22 kg) were randomly allotted to phase 1 diets without SDP or a diet containing 6% SDP for 20 d. Both diets were provided on an ad libitum basis. All pigs (BW: 9.37 ± 1.40 kg) were then moved to individual metabolism crates and fed the common phase 2 diet for 14 d with the initial 5 d being the adaptation period to the diet followed by 7 d of fecal and urine collection according to the marker-to-marker procedure. The apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of starch, crude protein (CP), amino acids (AA), and acid hydrolyzed ether extract (AEE), was determined in experiment 1, and the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of gross energy (GE), insoluble-, soluble-, and total-dietary fiber, Ca, and P, and the retention and biological value of N were determined in experiment 2. The statistical model included diet as fixed effect and block and pig within block as random effects. Results of experiment 1 indicated that the AID of starch, CP, AEE, and AA in phase 2 were not affected by phase 1 treatment. Results of experiment 2 indicated that the ATTD of GE, insoluble-, soluble-, and total-dietary fiber, Ca, and P and N retention and biological value in phase 2 were also not affected by phase 1 treatment. In conclusion, feeding weanling pigs a diet with 6% SDP in phase 1 did not affect the AID or ATTD of energy and nutrients in a phase 2 diet without SDP.

Effects of spray-dried animal plasma on the growth performance of weaned piglets-A review

Spray-dried animal plasma sourced from bovine, porcine or other animal origin is often used as a main feed ingredient in the diets of weanling piglets to improve growth performance. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of animal plasma in diets on the performance of piglets in the post-weaning period, with and/or without pathogenic challenge, by undertaking a meta-analysis. Data were extracted from peer-reviewed reports published in scientific journals. The average initial weight of the piglets was 5.8 kg and the average initial age 19 days (2-56 days). The average duration of feeding animal plasma was 40 days. Average daily gain (ADG), feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were found to be 22-28 g/day, 20-27 g/day and -0.28 to 0.06 g/g. Generally, diet supplemented with spray-dried bovine plasma (SDBP) improved the ADG of the piglets and spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) led to increases in the ADFI. For the first week post-weaning alone, as the dietary animal plasma percentage increased there was an increase in ADG and ADFI; similarly, the latter two measures increased as weaning age increased. The evidence suggests that mainly IgG present in animal plasma prevents the binding of pathogens to the gut wall and reduces the incidence of sub-clinical infection in the post-weaning stage. Animal plasma containing IgG appears to be a useful in-feed supplement for piglets in the post-weaning phase.

Impact of oral immunoglobulins on animal health-A review

Immunoglobulin (Ig) is the one of the main anti-infective components of blood, colostrum and breast milk. It is the unique glycoprotein that defends the body from harmful bacteria, viruses and other environmental pathogens by either binding to them or by forming an encapsulating barrier. The expansion of antimicrobial and immunomodulatory products from natural sources for dietary supplementation in both animals and humans is an ever growing and thriving area of research. Purified Ig from sheep serum (ovine serum Ig) is one such candidate product. Recent work has shown the various biological effects of oral Ig in different animal models including its effect on growth, immunity, intestinal growth and gut barrier function. The objective of this paper is to review the results of recent studies demonstrating the effects of oral Ig in both pathogenic and non-pathogenic animal models and to suggest a possible mechanism of its action. Overall, purified oral Ig improves growth of healthy (and challenged) rats and defends against enteric infection by immunomodulation, mucin protein and/or modification of commensal microbial composition. The findings contribute to knowledge of how orally administered ovine Ig can influence and enhance key indicators of gut function and overall growth performance in an animal model.

