Alagbe Emmanuel O, Ajuwon Kolapo M, Schulze Hagen, Adeola Olayiwola
Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Livalta, an AB Agri Company, Peterborough, United Kingdom.
J Anim Sci. 2025 Sep 27. doi: 10.1093/jas/skaf338.
The intestinal health of weanling pigs is often compromised by harmful bacterial agents, leading to inflammation and reduced intestinal integrity. Limited research exists on the effects of spirulina as a bioactive feed additive on weanling pigs. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the effect of spirulina on the growth performance and intestinal health of pigs using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge model. On d 0, 128 pigs were assigned to one of four groups in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 2 levels each of spirulina (0 or 5 g SP/kg) and LPS (challenge or no-challenge). There were 8 replicate pens per treatment and 4 pigs per pen. On d 7, pigs were weighed, and pigs in the LPS challenge group were intraperitoneally injected with 100 µg/kg body weight LPS. The other pigs were injected with saline. On d 14, all pigs were weighed. On d 15, one selected pig per pen was again injected with the same amount of LPS or saline. After 4 h, the selected pigs were euthanized, and samples were collected. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS and evaluated for main effects and interactions. There was no dietary spirulina effect on growth performance. However, the LPS challenge reduced (P < 0.05) the body weight and gain-to-feed ratio of pigs. Dietary spirulina increased (P < 0.05) the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter regardless of the LPS challenge. There was an SP × LPS interaction effect (P < 0.05) on the jejunal villus height, villus perimeter, and villus area. Additionally, there was an SP × LPS interaction (P < 0.05) on serum tumor necrosis factor alpha. Challenge with LPS reduced (P < 0.05) the serum concentration of catalase but increased (P < 0.05) serum c-reactive protein concentration irrespective of dietary spirulina inclusion level. Dietary spirulina increased (P < 0.05) the mRNA expression of jejunal zonula occludens-1. An SP × LPS interaction (P < 0.05) showed that LPS-challenged pigs fed a spirulina-supplemented diet had the highest jejunal superoxide dismutase 2 mRNA expression relative to pigs in the other groups. In summary, dietary spirulina supplementation enhanced antioxidant activity and reduced intestinal inflammation in pigs during an LPS challenge. Dietary spirulina also improved tight junction integrity and dry matter digestibility, irrespective of the LPS challenge.
断奶仔猪的肠道健康常常受到有害细菌的损害，导致炎症和肠道完整性降低。关于螺旋藻作为一种生物活性饲料添加剂对断奶仔猪影响的研究有限。因此，本研究旨在使用脂多糖（LPS）攻毒模型研究螺旋藻对仔猪生长性能和肠道健康的影响。在第0天，128头仔猪被分配到四个组中的一组，采用2×2析因设计，每组有两个水平的螺旋藻（0或5 g SP/kg）和LPS（攻毒或不攻毒）。每个处理有8个重复栏，每个栏有4头猪。在第7天，对仔猪进行称重，LPS攻毒组的仔猪腹腔注射100 μg/kg体重的LPS。其他仔猪注射生理盐水。在第14天，对所有仔猪进行称重。在第15天，每个栏中挑选一头猪再次注射相同剂量的LPS或生理盐水。4小时后，将挑选的仔猪安乐死并采集样本。数据使用SAS的MIXED程序进行分析，并评估主效应和交互作用。日粮螺旋藻对生长性能没有影响。然而，LPS攻毒降低了（P < 0.05）仔猪的体重和料重比。无论是否进行LPS攻毒，日粮螺旋藻均提高了（P < 0.05）干物质的表观全肠道消化率（ATTD）。在空肠绒毛高度、绒毛周长和绒毛面积方面存在SP×LPS交互作用效应（P < 0.05）。此外，在血清肿瘤坏死因子α方面存在SP×LPS交互作用（P < 0.05）。LPS攻毒降低了（P < 0.05）过氧化氢酶的血清浓度，但增加了（P < 0.05）血清C反应蛋白浓度，无论日粮中是否添加螺旋藻。日粮螺旋藻提高了（P < 0.05）空肠闭合蛋白-1的mRNA表达。SP×LPS交互作用（P < 0.05）表明，与其他组的仔猪相比，饲喂添加螺旋藻日粮的LPS攻毒仔猪空肠超氧化物歧化酶2的mRNA表达最高。总之，日粮添加螺旋藻可增强仔猪在LPS攻毒期间的抗氧化活性并减轻肠道炎症。日粮螺旋藻还改善了紧密连接完整性和干物质消化率，无论是否进行LPS攻毒。
