Providing the plant extract silymarin to lactating sows: effects on litter performance and oxidative stress in sows

Abstract

Silymarin is an extract from the plant milk thistle that was shown to have antioxidant and hyperprolactinemic properties. Taking into account the essential role of prolactin for lactating sows and the systemic oxidative stress occurring during lactation, it is of interest to investigate the potential beneficial effects of silymarin on lactating sows. A study was therefore carried out to determine the effects of providing either 1 or 8 g/day of the plant extract silymarin to lactating sows. Sows in first, second or third parity were fed conventional diets during gestation and, at farrowing, were assigned as controls (CTL, n = 33), or were fed 1 g/day (SYL1, n = 33) or 8 g/day (SYL8, n = 33) of silymarin. The silymarin was provided in two equal amounts per day, and was fed throughout a 20-day lactation. The performance of sows and their litters was assessed and circulating concentrations of prolactin (days 7 and 18), urea (days 7 and 18) and oxidative status, via protein carbonyls and superoxide dismutase activity (day 18), were measured in sows. Milk samples were obtained on day 18 to measure standard composition. There was no effect of silymarin ( P > 0.10) on circulating prolactin or urea, or on oxidative damage to proteins or antioxidant potential in sows. Lactation feed intake, backfat and BW of sows were unaffected by treatment ( P > 0.10) as was the case for milk composition and piglet growth ( P > 0.10). Results demonstrate that providing up to 8 g/day of the plant extract silymarin to lactating sows had no beneficial effects in terms of circulating prolactin concentrations or oxidative status of sows, or in terms of performances of sows and their litters.

Effects of silymarin supplementation during transition and lactation on reproductive performance, milk composition and haematological parameters in sows

“…In gestating gilts, supplementation of 8 g/day silymarin starting from day 90 of gestation tended to increase the secretion of PRL on day 94 of gestation (Farmer, Lapointe, & Palin, 2014). However, in other two studies in sows, the serum concentrations of PRL were unaffected in response to dietary inclusion of silymarin, which was believed to be associated with inadequate inclusion of silymarin in diets (Farmer, Lapointe, & Cormier, 2017; Loisel, Quesnel, & Farmer, 2013). Only 23%–47% of oral silymarin can be finally absorbed, and its bioavailability is very low (Xie, Zhang, Zhang, & Yuan, 2019).…”

Evaluation of three different patterns of feed intake during early lactation in lactating sows

“…Gourdine, Quesnel, Bidanel, and Renaudeau () provided lactating Large White sows 1 kg of diet on the farrowing day and progressively increased by 1 kg per day until day 5 and thereafter, feed allowance was offered ad libitum. In a study by Farmer, Lapointe, and Cormier (), Yorkshire × Landrace sows were fed 1.81 kg of diet on the day of farrowing, 2.72 kg of diet on day 1, 4.08 kg of diet on day 2, 5.90 kg of diet on day 3, 7.71 kg of diet on day 4, and then sows were fed ad libitum. Fan, Yang, Kim, Menon, and Baidoo () did not provide any feed on the day of farrowing and increased the amount of feed by 1.1 kg per day for the first 5 days post‐farrowing, followed by ad libitum feeding.…”

Role of the silymarin on the prolactin gene expression in the pituitary, estrogen and progesterone hormones of western rats during lactation

“…The females were randomly divided into two groups (12 each group). After the end of pregnancy and the occurrence of childbirth, the lactating females were started to be dosed from the first day of birth until the tenth day after birth., G 1 were intubated orally tap water serving as control while, G 2 were intubated orally silymarin (200 mg\kg\day) (Farmer et al .,2017).…”