Evaluation of an on-farm method to assess colostrum IgG content in sows

Diagnostic efficacy of hand-held digital refractometer for determining total serum protein in indigenous sheep of Pakistan

The study was designed to ascertain the diagnostic efficacy of hand-held digital refractometer in determining total protein (TP). The Sipli sheep (n = 128) were grouped as per gender (females = 99, males = 29) and age (G1 = up till 1 year, n = 35; G2 = from 1 to 2 years, n = 63; G3 = above 2 years, n = 30). The results regarding the overall mean (±SE) values for the TPs attained through serum chemistry analyzer (TP1) and hand-held digital refractometer (TP2) were non-significantly (P≥0.05) different (59.2±1.6g/L and 59.8±0.5g/L, respectively). However, the reference intervals (RIs) were quite different for the two TPs being 45.1-95.7g/L and 57.0-67.0g/L for TP1 and TP2, respectively. Similar results were seen for gender-wise and group-wise results. On the contrary, the results regarding correlation coefficient and logilinear regression showed a negative correlation between the two TPs (r = -0.0244) with an adjusted r-square of 0.059 (5.9% probability). Furthermore, the three tests implied to assess the level of agreement between the two methods (Cronbach alpha, Intraclass correlation coefficient, and Bland & Altman test) revealed least agreement between the two methods. In a nutshell, the results of TP through digital refractometer were not in concordance with those attained through serum chemistry analyzer. However, it can cautiously be used if these results are compared with relevant corrected RIs.

Animal board invited review: Factors affecting the early growth and development of gilt progeny compared to sow progeny

Progeny born to primiparous sows farrowing their first litter, often called gilt progeny (GP), are typically characterised by their poorer overall production performance than progeny from multiparous sows (sow progeny; SP). Gilt progeny consistently grow slower, are born and weaned lighter, and have higher postweaning illness and mortality rates than SP. Collectively, their poorer performance culminates in a long time to reach market weight and, ultimately, reduced revenue. Due to the high replacement rates of sows, the primiparous sow and her progeny represent a large proportion of the herd resulting in a significant loss for the pig industry. While the reasons for poorer performance are complex and multifaceted, they may largely be attributed to the immature age at which gilts are often mated and the significant impact of this on their metabolism during gestation and lactation. As a result, this can have negative consequences on the piglet itself. To improve GP performance, it is crucial to understand the biological basis for differences between GP and SP. The purpose of this review is to summarise published literature investigating differences in growth performance and health status between GP and SP. It also examines the primiparous sow during gestation and lactation and how the young sow must support her own growth while supporting the metabolic demands of her pregnancy and the growth and development of her litter. Finally, the underlying physiology of GP is discussed in terms of growth and development in utero, the neonatal period, and the early development of the gastrointestinal tract. The present review concludes that there are a number of interplaying factors relating to the anatomy and physiology of the primiparous sow and of GP themselves. The studies presented herein strongly suggest that poor support of piglet growth in utero and reduced colostrum and milk production and consumption are largely responsible for the underperformance of GP. It is therefore recommended that future management strategies focus on supporting the primiparous sow during gestation and lactation, increasing the preweaning growth of GP to improve their ability to cope with the stressors of weaning, selection of reproductive traits such as uterine capacity to improve birth weights and ultimately GP performance, and finally, increase the longevity of sows to reduce the proportion of GP entering the herd.

Genetic aspects of piglet survival and related traits: a review

In livestock, mortality in general, and mortality of the young, is societal worries and is economically relevant for farm efficiency. Genetic change is cumulative; if it exists for survival of the young and genetic merit can be estimated with sufficient accuracy, it can help alleviate the pressure of mortality. Lack of survival is a moving target; livestock production is in continuous change and labor shortage is a given. There is now ample evidence of clear genetic variance and of models able to provide genomic predictions with enough accuracy for selection response. Underlying traits such as birth weight, uniformity in birth weight, gestation length, number of teats, and farrowing duration all show genetic variation and support selection for survival or, alternatively, be selected for on their own merit.

