The benefits of algae meal supplementation during pregnancy on piglet and weaner pig health

母体健康和宫内外环境条件等因素极大地影响了仔猪的健康潜力，在其免疫功能受损的状态下，仔猪是最易患疾病的发育阶段也就不足为奇了。人类和啮齿动物的研究表明，在慢性炎症状态下，饮食中补充抗炎n-3多不饱和脂肪酸对健康有好处。N-3多不饱和脂肪酸也可能对新生猪的健康有好处，但如果不在怀孕期间补充母亲的n-3多不饱和脂肪酸，就不能有效地实现这一点。本项目将评估藻粉(AM)作为n-3多不饱和脂肪酸来源对胎儿、新生儿和断奶仔猪健康的益处。母猪妊娠后期饲喂不同比例的n-3多不饱和脂肪酸和n-6多不饱和脂肪酸(豆粕)。一半的母猪将受到细菌脂多糖(LPS)刺激免疫系统的压力，以模拟怀孕期间的感染。将测量仔猪的健壮性，以评估AM对发育中的胎儿和新生猪的健康益处。该项目的具体目标是：1)评估和比较添加AM和FM后仔猪血液和组织中多不饱和脂肪酸的掺入情况；2)调查和比较添加AM和FM对仔猪下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴(HPAA)对断奶应激反应的影响；3)调查和比较添加AM和FM的效果，以及这种补充与哺乳饲料复杂性对断奶仔猪抗体介导(AbMIR)和细胞介导(CMIR)免疫反应的相互作用。从这项研究中获得的新知识有可能改善仔猪的健康，降低仔猪和断奶猪的死亡率，最终减少生产者的经济损失。最后，通过使用AM作为n-3多不饱和脂肪酸的创新可持续来源，将减少加拿大和世界各地野生渔业种群的压力，确保该行业未来的存在。

Factors such as maternal health and intra- and extra-uterine environment conditions greatly contribute to the health potential of the piglet, and in its' immunocompromised state, it is not surprising that the piglet is the most highly disease susceptible stage of development. Human and rodent studies have demonstrated that dietary supplementation with anti-inflammatory n-3 PUFAs provides health benefits during states of chronic inflammation. n-3 PUFAs may also provide health benefits to the neonatal pig, but this cannot be effectively achieved without maternal n-3 PUFA supplementation during pregnancy. This project will assess the health benefits of algae meal (AM) as a source of n-3 PUFAs on fetal, neonatal and weaner pig health. Sows will be fed different ratios of n-3 PUFAs and n-6 PUFAs (soybean meal (SM)) during late pregnancy. Half of the sows will be stressed by immune system stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate an infection during pregnancy. Piglet robustness will be measured to assess the health benefits of AM for the developing fetus and neonatal pig. The specific objectives of the project are to: 1) assess and compare the incorporation of PUFAs in piglet blood and tissue following maternal AM versus FM supplementation, 2) investigate and compare the effect of maternal AM versus FM supplementation on the piglet hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) response to weaning stress and 3) investigate and compare the effect of maternal AM versus FM supplementation, as well as the interactions of this supplementation with nursery diet complexity on weaner pig antibody-mediated (AbMIR) and cell-mediated (CMIR) immune responses. New knowledge obtained from this study has the potential to improve piglet health and reduce piglet and weaner pig mortality, ultimately reducing economic losses to the producer. Lastly, by using AM as an innovative sustainable source of n-3 PUFAs, pressure on Canadian and worldwide wild fishery stocks will be reduced ensuring the existence of this industry in the future.