Effects of dietary yeast strains on immunoglobulin in colostrum and milk of sows

The ban of antibiotic growth promoters in pig diet required the development of alternative strategies and reinforced the importance of maternal immunity to protect neonates from intestinal disorders. Milk from sows fed active dry yeasts during gestation and lactation exhibited higher immunoglobulin (Ig) and protein content in milk at day 21 of lactation. In this study, we investigated whether the administration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains of various origins (Sc01, Sc02, Sb03) to sows during late gestation and lactation could induce higher Ig content in colostrum and milk. Results show that yeast supplementation did not increase significantly sow body weight at days 112 of gestation and 18 of lactation as well as piglet body weight gain from birth to weaning. In contrast, the IgG level in colostrum was increased in comparison with the control group when sows were supplemented with Sc01 at both 0.05 and 0.5% (p < 0.05) and Sb03 at 0.5% (p < 0.01). During the lactation, the level of milk IgG remained significantly higher in comparison with the control group when sows were supplemented with Sc02 at 0.05% and 0.5% and with Sb03 at 0.5%. Furthermore, in comparison with the control sows, the level of milk IgA was significantly maintained in sows supplemented with the 3 yeast strains at 0.05%. The incidence of piglet diarrhoea was decreased in groups Sc01 at both 0.05% and 0.5% and Sc02 at 0.05%. Thus, these results show that the 3 yeast strains display immunostimulatory effects on maternal immunity, but only Sc01 supplementation at 0.05% allowed jointly the increase of IgG level in colostrum, the maintenance of IgA level in milk and the decrease of piglet diarrhoea incidence. This stimulation of maternal immunity could be associated with a better systemic (colostrum IgG) and local (milk IgA) protection of neonates and suggests that dietary yeasts may have stimulated the local gut immune system of sows. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.