Lipid peroxidation impairs growth and viability of nursery pigs reared under commercial conditions1

Accurate models and nutritional strategies for specific oxidative stress factors: Does the dose matter in swine production?

Oxidative stress has been associated with a number of physiological problems in swine, including reduced production efficiency. Recently, although there has been increased research into regulatory mechanisms and antioxidant strategies in relation to oxidative stress-induced pig production, it remains so far largely unsuccessful to develop accurate models and nutritional strategies for specific oxidative stress factors. Here, we discuss the dose and dose intensity of the causes of oxidative stress involving physiological, environmental and dietary factors, recent research models and the antioxidant strategies to provide theoretical guidance for future oxidative stress research in swine.

Effects of different wheat bran fermentation sources on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum antioxidant capacity and fecal microbiota in growing pigs

The present study aimed to evaluate the application of different wheat bran fermentation sources in growing pigs. A total of 320 pigs (43 ± 0.21 kg), were randomly allocated to 5 groups in a 21-d trial. The control group was fed a basal diet (CON) containing raw wheat bran, and the other four treatments were fed the diets in which the raw wheat bran in the basal diet was substituted with Aspergillus niger (WBA), Bacillus licheniformis (WBB), Candida utilis (WBC), and Lactobacillus plantarum (WBL) fermented wheat bran, respectively. The results showed that compared to the CON group, the crude fiber and pH values were decreased (p < 0.05), while the gross energy (GE), crude protein (CP), and lactic acid values were increased (p < 0.05) in all the wheat bran fermented by different strains. Compared with other treatments, feeding B. licheniformis fermented wheat bran had higher final weight, average daily gain, as well as lower feed-to-gain ratio. Compared with CON group, pigs fed with fermented wheat bran diets had higher dry matter, CP, and GE availability, serum total protein, albumin and superoxide dismutase levels, and fecal Lactobacillus counts, as well as lower malondialdehyde level and fecal Escherichia coli count. Collectively, our findings suggested that feeding fermented wheat bran, especially B. licheniformis fermented wheat bran, showed beneficial effects on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum antioxidant capacity, and the gut microbiota structure of growing pigs.

Identification of Protective Amino Acid Metabolism Events in Nursery Pigs Fed Thermally Oxidized Corn Oil

Feeding thermally oxidized lipids to pigs has been shown to compromise growth and health, reduce energy digestibility, and disrupt lipid metabolism. However, the effects of feeding oxidized lipids on amino acid metabolism in pigs have not been well defined even though amino acids are indispensable for the subsistence of energy metabolism, protein synthesis, the antioxidant system, and many other functions essential for pig growth and health. In this study, oxidized corn oil (OCO)-elicited changes in amino acid homeostasis of nursery pigs were examined by metabolomics-based biochemical analysis. The results showed that serum and hepatic free amino acids and metabolites, including tryptophan, threonine, alanine, glutamate, and glutathione, as well as associated metabolic pathways, were selectively altered by feeding OCO, and more importantly, many of these metabolic events possess protective functions. Specifically, OCO activated tryptophan-nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) synthesis by the transcriptional upregulation of the kynurenine pathway in tryptophan catabolism and promoted adenine nucleotide biosynthesis. Feeding OCO induced oxidative stress, causing decreases in glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratio, carnosine, and ascorbic acid in the liver but simultaneously promoted antioxidant responses as shown by the increases in hepatic GSH and GSSG as well as the transcriptional upregulation of GSH metabolism-related enzymes. Moreover, OCO reduced the catabolism of threonine to α-ketobutyrate in the liver by inhibiting the threonine dehydratase (TDH) route. Overall, these protective metabolic events indicate that below a certain threshold of OCO consumption, nursery pigs are capable of overcoming the oxidative stress and metabolic challenges posed by the consumption of oxidized lipids by adjusting antioxidant, nutrient, and energy metabolism, partially through the transcriptional regulation of amino acid metabolism.

Feeding thermally processed spray-dried egg whites, singly or in combination with 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol or peroxidized soybean oil on growth performance, digestibility, intestinal morphology, and oxidative status in nursery pigs

