Effects of Sweet Potato Vine Silage Supplementation on Meat Quality, Antioxidant Capacity and Immune Function in Finishing Pigs

Abstract

Background Sweet potato vine is the stem and leaf of sweet potato and is nutritious as feedstuff. Silage is an effective solution to retain nutritional value and is beneficial for the preservation. This article explored the effects of Sweet potato vine silage (SPVS) supplementation on meat quality, antioxidant capacity and immune function in finishing pigs. 180 finishing pigs (Berkshire×Licha Black) with body weight of 74.54 ± 3.32 kg were randomly divided into three groups with six pigs per pen and six replicate per treatment: control diet (CON), CON supplemented with 2.5% SPVS (LSPVS) and 5.0% SPVS (HSPVS). Results It showed that eye muscle area in the LSPVS group was significantly increased and carcass weight in the HSPVS was significantly reduced. Cooking loss in both HSPVS and LSPVS were significantly reduced. Hepatic level of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) was significantly upregulated in LSPVS but downregulated in HSPVS. In serum, HSPVS decreased glutathione (GSH) level and increased GSH-PX level. HSPVS significantly reduced hepatic IL-1 level and LSPVS significantly reduced IL-12 level and increased IL-8 level. Moreover, HSPV promoted the secretion of IgM and IgG in serum. Conclusions SPVS supplementation improved animal performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity and immune performance in finishing pigs, which provide a new alternative to improve animal health and substitute traditional feedstuff.