Effect of Laminaria digitata dietary inclusion and CAZyme supplementation on blood cells, serum metabolites and hepatic lipids and minerals of weaned piglets

Abstract

Seaweeds, such as Laminaria digitata, are a sustainable alternative to conventional feedstuffs for weaned piglet diets, improving their health and mitigating environmental impacts. L. digitata has a complex cell wall that can be difficult for monogastrics to digest. However, carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) such as Rovabio® Excel AP and alginate lyase can help break down these polysaccharides and render intracellular nutrients more accessible. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of 10% L. digitata feed inclusion and CAZyme supplementation on piglet blood cells, serum metabolites, liver lipid and mineral profiles. Forty weaned piglets were randomly assigned to one of four diets (n = 10 each): a control diet, 10% L. digitata (LA), 10% L. digitata + 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP (LAR), and 10% L. digitata + 0.01% alginate lyase (LAL). After two weeks of trial, animals were slaughtered and liver and blood serum samples taken for analysis. The results showed that the LA and LAL diets increased blood lymphocytes, IgG and IgM, and decreased serum lipids, improving both cellular and humoral immune response and cardiovascular health. Dietary CAZymes reversed the anti-inflammatory and hematopoietic effects. Additionally, cortisol levels were reduced with seaweed inclusion compared to the control diet (P < 0.001). In the liver, total n-3 PUFA and n-6/n-3 ratio were increased and decreased, respectively, due to eicosapentaenoic acid and α-linolenic acid accumulation (P < 0.001). However, total liver mineral content was incorporated to a lesser extent with the combined seaweed and enzyme diets (P < 0.001), potentially indicating a negative effect on mineral bioavailability. Overall, results suggest that a 10% L. digitata inclusion can effectively improve piglet health by reducing stress during weaning, without the need for dietary CAZymes.

Integrated transcriptomics and proteomics analysis reveals muscle metabolism effects of dietary Ulva lactuca and ulvan lyase supplementation in weaned piglets

“…By promoting the breakdown of the cell wall during digestion, ulvan lyase supplementation could increase the availability of minerals/electrolytes, possibly leading to a disruption of osmotic homeostasis. However, in a recent study by our research team, we found that feeding piglets with a different seaweed, Laminaria digitata , maintained the circulating levels of electrolytes within reference values for swine 42 . The same happened when feeding piglets with U. lactuca 19 .…”

Immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects of functional aquafeeds biofortified with whole Laminaria digitata in juvenile gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata)

“…Laminaria digitata, a brown seaweed belonging to the Laminaria genus (Laminariaceae, Ochrophyta) is a native Irish species that is globally harvested and cultured (Purcell-Meyerink et al, 2021). The use of this species has had diverse applications in the food, pharmaceutical, bioenergy and animal sectors (Purcell-Meyerink et al, 2021), and recent studies have investigated its potential as a feed ingredient for several terrestrial farmed animal species, including chickens (Costa et al, 2022), pigs (Ribeiro et al, 2022;Ribeiro et al, 2023) and ruminants (Belanche et al, 2016;De La Moneda et al, 2019). Within the aquaculture context, only a very limited number of studies had demonstrated the positive impact of L. digitata in marine aquafeeds (Ribeiro et al, 2015;Ferreira et al, 2022b), specifically regarding its bioactive properties and their effects on immune parameters (Cipriano-Maack et al, 2016;Palstra et al, 2018).…”