Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

U of Guelph Research: Early Weaning Impacts Gut Enzyme in Piglets, Study Finds

Early Weaning Impacts Gut Enzyme in Piglets, Study Finds

University of Guelph researchers have uncovered one of the reasons piglets often struggle with illness and sometimes die when they are weaned from their mothers.According to the new study, published recently in The Journal of Nutrition, a gut enzyme involved in digesting phosphate and fighting off harmful bacteria is significantly compromised during the early-weaning process.

“We found that the early weaning of piglets reduced the level and performance of alkaline phosphatase in the gut, which can lead to decreased growth development and illness,” said Dale Lackeyram, a PhD student who worked on the study with animal and poultry science professor Ming Fan. “These study results have benefits for the pork industry. Early weaning is critical for farmers when it comes to maximizing production, but it’s also the time when a majority of piglets die or their quality of health suffers.”

This finding can also have implications for humans when it comes to understanding what happens during the weaning process because the digestive system of pigs and humans are similar, Lackeyram added.

The researchers weaned piglets from their mothers at 10 days old and placed them on a corn-and-soybean meal-based weaning diet for 12 days, similar to standard swine industry early-weaning practices. A second group of piglets was allowed to continue suckling during the 12-day study.

Researchers then examined intestinal tissue from the two groups and found the piglets that were switched over from sow’s milk to solids had reduced levels of alkaline phosphatase and reduced function in the remaining enzymes.

Reducing the effectiveness of alkaline phosphatase has two major implications for a weaned animal, said Lackeyram.

“From a nutritional standpoint, this enzyme plays a key role in making phosphorus available for bone growth and development,” he said. “Currently, piglets are given supplements in their feed to make phosphorus more digestible, but this study shows that the animals don’t express high enough levels of the enzyme needed to digest and make nutritional use of it.”

Alkaline phosphatase is also part of the body’s natural defence system, he says.

“This enzyme is capable of acting on the toxic components of bacterial cells such as E. coli. The impact of weaning on this enzyme is likely one of the contributing reasons why piglets often get sick, suffer from chronic bacterial-induced diarrhea and have trouble gaining weight when switched over to solids.”

Based on this finding, Lackeyram suggests the supplementation of encapsulated alkaline phosphatase may provide a novel way of defending against bacteria and enhancing phosphorus nutrition during the weaning transition.

“Because this enzyme plays a similar role in humans and pigs, this study provides a basis to further investigate the role of supplementing alkaline phosphatase during periods of digestive illness.”

Contact:
Dale Lackeyram
519-824-4120, Ext. 52846
dlackeyr@uoguelph.ca

Views: 34

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Guinness World Record attempt to take place in St. Albert on Aug. 22

?ST. ALBERT – If you have ever wanted to witness an attempt at a Guinness World Record, then you will want to be in St. Albert, Ontario on August 22 when an attempt will be made to set a record for the most plow blades pulled simultaneously.

Why Alignment Matters: Domestic Check-Off and the Import Levy

When Canadian beef producers sell cattle, they contribute to the national beef check-off. That investment supports work that benefits the broader Canadian beef industry, including market development, consumer demand, public and stakeholder engagement, and research. When beef or beef cattle are imported into Canada, an import levy is also collected. While the structure is not identical in every detail, the principle behind it is straightforward: beef marketed in Canada should help contribute to the programs that support beef demand in Canada. The national check-off paid by producers and the import levy paid on eligible imports are two parts of a broader investment approach. Together, they help ensure that both domestic beef production and imported beef products are connected to the market development work that strengthens beef’s position with Canadian consumers. For producers, the domestic cattle check-off is collected at the point of sale and includes both national and provincial po

I’ve noticed a lot of wild oat escapes in some of my fields this year; what can I do to prevent it from getting worse next year?

Despite our best efforts, sometimes even the best laid weed control plans go wrong! The first thing to remember is that not all weed escapes are created equal. In some cases, weeds can survive because of application timing issues, challenging weather conditions or late flushes that emerge after spraying. However, when weeds aren’t controlled by herbicide applications, herbicide resistance should also be on your radar. A recent survey in Manitoba found that in fields with uncontrolled wild oats, 100 per cent of populations were resistant to Group 1 products, 82 per cent were resistant to Group 2 products, and 82 per cent were resistant to both Group 1 and 2 herbicides. Those numbers show how important it is to take a closer look at wild oat weed escapes. Identifying why your herbicide failed to control wild oats is the first step toward finding a solution. Start by scouting the field to narrow down the cause. Consider factors such as application timing, weather conditions, late flush

Is fungicide actually effective on Sclerotinia head rot in sunflower?

This is one of the most difficult questions to answer because there are many things to consider. I also don’t want to be outright negative because we do still have options for sclerotinia management in sunflowers. However, management is the operative word. First of all, sclerotinia head rot infections have an interesting pathway. Spores use dead sunflower florets, plus pollen, as the base to infect a sunflower plant. The spores grow into the receptacle, infecting and decaying the entire head after a period of time. Sclerotinia wilt (basal stalk rot) and mid-stalk rot are also infected by the same sclerotinia species, but it will be via the mycelia that grow from the sclerotia bodies in the soil for basal stalk rot. Mid-stalk rot is also infected by ascospores, but this can be earlier in the season than head rot or at the same time. So, management of sclerotinia does not start at flowering. Crop rotation is the most obvious management tool that we are familiar with in sunflowers, but

Using Water More Efficiently in Beef Packing Plants

Packing plants use a time-tested approach to clean their facilities. The first step uses high-pressure hot water to remove fat and meat scraps from equipment, floors and walls. Next, surfaces are cleaned using detergent. Finally, sanitizers are used to further reduce bacterial numbers. Processing companies want to reduce water use as part of their environmental goals and to reduce energy bills. High-pressure water and steam can produce aerosols that capture bacteria and spread them throughout the plant. They can then settle on and cross-contaminate clean surfaces long after the cleaning has been completed, which complicates efforts to effectively clean facilities. Biofilms are another problem. Biofilms are colonies of bacteria surrounded by a protective layer that firmly attaches them to surfaces and shelters the bacteria from hot water, detergents and sanitizers. Biofilms are hard to remove and are commonly found in hard-to-reach places. These researchers investigated potential cro

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service