β(1-3)(1-6)-D-glucans modulate immune status in pigs: potential importance for efficiency of commercial farming

In face of the challenge of the emergent diseases and the current efforts of the governments to create conditions to ban growth-promoting antibiotics and to improve efficiency of the commercial farming, new opportunities are created for natural, highly effective and cost affordable immunomodulators; able to induce and enhance resistance against diseases and to reduce farming-related stress. Supplementation of animal feed with β(1-3)(1-6)-D-glucans has been repeatedly shown to modulate the immune system ant to influence growth characteristics of farmed animals.

In our study we focused on evaluation of effects of an insoluble, fungi-derived β(1-3)(1-6)-D-glucan as dietary supplement in piglets. We measured the growth, phagocytosis of peripheral blood cells and interleukin 2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) production after feeding with 15 mg of glucan/kg/day.

Following supplementation, β(1-3)(1-6)-D-glucan has been shown to stimulate growth, phagocytic activity, and IL-2 production. In addition, it significantly lowered the cortisol and TNF-α levels after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge.