The objective of this review was to provide an overview of the effects of dietary fiber (DF) on reproductive performance in gestating sows. Dietary fibers have been suggested to modulate microbiota in the intestine and the immune system of gestating sows and to improve gut health. Thus, DF may help alleviate the adverse effects of the stressful production cycle of gestating sows. These benefits may subsequently result in improved reproductive performance of sows. Previous studies have reported changes in microbiota by providing gestating sows with DF, and the responses of microbiota varied depending on the source of DF. The responses by providing DF to gestating sows were inconsistent for antioxidative capacity, hormonal response, and inflammatory response among the studies. The effects of DF on reproductive performance were also inconsistent among the previous studies. Potential reasons contributing to these inconsistent results would include variability in reproductive performance data, insufficient replication, influence of other nutrients contained in the DF diets, characteristics of DF, and experimental periods. The present meta-analysis suggests that increasing the total DF concentration by 10 percentage units (e.g., 12% to 22% as-fed basis) in gestating sow diets compared to the control group improves the litter born alive by 0.49 pigs per litter. However, based on the present review, questions remain regarding the benefits of fibers in gestating sow diets. Further research is warranted to clarify the mode of action of fibers and the association with subsequent reproductive performance in gestating sows.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.5713/ab.23.0206 | DOI Listing |
J Nutr
January 2025
Department of Animal Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. Electronic address:
Background: Supplementing choline and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to pregnant gilts modified fetal pig hepatic global DNA methylation induced by gestational malnutrition, suggesting that gene expression and regulation and its associated metabolic pathways are affected in the liver of offspring during growth and development.
Objective: To investigate the effect of maternal supplementation of choline, DHA and their interaction on hepatic mRNA expression, miRNA regulation and metabolic pathways in the fetal pigs born to malnourished mothers.
Methods: The abundance of mRNA and miRNA was profiled in fetal liver from sows with undernutrition supplemented with choline and DHA in a 2 × 2 factorial design.
Animals (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Phuttamonthon, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand.
Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus is an important cause of diarrhea in sows and piglets [...
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Animal Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57006, USA.
Twenty-seven gestating primiparous sows (203 ± 9.1 kg initial body weight on d 89 ± 1 of gestation) were selected to determine the effect of standardized ileal digestible (SID) sulfur-containing amino acid (SAA) intake during late gestation on whole-body nitrogen (N) retention and subsequent litter performance. Primiparous sows were assigned to one of two experimental diets that provided SAAs at 63 or 200% of the estimated requirements during late gestation (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Anim Sci Biotechnol
January 2025
Department of Animal Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
Background: Sow longevity and reproductivity are essential in the modern swine industry. Although many studies have focused on the genetic and genomic factors for selection, little is known about the associations between the microbiome and sows with longevity in reproduction.
Results: In this study, we collected and sequenced rectal and vaginal swabs from 48 sows, nine of which completed up to four parities (U4P group), exhibiting reproductive longevity.
Porcine Health Manag
January 2025
Department of Animal Health and Antimicrobial Strategies, National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala, 751 89, Sweden.
Background: Group housing of sows has been extensively studied since the EU banned gestation crating. Well-managed group-housing promotes sow welfare, but the impact varies based on factors such as feeding, group characteristics, and environmental features. Adequate floor space, particularly directly post-mixing, is crucial for social interactions, natural behaviours, and to reduce injuries caused by aggression.
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