Effects of maternal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol during the last week of gestation and lactation on serum parameters, intestinal morphology and microbiota in suckling piglets

This study was conducted to test the effects of maternal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3) supplementation on serum parameters, intestinal morphology and microbiota in suckling piglets. The experiment started on day 107 of gestation and lasted until piglets were weaned on day 21 of lactation. Thirty-two sows were allocated randomly to two treatments (ND diet, basal diet with 2000 IU/kg of vitamin D3; 25-D diet, basal diet with 50 μg/kg 25OHD3). Results showed that maternal 25-D treatment increased (p < 0. 05) serum 25OHD3 concentration in the umbilical cords, which led to higher (p < 0. 05) serum 25OHD3 concentration of suckling piglets from 25-D sows. The GSH-Px activity in colostrum was higher (p < 0. 05), as well as SOD and GSH-Px activities in milk, were higher (p < 0. 05) in 25-D sows than ND sows. Compared with piglets suckling ND sows, piglets suckling 25-D sows had higher (p < 0. 05) serum SOD activity on day 7, 14 and 21 of lactation. On day 21 of lactation, piglets form 25-D sows had greater (p < 0. 05) serum levels of GH and IGF-I and lower (p < 0. 05) serum DAO activity than those from ND sows. Piglets from 25-D sows had higher (p < 0. 05) jejunal villus height than those from ND sows. Feeding 25OHD3 to sows tended to increase (p < 0. 10) the species richness in the colonic digesta of suckling piglets, as reflected by the α-diversity index of Chao-1. In the caecal digesta, the α-diversity for bacterial community analysis of Simpson and Shannon was lower (p < 0. 05) in 25-D piglets than ND piglets. The relative abundances of colonic Alloprevotella and caecal Lactobacillus were significantly higher, while the population of caecal Eubacteriumcoprostanoligenesgroup was lower (p < 0. 05) in 25-D piglets than ND piglets. In conclusion, maternal 25OHD3 supplementation partly improved antioxidant status in sows and suckling piglets and altered gut microbiota in the hindgut of piglets.