Effects Of Crude Fiber On The Farrowing Performance And The Fecal Bacterial Community In Meishan Sows

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary crude fiber(CF)on the farrowing performance and the fecal bacterial community in Meishan sows.Fifty four purebred Meishan sows(2nd-7th parity)were allocated into 2.5%CF group,5.0%CF group and 7.5%CF group by similar parity.The behavior welfare,saliva steroid hormones,fecal short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)and bacterial flora of heavy pregnant Meishan sows,were analysised,further,the farrowing performance,the cortisal level in unbilical cord blood,and the growth performance of piglets were recorded.1 Effects of CF on behavior welfare,farrowing performance and steroid hormones of Meishan sows1.1 Behavior welfareDuring 81-88 days of pregnancy,7.5%CF group significantly decreased the frequency of stereotypic chewing and rolling tongue,the times of licking the ground,the total stereotypic behavior,the ratio of standing/lying and the times of standing(P<0.05),as compared to the 2.5%CF group.While,5.0%CF group significantly decreased the frequency of stereotypic chewing and rolling tongue,the times of licking the ground,the total stereotypic behavior,the ratio of standing/lying and the times of standing(P<0.05),as compared to the 2.5%CF group.The fecal water content in the 2.5%CF group was significant lower than that of the 7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group(P<0.05).However,there was no significant differences of fecal water content between the 7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group.This indicate that dietary CF is benefit for reducing the stereotypic behavior,relieving constipation and increasing resting behavior of Meishan sows.1.2 Farrowing performanceCompared to the 2.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group,7.5%CF group significantly increased the litter size(P≤0.05)and alive litter size(P≤0.01).No significant difference of litter size were found between the 2.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group.While,no obvious difference of birth weight was found among the three groups.This data indicate that dietary CF is benefit for improving the litter size of Meishan sows.1.3 Steroid hormonesIn the saliva of sow gestation with 90 days,compared to 2.5%CF group,7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group significantly down-regulated cortisol concentration(P≤0.05),but there was no significant differences in the 7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group.Compared to 2.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group,7.5%CF group significantly up-regulated P4 level(P<0.05),while,compared to 2.5%CF group,5.0%CF group also significantly up-regulated P4 level(P = 0.00).While,no obvious difference of E2 concentration was found among the three groups.This data indicate that dietary CF is benefit for down-regulating cortisol concentration and up-regulating P4 level of Meishan sows.When farrowing,7.5%CF group significantly down-regulated cortisol concentration of cord blood in the newborn piglets,ascompared to 2.5%CF group(P=0.02),While,no obvious difference of cortisol concentration was found between the 2.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group,7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group.This indicate that dietary CF is benefit for down-regulating cortisol concentration of farrowing in the Meishan sows.1.4 Blood biochemical indexAt the 90th gestation day,there was no significant difference of plasma Glucose(GLU),Cholesterol(CHO),Triglyceride(TG),High density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C),Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C),Alanine aminotransferase(ALT),Aspirate aminotransferase(AST),Creatine kinase(CK),Lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)concentrations were found among the three groups.This indicate that dietary CF have no significantly affected on the glucose and lipid metabolism of Meishan sows.No obvious difference of plasma GLU,CHO,TG,HDL-C,LDL-C and ALT,AST,CK and LDH level in piglets at their 30d of age were found among the three groups.This data indicate that maternal dietary CF have no significantly affected on the metabolism status of their offspring.Compared to 2.5%CF group,there was a decreased trend of the piglets blood white blood cell(WBC)in the 5.0%CF group(P = 0.07)and 7.5%CF group(P = 0.05).This data indicate that maternal dietary CF is benefit for improving the health status of their offspring.2 Effects of CF on SCFAs,bacteria microorganism of fecal in the Meishan sows2.1 SCFAsOn 90 days of pregnancy,no obvious difference of fecal acetic acid concentration was found among the three groups.7.5%CF group significantly increased the fecal propionic acid,isobutyric acid,butyric acid and isovaleric acid,valeric aicd and total acid concentrations(P<0.05),as compare to 2.5%CF group;however,there was no significant differences of fecal propionic acid,isobutyric acid,butyric acid and isovaleric acid,valeric aicd and total acid concentrations between the 7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group.Compared to 2.5%CF group,5.0%CF group