The effect of the concentration and feeding duration of spray-dried plasma protein on growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, nutrient digestibility and intestinal mucosal development of broiler chickens

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of the supplementation level and feeding duration of spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) on performance and digestive physiology of broiler chickens. Three inclusion levels of SDPP (0, 10 or 20 g/kg) were used in lieu of meat meal and fed from hatch to 5 or 10 days of age. At Day 10, there was an interaction (P < 0.05) between the inclusion level and feeding duration of SDPP, improving bodyweight (BW) in birds that received SDPP at the highest concentration over the longer feeding duration. Inclusion of SDPP resulted in lower (P < 0.01) feed intake, higher (P < 0.01) BW and improved (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR). Furthermore, FCR was improved (P < 0.001) in birds that were offered SDPP over the longer feeding duration than in those that received SDPP for a shorter duration. The pancreas was heavier (P < 0.05) in the birds that received SDPP at the highest concentration over the long feeding duration. At 24 days of age, there was an interaction (P < 0.05) between the inclusion level and feeding duration of SDPP, indicating the lowest amino acid, protein, gross energy and dry matter digestibility in the birds that received SDPP at the highest concentration over the longer feeding duration. Villus height was increased (P < 0.001) by the experimental factors and their interaction, revealing longer villi in the birds that received SDPP at the low level over the short feeding duration. Apparent villus surface area was higher (P < 0.001) in birds that were offered diets that contained the highest concentration of SDPP. There was an interaction (P < 0.01) between experimental factors with regards to the apparent villus surface area. Up to Day 35, the level of SDPP tended to increase (P = 0.06) BW. Level (P < 0.001) and feeding duration (P < 0.01) improved FCR in the birds that received SDPP for the long feeding duration. It would be more economical to use a low inclusion level of SDPP over a longer period of time to achieve the same benefits.

Nutritional Impact of Dietary Plasma Proteins in Animals Undergoing Experimental Challenge and Implications for Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disorders: A Meta-analysis

Studies administering plasma protein isolates (PPIs) to experimentally challenged animals have reported improvements in growth, food intake, and overall condition when compared with animals fed control diets, due in part to improvements in gut barrier function, normalization of cytokine signals, and support of enteric immune function. These and early clinical studies suggest that nutritional therapy with PPIs may similarly assist in restoring homeostasis to gut barrier function in humans experiencing mild or more acute enteropathic symptomatology such as irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. This meta-analysis evaluated the ability of PPIs to promote weight gain and food intake in weanling animals, primarily piglets, after oral challenge with various enteric pathogens or bacterial toxins. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed were searched from 1980 through August 2012 for specified terms and keywords. Twenty-nine articles retrieved through this process were evaluated; 11 studies including 13 experiments were selected for inclusion in the analysis. The meta-analysis included descriptive analyses and methods for combining P values for the primary endpoint, average daily growth (ADG) at week 1, and secondary endpoints including ADG, average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain to feed ratio (G:F) at weeks 1 and 2 and at the end of study. Primary and secondary endpoint analyses of growth (ADG, ADFI, and G:F) were significant (P < 0.01). The proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL) 1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α were significantly lower in animals fed dietary PPIs. Additional research in patients experiencing symptoms of enteropathy will further characterize the benefits of PPIs in clinical populations.

Subsequent growth performance and digestive physiology of broilers fed on starter diets containing spray-dried porcine plasma as a substitute for meat meal

