Effects of composite antimicrobial peptides in weanling piglets challenged with deoxynivalenol: I. Growth performance, immune function, and antioxidation capacity1

Abstract

The mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is a food contaminant that leads to reduced feed intake and reduced BW gain, as well as organ impairment. On the other hand, antimicrobial peptides have been shown to have positive effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and immune function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of composite antimicrobial peptides (CAP) on piglets challenged with DON. After a 7-d adaptation period, 28 individually housed piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Large Yorkshire) weaned at 28 d of age were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 4 treatments (7 pigs/treatment): negative control, basal diet (NC), basal diet + 0.4% CAP (CAP), basal diet + 4 mg/kg DON (DON), and basal diet + 4 ppm DON + 0.4% CAP (DON + CAP). On d 15 and 30 after the initiation of treatment, blood samples were collected for the determination of blood profile. Piglets were monitored for 30 d to assess performance and then were slaughtered to obtain organs for the determination of the relative weight of organs. The results showed that dietary supplementation with DON decreased (P < 0.05) ADFI, ADG, and G:F, whereas dietary supplementation with CAP improved ADG and G:F (P < 0.05). The relative weight of the kidney and pancreas was greater and the relative weight of the spleen was lighter in the DON treatment than in the other 3 treatments (P < 0.05). There were no effects (P > 0.05) on other relative weights of viscera, except the relative weight of the gallbladder, but the diamine oxidase activity in the liver decreased in DON-treated piglets (P < 0.05). Piglets in the DON treatment had increased serum concentrations of alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, and aspartate aminotransferase and a dramatic decrease in total protein (P < 0.05), whereas there were no differences (P > 0.05) between the DON + CAP treatment and the other treatments. The DON treatment decreased the numbers of red blood cells and platelets, as well as the serum catalase concentrations, and decreased the serum concentrations of H2O2, maleic dialdehyde, and nitric oxide (P < 0.05). The numbers of platelets and thrombocytocrit, as well as the serum concentrations of catalase, were greater, whereas the maleic dialdehyde concentrations were decreased, in both the CAP and DON + CAP treatments compared with the other treatments (P < 0.05). Compared with the control treatment, DON decreased peripheral lymphocyte proliferation on d 15, whereas supplementation with CAP increased it on d 15 and 30 (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that CAP could improve feed efficiency, immune function, and antioxidation capacity and alleviate organ damage, and thus, it has a protective effect in piglets challenged with DON.

Therapeutic Effects of Glutamic Acid in Piglets Challenged with Deoxynivalenol

“…The present study showed that consuming DON-contaminated diets causes obvious oxidative stress to piglets from the change of analyzed indicators. Indeed, DON induced oxidative stress is widely observed in chickens [35], mice [36], pigs [13], rats [37], fish [38], and even cell lines isolated from human [39]. Intriguingly, our results demonstrated that supplementing glutamic acid to DON-contaminated piglet diet alleviates the oxidative stress caused by DON from the change of CAT, T-AOC, MDA and H 2 O 2 .…”

“…The concentrations of DON in different groups shown in Table 1. The basal diets [13] were prepared from corn, soybean meal, wheat bran, limestone, CaHPO 4 , salt, and additive premix to meet or exceed the nutritional requirements of growing pig as recommended by the NRC (1998) (Table 2). Glutamic acid was added to the feed and mixed uniformly.…”

Effects of composite antimicrobial peptide on growth performance and health in weaned piglets

“…Similarly, Xiao et al . () observed a decreases in ADG for weaned piglets fed diets supplemented with composite AMPs (lactoferrin peptides, plant defensins and active yeast). In contrast to our results, Shan et al .…”

“…Xiao et al . () reported that CAP consist mainly of antibacterial lactoferrin peptides, along with plant defensins and active yeast could improve feed efficiency, immune function, and antioxidation capacity and alleviate organ damage in weanling piglets. CAP also has a protective effect in piglets challenged with deoxynivalenol.…”

Effects of feeding naturally contaminated diet with zearalenone, fumonisin and deoxynivalenol with or without yeast cell wall adsorbent on growth, vulva size and organ weights of gilts

“…Recently, yeast cell wall adsorbent (YCW) has been used as one of the approaches, as it has shown beneficial effects on preventing toxic effects in poultry and pigs; however, the conclusions are fragmentary and conflicting (Xiao et al, 2013;Kong et al, 2014). Hence, the current study was designed to evaluate the effects of feeding naturally contaminated diet with Fusarium mycotoxins on gilt performance, vulva size, serum protein chemistry and organ weights, and to test the efficacy of YCW in counteracting the adverse consequences of mycotoxins consumption.…”