Functional fiber composition for improving reproductive performance of sows and application

Abstract

The invention discloses a functional fiber composition for improving reproductive performance of sows and application, and belongs to the technical field of livestock feed. The composition is composed of the following components in percentage by mass: 50-70% of beet pulp; 10 to 33 percent of konjaku flour; 2.5%-30% of xanthan gum; and 0.5-1% of konjac glucomannan. According to the functional characteristics of different fiber raw materials, a composite functional fiber product with strong water absorption expansibility, high water binding force and rapid fermentation is formed through mutual matching. Animal test results show that the functional fiber product disclosed by the invention can improve nutrient digestibility of pregnant sows, reduce engraving behaviors, improve constipation, reduce stress and increase satiety, so that the reproductive performance of the sows can be remarkably improved, and the functional fiber product has important application value and prospect in the field of livestock feed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of animal husbandry feed, and in particular relates to a functional fiber composition for improving the reproductive performance of sows and an application thereof. Background Art

[0002] Fiber plays an important physiological and nutritional role in animal diets. Appropriate dietary fiber levels and sources can not only improve constipation and increase satiety, but also improve intestinal health, reduce pathogen colonization, enhance immune function, improve insulin sensitivity, maintain blood sugar balance, and thus improve animal production performance. Studies have shown that dietary fiber can affect the reproductive performance of sows by regulating sows' feeding, regulating intestinal health, and affecting litter performance and lactation performance. Functional fiber is a type of dietary fiber with high water binding capacity, strong water absorption and swelling ability, and rapid fermentation ability. There are many types of functional fiber components, which can be derived from plants, animals, microorganisms or artificial synthesis. Different types of fiber components have different properties and physical and chemical properties, and the physical and chemical properties of fiber are closely related to its physiological functions.

[0003] At present, the theory of fiber nutrition for pregnant sows has made it clear that the use of fiber during pregnancy can effectively achieve the feed intake control goals of "low pregnancy" and "high lactation", and can improve the reproductive performance of sows. In order to effectively play the above roles, the fiber used should have the characteristics of "high water binding capacity, strong water absorption and swelling capacity, and rapid fermentation ability". However, the current production of pregnant sow diets still mainly uses one or several natural fiber raw materials, and the physical and chemical properties of fiber raw materials vary greatly, which makes it difficult to meet the requirements of pregnant sows for functional fiber characteristics. Therefore, the unstable effect of fiber raw materials in production and the unclear characteristics are still common, which seriously affects the combination of sow fiber theory and production practice, thereby restricting the effective improvement of sow reproductive performance to a certain extent. Therefore, it is of great industrial value to develop a functional fiber product with stable effect that can be used to improve the reproductive performance of sows. Summary of the invention

[0004] The invention provides a functional fiber composition for improving the reproductive performance of sows. The composition consists of the following components by mass fraction: 50-70% of beet pulp; 10-33% of konjac flour; 2.5-30% of xanthan gum; and 0.5-1% of konjac gum.

[0005] In a specific embodiment, the functional fiber composition consists of the following components by mass fraction: 50% beet pulp, 32.5% konjac flour, 16.5% xanthan gum, and 1% konjac gum.

[0006] In a specific embodiment, the functional fiber composition consists of the following components by mass fraction: 60% beet pulp, 11% konjac flour, 28% xanthan gum, and 1% konjac gum.

[0007] The present invention provides application of the functional fiber composition in improving the reproductive performance of sows.

[0008] The present invention provides application of the functional fiber composition in preparing feed for improving the reproductive performance of sows.

[0009] The present invention provides a feed for improving the reproductive performance of sows, wherein the feed contains the functional fiber composition; the addition amount of the functional fiber composition is 0.5-3%, preferably 1%.

[0010] In the present invention, the reproductive performance includes one or more of the farrowing performance, nutrient digestibility, constipation rate, post-feeding behavior, and satiety of pregnant sows.

