Performance, oxidative status and serum proteome in piglets from sows fed at divergent ω6:ω3 ratios

This study aimed at assessing the effect of low versus high ratios of ω6:ω3 fatty acids in the gestation and lactation sow diets on their piglets. Sixteen multiparous sows were randomly allocated to two diets with ω-6:ω-3 ratios of 13:1 (C) and 4:1 (T) from d 28 of gestation onwards. Their post-weaning piglets were divided into four groups (10 piglets/group): C-without seaweed supplementation (C0); C-with seaweed (SW) at 4 g/kg feed (CSW); T-without seaweed (T0); and T-with seaweed (TSW). Body weight (BW), plasma and serum were collected at d 0, 7, 15 and 21 post-weaning. Pigs from CSW and T0 had higher (P<0.05) BW on d 15 and 21; average daily gain from d 0-21; feed intake from d 0-21; and gain:feed ratio from d 0-15. Protein and lipid oxidation products (AOPP and TBARS) in plasma were not different between groups. However, AOPP and total antioxidants (FRAP) decreased (P<0.0001) and TBARS increased (P<0.0001) from d 0 to 15. Moreover, FRAP was lower (P<0.05) in the SW group compared to the 0 group within the same sow diet on d 7 and FRAP tended to be lower (P=0.06) in piglets from T-mothers than those from C-mothers from d 0 to 21. A pilot proteomic experiment on serum showed some variations of the exponentially modified protein abundance index (emPAI) between C0 and CSW groups: albumin ranged from 280 to 604; haptoglobin from 0.47 to 8.16 whereas less difference was found on complement C3 (0.53-0.91) and alpha- 2-HS-glycoprotein (0.95-1.62). Further exploiting these results will aid to explain the mechanisms underlying the improved growth performance in piglets from sows receiving a low dietary ω6:ω3 ratio and fed SW post-weaning.