Explore

Communities in English

Advertise on Engormix

Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Piglet Health?

Published: December 20, 2013
By: Laura Eastwood (M.Sc. Prairie Swine Centre and University of Saskatchewan), Denise Beaulieu (Ph.D. Prairie Swine Centre)
FAST FACTS
Background
  •  Weaning is the most stressful time in a piglet’s life
  •  The stress of weaning can cause an immune reaction and a growth lag (slowed growth)
  •  An immune reaction is a good bodily defense mechanism against foreign invaders, but an overly active immune system can be harmful
  •  Many nutritional strategies have attempted to improve piglet welfare at weaning
  •  Prairie Swine Centre (Saskatoon, SK) is researching whether Omega-3 fatty acids added to the sow’s diet can improve her piglets’ health and growth at weaning
Results
  •  What is fed to the sow can affect her piglets’ immune functions
  •  Preliminary results indicate that farmers should not feed sows less than a 5:1
  • Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acid ratio in the diet
  •  Too high a level of Omega-3’s can hinder piglet health and growth
  •  The researchers will continue to work towards determining the “optimal” ratio of Omega-6’s to Omega-3’s in the sow diet, and the consequences of improper ratios on piglet health, growth and welfare
Background
In swine production weaning is the most stressful time in a piglet’s life. At this time piglets are removed from the sow, moved to a new room in the same barn or offsite, mixed with unfamiliar pen mates, and they begin consuming an unfamiliar diet. These stressors (social, environmental and nutritional) contribute to what the industry refers to as the ‘post-weaning growth lag’ which can affect piglet welfare. This growth lag is characterized by anorexia, reduced or negative growth and increased susceptibility to pathogens. In some cases piglets do not eat for 24-48 hours. It has been shown that during weaning, some piglets undergo an inflammatory reaction triggered by these stresses (the stress and immune response pathways are closely linked in the body). Although a certain degree of immune response is beneficial, an over-production of immune cells can become detrimental to the animals, leading to reduced muscle growth or even muscle degradation and thus the post-weaning growth lag.
Over the years we have seen many nutritional strategies implemented with the goal of improving piglet performance and welfare at the time of weaning. Some of these strategies include the use of feed in the farrowing room (this is called “creep” feed and it is supposed to encourage piglets to eat solid food prior to weaning), the use of highly palatable protein sources in starter diets and even the use of novel feed ingredients to encourage piglets to eat immediately post-weaning. Recently the Prairie Swine Centre (Saskatoon, SK) conducted a series of experiments and continues to research how nutritional modulation using Omega-3 fatty acids can improve piglet health and performance at weaning. 
Omega-3 (n3) and Omega-6 (n6) fatty acids are long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Depending on the source (plant or fish), the n3 or n6 fatty acids will differ slightly in structure and function. The metabolites of these fatty acids are highly active in the body. The n6 products are generally considered pro-inflammatory (cause inflammation) and the n3 products are antiinflammatory (prevent inflammation). In other words, the n3 fatty acids may assist in regulating the body’s immune response, and thus may help alleviate the stress-induced immune response generated at weaning. 
Setting up the study
Recently at the Prairie Swine Centre an experiment was conducted to determine how altering the n6 to n3 fatty acid ratio (n6:n3) in sows’ diets would affect the inflammatory responses of their piglets. Sows were fed one of 5 diets with varied n6:n3 fatty acid ratios: A control (tallow based) diet, plant based ratios of 10:1, 5:1 and 1:1 in the diet, or a fish based 5:1 ratio. Piglets were weaned on day 26 of lactation onto a common commercial starter diet. A total of 100 piglets were used; 20 in each of the 5 dietary treatment groups.
On day 7 post-weaning the piglets underwent an immune challenge. Half of the piglets in each dietary treatment group were injected with a portion of E.Coli bacteria (called LPS) to trigger a short-lived (approximately 24 hours) immune response. The E. coli LPS trigger is widely used in both animal and human trials because it is non-pathogenic, meaning it does not cause disease, but it does elicit a short-term immune response. In the context of this experiment it was used to mimic the inflammatory responses of piglets that occur at weaning. The other half of the piglets in each dietary treatment group received an injection of saline (control group). Rectal temperatures were recorded at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12 and 24 hours post injection, and blood samples were collected at 0, 2, 6 and 12 hours post injection. 
What we learned
Results indicated that an injection of E. Coli LPS was effective in generating an immune reaction, thus mimicking weaning stress.
Varying dietary ratios of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids had a significant effect on body temperature (fever response). Piglets born from sows that ate the 1:1 diet had greater body temperatures than those born from sows that ate the control, 10:1 or 5:1 plant based diets. The body temperatures of piglets born from sows consuming the 5:1 fish based diet were intermediate. Markers of inflammation in the blood were also elevated in piglets born from sows that ate the 1:1 plant based and 5:1 fish based diets. 
Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Piglet Health? - Image 1Piglets in the study being conducted at Prairie Swine Centre. Source: Prairie Swine Centre. 
These results were contrary to what we expected: that a higher Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acid ratio in the diet would result in increased body temperatures (fever) and immune response in piglets. 
What it means
Our experiment demonstrated that what is fed to the sow can affect how her piglets respond to immune challenges at weaning. It appears that altering the Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acid ratio in sow diets can affect fever and inflammatory cell responses of their piglets when challenged with E. Coli LPS post-weaning.
When sows ate a diet with a 1:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids, their piglets had elevated body temperatures and a greater response to the immune challenge compared to piglets from sows that ate the other diets. In other words, the 1:1 diet piglets were more stressed and fevered at weaning.
This led us to conclude that perhaps Omega-6 fatty acids were not as inflammatory as we originally thought; or alternatively, perhaps there is an “optimal” ratio of Omega- 6 to Omega-3 in the diet, after which point the immune response generated becomes a hindrance to piglet productivity and health. It is important to reiterate that an immune reaction is a good bodily defense mechanism against foreign invaders, but an overly active immune system can be harmful.
Based on these preliminary results, we can recommend that farmers do not feed their sows less than a 5:1 Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acid ratio in the diet. Further experiments are being conducted to determine the consequences of these immune responses to the animals, and the resulting implications on animal health, performance and welfare. Once these additional trials are completed, more concrete recommendations can be made. 
Acknowledgements
Strategic program funding was provided by Sask Pork, Alberta Pork, Manitoba Pork Council and Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Development Fund. Specific funding for this project was provided by Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) and Vandeputte s. a., Belgium.
Originally published ar the BCCPCA Farm Sense, February 2012. http://www.spca.bc.ca
Related topics:
Authors:
Denise Beaulieu
University Saskatchewan
University Saskatchewan
Laura Eastwood, Ph.D.
Prairie Swine Centre Inc.
Recommend
Comment
Share
Laura Eastwood, Ph.D.
Prairie Swine Centre Inc.
2 de enero de 2014

