Effects of dietary arginine supplementation during gestation and lactation on the performance of lactating primiparous sows and nursing piglets

¹ Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409
² Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843; Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409
³ National Institute of Animal Science-RDA, Cheonan, Korea 330-801
⁴ USDA-ARS-Livestock Issues Research Unit, Lubbock, TX 79403; Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409
⁵ Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695; Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843; National Institute of Animal Science-RDA, Cheonan, Korea 330-801

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sungwoo_kim{at}ncsu.edu.

	Abstract

A 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments in a randomized block design was utilized to determine the effects of dietary Arg supplementation during gestation and lactation on the lactation performance of 38 first-parity sows. At 30 d of gestation, pregnant gilts were allotted based on BW to 1 of 2 diets supplemented with 1% L-Arg-HCl or 1.7% L-Ala (isonitrogenous control). After farrowing, sows were further allotted based on BW within previous gestation treatment groups to 1 of 2 lactation diets supplemented with 1% L-Arg-HCl or 1.7% L-Ala (isonitrogenous control). All gestation diets contained 3.1 Mcal/kg and 12.2% CP and were fed 2 kg/d in two equal-sized meals, whereas all lactation diets contained 3.2 Mcal/kg and 18.6% CP and were fed ad libitum. Litter size was standardized to 10 piglets by cross-fostering within 24 h post-farrowing. On a weekly basis, BW and backfat (BF) thickness of sows, as well as piglet BW were measured, and blood and milk samples were obtained from sows. Number of days from wean to estrus and ADFI were also recorded. There were no differences in BW, BF thickness, ADFI, or days until return-to-estrus among treatment groups. There was no effect of gestation diet or gestation x lactation diet interaction on any parameter measured. On d 7 of lactation, plasma concentrations of Arg and insulin in sows, as well as concentrations of most AA in milk, were greater (P < 0.05) in response to Arg supplementation during lactation compared to the control. Weight gain of piglets from sows fed the Arg-supplemented diet during lactation was greater between d 0 and 7 (P < 0.01) and between d 0 and 21 (P < 0.05) of lactation, compared to piglets from sows fed the control diet. Collectively, results from this study indicate the potential beneficial effects of dietary Arg supplementation in improving the lactation performance of first-parity sows.

Key Words: L-Arg, lactation performance, litter weight gain, sows

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