Efficacy of mannanoligosaccharides additive to sows diets on colostrum, blood immunoglobulin content and production parameters of piglets

The present results suggest that mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) included in a sow nutrition may affect its immune system and humoral antibody production in colostrum and milk, and thus increase the piglet immunity at the postnatal period. The studies involved sows of the Polish Landrace breed mated with boars (Hampshire x Duroc). In each experiment, the sows were assigned to two groups: control and experimental (MOS). Each group consisted of 16 sows managed in pens (2 animals in each) during pregnancy, whereas at farrowing and lactation period they were placed in individual pens. The basal diet during pregnancy (PR-S) and lactation (LC-S) period contained wheat (40% in experiment I--groups 1 and 2) or triticale (40% in experiment II--groups 3 and 4), as well as barley, soybean meal, soybean oil and mineral-vitamin premix. Throughout both experiments, the sows from the experimental group had a dietary supplement of mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) preparation for 4 of weeks prepartum and 4 weeks of post partum period. A level of the MOS supplementation (8 g of MOS per sow daily) based on the recommendations of the manufacturer. Blood samples were collected from the sows on days 84 (the start of trial) and 110 of pregnancy, after farrowing, and on day 21 of lactation period, while from the piglets at birth and on day 21 of age. Colostrum was collected between 1-3, 12, 24 and 48 h after farrowing. The blood samples taken from sows and piglets as well as the samples of sow colostrum and milk were evaluated for the presence of IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies. The present study has provided considerable evidence that MOS supplementation of sows feedstuff before and after farrowing (4 weeks before and 4 weeks after) exerts a positive effect on IgG content in the colostrum and plasma of sows and following this on serum IgG level in the suckling piglets. Higher level of colostral (passive) immunity influences positively body weight gain and survival rate of the piglets at weaning.