Characterization and determination of bovine immunoglobulin G subtypes in milk and dairy products by UPLC-MS

In this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) method was established for the characterization and quantitative determination of immunoglobulin G (IgG) subtypes (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3) in bovine dairy products. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was applied to qualitatively confirm the theoretical peptides with specificity, enzymatic hydrolysis curve and stability among in heavy chain constant (CH1, CH2 and CH3) regions. The characteristic peptides VHNEGLPAPIVR, EPSVFIFPPKPK, GLPAPIVR, VVSALR were screened to quantitative analysis bovine IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and the total amount of bovine IgG1 and IgG3, respectively. Isotope-labeled peptides were obtained by isotope dimethylation reaction, which aimed to correct the matrix effects. The results showed that the recovery was between 98.7% and 103.5%, and the precision of inter-day and intra-day was less than 6.8%. Moreover, this method had good linearity (R² ≥ 0.999). Therefore, this research provided an effective method for quantitatively detecting bovine IgG subtypes in milk and dairy products.

Validation of hand-held refractometers for assessing Merino ewe colostrum and neonatal lamb serum

ContextThe high incidence of lamb mortality in Merino sheep is a persistent issue for the industry. Poor-quality colostrum or inadequate colostrum consumption increases the risk of low energy intake and failed passive immunity transfer, resulting in lamb mortality. The rapid assessment of colostrum quality and intake would be a valuable tool for producers which house ewes for lambing.AimsThis experiment determined the relationship and accuracy of analysis techniques to measure immunoglobulin G (IgG) and total protein (TP) concentrations within ewe colostrum and lamb serum and compared those results against digital hand-held refractometers.MethodsMerino ewe colostrum and lamb blood were sampled at 4 and 24 h post-partum during autumn (n=93 ewes) and spring (n=79 ewes) in 2018. Colostrum was analysed for total milk solids (%) and lamb serum was analysed for total blood serum protein (%), and both colostrum and lamb serum were analysed for IgG and TP using in-house laboratory analysis techniques. Correlation coefficients were performed to identify the relationship between the different assessment methods.Key resultsThere was a significant Pearson’s correlation (P<0.05) between 4 h total milk solids and TP (R=0.19), between total milk solids and IgG (R=0.19), and TP and IgG (R=0.38). For 24 h colostrum samples, the significant correlations (P<0.001) between TP and IgG (R=0.54) and total milk solids and IgG (R=0.56) were higher than the correlation between total milk solids and TP (R=0.24; P=0.006). Further, 4 h serum IgG (R=–0.14; P=0.026) and 24 h total blood serum protein (R=0.21; P=0.009) were correlated with lamb survival to 72 h.ConclusionsWhile the refractometer provided a crude measure of colostrum IgG and TP and was valuable in identifying lambs with low IgG transfer at 24 h, further research is required regarding analysis techniques to allow for reliable measures need to be refined.ImplicationsThe use of refractometers to assess colostrum quality and intake could benefit researchers or producers who practice indoor lambing.

A comparative evaluation of methods for estimating the colostrum quality in sows

ABSTRACT Colostrum is the main source of immunoglobulins (Ig) for neonate piglets and plays a crucial role within the health and growth of the piglet. Currently in pig farming, there are still no widespread practical methods for measuring the Ig concentration in colostrum at herd level. We evaluated sows’ colostrum IgG concentration using an optical and a digital Brix refractometer and their performance was correlated to an IgG ELISA test, and flow cytometry. Colostrum concentrations of IgG and IgA averaged 74.05 ± 21.37mg/mL and 20.2 ± 5.32mg/mL respectively. The mean value of the Brix percentages for optical refractometer was 26.32%, and for digital was 28.32%. The Brix refractometer measurements of colostrum samples presented high correlation for IgG content analyzed by ELISA (Optical = 0.74, Digital = 0.87; P <0.001). Considering the immunophenotyping, the values for IgG and IgA lymphoblasts indicated a highly significant relationship to ELISA (IgG=0.77, IgA=0.84; P<0.001). The Brix refractometer can be considered a useful tool to be included in a colostrum monitoring program to improve potentially neonatal health. In addition, we demonstrated that flow cytometry can be an important tool to analyze and characterize the immunological potential of sow colostrum.

