Background It has been shown that small intestine development in low birth weight (LBW) piglets is impaired. Glutamine (Gln) has been reported to improve piglet health and intestinal function in weaned piglets, but data is scarce in suckling piglets. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of oral Gln supplementation compared to Alanine (Ala) on jejunal development and function in 5 and 12 d old male LBW and normal birth weight (NBW) suckling piglets. Results Gln had no effect on the jejunal morphology, development, tissue and digesta amino acid profiles and mRNA abundance of genes involved in amino acid transport, metabolism, glutathione synthesis in LBW piglets when compared to Ala supplementation and birth weight controls at 5 and 12 d. Only the concentration of Gln in jejunal tissue was higher in NBW piglets supplemented with Gln compared to Ala at 5 d (P < 0.05). A comparison of the birth weight groups showed no differences between LBW and NBW piglets at 5 and 12 d in any parameter. Jejunal crypt depth, villus height / width, tunica muscularis thickness, number of goblet and IgA positive cells, the ratio of jejunal RNA to DNA and the concentration of DNA, protein and RNA changed (P < 0.05) from 5 compared to 12 d. The concentrations of several free, and protein bound amino acids as well as amino metabolites differed between age groups in jejunal tissue but the digesta concentrations were affected to a lesser extent. Conclusions Oral Gln supplementation to suckling male piglets over the first 12 d of life was not associated with changes in jejunal parameters measured in this study. The absence of effects may indicate that Gln is absorbed as well as metabolized in the upper intestinal tract and thus could benefit intestinal development at a more proximal location.

Mortality, impaired development and metabolic dysfunctions of suckling low-birthweight piglets may be influenced by modulating the intestinal microbiome through glutamine supplementation. Therefore, this study examined whether glutamine supplementation may affect the colonic development and microbiome composition of male low- and normal-birthweight piglets at 5 and 12 days of age. Suckling piglets were supplemented orally with glutamine or alanine. Colonic digesta samples were obtained for 16S rDNA sequencing, determination of bacterial metabolites and histomorphological tissue analyses. Glutamine-supplemented piglets had lower concentrations of cadaverine and spermidine in the colonic digesta (p < 0.05) and a higher number of CD3+ colonic intraepithelial lymphocytes compared to alanine-supplemented piglets (p < 0.05). Low-birthweight piglets were characterised by a lower relative abundance of Firmicutes, the genera Negativibacillus and Faecalibacterium and a higher abundance of Alistipes (p < 0.05). Concentrations of cadaverine and total biogenic amines (p < 0.05) and CD3+ intraepithelial lymphocytes (p < 0.05) were lower in low- compared with normal-birthweight piglets. In comparison to the factor age, glutamine supplementation and birthweight were associated with minor changes in microbial and histological characteristics of the colon, indicating that ontogenetic factors play a more important role in intestinal development.

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