Impact of liquid diet supplementation while suckling and weaning age on nutritional status, intestinal health, and immunity of piglets pre- and post-weaning

New strategies are needed to enhance piglets' robustness and proper functional development and maturation of piglets' intestine before weaning, to reduce the number of antibiotic treatments of diarrheic disorders in newly weaned piglets. It was hypothesized that a liquid nutritional supplement during the suckling period, and/or an increased weaning age, would beneficially impact piglets' gut health and enhance piglets' nutritional status before weaning. Further, it was hypothesized that a high intake of colostrum during the first 24 h after birth would be more advantageous for piglets' growth and robustness when compared to a low colostrum intake (CI). A 2 x 2 factorial design with two nutritional strategies (& PLUSMN; supplementation with milk/feed, i.e., milk provided from day 2 shifted to wet feed at day 12 of age) and two weaning ages (days 24 vs. 35) was used. In total, 460 piglets from 24 sows were used for estimation of the individual CI after birth. Provision of the nutritional supplement and the increased weaning age improved the nutritional status of piglets' post-weaning assessed by their blood plasma concentration of albumin (P = 0.04), triglycerides (P = 0.004), and nonesterified fatty acids (P = 0.02). Piglets with high CI demonstrated improved nutritional status when compared to low CI (P = 0.04). Villous height and crypt depth were greater in piglets weaned at day 35 of age in contrast to day 24 of age (P < 0.001) irrespective of the nutritional intervention (P = 0.82). The concentration of branched-chain fatty acids in piglets' digesta was reduced in groups provided the nutritional supplement (P = 0.01), while total short-chain fatty acids were elevated at weaning in large intestinal digesta of piglets weaned at day 35 of age compared to piglets weaned at day 24 of age (P = 0.05). The weaning age in combination with the nutritional supplement had pronounced beneficial effect on gene expression of all investigated genes: interleukin-6, interleukin-10, nuclear factor kappa-beta, occludine, prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase-2, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) (P = 0.04). In conclusion, nutritional supplementation preweaning combined with increased weaning age could be considered as a strategy for improvement of the intestinal health, function, and maturation in piglets pre- and post-weaning, and a high CI enhanced piglets' robustness before weaning. Lay Summary Antimicrobial resistance, induced by increased usage of antimicrobials, is a threat raising economic and public health concerns. The great amount of antibiotics used in the animal production and especially in the pig industry, where the greatest part of all prescribed antibiotics is used for treatments of diarrhea in newly weaned piglets. Therefore, there is a call for action to reduce antimicrobial treatments of weaned pigs. Piglets' individual characteristics at weaning have a great impact on the gut health of piglets after weaning. Thus, the proper functional development and maturation of the intestine before weaning will prevent the development of diarrhea and by that reduce the number of antimicrobial treatments. This study aimed to investigate the potential beneficial effect of a liquid nutritional supplement during the suckling period, and/or an increased weaning age on piglets' gut health and maturation, as well as advantageousness of high colostrum intake during the first 24 h after birth for piglets' growth and robustness. We found that the nutritional supplementation before weaning combined with increased weaning age could be considered as a strategy for improvement of intestinal health, function, and maturation in piglets before and after weaning, and high individual colostrum intake enhanced piglets' robustness before weaning. The combination of increased weaning age and nutritional supplement before weaning could be an appropriate strategy to improve gastrointestinal health, maturation, and functionality, consequently enhancing piglets' robustness during the weaning transition and supporting piglets' resilience to diarrheic disorders. The overall robustness of piglets before weaning can be improved by ensuring high levels of individual colostrum intake by piglets during the first 24 h of life.

Automated summary

New strategies involving liquid nutritional supplement during suckling period and/or increased weaning age are proposed to enhance the gut health and nutritional status of piglets before weaning. Additionally, high colostrum intake within 24 hours after birth is found to be beneficial for piglets' growth and robustness. The combination of these nutritional interventions and increased weaning age improves the nutritional status and gut development of piglets.