Effects Of Dietary Soy Isoflavones And Semen Vaccariae On Reproductive Performance And Antioxidant Defense Capacity In Primiparous Sows

Two experiments were designed in our study. Experiment1was conducted to investigate the effects of diet supplemented soy isoflavones on reproductive performance and antioxidant defense capacity in primiparous sows; Experiment2was conducted to investigate the effects of diet supplemented soy isoflavones and semen vaccariae on lactation performance and antioxidation capacity of lactating sows.Experiment I Effects of dietary soy isoflavones on reproductive performance and antioxidant defense capacity in primiparous sowsThe objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary soy isoflavones supplementation on reproductive performance, antioxidant defense capacity and hormone concentrations in serum of primiparous sows. Sixty Large White sows were fed four graded levels (0,10,20and40mg/kg) of ISF with15replicates of one sow per treatment from d90of gestation to d21post-farrowing. On the farrowing, total numbers of live born piglets, birth weights of all live born piglets, birth litter weight, average afterbirth weight and parturition duration were recorded. Ear vein blood samples were obtained on d90of gestation, farrowing and on d10of lactation to measure concentrations of malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, total superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase activity as well as concentrations of estradiol and prolactin. Milk samples were obtained on farrowing and d10of lactation. Piglets were weighed on d3,10, and21(weaning). On farrowing, sows reproductive performance did not differ for sows across treatments (P>0.05). There was increased for BW of piglets in20and40mg/kg ISFcompared with Omg/kg ISF on d10and21of lactation (P<0.05). Sow feed intake from d8to21of lactation was increased in sows fed40mg/kg ISF than Omg/kg ISF (P<0.05). Sows fed ISF had shorter weaning to estrus interval than0mg/kg ISF sows (P<0.05). On d10of lactation, sows fed20or40mg/kg ISF had less concentrations of malondialdehyde(P<0.05), more T-AOC activity (P<0.05), and T-SOD activity (P<0.05) in their serum than Omg/kg ISF sows. Meanwhile, milk fat from sows fed20mg/kg ISF showed increased compared with sows fed40mg/kg ISF (P<0.05). There was no treatment effect on circulating prolactin, or estradiol concentrations in sows at any of the days measured (P>0.05). The results of this study indicated that late gestation and lactation diets supplemented with ISF could improve piglets productive performance and oxidative stress in primiparous sows.Experiment2Effects of dietary soy isoflavones and semen vaccariae on lactation performance and antioxidation capacity of lactating sowsThis experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary soy isoflavones and semen vaccariae on lactation performance、antioxidation capacity and hormone level of lactating sows. A2×2factoral completely random design was adopted, and sixty-four Yorkshire sows with body condition and expected date of delivery, were randomly allotted into four treatments with sixteen replicates per treatment and each replicate containing one sow. The main factors consisted of dietary addition of VAC (0vs.100mg/kg) and ISF (0vs.20mg/kg). The experiment was carried out from day3to21of lactating sows. The results showed as follows:1) Dietary semen vaccariae significantly decreased serum T-AOC at day10of lactation, but significantly increased serum T-AOC and significantly decreased serum MDA content at day21of lactation.2)Dietary soy isoflavones are trend to enhanced ADG of piglets at day11to day21of lactation and litter weight at day21of lactation, significantly increased serum T-AOC andT-SOD at day10and day21of lactation, meanwhile significantly increased CAT and significantly decreased MDA content at day21of lactation, and significantly enhanced serum prolactin content at day10and day21of lactation;3)The interaction between semen vaccariae and soy isoflavones significantly effected serum T-AOC at day10and day21of lactation, GSH-Px at day10of lactation and MDA content at day21of lactation. In conclusion, The addition of semen vaccariae or soy isoflavones enhanced antioxidation capacity, and semen vaccariae+soy isoflavones increased ADG of piglets at day11to day21of lactation antioxidation capacity and prolactin content of lactation.In conclusion, The results of this study indicated that dietary20or40mg/kg ISF supplementation during late gestation and lactation period improved feed intake、 weaning to oestrus interval and suckling performance of their offspring in primiparous sows. The addition of semen vaccariae+soy isoflavones during lactation period enhanced prolactin content; meanwhile, increased ADG of piglets at day11to day21of lactation.The addition of soy isoflavones or semen vaccariae+soy isoflavones improved antioxidative status of primiparous sow during late gestation or lactation period.