Functional amino acid supplementation attenuates the negative effects of plant-based nursery diets on the response of pigs to a subsequent Salmonella Typhimurium challenge.

Functional amino acids (FAA) attenuate the effects of Salmonella challenge in pigs. However, this may be affected by protein source (PS). The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of nursery dietary PS and FAA supplementation on growth performance and immune status of pigs subsequently challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium (ST). Thirty-two weanling pigs (8.7 ± 0.23 kg) were assigned to a feeding program for 31 d in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Factors were dietary PS (plant-based [PB] vs. animal-based [AB]) and FAA profile (basal [FAA-] or supplemented [FAA+; Thr, Met, and Trp at 120% of requirements]). Pigs were subsequently placed on a common grower diet and, after a 7-d adaptation, were inoculated with ST and monitored for 7 d postinoculation. Growth performance, rectal temperature, fecal score, gut health, ST shedding score, intestinal colonization and translocation, and blood parameters of acute-phase response and antioxidant balance were measured pre- and postinoculation. Data were analyzed with a 2 (AB vs. PB) × 2 (FAA- vs. FAA+) factorial arrangement of treatments and differences between means were considered significant at P ≤ 0.05. Postinoculation fecal score was worse, ST shedding, cecal myeloperoxidase, and cecal and colonic ST colonization were greater in PB compared to AB pigs (P < 0.05). Translocation of ST to spleen was decreased by FAA+ (P < 0.05), regardless of dietary PS. Postinoculation, AB pigs had greater average daily gain compared to PB-FAA- (P < 0.05). Pigs fed AB-FAA- showed increased average daily feed intake compared to PB-FAA- pigs (P < 0.05) and feed efficiency was increased in AB-FAA+ compared to PB-FAA- pigs (P < 0.05). Feeding PB ingredients in nursery diets seems to increase susceptibility of pigs to Salmonella. Moreover, FAA supplementation partially attenuated the negative effects of PB diets on the response of pigs to ST challenge.