Effects of pre‐weaning dietary substitutions on plasma insulin and glucose profiles in primiparous sows |
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Authors: | T Y Chen P Stott S O’Leary R Z Athorn E G Bouwman P Langendijk |
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Institution: | 1. School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, SA, Australia;2. South Australian Research and Development Institute, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, SA, Australia;3. Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia;4. South Australian Research and Development Institute, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, SA, Australia |
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Abstract: | The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of substituting 1 kg of a standard lactation diet with 1 kg of a sugar‐rich (15.75 DE MJ/kg) or fat‐rich (23.85 DE MJ/kg) diet during late lactation on blood glucose and insulin changes in primiparous sows. During a 4‐week lactation period, 21 primiparous sows were fed to appetite with a standard lactation diet (14.10 DE MJ/kg). At 9 days before weaning, sows were assigned to a control (C, n = 7), fat (F, n = 6) or sugar (S, n = 8) treatment. During the treatment period (from 8 days before weaning until weaning), 1 kg of the lactation diet was substituted with 1 kg of a sugar‐rich or fat‐rich diet for S and F sows. At 3 days before weaning, serial blood samples were collected for a total of 228 min around feeding to establish pre‐ and postprandial plasma glucose and insulin concentrations. Preprandial plasma glucose and insulin concentrations did not differ between treatments (p > 0.05); however, mean plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were higher for S compared to F (p < 0.05) and intermediate for the C sows. Postprandial plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin were higher for the S sows than for C and F sows (p < 0.05). Sow body weight loss during late lactation did not differ between treatments (p > 0.05). The results from our study suggest that a sugar‐enriched diet during the last week of lactation elevates circulating glucose and insulin concentrations and may potentially improve post‐weaning fertility in primiparous sows. |
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Keywords: | energy substitution glucose insulin primiparous sow |
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