Effect of source and quantity of dietary vitamin D in maternal and creep diets on bone metabolism and growth in piglets1

Abstract

Piglets are born with reduced plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D(3)) and are thus highly predisposed to vitamin D deficiency. Furthermore, sow milk contains little vitamin D, and the slow intestinal vitamin D absorption of sows limits the efficacy of dietary vitamin D supplementation. Hence, the neonate depends, to a large extent, on the vitamin D stores built up in fetal tissues from maternal sources. The current study was undertaken to evaluate whether the source and quantity of dietary vitamin D provided to the gestating and lactating sow, and also directly in the form of creep feed to the piglet, would influence the vitamin D status, growth performance, and skeletal development of piglets. A total of 39 primiparous and multiparous sows were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments (13 in each treatment), supplemented with either 5 or 50 μg of the commonly used cholecalciferol (vitamin D(3)) or 50 μg of 25-OH-D(3) per kilogram of feed. By wk 3 of lactation, piglets were offered a creep diet with vitamin D supplementation according to the treatment of the dam, and they were offered the same creep diets after weaning at d 35 of age until they reached a BW of approximately 20 kg. When dietary 25-OH-D(3) was provided, circulating concentrations of 25-OH-D(3) in piglet serum increased (P < 0.05) as early as d 21 and later at d 33 and 77, indicating greater body stores in those animals. Bone-breaking strength and cortical bone mineral content and density at the tibial midshaft of piglets were reduced (P < 0.05) when vitamin D(3) was supplemented at 5 μg/kg compared with the bone traits of other groups, but no differences (P > 0.05) were observed between the 2 other groups. After weaning, ADFI was greater (P < 0.05) and growth performance tended (P = 0.08) to improve when doses of 50 μg/kg were administered, regardless of the vitamin D source. In conclusion, supplementation of the diet with 50 μg/kg of either source of vitamin D was proved to be adequate in meeting the needs of gestating sows and in permitting the accumulation of vitamin D in fetal tissues, as well as for normal skeletal mineralization and growth in the offspring. Furthermore, the markedly improved vitamin D status of piglets whose mothers received 25-OH-D(3) possibly resulted from greater tissue reserves present at birth and a greater availability of vitamin D when released from those stores.

Evaluating the impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation: I. Sow performance, serum vitamin metabolites, and neonatal muscle characteristics1,2

“…Previous reports from Coffey et al (2012) and Witschi et al (2011) (Haddad et al, 1971). The current data agree with previous reports and are the first to show a maternal dietary vitamin D 3 supplementation rate that provided a larger serum 25(OH)D 3 response in piglets compared with piglets from sows supplemented 50 μg of 25(OH)D 3 .…”

Evaluating the impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation on sow performance: II. Subsequent growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing pigs1,2

“…The maternal and nursery vitamin D treatment impacts on growing pig serum 25(OH)D 3 in this study were largely expected. Most previous reports (Lauridsen et al, 2010;Witschi et al, 2011;Coffey et al, 2012;Weber et al, 2014) have all shown that supplementation of 25(OH)D 3 at the same IU equivalency of vitamin D 3 will result in an increased serum 25(OH) D 3 response. Also, increasing maternal vitamin D 3 supplementation has been shown to lead to an increase in subsequent pig serum 25(OH)D 3 (Flohr et al, 2014a), which is consistent with results from the current study.…”

The Effects of Fat-soluble Vitamin Administration on Plasma Vitamin Status of Nursing Pigs Differ When Provided by Oral Administration or Injection

“…Several recent studies have been conducted to investigate vitamin D requirements and/or supplementation/administration to sows and piglets (Lauridsen et al, 2010; Witschi et al, 2011; Rortvedt et al, 2012; Flohr et al, 2014a). The supplementation of vitamin D to gestation and lactation diets at concentrations above NRC (1998) requirement was demonstrated to increase serum vitamin D concentration of sows (Lauridsen et al, 2010) and their progeny (Witschi et al, 2011).…”

“…The supplementation of vitamin D to gestation and lactation diets at concentrations above NRC (1998) requirement was demonstrated to increase serum vitamin D concentration of sows (Lauridsen et al, 2010) and their progeny (Witschi et al, 2011). Regarding vitamin D supplementation to piglets, when newborn pigs were supplemented with vitamin D 3 via oral administration at 40,000 or 80,000 IU of vitamin D 3 , higher serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH D 3 ) concentration was detected at weaning compared with pigs without vitamin D 3 administration (Flohr et al, 2014a).…”