[0011] The present invention provides a method for improving the reproductive performance of sows, which comprises feeding the feed containing the functional fiber composition to pregnant sows to improve the reproductive performance of the sows.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0013] The present invention forms a composite functional fiber product with strong water absorption and swelling, high water binding capacity and rapid fermentation according to the functional characteristics of different fiber raw materials. Combined with the results of animal tests, it is shown that the functional fiber product of the present invention can improve the nutrient digestibility of pregnant sows, reduce stereotyped behaviors, improve constipation, reduce stress, and increase satiety, thereby significantly improving the reproductive performance of sows, and has important application value and prospects in the field of animal husbandry feed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 The effect of adding 1% functional fiber composition on blood parameters of pregnant sows; wherein, A: glucose (Glucose, GLU); B: insulin (Insulin, INS); C: glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1); D: peptide YY (PYY); E: cortisol (Cortisol). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The present invention provides a functional fiber composition, which comprises the following components by weight percentage: 50-70% beet pulp, 10-33% konjac flour, 2.5-30% xanthan gum, and 0.5-1% konjac gum. In the preparation process, the above components can be directly mixed in proportion.

[0016] Other materials used in the present invention, if not otherwise stated, can be obtained through commercial channels. Other terms used in the present invention, unless otherwise specified, generally have the meanings commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. The present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with specific examples and with reference to data. The following examples are only for illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way.

[0017] There are many types of functional fiber components, which can be derived from plants, animals, microorganisms or artificial synthesis. Different types of fiber components have different properties and physical and chemical characteristics, and the physical and chemical properties of fiber are closely related to its physiological functions. According to the existing fiber nutrition theory, functional fiber should have the characteristics of "high water binding capacity, strong water absorption and swelling capacity and rapid fermentation ability".

[0018] The present invention firstly measures and analyzes the fiber content and hydration characteristics of the fibrous raw materials available in the diet of pregnant sows, screens out the expected functional raw material combination, and combines them with the evaluated natural raw materials to produce a functional fiber formula with better hydration characteristics and fermentability and lower price, and finally verifies its effect on the reproductive performance of pregnant sows through animal feeding experiments.

[0019] Example 1

[0020] The functional fiber composition has the following formula (mass fraction): 50% beet pulp, 32.5% konjac flour, 16.5% xanthan gum and 1% konjac gum.

[0021] Example 2

[0022] The functional fiber composition has the following formula (mass fraction): 60% beet pulp, 11% konjac flour, 28% xanthan gum, and 1% konjac gum.

[0023] 1. Determination of functional characteristics

[0024] 1. Water absorption expansion volume (cm 3 )

[0025] During the measurement, 0.5 g of the functional fiber composition sample (Example 1) was placed in a 50 mL centrifuge tube with a scale, and the volume V1 was recorded. 40 mL of physiological saline solution (0.9% NaCl) was added, and the mixture was incubated in a constant temperature shaking water bath at 39°C and 150 rpm for 20 h. After the shaking was stopped, the centrifuge tube was allowed to stand in the water bath for 1 h, and the volume V2 of the fiber colloid layer was measured after the tube was taken out. The difference between the two volumes was the expansion volume after water absorption.

[0026] 2. Determination of water binding capacity

[0027] During the measurement, 0.3 g of the functional fiber composition sample (Example 1) was taken into a 50 mL centrifuge tube, 30 mL of physiological saline solution was added, and the mixture was incubated in a constant temperature shaking water bath at 39°C and 150 rpm for 1 hour, and then centrifuged at 10,000 × g for 20 minutes (4°C). After centrifugation, the supernatant was slowly poured out, the centrifuge tube was inverted for 30 minutes to control the remaining water, and the precipitate was weighed (W0). The centrifuge tube was then dried in an oven at 105°C to constant weight, and weighed after cooling in a dryer for 30 minutes (W1). The difference between the two weights (W0-W1) was the amount of water bound to the sample.

[0028] 3. Determination of fermentation characteristics

[0029] The functional fiber composition sample (Example 1) was first digested by the pepsin-trypsin two-step method (Peng Jian 1999), and then vacuum-freeze-dried to prepare the fermentation substrate. Then, the sow rectal feces sample was collected according to the method of Williams et al. (2005) to prepare the fermentation bacteria source for in vitro fermentation. The volatile fatty acids (VFA) of the sample after termination of fermentation were determined by gas chromatography (Agilent 7890A, USA).

