SPECIAL STORY FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE April 2023 67 Liverpool has demonstrated markedly distinct sweet taste perceptions between swine and humans. With the use of an in vitro system, researchers quantified the relative activation of swine sweet taste receptors expressed in a heterologous system against an array of potential sweet compounds2. The very sweetest molecules were incorporated into the proprietary formulations. In vivo trials with these products exhibit a significant reduction in the piglet fasting period immediately post-wean3. Feed intake at this stage is strongly correlated with the average daily weight gain of piglets, which is considered a determinant in their consequent lifetime performance4. REINFORCING BARRIER DEFENSES Mechanical barriers constitute the first line of defense against pathogens, physically blocking them from entering the body. As the direct interface with the outside world, the gastrointestinal tract contains a diverse set of substrates that not only form physical and chemical barriers against undesirable microbes, distinguishing them from beneficial bacteria, but also performs a fundamental role in nutrient digestion and absorption. In post-wean piglets, there is a lag period before the gut barrier fully matures. Supplementation with salts of organic acids can be effective in stimulating optimal gut and immune development in young animals, including the establishment of antimicrobial barriers, digestive enzymes secretion and microvilli growth5. ADM’s range of organic acid products contain a combination of short, medium and long chain fatty acids and their salts that can be utilized to support optimal gut health and development. CONCLUSION Pathogens are an unfortunate reality of animal production but optimally functioning immune systems can greatly mitigate their potential effects. The bidirectional relationship between the immune system and nutrition offers strategic opportunities that can be leveraged to tip the balance in favor of animal health and performance and is of particular importance in supporting the development of young animals. As leaders in animal nutrition, ADM is dedicated to providing nutritional solutions that unlock the power of nature, supporting the unique nutritional requirements of individual livestock species across their lifetime. References: 1. Moran, A. W., et al. (2010). Expression of Na+/glucose co-transporter 1 (SGLT1) is enhanced by supplementation of the diet of weaning piglets with artificial sweeteners. British Journal of Nutrition 104 (5): 637-646 2. Daly, K., et al. (2021). Non-nutritive sweetener activation of the pig sweet taste receptor T1R2-T1R3 in vitro mirrors sweetener stimulation of the gut expressed receptor in vivo. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 542: 54-58. 3. Sterk, A., et al. (2008). Effects of sweeteners on individual feed intake characteristics and performance in group-housed weanling pigs. Journal of Animal Science 86: 2990-2997. 4. Tokach, M.D., et al. (1992). Influence of weaning weight and growth during the first week post weaning on subsequent pig performance. Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports. 5. Zeng, X., et al. (2022). Dietary butyrate, lauric acid and stearic acid improve gut morphology and epithelial cell turnover in weaned piglets. Animal Nutrition 11: 276-282. 6. Bass, B., et al. (2012). Impact of Pichia guillermondii on sow, litter, and weaned pig immune performance. Journal of Animal Science 90: 445 – 447.
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