Two experiments (EXP) determined the susceptibility of spray-dried egg white (SDEW) to oxidation (heating at 100 °C for 72 h; thermally processed, TP) and whether feeding TP-SDEW, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON), or peroxidized soybean oil (PSO), singularly or in combination, would affect pig performance, intestinal morphology, digestibility, and markers of oxidative stress in nursery pigs. In EXP 1, 32 pigs (7.14 kg body weight, BW) were placed individually into pens and fed diets containing either 12% SDEW, 6% TP-SDEW plus 6% SDEW, or 12% TP-SDEW. Performance was measured at the end of the 24-d feeding period with biological samples harvested following euthanasia. In EXP 2, 64 pigs (10.6 kg BW) were placed individually into pens and fed diets containing 7.5% soybean oil or PSO, 10% SDEW or TP-SDEW, and diets without or with 3 mg 15-ADON/kg diet in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Performance was measured at the end of the 28-d feeding period with biological samples harvested following euthanasia. In EXP 1, dietary treatment did not affect pig performance, apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids (AAs), apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of gross energy (GE) or nitrogen (N), ileal crypt depth, or villi height:crypt depth ratio (P > 0.05). The effects of feeding TP-SDEW on protein damage in the plasma and liver (P < 0.05) were variable. In EXP 2, there were no three-way interactions and only one two-way interactions among dietary treatments on parameters evaluated. There was no effect of feeding TP-SDEW on ATTD of GE or N, intestinal morphology, or on oxidative markers in the plasma, liver, or ileum (P > 0.05). There was no effect of feeding diets containing added 15-ADON on ATTD of GE, ileal AA digestibility, intestinal morphology, oxidative markers in the plasma, liver, or ileum, or pig performance (P > 0.05). Feeding pigs diets containing PSO resulted in reduced ATTD of GE and N, plasma vitamin E concentration, and pig performance (P < 0.01) but did not affect intestinal morphology or oxidative markers in the liver or ileum (P > 0.05). In conclusion, it was difficult to induce protein oxidation in SDEW and when achieved there were limited effects on performance, digestibility, intestinal morphology, and oxidative status. Furthermore, singly adding 15-A-DON to a diet had no effect on the animal. At last, adding PSO reduces animal performance, but has limited effect on digestibility, intestinal morphology, and oxidative status in nursery pigs.

Dietary Oxidative Distress: A Review of Nutritional Challenges as Models for Poultry, Swine and Fish

The redox system is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis. When redox homeostasis is disrupted through an increase of reactive oxygen species or a decrease of antioxidants, oxidative distress occurs resulting in multiple tissue and systemic responses and damage. Poultry, swine and fish, raised in commercial conditions, are exposed to different stressors that can affect their productivity. Some dietary stressors can generate oxidative distress and alter the health status and subsequent productive performance of commercial farm animals. For several years, researchers used different dietary stressors to describe the multiple and detrimental effects of oxidative distress in animals. Some of these dietary challenge models, including oxidized fats and oils, exposure to excess heavy metals, soybean meal, protein or amino acids, and feeding diets contaminated with mycotoxins are discussed in this review. A better understanding of the oxidative distress mechanisms associated with dietary stressors allows for improved understanding and evaluation of feed additives as mitigators of oxidative distress.

Influence of feeding thermally peroxidized lipids on growth performance, lipid digestibility, and oxidative status in nursery pigs

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate oil source and peroxidation status (experiment 1) or peroxidized soybean oil (SO; experiments 2 and 3) on growth performance, oxidative stress, and digestibility of dietary ether extract (EE). In experiment 1, palm oil (PO), poultry fat (PF), canola oil (CO), and SO were evaluated, while in experiments 2 and 3, only SO was evaluated. Lipids were either an unheated control (CNT) or thermally processed at 90 °C for 72 hr, being added at 10%, 7.5%, or 3% of the diet in experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In experiment 1, 288 pigs (body weight, BW, 6.1 kg) were fed 1 of 8 factorially arranged treatments with the first factor being lipid source (PO, PF, CO, and SO) and the second factor being peroxidation status (CNT or peroxidized). In experiment 2, 216 pigs (BW 5.8 kg) were fed 1 of 6 treatments consisting of 100%, 90%, 80%, 60%, 20%, and 0% CNT SO blended with 0%, 10%, 20%, 40%, 80%, and 100% peroxidized SO, respectively. In experiment 3, 72 pigs (BW 5.8 kg) were fed either CNT or peroxidized SO. Pigs were fed 21 d with feces collected on day 12 or 14 and pigs bled on day 12 blood collection. In experiment 1, an interaction between oil source and peroxidation status was observed for averaged daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI; P = 0.10) which was due to no impact of feeding pigs peroxidized PO, PF, or SO on ADG or ADFI compared with feeding pigs CNT PO, PF, or SO, respectively; while pigs fed peroxidized CO resulted in reduced ADG and ADFI compared with pigs fed CNT CO. There was no interaction between oil source and peroxidation status, and no lipid source effect on gain to feed ratio (GF; P ≥ 0.84), but pigs fed the peroxidized lipids had a lower GF compared with pigs fed the CNT lipids (P = 0.09). In experiment 2, feeding pigs diets containing increasing levels of peroxidized SO resulted in reduced ADG (quadratic, P = 0.03), ADFI (linear, P = 0.01), and GF (quadratic, P = 0.01). In experiment 3, feeding peroxidized SO at 3% of the diet reduced ADG (P = 0.11) and ADFI (P = 0.13), with no observed change in GF (P = 0.62). Differences in plasma protein carbonyls, glutathione peroxidase, and vitamin E due to feeding peroxidized lipids were inconsistent across the 3 experiments. Digestibility of dietary EE was reduced in pigs fed peroxidized PO or SO (P = 0.01, experiment 1) and peroxidized SO in experiments 2 and 3 (P ≤ 0.02). In conclusion, the peroxidation status of dietary lipids consistently affects growth performance and EE digestibility but has a variable effect on measures of oxidative stress.