[0030] The test results of the functional properties of the above functional fiber products are shown in Table 1:

[0031] Table 1 Water absorption expansion volume and water binding capacity measurement data

[0032] project <![CDATA[V1(cm 3 )]]> <![CDATA[V2(cm 3 )]]> <![CDATA[Absorbent swelling volume (cm 3 )]]> <![CDATA[W0(g)]]> <![CDATA[W1(g)]]> Water binding capacity (g / g) Example 1.02 16.10 15.08 1.75 0.20 8.70

[0033] In summary, the results of the determination of the functional properties of the functional fiber product described in Example 1 are as follows: water absorption expansion volume 15.08cm 3 ; Water binding capacity 8.70g / g; Total volatile fatty acids (VFA) 36.25mmol / L.

[0034] 2. Animal feeding experiment

[0035] Experimental animals: 400 pregnant sows of similar parity and good health.

[0036] Requirements for test animals: pregnant sows in good health, of the same breed as the mating boar, and with similar parity and expected delivery date.

[0037] The experimental groups were: a control group (fed with a basic diet) and an experimental group (fed with a basic diet + 1% of the functional fiber product of Example 1), with 200 sows in each group.

[0038] The test items and corresponding results are as follows:

[0039] The main test items include constipation of pregnant sows, observation of behavioral indicators of pregnant sows, blood indicators, and litter performance.

[0040] 1. Sow farrowing performance records

[0041] The farrowing performance of each sow was recorded at farrowing, including the total number of piglets born, the number of live piglets, the number of healthy piglets, the number of stillbirths, the number of deformities, the number of weak piglets, the number of mummies, the birth weight of piglets and the birth weight of piglets. The results are shown in Table 2 below:

[0042] Table 2 Effect of adding 1% functional fiber products on sow farrowing performance

[0043] project Control group Experimental Group P-value Total litter size 13.26±2.96 13.39±2.78 0.613 Number of piglets born alive 11.31±2.68 11.42±2.29 0.626 Number of healthy offspring 10.53±2.41 10.79±2.22 0.210 Number of weaklings 0.78±1.09 0.63±1.24 0.144 Deformity number 0.15±0.46 0.13±0.50 0.587 Number of stillbirths 1.65±1.97 1.71±1.61 0.716 Number of mummies 0.15±0.46 0.13±0.48 0.719 Average weight of newborn litter (kg) <![CDATA[16.83±3.23 a ]]> <![CDATA[16.11±3.23 b ]]> 0.045 Average weight of newborn individuals (kg) <![CDATA[1.33±0.21 b ]]> <![CDATA[1.41±0.00 a ]]> <0.001

[0044] As shown in Table 2, adding 1% functional fiber products can improve the farrowing performance of sows to a certain extent. Adding 1% functional fiber products had no significant effect on the total number of farrowings, number of live piglets, number of healthy piglets, etc. of sows (P>0.05), but the average weight of piglets at birth in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05).

[0045] 2. Nutrient digestibility of pregnant sows

[0046] On the 60th day of sow gestation, 6 sows were randomly selected to collect fecal samples by rectal digging. The collected fecal samples were mixed evenly and poured into a plate. After drying at 65°C, they were placed in a room for 24 hours of rehumidification and stored in a -20°C refrigerator for testing. The contents of dry matter, crude protein, organic matter and neutral detergent fiber in feed and fecal samples were analyzed and determined. For the determination method of hydrochloric acid insoluble ash (AIA), please refer to "Determination of hydrochloric acid insoluble ash in feed" (GB / T-23742-2009).