A 4 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of inclusion of spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP), in lieu of meat meal, in the starter diet on performance and digestive physiology of broiler chickens between hatch and 35 d of age. Four levels of SDPP (0, 5, 10 or 20 g/kg) were included in the starter diets in lieu of meat meal on either wheat- or maize-based diets. Over the first 10 d, and throughout the 35-d experimental period, birds gained more body weight with increasing concentrations of SDPP regardless to the type of grain used. Inclusion of SDPP in the starter diet markedly improved feed per gain in the starter phase and across the 35-d study. There was no significant effect of the type of grain and its interaction with SDPP on the body weight gain and feed per gain for the two assessed periods. At d 10, the relative weight of the gizzard+proventriculus, spleen and liver increased with increasing concentrations of SDPP. At 24 d of age, the grain and SDPP inclusion significantly interacted, depressing the weight of bursa and spleen in birds that received the highest concentration of SDPP in the maize-based diet. Birds fed on the maize-based diets had higher relative weight of pancreas than those on the wheat-based diets. Increasing concentrations of SDPP in the starter diet improved the activities of maltase, sucrase and alkaline phosphatase at 24 d of age. The interaction of grain and SDPP concentration was significant for sucrase activity in birds on the wheat-based diets. Chickens on maize-based diets had higher alkaline phosphatase and maltase activities than those on wheat-based diets. Chicks that were offered SDPP-containing starter diets had longer villi, deeper crypts and lower villi/crypt than the control at 24 d of age regardless of the grain type used. Furthermore, longer villi and larger villi/crypt were found in chicken groups fed on wheat-based diets than those on maize-based diets. Chickens on maize-based diets had higher dressing percentage and relative breast weight than those on wheat-based diets at 35 d of age. It can be concluded that supplementation of starter diets with SDPP would be beneficial to the long-term growth of broiler chickens. The effect of the basal grain used in the diet is minimal.

Orally administered ovine serum immunoglobulins influence growth performance, organ weights, and gut morphology in growing rats

In this study, our aim was to determine whether orally administered ovine serum Ig improved growth performance, organ weights, and gut morphology in growing rats and whether the method of manufacture of ovine serum Ig affected its bioactivity. Ninety Sprague-Dawley male rats were used in a 21-d growth study and were fed a basal control diet (BD; no Ig) and 5 test diets: spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP), freeze-dried ovine Ig (FDOI), 2 concentrations of spray-dried ovine Ig (SDOI(100) and SDOI(150)), and inactivated ovine Ig (IOI). Diets were isocaloric and contained the same amount of the first limiting amino acids, methionine plus cysteine. The body weight gain:feed ratio was higher (P < 0.05) for the FDOI-fed rats than for the BD- and IOI-fed groups. FDOI rats had higher jejunum (P < 0.05) and colon weights (P < 0.05) at the end of the study than rats in the BD group. Compared with the SDOI(100)-fed group, the FDOI group supported higher (P < 0.05) duodenum and colon weights. For gut morphology, the FDOI and the BD and IOI groups differed (P < 0.05). The FDOI-fed rats had longer (P < 0.05) villi and greater villi surface areas in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum than the rats fed SDOI(100). An ovine Ig fraction selectively improved growth performance, organ weight, and gut morphology in growing rats. Compared with spray-drying, a freeze-drying procedure appears to preserve a higher degree of immunological activity.

Acceptability, safety, and digestibility of spray-dried bovine serum added to diets of recovering malnourished children

BACKGROUND

Specially collected, spray-dried bovine and porcine blood plasma have been incorporated previously in feeds of weanling farm animals, resulting in increased dietary intakes and greater rates of weight gain than observed in control animals. Before conducting similar trials in human populations, preliminary studies have been completed to assess the acceptability, safety, and digestibility of processed animal plasma in young children.

METHODS

Masked study diets were provided sequentially to each of ten young, Peruvian children recovering from severe protein-energy malnutrition during three randomly ordered 7-day dietary periods. The control diet was prepared from rice, milk, vegetable oil, and sugar; the two study diets included spray-dried, bovine serum concentrate to replace either 25% or 50% of the milk protein of the control diet. Urine and feces were collected quantitatively during the last four days of each diet period to assess stool weight, apparent absorption of macronutrients, and retention of nitrogen.

RESULTS

All children consumed the entire amounts offered of each of the diets. The mean number of daily bowel movements and mean apparent absorption and retention of nitrogen and mean apparent absorption of carbohydrate were similar for each diet. Fractional absorption of dietary lipid and of total energy increased significantly in relation to the amount of bovine serum concentrate in the diet, although this might be explained by the simultaneous replacement of milk fat with additional vegetable oil.

CONCLUSIONS

Each of the diets was well accepted by the study children, and there was no evidence of any adverse effects of bovine serum concentrate.