One hundred eighty newly weaned pigs (21 days of age; 6.9±0.2 kg BW) were used to determine the effects of deoxynivalenol- (DON) contaminated corn and an immune-modulating feed additive on growth performance and immune response of nursery pigs fed corn- and soybean meal-based diets. Pens were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 diets: a high-complexity (HC; containing animal protein sources) or 1 of 4 low-complexity diets (LC; containing soybean meal as the main protein source) arranged in a 2×2 factorial with low (lDON; average 1.4 ppm) or high (hDON; average 3.5 ppm) DON and with or without a feed additive (2 g/kg in complete feed; n = 6 pens per treatment) provided in a 3-phase feeding program. On day seven, small intestinal histomorphology was assessed in two pigs per pen. On days 8 and 25, two pigs per pen were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA). Blood was collected on days 8, 25, and 38 for determination of OVA-specific IgG. There were no corn type by feed additive interactions or feed additive effects for growth performance. The ADG, ADFI, and G:F in phase I were not different for pigs fed hDON versus lDON, but were less than those fed the HC diet (contrasts; P < 0.05). Over the entire nursery period, ADG and ADFI were less for pigs fed hDON versus those fed lDON (407 vs. 484 g and 651 vs. 769 g, respectively; P < 0.05), ADG was less for pigs fed hDON versus HC (496 g; P < 0.05), and pigs fed lDON had ADG and ADFI not different from those fed the HC diet. Pigs fed hDON had lower final BW than those fed lDON (24.6 vs. 27.6 kg; P < 0.01) and tended to have lower final BW than pigs fed the HC diet (27.3 kg; contrast; P = 0.052); final BW was not different between pigs fed lDON and HC diets. Jejunal villus heights were shorter for pigs fed hDON and lDON compared to pigs fed HC (438 and 466 vs. 538 µm; contrasts; P < 0.05 and P = 0.090, respectively) and the villus:crypt ratio tended to be less for pigs fed hDON versus those fed HC (1.87 vs. 2.22; contrast; P = 0.091). On day 38, plasma OVA-specific IgG 1 tended to be less for pigs fed hDON compared to HC (contrast; P = 0.075) and OVA-specific total IgG were less for pigs fed LC diets without the feed additive versus HC (P < 0.05). Therefore, high DON (~3.5 ppm) in LC nursery diets interfered with compensatory growth and the humoral immune response. The feed additive did not rescue growth performance, regardless of DON contamination level in LC nursery diets.

A total of 144 newly weaned pigs (21 days of age) were used to determine the effect of deoxynivalenol (DON)-contaminated corn, with or without NutraMix™ supplementation, on growth performance and indices of immune system functionality during the nursery period. Pigs were randomly allocated to 24 pens of six pigs and assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments according to a 2X2 factorial design (n=6); treatments were fed for the 43±1-day nursery period in three phases (phases I, II, and III fed for 8, 14, and 21±1 days, respectively). The factors were clean or DON-contaminated corn and with (2 g/kg in complete diet) or without NutraMix™ supplementation. The DON diets were formulated to ensure a step-up in DON concentration for each phase (3, 4, and 5 ppm in phases I, II, and III, respectively; analyzed concentrations were 3, 3 and 4 ppm). Individual pig body weights and per pen feed intake were recorded weekly. Two pigs per pen were vaccinated against ovalbumin and candida albicans to measure humoral and cell-mediated immune responses by the cutaneous hypersensitivity response test. The ADG (600 vs 693±28 g) and ADFI (979 vs 1110±51 g) in phase III and final BW (25.2 vs 27.1±0.9 kg) were reduced for pigs fed contaminated corn (P< 0.005, P=0.088, and P< 0.05, respectively). NutraMix™ supplementation tended (P=0.086) to improve ADFI (181 vs 142±14 g) in the first week after weaning. All pigs responded to both ovalbumin and candida albicans during the cutaneous hypersensitivity response (P< 0.05), but DON nor NutraMix™ influenced the response. The DON-contaminated diets had the greatest impact on pig growth performance during phase III and when DON concentration was 4 ppm, with no modulation of the cutaneous hypersensitivity response. NutraMix™ supplementation during the early weaning period may be a means to stimulate nursery pig feed intake.