increased fecal isobutyric acid and isovaleric acid concentrations(P<0.01),and valeric aicd(P = 0.06),but there was no significant differences of fecal propionic acid,butyric acid and total acid concentrations between the 5.0%CF group and 2.5%CF group.This data indicate that dietary CF is benefit for improving the fecal SCFAs levels of Meishan sows.2.2 Bacteria communityThe sequencing profile of the fecal bacterial DNA indicated that,the Operational taxonomic units(OTUs)and the community richness index Ace of the 2.5%CF group was obviously lower than that of 7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group(P<0.05),however,there was no significant differences of OTUs and Ace between the 7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group.The community richness index in 2.5%CF group was lower than 5.0%CF group(P = 0.00)and 7.5%CF group(P = 0.07),however,there was no significant differences of the Chao between the 5.0%CF group and 7.5%CF group.The index of Shannon and Simpson indicate the bacterial community diversity.Compared to the 2.5%CF group,7.5%CF group increased the fecal bacterial Shannon index(P = 0.01),and significantly decreased Simpson(P = 0.01);While,no obvious difference of Shannon and Simpson index were found between the 5.0%CF and 7.5%CF group.This indicate that dietary CF could improve the fecal bacteria community diversity in Meishan sows.The predominant bacteria phylums in the fecal bacteria flora was Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in Meishan sows,this two phylums counted for 85%of the total bacteria flora.Compare to 2.5%CF group,7.5%CF group significantly decreased the relative abundance of Firmicutes(P = 0.05),significantly increased the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes,Spirochaetes,Fibrobacteres,Tenericutes and Proteobacteria(P<0.05).However,we did not observed differences of the relative abundance of Firmicutes between the 7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group,and differences of the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes,Spirochaetes,Fibrobacteres,Tenericutes and Proteobacteria between the 2.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group.At the bacteria class level,Clostridia,Bacilli and Bacteroidia were the primal class in the fecal bacteria communiity in Meishan sows.Compare to 2.5%CF group,7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group significantly decreased the relative abundance of Clostridia(P<0.05),and significantly increased the relative abundance of Bacilli(P<0.05),while,no obvious difference was found between the 7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group.7.5%CF group significantly increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidia(P = 0.04),as compared to the 2.5%CF group,however,5.0%CF group did not achieve difference between the other two groups.The relative abundance of Fibrobacteria of 2.5%CF group was lower than 7.5%CF group(P = 0.01)and 5.0%CF group(P =0.07),but no differences was found between the 5.0%CF group and 7.5%CF group.Compared to 2.5%CF group,7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group significantly decreased the relative abundance of Clostridium genus(P<0.01),increased the relative abundance of Butyrivibrio genus(P<0.05),however,no obvious difference of the relative abundances of Clostridium and Butyrivibrio genus were found between the 5.0%CF group and 7.5%CF group.The relative abundance of Ruminococcus genus of 2.5%CF group was lower than that of the 7.5%CF group(P = 0.02)and 5.0%CF group(P=0.05).7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus,as compared to 2.5%CF group(P<0.05),however,no significant differences was observed between the 5.0%CF group and 7.5%CF group.Compare to 2.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group,7.5%CF group significantly decreased the relative abundance of Streptococcus(P<0.01),no obvious difference was found between the 5.0%CF group and 2.5%CF group.Compare to 2.5%CF group,7.5%CF group and 5.0%CF group decreased the relative abundance of Bacteroides(P<0.01),increased the relative abundance of Fibrobacter(P = 0.01,0.07),however,no difference was found between the 5.0%CF group and 7.5%CF group.Compare to 2.5%CF group,7.5%CF group significantly decreased the relative abundance of Escherichia-Shigella(P = 0.04),however,the 5.0%CF group did not produced obvious difference between the other two treatments.Conclusion:(1)The high CF diet level diets could influence the secretion of steroid hormones,improved the behavior welfare and farrowing performance of Meishan sows;(2)The high CF level diet could increased the bacteria community diversity,influence the composition of bacteria community,and improved the SCFAs concentrations of fecal in the Meishan sows.Innovation:(1)Present data for the first time illustrate that CF could improved the behavior welfare and farrowing performance of Meishan sows at the steroid hormones level.(2)Present data for the first time profiled that dietary CF could improve the community diversity of gut bacteria by increasing the relative abundance of probiotics,gave light on the mechanism of the benefit of CF on the farrowing performance in Meishan sows.