1 Colostrum the Elixir of Life D r Le Treut Yannig DVM Lallemand Animal Nutrition

2 Definition - Mammalian females: first udder production - continuous change from pure colostrum to milk (24 to 72 h depending on the species and individual effect) → difficult to define precisely → always changing along the time → very variable « yellowish sticky liquid with strong milk smell and sweet taste »

3 Composition Sow colostrum compared to sow milk: - higher DM and CP (highly concentrated vs cow milk) - lower Fat content % vs % DM in the milk but 40 to 60% of the energy supply (//lactose) Compared chimical composition : colostrum and milk (Salmon Legagneur 1962) Water CP Fat Lactose Milk %

4 Composition - Colostrum is also ▪Trace minerals : Copper, Iron, Zinc, and Selenium ▪ Vitamins: vit E x7 vit B12 x 2 vs milk vit A x 3.5 ▪ Very important Functional molecules (growth factors x 10 to 20 vs blood) - many of them to be discovered or roles precised - growth hormon, leptin, insulin… - prolactine, steroids,… - biopeptides (lactoferrin, neurotensin, ) - IgF1 and 2, TGFα …. cytokines → Immunity, nutrition and maturation of the GI - weight of the GIT is increased by 40% in 24 H (Xu 2002)

5 Composition - main Factors of variation ▪ Forgotten element of the last 30 years → genetic selection → nutrition and management ▪ Colostrum quality varies: - genetic: breed, individual (Meishan : more fat) - nipple: front teats (?) (Fraser 84 Lin 92) - parity (lower fat content with older sows: Mahan 1997) - health status, vaccination: Ig increased→ CP > - nutrition: - easy for Vit E (Mahan 2005), Vit B12 (Simard 2002) Vit B2 Selenium (Mahan 97, Quesnel 2008) Vit A (Bland 2001) Fat (Jackson 1995,Heo 2008) - no effect on Vit C, Iron (Mahan 1997), copper, zinc CP (Heo 2008; Yang 2008)

6 Composition - main Factors of variation ▪ Premature farrowing - impaired udder preparation - lower Ig content (CP<) Fat content (%) post farrowing (time in hours) % Natural Induced farrowing Jackson (1995) ▪▪ ▪ Induced farrowing - Lower quantity and quality: Maffleo (1984); Devillers (2005) - Effect on fat content : Jackson (1995) - Effect on quantity 4.47 kg vs 3.95 (p=0.08) Foisnet (2010)

7 ColostruEEm consommé (g/kg pds naissance) >200 Piglets Weight (g)934 ± ± ± ± 310 Col. Intake068 ± ± ± 53 Mortality% Roles - Main Roles of the colostrum ▪ Nutritional: crucial role Depending on the studies: 50 to 77% mortality (first 48 hours) : crushing Charal 2010) Effect of colostrum intake (g/kg LW) on early mortality Le Dividich 2005

8 Roles Nutritional: - piglet: - fat content low (1 to 2% LW at birth) - selection: lighter liver vs 80’s, - 30% glycogen content (Canario 2007) - nude, no hair, body surface/kg LW higher on light piglets (losses >) Glycogen (g/kg LW) Pigletbaby Liver Muscle Total (1) Dig.energy (Kj/kg Lw) Fat Dig.energy (Kj/kg Lw) < Total (2) Body reserve at birth: 10 x higher for the baby Mellor, Cockburn 1986 Le Dividich 1997

9 Roles ▪ Nutritional: energy supply Le Dividich Energy available at birth Maintenance Physical activity Thermoregulation breakheaven point 36°C Glycogen Lipids kJ/kg birth weight Energy deposition Energy requirements (24 H)

10 Roles Nutritional:energy supply - requirement: g for 1.45 kg LW at birth - huge heterogeneity (0 to 800 g !) - limiting factor: sow (MMA,PFAS…), management,… - NOT really the piglet: up to 450 g/d when bottle fed (Le Dividich) - Environment: T°, activity, …Management at birth: lamps, mastress,drying the piglet, … Weight at birth (g) Colostrum intake (g) Lallemand 2 010

11 Roles Nutritional:energy supply - 86 to 88% of the ADG 24H explained by colostrum intake + 1 g/d → 1.6 g of Colostrum intake ▪ Factors explaining colostrum intake - the sow: Hypogalaxia, behavior (restlessness…) colostrum production: 2.5 to 8 kg! Average 3.6 kg (Devillers 2005) - piglet weight at birth (+ 100 g LW → +27 g Colostrum) (Le Dividich ) - litter size: No effect of the rank at birth Lallemand Litter size N=67 COLOSTRUM. intake (g/piglet) <12271 (a) (b) > (c)

