Effect of Maternal Catalase Supplementation on Reproductive Performance, Antioxidant Activity and Mineral Transport in Sows and Piglets

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of maternal catalase (CAT) supplementation on reproductive performance, antioxidant enzyme activities, mineral transport, and mRNA expression of related genes in sows and offspring. A total of 40 pregnant sows at 95 days of gestation with similar parity (3–5 parities) and back-fat thickness were assigned randomly and equally into the control (CON) group (fed a basal diet) and CAT group (fed a basal diet supplemented with 660 mg/kg CAT; CAT activity, 280 U/g). The reproductive performance was recorded, and the placenta and blood samples of sows and neonatal piglets, as well as the jejunum and ileum samples from neonatal boars (eight replicates per group), were collected. Results showed that dietary supplementation with CAT significantly decreased the intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) rate and increased the activity of serum CAT in neonatal piglets and umbilical cords (p < 0.05). In addition, CAT supplementation tended to improve total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels in the maternal serum (p = 0.089) and umbilical cords of piglets (p = 0.051). The serum calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) of farrowing sows and Mn concentration in the umbilical cord, and serum Ca, magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), and Mn of neonatal piglets were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the CAT group. CAT supplementation downregulated mRNA expression of TRPV6 and CTR1 (p < 0.05), Cu/Zn SOD (p = 0.086) in the placenta and tended to increase the mRNA expression of the glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) (p = 0.084), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) (p = 0.063), and CAT (p = 0.052) genes in the ileum of piglets. These results showed that the maternal CAT supplementation improved fetal growth by decreasing the IUGR rate, and modulated antioxidant activity, as well as mineral elements in the pregnant sows and their piglets.

Maternal catalase supplementation regulates fatty acid metabolism and antioxidant ability of lactating sows and their offspring

“…To investigate the effects of maternal CAT supplementation on lactation sows' backfat loss and suckling piglets' growth performance, sows were fed with a basal diet or CAT supplementation diet during late pregnancy and lactation ( Tables 3 , 4 ). We previously found that maternal CAT could reduce the intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) rate while not significantly affecting the birth body weight of piglets ( 16 ). However, in this study, maternal CAT supplementation tended to increase BW at day 14 of the nursing period (0.05 < P < 0.1) and significantly increased ADG ( P < 0.05) of suckling piglets in the CAT group compared to the CON group.…”

“…A total of 40 pregnant sows (gestation day 95, Large White × Landrace), with a similar backfat thickness (approximately 19 mm) and mean parity of 3–5, were randomly and equally assigned into the two dietary treatment groups (20 sows per treatment). During the feeding experiment, the sows were fed a basal diet (CON group) or a basal diet supplemented with 660 mg/kg CAT (CAT group) as described in our previous study, which revealed that 660 mg/kg CAT could decrease the intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) rate and contribute to improving the maternal and fetal antioxidant status ( 16 ). The basal diet for sows during gestation and lactation ( Table 1 ) was formulated to conform to the nutritional requirements recommended by the NRC (2012), as stated in our previous report ( 16 ).…”

“…During the feeding experiment, the sows were fed a basal diet (CON group) or a basal diet supplemented with 660 mg/kg CAT (CAT group) as described in our previous study, which revealed that 660 mg/kg CAT could decrease the intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) rate and contribute to improving the maternal and fetal antioxidant status ( 16 ). The basal diet for sows during gestation and lactation ( Table 1 ) was formulated to conform to the nutritional requirements recommended by the NRC (2012), as stated in our previous report ( 16 ). The CAT used in this experiment was provided by the Group of Nutrient Resources and Synthetic Biology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology.…”

Dietary Catalase Supplementation Alleviates Deoxynivalenol-Induced Oxidative Stress and Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis in Broiler Chickens

“…The presence of a control + CAT group is not necessary for this study, based on the following two reasons: (1) this study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of CAT in alleviating DON-induced detriments to broilers; (2) the beneficial effects of CAT addition on the growth and antioxidant capacity of both broilers and pigs under normal status had been confirmed in either our previous experiments or other studies [13,14].…”

“…Additionally, certain hydrogen donors, such as methanol and ethanol, may also be scavenged during the catalytic reaction of CAT, which can benefit the mitigation of oxidative stress [11,12]. Previous reports have shown that dietary CAT addition resulted in an enhancement of antioxidant property, with simultaneous improvements of growth and health performance in both broilers and pigs [13,14]. Moreover, CAT addition was reported to alleviate oxidative stress-induced intestinal and hepatic damages in pigs [15][16][17].…”