Crossbred Sows Fed a Western Diet during Pre-Gestation, Gestation, Lactation, and Post-Lactation Periods Develop Signs of Lean Metabolic Syndrome That Are Partially Attenuated by Spirulina Supplementation.

Excessive dietary intake of fats and sugars ("Western diet", WD) is one of the leading causes of obesity. The consumption of the microalga (spirulina, Sp) is increasing due to its presumed health benefits. Both WD and Sp are also consumed by pregnant and breastfeeding women.

A High-Energy Diet and Spirulina Supplementation during Pre-Gestation, Gestation, and Lactation do Not Affect the Reproductive and Lactational Performance of Primiparous Sows.

Feeding high-energy (HED) or high-fat diets during gestation and lactation to pigs may help cover the energy requirements of high-prolific sows but may also adversely affect their reproductive performance. The microalga (Sp), rich in bioactive compounds, has been described to exert beneficial health effects. The present study investigated the effects of HED and Sp intake during gestation and lactation in pigs.

Antioxidant and Inflammatory Gene Expression Profiles of Bovine Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Response to before and after LPS Challenge.

Oxidative stress and inflammatory diseases are closely related processes that need to be controlled to ensure the desirable high performance of livestock. The microalga spirulina has shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in monogastric species. To investigate potential beneficial effects in ruminants, we replaced soybean meal (SOY) in the diets of dairy cows and fattening bulls by spirulina (SPI) and analyzed plasma concentrations of antioxidants (β-carotene, α-tocopherol, polyphenols) and serum total antioxidant capacity.