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. 2025 Jan 4:103:skaf228.
doi: 10.1093/jas/skaf228.

Effects of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation during gestation on sow performance, offspring development, and intestinal microbiota in sows and piglets

Shengyu Xu  1 , Changqin Wang  1 , Qiang Zhou  1 , Yifan Wang  1 , Hui Yan  1 , Jiayong Tang  1 , Ruinan Zhang  1 , Hua Li  1 , Xilun Zhao  1 , Xuemei Jiang  1 , Guangmang Liu  1 , Hefeng Luo  2 , De Wu  1 , Lianqiang Che  1
Affiliations

Effects of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation during gestation on sow performance, offspring development, and intestinal microbiota in sows and piglets

Shengyu Xu et al. J Anim Sci. .

Abstract

The 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3) is a metabolite of vitamin D (VD) and status biomarker of VD in blood. We investigate the effect of dietary 25OHD3 supplementation on gestation sow litter performance, milk composition, nutrient metabolism, the growth performance of offspring, and intestinal microbiota. A total of 60 sows were randomly allocated to receive VD3 diet (CON, 50 µg·kg-1, n = 30) or 25OHD3 diet (50 µg·kg-1, n = 30). All sows had the same diet during lactation. No difference was observed in litter size at farrowing and piglet performance at weaning between treatments. Sows fed 25OHD3 diet had increased plasma concentrations of prolactin (P = 0.05) and tended to have increased estradiol concentrations (P = 0.09) at farrowing. Sows fed 25OHD3 diet tended to have higher dry matter and fat contents in milk on day 10 of lactation (P = 0.08), increased plasma calcium concentration in newborn piglets (P < 0.05), and proportions of tibia and femur to body weights (P < 0.05) in weaning piglets. Newborn piglets from sows fed 25OHD3 diet had increased crypt depth (P < 0.05), and decreased ratio of villus height to crypt depth (P < 0.05). Compared with the VD3 diet, sows fed the 25OHD3 diet tended to have more fecal Firmicutes (P = 0.09) and fewer Campylobacterota (P < 0.05) at farrowing, and had fewer Bacteroidota and Spirochaetota (P < 0.05) at the end of lactation. Moreover, the weaning piglets from sows fed 25OHD3 diet had a higher abundance of Pseudomonas (P < 0.05), and a lower abundance of Bacteroides, Megasphaera, CAG-873, and Olsenella (P < 0.05) in colonic chyme. We conclude that 25OHD3 supplementation in gestation sows improves milk composition, increases the blood calcium concentration of newborn piglets, the tibia and femur weight of weaned piglets, and alters the intestinal microbiota of both sows and piglets.

Keywords: 25-hydroxycholecalciferol; bone development; intestinal microbiome; intestinal morphology; offspring; sow.

Plain language summary

Vitamin D (VD) plays an important role in bone mineralization and animal reproductive performance. As a metabolite of VD in the liver, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3) is gradually becoming a substitute for VD3. However, reported effects of administering 25OHD3 to sow diet instead of VD3 are inconsistent. We found that dietary supplementation with 25OHD3 (50 µg·kg−1) during gestation increase prolactin plasma concentrations and tend to increase estradiol concentrations at farrowing, improve sow milk dry matter and fat contents at lactation, increase newborn piglet blood calcium contents, and alter sow and piglet intestinal microbiota. Dietary supplementation with 25OHD3 in gestation sows has the potential to promote intestinal development in newborn piglets, thus promoting weaned piglet skeletal weight. These results indicate that maternal 25OHD3 supplementation benefit bone and intestinal development of offspring.

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