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Updated: Nov 9, 2025
Long-Term Catheterization of the Intestinal Lymph Trunk and Collection of Lymph in Neonatal Pigs
Published on: March 5, 2016
Dietary Arthrospira platensis improves systemic antioxidant potential and changes plasma lipids without affecting
Marta Sofia Morgado Dos Santos Madeira1, Paula Alexandra Antunes Brás Lopes1, Cátia Falcão Martins1,2
1CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Pólo Universitário do Alto da Ajuda, Av. da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477, Lisbon, Portugal.
Background:
The ability of a high level of dietary Arthrospira platensis, individually or in combination with two exogenous carbohydrate-degrading enzymes (lysozyme and Rovabio®), to improve systemic antioxidant potential and hepatic lipid metabolism was tested in piglets. Forty male post-weaned piglets, sons of Large White × Landrace sows crossed with Pietrain boars, were allocated into 4 groups (n = 10) and fed during 28 days one of the following diets: 1) a control basal diet (cereal and soybean meal); 2) a basal diet with 10% of A. platensis (AP); 3) the AP diet supplemented with 0.005% of Rovabio® (AP + R); 4) the AP diet supplemented with 0.01% of lysozyme (AP + L).
Results:
Arthrospira platensis decreased BW gain of piglets, regardless the addition of feed enzymes. The majority of plasma metabolites were affected by diets. A. platensis increased total lipids, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, without changing hepatic fatty acid content or modulating, in an expressive manner, the transcriptional profile of lipid sensitive mediators. The antioxidant potential in general, and total carotenoids in particular, were improved by the microalga, regardless lysozyme or Rovabio®.
Conclusions:
Summing up, A. platensis, individually and combined with feed enzymes, impacts negatively on piglets' growth but improves the systemic antioxidant potential and changes plasma lipids with a minor modulation on related hepatic metabolic pathways.