[0047] The formula for calculating the apparent digestibility of nutrients is as follows:

[0048] Digestibility of a nutrient % = 100-100 × (AIA content in feed % × nutrient content in feces %) / (AIA content in feces % × nutrient content in feed %)

[0049] The test results are shown in Table 3:

[0050] Table 3 Effect of adding 1% functional fiber products on nutrient digestibility in pregnant sows

[0051] project Control group Experimental Group P-value Organic matter (%) <![CDATA[83.47±2.08 b ]]> <![CDATA[85.77±0.63 a ]]> 0.027 Dry matter (%) <![CDATA[79.20±2.38 b ]]> <![CDATA[82.12±0.85 a ]]> 0.018 Crude protein (%) <![CDATA[89.19±1.13 b ]]> <![CDATA[91.39±0.94 a ]]> 0.004 Crude fat (%) <![CDATA[83.99±2.68 b ]]> <![CDATA[91.62±2.80 a ]]> 0.001 Neutral detergent fiber (%) <![CDATA[49.19±5.98 b ]]> <![CDATA[56.41±2.75 a ]]> 0.011

[0052] As shown in Table 3, adding 1% functional fiber products can improve the nutrient digestibility of pregnant sows. Adding 1% functional fiber products to the diet of pregnant sows can significantly improve the apparent digestibility of organic matter, dry matter, crude protein, crude fat and neutral detergent fiber in sows (P < 0.05).

[0053] 3. Fecal score and constipation rate of pregnant sows

[0054] The feces of pregnant sows were scored for 7 consecutive days in the early pregnancy and 7 consecutive days in the late pregnancy according to the feces scoring standard (moderate constipation is dry and cylindrical granular, 1 point; mild constipation is between dry and normal feces, 2 points; normal feces are soft and firm in appearance, 3 points; mild diarrhea is structured but not firm, between normal feces and wet feces, 4 points; severe diarrhea is loose feces with no fixed shape and liquid, 5 points). A score below 3 points is considered constipation.

[0055] The test results are shown in Table 4:

[0056] Table 4 Effects of adding 1% functional fiber products on fecal scores and constipation rates of sows during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy for 7 consecutive days

[0057] project Control group Experimental Group P-value Constipation rate 7 consecutive days in the first trimester <![CDATA[64.29±5.35 a ]]> <![CDATA[54.29±8.38 b ]]> 0.021 7 consecutive days in late pregnancy 65.71±13.36 53.57±6.90 0.054 Fecal scoring 7 consecutive days in the first trimester <![CDATA[2.01±0.11 b ]]> <![CDATA[2.26±0.14 a ]]> 0.002 7 consecutive days in late pregnancy 1.94±0.25 2.11±0.09 0.112

[0058] The higher the feces score, the lower the constipation rate. As shown in Table 4, in the early stage of pregnancy, the feces score of the test group was significantly higher than that of the control group, and the feces rate was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05); in the late stage of pregnancy, the feces rate of the test group showed a trend of being lower than that of the control group (P = 0.054). Therefore, adding 1% of the functional fiber product of the present invention to the pregnancy diet can significantly alleviate the constipation of pregnant sows.

[0059] 4. Behavior of pregnant sows after feeding

[0060] In the late pregnancy (106-108 days), 20 sows with similar parity were randomly selected from two groups for 3 consecutive days after eating for 2 hours in the morning and afternoon (the same 20 sows were observed and recorded every morning and afternoon, and another 20 sows were randomly selected and recorded every other day) to observe their post-eating behavior.

[0061] The test results are shown in Table 5:

[0062] Table 5 Effect of adding 1% functional fiber products on the behavior of pregnant sows after feeding

[0063] project Control group Experimental Group P-value Lying down (min) 13.64±1.88 12.33±5.61 0.722 Standing (min) 15.56±0.78 18.34±4.88 0.385 Dog sitting (min) <![CDATA[13.02±1.22 a ]]> <![CDATA[8.33±1.36 b ]]> 0.010 Empty mouth chewing (min) <![CDATA[20.47±0.80 a ]]> <![CDATA[18.67±0.65 b ]]> 0.040 Sniffing, licking (min) 16.99±1.52 12.13±2.96 0.070 Number of body position changes (times) 4.27±0.37 4.12±0.73 0.770 Drinking water times 3.87±0.71 5.97±1.45 0.090

[0064] As shown in Table 5, adding 1% functional fiber product can significantly reduce the time of sitting and empty-mouth chewing of pregnant sows (P < 0.05), and the sniffing and licking time also tends to decrease (P = 0.070). Therefore, the functional fiber product of the present invention can reduce the stereotyped behavior of pregnant sows.