The control diet contained a n6:n3 ratio of about 10:1 but contained less than half of the total PUFA of the other 4 diets. This diet was tallow based and contained no added plant or fish sources.

There were 3 plant based diets which contained n6:n3 ratios of 10:1, 5:1 and 1:1. The plant source of n3 was flax (combinations of ground seed, oil and high fat meal) and the n6 source was corn (ground and oil). The 5:1 fish based diet contained herring oil as the fat source.

In regards to our comment suggesting not to feed a ratio of less than 5:1, we are saying that currently, we do not know at what ratio below this the negative effects begin to be observed. We did not test ratios between 5:1 and 1:1, and thus we recommend not feeding below a 5:1 n6:n3 ratio at this point in time.

Recommend
Reply
Noni Mammatt
26 de diciembre de 2013
if creep feed is added to their pen and the sows and piglets are added to a nursery pen, then they (a) get to know their litter mates (b) they get to know the feed (c) they are still on mum On weaning nothing in the way of food should change. Only the place where they will stay until they have forgotten about Mum. Two forms are constant..... their feed and their litter mates this makes for easy weaning. On obtaining 20 kg feed is changed but the group are still together.
Recommend
Reply
Wm F. Tooley
23 de diciembre de 2013

When you say "...less than 5/1..." What do you mean?

Recommend
Reply
Profile picture
Would you like to discuss another topic? Create a new post to engage with experts in the community.
Featured users in Pig Industry
Sriraj Kantamneni
Sriraj Kantamneni
Cargill
Global Business Technology Director
United States
Karo Mikaelian
Karo Mikaelian
Trouw Nutrition
United States
Tom Frost
Tom Frost
DSM-Firmenich
Director of Innovation & Application
United States
Join Engormix and be part of the largest agribusiness social network in the world.