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

产妇健康和子宫内外环境条件等因素对仔猪的健康潜力有很大影响，在其免疫功能低下的状态下，仔猪是最易受疾病影响的发育阶段，这并不奇怪。人类和啮齿动物的研究表明，在慢性炎症状态下，饮食中补充抗炎的n-3 PUFAs对健康有益。n-3 PUFA也可以为新生猪提供健康益处，但如果在怀孕期间母体不补充n-3 PUFA，则无法有效实现这一目标。本项目将评估海藻粕（AM）作为n-3 PUFAs来源对胎儿、新生儿和断奶猪健康的益处。妊娠后期母猪分别饲喂不同比例的n-3 PUFAs和n-6 PUFAs（豆粕）。一半的母猪将受到细菌脂多糖（LPS）的免疫系统刺激，以模拟怀孕期间的感染。将测量仔猪健壮性，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)评估和比较母体添加AM和FM后仔猪血液和组织中PUFAs的掺入情况；2)研究和比较母体添加AM和FM对仔猪下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴（HPAA）对断奶应激的反应；3)研究和比较母体添加AM和FM的影响。以及添加这种添加剂与托儿所日粮复杂性对断奶猪抗体介导（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 pufa的创新可持续来源，将减少对加拿大和全球野生渔业种群的压力，确保该行业在未来的存在。

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.