Dietary 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation improves performance, immunity, antioxidant status, intestinal...

25-Hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD₃ ) is a new feed additive, which is a potential alternative to vitamin D₃ in swine nutrition. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different doses of 25OHD₃ supplementation on performance, immunity, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology and bone quality in piglets.

As dietary 25OHD₃ supplementation increased, the average daily gain (ADG) improved (P < 0.05) quadratically during days 1-14, and tended to increase (P = 0.06) quadratically during the overall period of the experiment. Increasing 25OHD₃ supplementation increased (linear effect, P < 0.05) the serum 25OHD₃ level and serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. On day 14, serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) was increased (linear and quadratic effects, P < 0.05) as dietary 25OHD₃ supplementation increased. On day 28, serum IgA level was higher (P < 0.05) linearly and the complement 3 (C3) level was reduced (P < 0.05) linearly as dietary supplementation of 25OHD₃ increased. The mucosal GSH-Px activity of the small intestine was higher (quadratic effect, P < 0.05) with increasing 25OHD₃ supplementation. Jejunal villus height (P = 0.06) and villus height to crypt depth ratio (P = 0.07) tended to increase quadratically, and the villus height to crypt-depth ratio of the ileum increased (P < 0.05) linearly and quadratically with increasing 25OHD₃ supplementation. Dietary supplementation with an increasing level of 25OHD₃ increased breaking strength of tibias and femurs (quadratic effect, P < 0.05).

Increasing dietary 25OHD₃ supplementation partly improved performance, immunity, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology, and bone properties of weaned piglets. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.