Reproductive performance and bone status markers of gilts and lactating sows supplemented with two different forms of vitamin D1

Abstract

In swine nutrition, little is known about the vitamin D requirements for reproductive processes and bone health. Consequently, the vitamin D recommendation for sows during gestation and lactation is not based on scientific reports. The current study was undertaken to obtain information on the dose-response pattern of 2 vitamin D sources, the commonly used cholecalciferol, called vitamin D(3), and a newly developed Hy.D product (25-hydroxycholecalciferol). In Exp. 1, a total of 160 gilts were randomly assigned from the first estrus until d 28 of gestation to dietary treatments containing 4 concentrations of 1 of the 2 different vitamin D sources [200, 800, 1,400, and 2,000 IU/kg of vitamin D from cholecalciferol or corresponding doses of 5, 20, 35, and 50 microg/kg of feed from 25(OH)D(3) (Hy.D)]. In a concurrent experiment, the same 8 dietary treatments were provided to 160 multiparous sows from the first day of mating until weaning. Plasma concentrations of 25(OH)D(3) were influenced by a dose x form interaction (P < 0.001); furthermore, plasma 25(OH)D(3) concentrations were influenced by the lactation state of the sows. Irrespective of the dietary dose and form of vitamin D provided to the sows, very little vitamin D was transferred to the progeny. Reproductive performance was not influenced by dietary vitamin D treatments, except for a decreased number of stillborn piglets (P = 0.03, SE = 0.40) with the larger doses of vitamin D (1,400 and 2,000 IU of vitamin D, resulting in 1.17 and 1.13 stillborn piglets per litter, respectively) compared with the smaller doses of vitamin D (200 and 800 IU of vitamin D, resulting in 1.98 and 1.99 stillborn piglets per litter, respectively). In the gilt trial, the ultimate strength of the bones (P = 0.01) and their content of ash (P = 0.02) were greater when vitamin D(3) was supplemented in doses larger than 800 IU, compared with the same amount of Hy.D supplementation. In the sow experiment, lactation day (P < 0.001), rather than dietary vitamin D, influenced the concentrations of osteocalcin and Ca as well as the activities of total alkaline phosphatase and bone alkaline phosphatase in plasma. Age of the suckling piglets affected their plasma bone health markers. In conclusion, at doses greater than 200 IU, Hy.D was more bioavailable than vitamin D(3) and, as such, could be considered an equivalent or even more advantageous source of vitamin D. In addition, a dietary dose of approximately 1,400 IU of vitamin D is recommended for reproducing swine. Irrespective of the dietary dose and form of vitamin D provided to the sows, very little vitamin D was transferred to the progeny.

Evaluating the impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation: I. Sow performance, serum vitamin metabolites, and neonatal muscle characteristics1,2

“…This suggests that a portion of the vitamin D 3 that is absorbed may be stored in adipose tissue rather than being transported to the liver for hydroxylation. The serum 25(OH) D 3 concentrations achieved in gestation from supplementing 25(OH)D 3 were less than those in the reports of previous researchers (Lauridsen et al, 2010;Coffey et al, 2012;Weber et al, 2014); this may be due to the time of sampling and duration of feeding, which Weber et al (2014) 1 In total 112 sows and litters were used to determine the effects of supplemental vitamin D from varying levels of vitamin D 3 or from synthetic 25(OH) D 3 on maternal performance, subsequent pig performance, sow and piglet serum vitamin metabolites, neonatal bone mineralization, and piglet muscle development. Means represent the average serum metabolite from 48 randomly selected litters (2 pigs per litter were bled for serum analysis) within treatments, and the same litters within each day were analyzed.…”

“…both vitamin D 3 and 25(OH)D 3 were added in diets at 2,000 IU of vitamin D (Lauridsen et al, 2010). This is because the vitamin D binding protein (chaperone protein for vitamin D metabolites in circulation) has a higher affinity for 25(OH)D 3 compared with vitamin D 3 (Bouillon et al, 1980).…”

Impact of parity on bone metabolism throughout the reproductive cycle in sows

“…Therefore, the influence of feed intake is probably minimal. The fluctuations of bone formation and resorption observed in the present study are in accordance with fluctuations around parturition found in cows (Naito et al, 1990;Peterson et al, 2005;Ekelund et al, 2006), sows (Liesegang et al, 2005;Counotte et al, 2009;Lauridsen et al, 2010;Cools et al, 2014), and goats and sheep (Farrugia et al, 1989;Liesegang et al, 2006 and.…”

Evaluating the impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation on sow performance: II. Subsequent growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing pigs1,2

“…The maternal and nursery vitamin D treatment impacts on growing pig serum 25(OH)D 3 in this study were largely expected. Most previous reports (Lauridsen et al, 2010;Witschi et al, 2011;Coffey et al, 2012;Weber et al, 2014) have all shown that supplementation of 25(OH)D 3 at the same IU equivalency of vitamin D 3 will result in an increased serum 25(OH) D 3 response. Also, increasing maternal vitamin D 3 supplementation has been shown to lead to an increase in subsequent pig serum 25(OH)D 3 (Flohr et al, 2014a), which is consistent with results from the current study.…”