Effects of maternal supplementation with fatty acid-balanced oil on the performance of sows and intestinal barrier function of offspring

Dietary lipid supplementation improves sow reproductive performance, survival, and growth of piglets. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of maternal fatty acid-balanced oil (FABO) supplementation during late gestation and lactation on the reproductive performance of sows, and the growth performance and intestinal barrier function of their offspring. Twenty-four multiparous sows (Landrace × Large White) with similar parity (2.29 ± 0.25), body weight (BW; 223.60 ± 11.32 kg) and backfat (BF) thickness (17.10 ± 2.03 mm) were divided into 2 treatment groups ( n = 12). The sows were fed with a basal diet supplemented with either 2% soybean oil (2% SO) or 2% fatty acid-balanced oil (2% FABO) from d 90 of gestation to the end of lactation (d 21 postpartum). At d 21 postpartum, 24 piglets (one per litter, 5.32 ± 0.07 kg BW, six per group) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (2% SO vs. 2% FABO) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge (saline vs. LPS). Within each maternal diet group, half of the piglets were injected intraperitoneally with either 100 μg/kg BW LPS or saline. At 4 h post-injection, all piglets were slaughtered and intestinal samples were collected. Maternal 2% FABO supplementation increased the piglet weight at birth and litter weight at weaning ( P < 0.05), and tended to enhance weaning survivability ( P = 0.076). Moreover, piglets born to sows supplemented with 2% FABO exhibited higher litter weight gain and average daily gain compared to those from sows receiving 2% SO diet ( P < 0.05). The 2% FABO increased colostral protein, immunoglobin (Ig) G, IgM and IgA concentrations ( P < 0.05). Piglets suckling 2% FABO-supplemented sows exhibited greater villus height and maltase and sucrase activities in the jejunum ( P < 0.05). Maternal dietary 2% FABO supplementation fortified intestinal barrier function, as evidenced by elevated goblet cell number and intestinal tight junction protein claudin-1 and ZO-1 expression, as well as mRNA abundance of pBD-3 and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) concentration in the jejunum of piglets ( P < 0.05). Piglets suckling 2% FABO-supplemented sows had lower mRNA abundance of HSP-70 and higher IL-10 mRNA abundance in the jejunum ( P < 0.05). Sow dietary 2% FABO supplementation elevated the IL-22/STAT3 pathway key factors JAK1 , TYK2 and STAT3 mRNA abundance, and IL-22, p-STAT3 protein expression and p-STAT3:t-STAT3 ratio in the jejunum of piglets ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, maternal supplementation with 2% FABO increased IgG, IgM and IgA concentrations in colostrum, and improved growth performance of offspring. Moreover, maternal dietary 2% FABO supplementation fortified intestinal barrier function of offspring, likely through modulation of the IL-22/STAT3 signaling pathway.