Relationship between intramammary infection and antibody concentrations in Jersey and Holstein colostrum

Feeding calves a high-quality and antibody-rich colostrum is an important management practice for supporting calf health and productivity. Colostrum quality and antibody concentrations are highly variable between cows and among quarters within a cow. Intramammary infections often occur during the time of colostrum formation; however, it is unknown if these infections ultimately affect colostrum quality and antibody concentrations. The objective of this study was to determine if antibody concentrations and Brix percentage in colostrum from infected mammary glands (quarters) differed from uninfected. In 2 cross-sectional studies, colostrum samples were aseptically collected at first milking from 110 Holstein and 89 Jersey cows at 3 Holstein and 4 Jersey commercial dairy farms in Ohio. A total of 771 quarter samples were collected, underwent bacteriological culture, and were measured for Brix percentage with a digital refractometer. When 1 infected and 1 uninfected quarter existed among the fore or rear quarters within a cow, IgG₁, IgG₂, IgA, and IgM antibody concentrations were determined via ELISA for the paired quarters (n = 82). Overall, for Holstein cows, Brix percentages were greater in multiparous than primiparous cows (30.5 vs. 23.7 ± 2.1 SEM), but an opposite pattern was observed for Jersey cows (24.3 vs. 27.2 ± 1.2 SEM). Uninfected quarters in both Holstein and Jersey multiparous cows had greater Brix percentage than colostrum from infected quarters; this pattern was absent for Holstein and Jersey primiparous cows. For Holstein cows, concentrations of IgG₁, IgG₂, and IgA were greater in multiparous cows than primiparous cows; quarter-infection status did not significantly influence antibody concentrations. For Jersey samples, antibody concentrations did not differ between primiparous and multiparous cows and were not significantly affected by quarter-infection status. The results of these works indicate that infection status at parturition does not markedly affect colostrum antibody concentrations and quality, and that other factors at the local level of the mammary gland more greatly influence colostrogenesis and antibody transport into the mammary gland during colostrogenesis.

Effect of maternal organic selenium supplementation during pregnancy on sow reproductive performance and long-term effect on their progeny

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for animals and exists in nature in both inorganic and organic forms. Although organic Se is more bioavailable than inorganic Se, there are inconsistent reports on the effect of organic Se on the reproductive performance of sows. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of maternal organic Se (2-hydroxy-4-methylselenobutanoic [HMSeBA]) supplementation on reproductive performance and antioxidant capacity of sows, and the long-term effect on the growth performance and antioxidant capacity of their offspring with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. The experimental design used in this study was a completely randomized design; 45 Landrace × Yorkshire sows were randomly allocated to receive one of the following three diets during gestation: control diet (Control, basal diet, n = 15), sodium selenite (Na2SeO3)-supplemented diet (Na2SeO3, basal diet + 0.3 mg Se/kg Na2SeO3, n = 15), and HMSeBA-supplemented diet (HMSeBA, basal diet + 0.3 mg Se/kg HMSeBA, n = 15). On day 21 of age, male offspring from each group were injected with LPS or saline (n = 6). As compared with the control group, maternal HMSeBA supplementation increased the number of total born piglets, while decreased birth weight (P < 0.05). In the first week of lactation, maternal HMSeBA supplementation increased litter weight gain compared with the Na2SeO3 group (P < 0.05) and increased the average daily gain of piglets compared with the control group and Na2SeO3 group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, maternal HMSeBA supplementation decreased piglet birth interval as compared with the control group and Na2SeO3 group (P < 0.05). Besides, plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity was higher in the HMSeBA group on farrowing 0 min and 90 min, while malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was lower on farrowing 0, 90, and 135 min than those in the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, maternal HMSeBA supplementation increased the concentration of selenoprotein P (SELENOP) in colostrum compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Further study revealed that the LPS-challenged HMSeBA group had higher GSH-Px and total antioxidant capacity and lower MDA in weaning piglets compared with the LPS-challenged control group (P < 0.05). Taken together, maternal HMSeBA supplementation increased the number of total born piglets, shortened the duration of farrowing, improved the antioxidant capacities of sows and their offspring, and improved the growth performance of suckling pigs at the first week of lactation. Thus, HMSeBA supplementation during gestation has the potentiality to produce more kilogram of meat.

