Phisiologial responses and growth performance of immune challenged piglets supplemented with B-glucans

摘要

This study was done to evaluate immunological responses and performance of weaning piglets receiving diets with different levels of ?2 -glucans. Thirty males from a commercial line with 34 days of age and 10.9?±0,6kg initial weight were housed in individual metabolic cages during 14 days. The treatments only differed in ?2 -glucans levels: 35; 70; 140 and 280g/T. On the 14 th day, half of the pigs were inoculated with 2.7mg LPS (lipopolysaccharide)/m L of solution (PBS)/pig and the other half received 1m L PBS/pig. Rectal temperature (RT), respiratory frequency (RF), biochemical profile and animal behavior (120 and 390 minutes after LPS inoculation) were evaluated. As the experiment was conducted, performance was not affected by ?2 -glucans. An RT increase was observed due to LPS and time of temperature measurement. LPS- injected animals receiving 280g/T of ?2 -glucans had the same RT as the LPS- non injected group. Clinical signs were near the expectation for acute inflammation. LPS-injected presented prostration, diarrhea and vomit and the ?2 - glucans did not reverse this situation. The use of ?2 -glucans in weaning pigs for fourteen days showed an anti-inflammatory action. To revert the immunologic challenge, the level of 280g/T of ?2 -glucans was the most recommended.