Functional amino acid supplementation, regardless of dietary protein content, improves growth performance and immune status of weaned pigs challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium

• Published in: Journal of animal science 2021-02, Vol.99 (2), p.1-13
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, Lucas A, Wellington, Michael O, González-Vega, J Caroline, Htoo, John K, Van Kessel, Andrew G, Columbus, Daniel A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute phase proteins; Albumin; Amino acids; Amino Acids - administration & dosage; Animal Feed - analysis; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Antioxidants; Body temperature; Cecum; Colon; Colonization; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage; Dietary Supplements; Feed additives; Glutathione; Haptoglobin; Hogs; Immune response; Immune status; Immune system; Inoculation; Intestine; Malondialdehyde; Oxidants; Oxidizing agents; Peroxidase; Proteins; Saline solutions; Salmonella; Salmonella Typhimurium; Serum albumin; Studies; Superoxide dismutase; Swine; Swine - growth & development; Swine Diseases - microbiology; Swine Diseases - prevention & control; Urea; Weaning
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163
• DOI: 10.1093/jas/skaa365

Abstract High dietary protein may increase susceptibility of weaned pigs to enteric pathogens. Dietary supplementation with functional amino acids (FAA) may improve growth performance of pigs during disease challenge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the interactive effects of dietary protein content and FAA supplementation above requirements for growth on performance and immune response of weaned pigs challenged with Salmonella. Sixty-four mixed-sex weanling pigs (13.9 ± 0.82 kg) were randomly assigned to dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with low (LP) or high protein (HP) content and basal (AA–) or FAA profile (AA+; Thr, Met, and Trp at 120% of requirements) as factors. After a 7-d adaptation period, pigs were inoculated with either a sterile saline solution (CT) or saline solution containing Salmonella Typhimurium (ST; 3.3 × 109 CFU/mL). Growth performance, body temperature, fecal score, acute-phase proteins, oxidant/antioxidant balance, ST shedding score in feces and intestinal colonization, fecal and digesta myeloperoxidase (MPO), and plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) were measured pre- and postinoculation. There were no dietary effects on any measures pre-inoculation or post-CT inoculation (P > 0.05). Inoculation with ST increased body temperature and fecal score (P