Effects of dietary supplementation with an expressed fusion peptide bovine lactoferricin–lactoferrampin on performance, immune function and intestinal mucosal morphology in piglets weaned at age 21 d

• Published in: British journal of nutrition 2009-04, Vol.101 (7), p.998-1005
• Main Authors: Tang, Zhiru, Yin, Yulong, Zhang, Youming, Huang, Ruilin, Sun, Zhihong, Li, Tiejun, Chu, Wuying, Kong, Xiangfeng, Li, Lili, Geng, Meimei, Tu, Qiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anatomy and morphology; Animal Feed; animal growth; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants - analysis; Bacterial Proteins - administration & dosage; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; binding capacity; Biological and medical sciences; Body weight; Bovine lactoferricin–lactoferrampin; Cattle; Colistin - administration & dosage; colon; diarrhea; Diarrhea - immunology; Diarrhea - pathology; Diarrhea - prevention & control; Dietary Supplements; E coli; Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology; Escherichia coli Infections - pathology; Escherichia coli Infections - prevention & control; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic Engineering; glutathione peroxidase; Growth performance; Gut flora; Immune function; Immune response; immunoglobulin A; immunoglobulin G; immunoglobulin M; intestinal mucosa; Intestinal Mucosa - immunology; Intestinal Mucosa - microbiology; Intestinal Mucosa - pathology; iron; lactoferrin; Lactoferrin - administration & dosage; Lactoferrin - genetics; Lactoglobulins - administration & dosage; Lactoglobulins - genetics; Liver - chemistry; liveweight gain; Male; Metabolism and Metabolic Studies; Peptide Fragments - administration & dosage; Peptide Fragments - genetics; peptides; peroxidase; piglet feeding; piglets; Random Allocation; Recombinant Proteins - administration & dosage; superoxide dismutase; Swine; Swine Diseases - immunology; Swine Diseases - pathology; Swine Diseases - prevention & control; Swine production; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Weaned piglets; Weaning
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114508055633

Lactoferrin has antimicrobial activity associated with peptide fragments lactoferricin (LFC) and lactoferrampin (LFA) released on digestion. These two fragments have been expressed in Photorhabdus luminescens as a fusion peptide linked to protein cipB. The construct cipB–LFC–LFA was tested as an alternative to antimicrobial growth promoters in pig production. Sixty piglets with an average live body weight of 5·42 (sem 0·59) kg were challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and randomly assigned to four treatment groups fed a maize–soyabean meal diet containing either no addition (C), cipB at 100 mg/kg (C+B), cipB–LFC–LFA at 100 mg/kg (C+L) or colistin sulfate at 100 mg/kg (C+CS) for 3 weeks. Compared with C, dietary supplementation with C+L for 3 weeks increased daily weight gain by 21 %, increased recovery from diarrhoea, enhanced serum glutathione peroxidase (GPx), peroxidase (POD) and total antioxidant content (T-AOC), liver GPx, POD, superoxide dismutase and T-AOC, Fe, total Fe-binding capacity, IgA, IgG and IgM levels (P