Three hundred twenty newly weaned pigs (21 days of age; 6.7±0.3 kg BW) were used to determine the effects of supplementing low-complexity (LC) deoxynivalenol- (DON) contaminated nursery diets with a feed additive or fish oil on growth performance and immune response to an Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Pens were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments (n = 8 pens per treatment): positive control (PC; contained multiple animal protein sources), or 1 of 4 LC diets (contained only plant-based protein sources) without (NC; negative control) or with ~3.5 ppm DON-contamination, without (DON-) or with a feed additive containing a blend of immune-modulating components (DON+; 2 mg/kg, as-fed) or fish oil (DONω3; 2.5%, as-fed). Dietary treatments were fed during phases I and II (7 and 15 days, respectively) and a common phase III diet was fed for 20 days. On day 22, two pigs per pen were injected IM with 30 μg/kg BW LPS and 1 pig per pen with 1 mL saline. Rectal temperatures were recorded at 0, 1, 2, 3 h after injection. At 3 h, blood was collected for plasma cytokine analysis and small intestinal histomorphology was assessed. In phase I, pigs fed PC and NC did not differ for ADG, ADFI and G:F, but these outcomes were greater than for pigs fed DON+ and DONω (P < 0.05). In phase II, pigs fed NC had greater ADG and PC had greater ADFI but lower G:F than pigs fed DON- and DONω3 (P < 0.05). At the end of phase II, pigs fed DONω3 tended to have lower BW than PC and NC (P = 0.084 and 0.079, respectively). In phase III and overall, there were no differences among dietary treatments for ADG, ADFI, G:F, or final BW. The LPS injection increased rectal temperature and reduced jejunal and ileal villus height (versus saline; P < 0.05). Plasma interferon-γ concentration was only increased by LPS for pigs fed PC, NC, and DON+ compared to the saline-injected counterparts (P < 0.05). Regardless of LPS injection, jejunal villus height was greater for pigs fed DON+ than DONω3 (P < 0.05) and ileal villus height was greater for pigs fed DON+ and PC than DONω3 (P < 0.05). Therefore, nursery diet complexity did not affect growth performance or immune response to LPS. Regardless of DON contamination and feed additive inclusion in phases I and II, pigs were able to achieve nursery exit BW not different from those fed PC. The feed additive offered marginal benefits for small intestinal villus height and immune response for pigs fed DON-contaminated LC nursery diets.

Three hundred twenty newly weaned pigs (6.7±0.3 kg BW) were used to determine the effect of low complexity diets contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON) and supplemented with NutraMixTM or fish oil on nursery pig growth performance. Pigs were randomly divided into 40 pens and assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments (n = 8): [1] high-complexity diet containing animal proteins (HC) or one of four low complexity diets with protein supplied only by corn and soybean meal with [2] no DON contamination (LC), or [3] DON contamination of 3 ppm without supplements (DON-), [4] with NutraMixTM supplementation (2 g/kg; DONNM), or [5] with fish oil supplementation (2.5%, as-fed; DONω3). Diets were fed over two phases (7 and 15 days, respectively) and a common phase III diet was fed to all pigs for 20 days. In phase I, ADG, ADFI, and G:F were not different between pigs fed the HC and LC diets, but were lower for pigs fed DONNM and DONω3(P < 0.05). In phase II, pigs fed the DON- and DONω3 diets had lower ADG than LC (375 vs. 410 g/d; P < 0.05) and lower ADFI than HC (452 vs. 519 g/d; P < 0.05), while pigs fed DON- and DONω3 had greater G:F than those fed HC (0.83 vs. 0.78; P < 0.05). The BW at the end of phase II were not different between HC and LC (13.0 kg), but tended to be less for DONω3 (12.6 kg; P = 0.084 and 0.079, respectively). In phase III and over the entire nursery period, there were no treatment effects on ADG, ADFI, G:F, or final BW (26.0±0.7 kg). Feeding low complexity diets contaminated with 3 ppm DON initially reduced growth performance, but pigs were still able to achieve BW not different from HC pigs at the end of the nursery period, regardless of supplementation.