Dietary bioactive substances influenced perinatal bone development in piglets

Bioactive substances including taurine, l-carnitine, polyunsaturated fatty acids, flavonoids and antioxidants were shown to influence the perinatal development of a majority of mammalian systems, nervous, gastrointestinal, immune, etc. A blend of bioactive substances and plants was composed to supplement sow feedstuff, and our study aimed to examine the bone parameters in their offspring. Control sows were fed with a standard diet alone (n = 6). The sows from the supplemented group (n = 6) received the supplementation from the gestation day 80 until the end of lactation. From each sow two piglets were sacrificed, one at 7 d and the second at 28 d of life. The femur and humerus were isolated, bone mineral density and mineral content were determined using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Bone maximum strength and elastic force were determined by a three-point bending test. No differences in the body weight were found. At day 7, the bones of piglets from the supplemented group were characterized by higher weight, physical parameters and bone mineral content as compared to control, no difference in length and bone mineral density was observed. At day 28, no differences in humerus parameters were found as well as in femur mineral density and mineral content. However, in relation to the body weight, the weight and physical parameters of femur were higher in the supplemented group as compared to control. In conclusion, the supplementation of sow diet with bioactive substances influenced the development of bones in their offspring.