Growth performance, oxidative stress and immune status of newly weaned pigs fed peroxidized lipids with or without supplemental vitamin E or polyphenols

Background

This study evaluated the use of dietary vitamin E and polyphenols on growth, immune and oxidative status of weaned pigs fed peroxidized lipids. A total of 192 piglets (21 days of age and body weight of 6.62 ± 1.04 kg) were assigned within sex and weight blocks to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement using 48 pens with 4 pigs per pen. Dietary treatments consisted of lipid peroxidation (6% edible soybean oil or 6% peroxidized soybean oil), and antioxidant supplementation (control diet containing 33 IU/kg DL-α-tocopheryl-acetate; control with 200 IU/kg additional dl-α-tocopheryl-acetate; or control with 400 mg/kg polyphenols). Pigs were fed in 2 phases for 14 and 21 days, respectively.

Results

Peroxidation of oil for 12 days at 80 °C with exposure to 50 L/min of air substantially increased peroxide values, anisidine value, hexanal, and 2,4-decadienal concentrations. Feeding peroxidized lipids decreased (P < 0.001) body weight (23.16 vs. 18.74 kg), daily gain (473 vs. 346 g/d), daily feed intake (658 vs. 535 g/d) and gain:feed ratio (719 vs. 647 g/kg). Lipid peroxidation decreased serum vitamin E (P < 0.001) and this decrease was larger on day 35 (1.82 vs. 0.81 mg/kg) than day 14 (1.95 vs. 1.38 mg/kg). Supplemental vitamin E, but not polyphenols, increased (P ≤ 0.002) serum vitamin E by 84% and 22% for control and peroxidized diets, respectively (interaction, P = 0.001). Serum malondialdehyde decreased (P < 0.001) with peroxidation on day 14, but not day 35 and protein carbonyl increased (P < 0.001) with peroxidation on day 35, but not day 14. Serum 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine was not affected (P > 0.05). Total antioxidant capacity decreased with peroxidation (P < 0.001) and increased with vitamin E (P = 0.065) and polyphenols (P = 0.046) for the control oil diet only. Serum cytokine concentrations increased with feeding peroxidized lipids on day 35, but were not affected by antioxidant supplementation (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Feeding peroxidized lipids negatively impacted growth performance and antioxidant capacity of nursery pigs. Supplementation of vitamin E and polyphenols improved total antioxidant capacity, especially in pigs fed control diets, but did not restore growth performance.

Review: innovation through research in the North American pork industry

This article involved a broad search of applied sciences for milestone technologies we deem to be the most significant innovations applied by the North American pork industry, during the past 10 to 12 years. Several innovations shifted the trajectory of improvement or resolved significant production limitations. Each is being integrated into practice, with the exception being gene editing technology, which is undergoing the federal approval process. Advances in molecular genomics have been applied to gene editing for control of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and to identify piglet genome contributions from each parent. Post-cervical artificial insemination technology is not novel, but this technology is now used extensively to accelerate the rate of genetic progress. A milestone was achieved with the discovery that dietary essential fatty acids, during lactation, were limiting reproduction. Their provision resulted in a dose-related response for pregnancy, pregnancy maintenance and litter size, especially in maturing sows and ultimately resolved seasonal infertility. The benefit of segregated early weaning (12 to 14 days of age) was realized for specific pathogen removal for genetic nucleus and multiplication. Application was premature for commercial practice, as piglet mortality and morbidity increased. Early weaning impairs intestinal barrier and mucosal innate immune development, which coincides with diminished resilience to pathogens and viability later in life. Two important milestones were achieved to improve precision nutrition for growing pigs. The first involved the updated publication of the National Research Council nutrient requirements for pigs, a collaboration between scientists from America and Canada. Precision nutrition advanced further when ingredient description, for metabolically available amino acids and net energy (by source plant), became a private sector nutrition product. The past decade also led to fortuitous discoveries of health-improving components in ingredients (xylanase, soybeans). Finally, two technologies converged to facilitate timely detection of multiple pathogens in a population: oral fluids sampling and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for pathogen analysis. Most critical diseases in North America are now routinely monitored by oral fluid sampling and prepared for analysis using PCR methods.