Tanino condensado frente aos desafios inerentes da matriz suína moderna

Abstract

Genetic improvement of hyperprolific sows has boosted swine production in recent decades. However, this advancement has been accompanied by an increase in the production of free radicals and inflammatory processes, compromising their reproduction. Condensed tannin emerges as a promising alternative to mitigate these adverse effects. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of condensed tannin in the diet of sows and its effects on stress, productive performance, and intestinal health of the females, as well as to evaluate the impacts on the performance of their respective litters. 180 sows were used, distributed in a randomized block design, with three treatments in the gestation and lactation diets: CON – Control (without condensed tannin); TanB – 1.5 kg of condensed tannin; TanA – 2.0 kg of condensed tannin. Backfat thickness and sow weight were measured after insemination, at the exit of the gestation barn and at the exit of the farrowing barn. Feed intake was measured from the transfer of the sow to the group pen (5th-10th day of gestation) until the 19th day of lactation. Fecal microbiome analysis, colostrum bromatology, IgG concentration in colostrum, salivary cortisol and serotonin concentration, IL-10 and IL-6 concentration, and blood redox status were performed to evaluate the physiological parameters of the females. For the piglets, birth weight and weaning weight were evaluated, as well as the incidence of diarrhea, mortality, and culling. A tendency for increased feed intake (p = 0.063) was observed in the tannin treatments compared to the control. Regarding the stress response, tannin reduced cortisol concentration on the first day of lactation (p < 0.05) and showed a tendency for a higher IL-10 concentration on the 10th day of lactation for the TanA group compared to the CON group (p = 0.08). Higher catalase activity was observed in the TanA group on the 85th day of gestation (p < 0.05), higher SOD activity in the TanB group compared to the control on the first day of lactation, as well as a lower TBARS reaction in TanA on the 18th day of lactation (p < 0.05). On the 18th day of lactation, there was a trend towards a difference in beta diversity between treatments (p = 0.05), with a higher relative abundance of the Peptococcaceae family and the Lactobacillus reuteri species, in addition to a lower abundance of the Spirochaetaceae and Enterobacteriaceae families and the E. coli species (p < 0.05). The diet supplemented with condensed tannin reduces stress in sows at farrowing. Near weaning, the concentration of 2 kg/ton was able to increase intestinal health and decrease lipid oxidation.