Effect of dietary crude protein level on growth performance, blood characteristics, and indicators of intestinal health in weanling pigs

Joseph R. Limbach, Charmaine D. Espinosa, Estefania Perez-Calvo, Hans H. Stein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that reducing crude protein (CP) in starter diets for pigs reduces post-weaning diarrhea and improves intestinal health. In total, 180 weanling pigs were allotted to 3 diets containing 22, 19, or 16% CP. Fecal scores were visually assessed every other day. Blood samples were collected from 1 pig per pen on days 1, 6, 13, 20, and 27, and 1 pig per pen was euthanized on day 12. Results indicated that reducing dietary CP reduced (P < 0.01) overall average daily gain, gain to feed ratio, final body weight, and fecal scores of pigs. Pigs fed the 16% CP diet had reduced (P < 0.01) serum albumin compared with pigs fed other diets. Blood urea nitrogen, haptoglobin, interleukin- 1β, and interleukin-6 concentrations in serum were greatest (P < 0.01) on day 13, whereas tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-10 concentrations were greatest (P < 0.01) on day 6. Villus height in the jejunum increased (P < 0.05) and crypt depth in the ileum was reduced (P < 0.01) if the 19% CP diet was fed to pigs compared with the 22% CP diet. A reduction (P < 0.05) in mRNA abundance of interferon-γ, chemokine ligand 10, occludin, trefoil factor-2, trefoil factor-3, and mucin 2 was observed when pigs were fed diets with 16% CP. In conclusion, reducing CP in diets for weanling pigs reduces fecal score and expression of genes associated with inflammation. c The Author(s) 2021.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberskab166
JournalJournal of animal science
Volume99
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2021

Keywords

  • blood characteristics
  • crude protein
  • fecal score
  • gene expression
  • growth performance
  • pigs

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Food Science
  • Animal Science and Zoology
  • Genetics

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