Investigation of the Defatted Colostrum 1H-NMR Metabolomics Profile of Gilts and Multiparous Sows and Its Relationship with Litter Performance

Simple Summary

Swine colostrum quality and quantity can influence the growth and survival of piglets and contribute to the differences in productive traits of gilts and multiparous sows. The aim of the study was to characterize the soluble metabolomics profile of defatted colostrum of sows at different parity number (PA) and to correlate the metabolomics profile with the colostrum Brix percentage as an estimate measure of immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration and sow productive traits. The metabolomics profile of colostrum reveals a slight influence of parity, which can influence the quantity of specific metabolites including glycine and lactose. Specific metabolites including lactose creatine, myo-inositol, and O-phosphocholine partially explain the colostrum IgG Brix percentage. Sows’ productive traits performance, including the litter weight at birth and piglets’ mortality, can be influenced by the metabolites related to a sow’s metabolic condition. Increasing knowledge on the interplay between colostrum composition and litter performance can pave the way to define management strategies to provide piglets with good-quality colostrum, improving welfare and economic sustainability of pig rearing by reducing piglet mortality.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to characterize the soluble metabolomics profile of defatted colostrum of sows at different parity number (PA) and to correlate the metabolomics profile with the Brix percentage estimate of colostrum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and sow productive traits. A total of 96 Meidam (crossbreed Large White × Meishan) sows of PA from 1–4 (PA1: 28; PA2:26; PA3:12; PA4:26) were included, and their productive traits were recorded at 10 days post-farrowing. Colostrum IgG was quantified using a Brix refractometer, and metabolomics profile was assessed using ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. Sows’ PA slightly influenced the metabolomics profile of colostrum. lactose and glycine were higher in PA1 compared with PA4 (p 0.05) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) tended to be higher in PA2 than PA3 and PA4 (p < 0.10). The Brix percentage of IgG was negatively associated with lactose and positively with creatine, myo-inositol, and O-phosphocholine (p < 0.05). Taurine was positively related to litter weight at birth. GlcNAc and myo-inositol were linked to piglet mortality at day 10 with a negative and positive trend, respectively. In conclusion, colostrum of gilts and multiparous sows had a similar metabolomics profile. Specific metabolites contributed to explanation of the variability in colostrum Brix percentage estimate of IgG concentration and the sows’ productive performance.

Heritability of udder morphology and colostrum quality traits in swine

The heritability of udder quality traits, defined as morphology and colostrum IgG concentration at farrowing, was estimated together with the genetic and phenotypic correlations of these traits with other production and reproduction criteria. Udder morphology traits were recorded in 988 Meidam sows and colostrum samples were collected from 528 sows. Teat length, teat diameter (DIA), interteat distance within the same row (SAMER), and teat distance from the abdominal midline (AML) were recorded to the nearest millimeter. For each sow, a record was also made of udder development score (DEV), the proportion of teats oriented perpendicular to the udder, and the proportion of nonfunctional teats. Colostrum IgG concentration was estimated with a Brix refractometer. Heritability of udder morphology traits varied from high ( = 0.46 for teat length and = 0.56 for DIA) to moderate ( = 0.37 for SAMER, = 0.22 for AML, = 0.25 for DEV, = 0.3 for the proportion of nonfunctional teats, = 0.1 for the proportion of teats oriented perpendicular to the udder, and = 0.35 for colostrum IgG concentration). The SAMER was negatively genetically correlated with the number of stillborns (genetic correlation [] = -0.48) and positively genetically correlated with the number of piglets born alive ( = 0.69), with the opposite for the trait AML ( = -0.40 for number of piglets born alive and = 0.40 for stillborns). The highest genetic correlation with productive traits was estimated between AML and ADG during rearing ( = 0.42), although this had a negative phenotypic correlation (; -0.11). Teat length was also moderately correlated with ADG ( = 0.27). Backfat thickness at 100 kg was positively correlated with DIA and the total number of teats present in both rows ( = 0.28 and = 0.36, respectively) and negatively correlated only with DEV ( = -0.22). The same results were found for the phenotypic correlation between backfat thickness at end of test and the total number of teats present in both rows ( = 0.03). Udder quality traits can be included in the breeding goal and appropriately weighted with other important traits in the breeding objectives to enhance maternal performance.