Evaluation of an on-farm method to assess colostrum IgG content in sows

Abstract

The objective of this work was to investigate the evaluation of swine colostrum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration using the Brix refractometer. Colostrum samples were collected across all teats, from 124 sows of mixed parities. According to sampling time, three categories were created: samples available from 9 h before the onset of parturition until the first piglet was born were classified as before farrowing; samples collected after the first birth until 4 h later were classified as during farrowing; and finally samples collected from this point until 14 h after parturition, were classified as after farrowing. Samples were drawn and divided into three portions; one was immediately analyzed, a second was refrigerated and the third was frozen at −20°C. Fresh and refrigerated colostrum samples were analyzed at the farm with a Brix refractometer. IgG content of frozen samples was analyzed using a Brix refractometer, with a subset of 42 samples also tested with a commercially available radial immune diffusion (RID) kit. The Brix percentage ranged from 18.3% to 33.2%. Brix percentage repeatability, assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), was very strong (fresh ICC = 0.98, refrigerated ICC = 0.88 and frozen ICC = 0.99). One-way repeated-measures ANOVA showed that storage temperature did not affect BRIX percentage of colostrum IgG ( P > 0.05). ANOVA results show a significant effect of sampling time on colostrum immunoglobulin concentration, measured with both Brix and RID (Brix: P < 0.003; RID: P < 0.05). Immunoglobulin G concentration measured by RID ranged from 13.27 to 35.08 mg/ml. Pearson correlation coefficient revealed that Brix percentage was positively correlated (r = 0.56, P < 0.001) with RID results (regression equation: RID = 1.01 (±0.2) Brix −1.94 (±5.66); R 2 = 0.31). The results of this study indicate that the Brix refractometer provides a simple, fast and inexpensive estimation of colostrum IgG in sows.Keywords: Brix refractometer, colostrum IgG, evaluation, on-farm method, swine Implications A major problem of the pig industry is pre-weaning mortality. Piglet performance, immediate and long-term survival depend on early intake of good quality colostrum. An on-farm tool such a Brix refractometer will facilitate investigation under field conditions of colostrum IgG content. By reducing cost and time needed for assessment, large scale studies, such as those looking for a genetic contribution, will be made more feasible. Moreover, a rapid evaluation tool will allow farmers to feed weak piglets with fresh good quality colostrum, improving welfare and economy.

Investigation of the Defatted Colostrum 1H-NMR Metabolomics Profile of Gilts and Multiparous Sows and Its Relationship with Litter Performance

“…Samples were prepared and analyzed as reported by Balzani et al [22]. Briefly, colostrum was thawed and mixed by inversion, and a drop of well-mixed whole colostrum was placed on a Brix refractometer (MA871 digital; Obione, La Valette, France) prism, where the Brix percentage (%) was recorded.…”

A comparative evaluation of methods for estimating the colostrum quality in sows

“…Four hours after the onset of parturition, the colostrum may be already reduced until 20% (Klobasa and Butler, 1987). Based on the assumption that piglets need to receive IgG to ensure they have sufficient immunity against disease not only after birth, but also after weaning, the IgG concentration in sow colostrum of 50mg/mL is considered as a cut-off value between good and bad quality colostrum (Hasan et al, 2016;Balzani et al, 2016). Our results show that only 7.87% samples (n=10) were below the standard cut-off point.…”

“…The Brix refractometer has been successfully used as a method of estimating IgG concentration in the colostrum of sheep (Harker, 1978), horses (Cash, 1999), cattle (Bielmann et al, 2010) and caprine (Zobel et al, 2020). For swine colostrum, few data are available, only two studies evaluated the relationship between digital Brix refractometer with radial immunodiffusion (Balzani et al, 2016) and ELISA (Hasan et al, 2016). The main concern about this technique, in terms of optical Brix refractometer, is that the obtained values may differ depending on the technician's skills, whereas the digital Brix refractometer may provide more consistent results, if used and cleaned properly, due to the absence of subjective data acquisition.…”

“…Brix refractometer seems to be an acceptable method to assess colostrum IgG content at herd level during the initial hours of parturition, when IgG are expected to peak, and the digital device provides better results in comparison to optical. There are many advantages for this technique such as durable and affordable instrumentation, no expertise required for assay execution, and the calibration process is simple, making it a very rapid and practical farm tool (Balzani et al, 2016). Future studies involving the use of the Brix refractometer should note the use of Brix refractometer in late colostrogenesis (after 4 hours) and the establishment of cut-offs across the scale for categorizing colostrum to guide piglets handling.…”

Tools and Protocols for Managing Hyperprolific Sows at Parturition: Optimizing Piglet Survival and Sows’ Reproductive Health

“…A brix refractometer can be used for quality assessment. Brix refractometer can be an inexpensive, rapid, and satisfactorily accurate method for estimating IgG concentration on farm [70,71]. We recommend collecting a colostrum from several anterior teats within 0-3 h from the start of farrowing when the IgG level peaks [70].…”