title: Supplementation of sows with L-carnitine during pregnancy and lactation improves growth of the piglets during the suckling period through increased milk production.
abstract: Recent studies showed that piglets of sows fed diets supplemented with L-carnitine grow faster during the suckling period than piglets of control sows fed diets without L-carnitine. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of L-carnitine supplementation in sows on milk production and milk constituents. An experiment was performed in which two groups of 20 gilts each were fed diets with or without supplemental L-carnitine during pregnancy (0 vs. 125 mg L-carnitine daily/sow) and lactation (0 vs. 250 mg L-carnitine daily/sow). The experiment was continued over two reproductive cycles. L-carnitine-treated sows had larger litters (P<0.01) and higher litter weights (P<0.05) than control sows. Piglets of L-carnitine-treated sows had lower birth weights (P<0.05) but grew faster during the suckling period (P<0.01) and were heavier (P<0.05) at weaning than piglets of control sows. L-carnitine-treated sows had higher milk yields on d 11 and 18 of lactation than control sows (P<0.05). Milk of L-carnitine-treated sows had higher concentrations of total and free carnitine than milk of control sows (P<0.001); concentrations of fat, protein and lactose and the amounts of gross energy in the milk did not differ between the two groups of sows. The amounts of protein (P<0.05) and lactose (P<0.05) were higher in L-carnitine-treated sows than in control sows; the amount of energy secreted with the milk tended to be higher in carnitine-treated sows than in control sows (P<0.10). The study suggests that piglets of carnitine-treated sows grow faster during the suckling period than those of control sows because they ingest more nutrients and energy with the milk.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, D-06108 Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Aleh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramanau
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kluge
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spilke
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling / Q000254:growth & development*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001724:Birth Weight; D002331:Carnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004435:Eating; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D007785:Lactose / Q000032:analysis; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008098:Litter Size; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development*; D014886:Weaning; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D008894:Milk Proteins; D007785:Lactose; D002331:Carnitine