Effects of oral probiotic and lactoferrin interventions on iron-zinc homeostasis, oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium and diarrhoea incidence of neonatal piglets.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of early-life host specific probiotic and lactoferrin (LF) supplementations on diarrhoea incidence, iron (Fe)-zinc (Zn) balance and antioxidant capabilities in serum of neonatal piglets. A total of eight sow litters obtained from parity matched sows were randomly divided into four groups and assigned to one of the four interventions: control (2.0 ml normal saline), bovine lactoferrin (bLF) (100 mg bLF in normal saline), probiotic (Pb) (1×109 cfu of swine origin Pediococcus acidilactici FT28 strain) and bLF+Pb (both 100 mg bLF and 1×109 cfu of P. acidilactici FT28). All the piglets received supplementations once daily orally for first 7 days of life. The incidence of diarrhoea markedly decreased in bLF group compared to control group. Notably, no incidences of diarrhoea were recorded in Pb and bLF+Pb groups. The Zn and Fe concentrations were significantly increased from day 7 to 21 in bLF and on day 21 in bLF+Pb group. No such changes were noted in Pb group. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in serum was significantly increased on days 7 and 15 in bLF group and on days 7 and 21 in bLF+Pb group. Malonaldehyde concentration was markedly reduced from day 7 to 21 in bLF and bLF+Pb groups. The concentrations of nitrate on days 15 and 21 and malonaldehyde on day 7 were significantly higher in Pb group, but mean TAC was unaltered from day 0 to 21. Although no correlation between the incidence of diarrhoea and Zn/Fe and oxidant/antioxidant homeostasis was noted in the Pb group, the supplementation of P. acidilactici FT28 alone was sufficient to prevent the incidence of diarrhoea in neonatal piglets. Taken together, it is concluded that strategic supplementation of P. acidilactici FT28 in early life could help in preventing diarrhoea until weaning of piglets.