Impact of tributyrin supplementation for swine dams on the modulation of microbiota and immune response of suckling piglets and their subsequent performance

• Grant number: 24/01178-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Cesar Augusto Pospissil Garbossa
• Grantee: Tarik Mohallem Pereira Lima
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In current pig production there is a search for nutritional alternatives that can reduce the use of antimicrobials. One of the alternatives would be the use of butyric acid, as it improves the systemic health of the animal organism, due to its nutritional, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, with a potential increase in the productive performance of pigs. Supplementation with tributyrin, a triester of butyric acid inserted in glycerol, makes butyrate available in the large intestine for systemic action of interest, which can benefit the productive performance and immunological status of weaned piglets. The objective of this study was to evaluate the residual and additive effect of maternal tributyrin supplementation during gestation and lactation on the performance and intestinal health of suckling piglets, and subsequently evaluate the performance of these piglets, supplemented or not with tributyrin, in the nursery phase. The analyzes will be divided into two stages, in which in the first stage in the maternity ward, randomized blocks will be used, with two treatments: diet with added tributyrin (TRIB) and diet without added tributyrin (CONT) supplemented to lactating females. In the second stage, in the nursery phase, we will use an experimental design with randomized blocks in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (pigs from females supplemented or not with tributyrin, and with or without tributyrin supplementation during the nursery phase). Blood parameters related to the immune response and microbiota of piglets will be evaluated, as well as weight gain, during the maternity phase. During the nursery phase, the performance of the piglets will be evaluated using the variables daily weight gain, daily feed consumption and feed conversion. To do this, the animals will be weighed at 0, 7, 22, 29 and 39 days. It is believed that tributyrin supplementation for lactating swine sows improves performance, immune response and exerts a modulating effect on the intestinal microbiota of piglets, resulting in significant improvements in the performance of these animals in subsequent phases.