[0065] 5. Blood indicators of pregnant sows

[0066] Six sows were randomly selected from each treatment group on the 105th day of gestation. 10 mL of blood was collected from the anterior vena cava 2 hours after morning feeding and divided into 5 mL disposable sodium heparin anticoagulation blood collection tubes, and 50 μL of aprotinin was quickly added). The blood samples were immediately centrifuged at 3500 r / min for 15 min to prepare plasma samples, which were then transferred to the laboratory for storage in a -80°C refrigerator.

[0067] Plasma glucose concentration was measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. Plasma cortisol concentration and the concentrations of two satiety hormones, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY), were measured using corresponding ELISA kits (Shanghai Hengyuan Biotechnology Co., LTD). Detailed measurement steps were referred to the kit instructions.

[0068] The test results are as follows Figure 1 As shown:

[0069] Depend on Figure 1 It can be seen that adding 1% of the functional fiber product of the present invention increased the concentration of insulin and satiety hormone peptide YY (PYY) in the plasma of sows at 105 days of pregnancy (P < 0.05), and reduced the concentration of cortisol (P < 0.05), but had no significant effect on plasma glucose and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) (P > 0.05). The results show that the functional fiber product of the present invention can significantly improve the satiety of pregnant sows after 2 hours of feeding and reduce stress reactions.

[0070] In summary, the water absorption expansion volume of the functional fiber product of the present invention is 15.08 cm 3 , water binding capacity 8.70g / g, total volatile fatty acids (VFA) 36.25mmol / L, can improve nutrient digestibility of pregnant sows, reduce stereotyped behaviors of pregnant sows, improve constipation of sows, reduce stress, increase satiety and significantly improve reproductive performance of sows. Therefore, the functional fiber product of the present invention can effectively prevent constipation of pregnant sows, maintain satiety, and improve welfare and reproductive performance.

[0071] In the functional fiber composition of the present invention, beet pulp, konjac flour, xanthan gum and konjac gum have good hydration properties, i.e., water binding capacity and water absorption swelling, which can increase the water content of chyme and feces and prolong gastric emptying time; in addition, they also have rapid fermentation ability, can be fermented by microorganisms in the hind intestine to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), have a stabilizing effect on the glucose concentration of the body, and provide additional energy; and promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria in the hind intestine, inhibit pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, and improve the structure of intestinal flora. In summary, the functional fiber composition of the present invention can improve constipation, improve nutrient digestion, increase satiety, reduce stereotyped behavior, and significantly improve the reproductive performance of sows.

[0072] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention in other forms. Any technician familiar with the profession may use the above disclosed technical content to change or modify it into an equivalent embodiment with equivalent changes. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiment according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the technical solution of the present invention still belongs to the protection scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A functional fiber composition for improving the reproductive performance of sows, characterized in that: The composition consists of the following components by mass fraction: 50-70% of beet pulp; 10-33% of konjac flour; 2.5-30% of xanthan gum; and 0.5-1% of konjac gum.

2. The functional fiber composition according to claim 1, characterized in that The functional fiber composition consists of the following components by mass fraction: 50% of beet pulp, 32.5% of konjac flour, 16.5% of xanthan gum and 1% of konjac gum.

3. The functional fiber composition according to claim 1, characterized in that The functional fiber composition consists of the following components by mass fraction: 60% of beet pulp, 11% of konjac flour, 28% of xanthan gum and 1% of konjac gum.

4. Use of the functional fiber composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in improving the reproductive performance of sows.

5. Use of the functional fiber composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in preparing feed for improving the reproductive performance of sows.

6. A feed for improving the reproductive performance of sows, characterized in that: The feed contains the functional fiber composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The feed according to claim 6, characterized in that The added amount of the functional fiber composition is 0.5-3%.

8. The feed according to claim 7, characterized in that The added amount of the functional fiber composition is 1%.

9. The functional fiber composition according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reproductive performance is one or more of the farrowing performance, nutrient digestibility, constipation rate, post-feeding behavior, and satiety of pregnant sows.

10. A method for improving sow reproductive performance, characterized in that: The method comprises feeding the feed according to any one of claims 6 to 8 to pregnant sows to improve the reproductive performance of the sows.

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