12 Roles - maturation of the GIT - Immunity At birth: No immune protection for the piglet - immuno competent - 33% Ig (day 14) and 44% at day 21 Colostrum: immunity transfer - antibodies - white cells → immune protection for the first 6-8 weeks Sow: 6 different layers between sow blood and fœtus blood → no immune cells or Ig can cross Different types of placenta and the histological details

13 é Roles - Immunity - Lactogenesis 1: weeks before farrowing - Ig collected in the acinus - mainly filtered from the blood (except for Ig A) (3 - 6 times more than into the blood) Bourne // storage Ig in the udder: Ig reduced in the blood of the sow (week14)

14 é Immunity - Ig G: 60 to 75% of the total Ig (IgM only 5%) - very fast decrease (4 hours Bourne 1969) Time after birth (hours) Klobasa 1987 n=25 Ig content (mg/ml) Ig concentrations in the colostrum

15 é Immunity - Factors of variation: Ig - farm : vaccinations, health (sanitary challenges) - animal : huge individual variation (+- 40%) - parity: P1 reputated to have lower concentrations - diet: Ig G levels from 3 studies Hours post farrowing IgG concentration (mg/ml) Time (h) after the birth of the first piglet Birth of the first piglet Colostrum IgG concentration, mg/g Ig G concentrations in 3 different farms Le Dividich hours

16 é Immunity - Factors of variation: Ig - parity: P1 reputated to have lower concentrations well depending on the study: → Lallemand 2010: +¨42% IgG at 12H on multiparous Ig levels and sow parity (Klobasa 1986)

17 é Immunity - diet: few studies only ▪ shark liver oil: 20 to 30 mg/ml of IgG (low levels!) ▪ FOS effect Ig A milk (De Groot 2000 but10 kg/t inclusion rate! ) ▪ MOS: variable effect on Ig content - Le Dividich 2009: NO - O’quinn, Newman 2001: slight effect Manipulations of Colostrum Immunoglobulins (review :Farmer Quesnel JAS 2009)

18 é Immunity - diet: few studies only ▪ Live yeast: Saccharromyces boulardii - 67 sows, SB last 3 weeks of gestation (2.5 g/s/d) Effet of S.boulardii on Colostrum IgG (Le Dividich 2010)

19 é Immunity - Cell immunity: - 1 to total cells/ml (Le Jan 1996) - 60% leucocytes 20% epithelial Origin and distribution of immune cells in the mammary gland and colostrum (Salmon 2010)

20 é Immunity - tranfer to the piglet - gut permeability: - 24H, Ig G are binding to a specific receptor (FcRn) on the enterocytes and transfered to the blood. (very low protease activity at birth) (half life around 10 days) - Ig A are not absorbed : attached to the brush border - Other macromolecules are also transfered during the first 24 H (albumines, alfafoeto-protein…) - gut closure (Speer 1957) - lactose or glucose effect (Werhan 1981), - insulin (Swedsen 1986), - cortisol - level of Colostrum intake (Rooke 2002) After 24 H: Ig G transfer is stopped, Ig G are hydrolysed (lysosomial activity) - Endocytosis (trancytosis) (pH to 4 hours – released at pH 7.4 into the lymph →blood)

21 é Immunity - transfer to the piglet Ig G and M levels in the serum of the piglet: Colostrum intake (g/kg 24 h) Le Dividich 2006 Ig G transfered are plateauing at around mg/ml 48 hours 26 days First 2 born piglets Last 2 born piglets

22 é Immunity - transfer to the piglet Ig A levels in the faeces of the piglet: colostrum origin and after Day 1, from the milk. Salmon 2010

23 é Practical implications and conclusions Colostrum is VERY necessary for the piglets at birth 1) as energy supply (160 – 180 g/kg LW) 2) for gut maturation 3) functionnal proteins and peptides…. 4) for immune protection ( g/kg LW)

24 é Practical implications and conclusions Practical implications: - farrowing assistance to increase piglet vitality (lamps, drying powder, heating mastress…) - each piglet should get the first colostrum as soon as possible: the first colostrum intake is always the most efficient - if needed assist the piglet to get to the teat -each piglet should get at least 100 g/kg LW from his own mother to allow the passage of the lymphocytes (HLA compatibility) - cross fostering after 24 H only if possible - marking the first piglets and then isolate them after their first colostrum intake. - colostrum drenching possible (frozen colostrum)