Effects of dietary polyamines at physiologic doses in early-weaned piglets.
OBJECTIVE
Polyamines are essential for many cell functions, and they form part of the composition of maternal milk; despite this, their addition to infant formulas is currently under evaluation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of milk formulas designed to resemble sow milk supplemented with polyamines at maternal physiologic milk doses on the gut maturation of early-weaned piglets.


METHODS
We fed 30 newborn piglets with maternal milk (n=10), a control milk formula (n=10), or a milk formula supplemented with polyamines (5 nmol/mL of spermine and 20 nmol/mL of spermidine, n=10) for 13 d (day 2 after birth through day 15). Several growth and intestinal development parameters were measured.


RESULTS
The piglets fed the formula containing polyamine at physiologic doses showed significantly increased crypt depth in the small intestine compared with those fed with the control formula. Villus length was correlated to crypt depth. Although there were no differences in the disaccharidase activities between the animals fed the two formulas, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase activities tended to be higher in the jejunum of those fed the polyamine-supplemented diet. Dietary polyamines did not significantly modify the gut mucosal concentrations of putrescine, spermine, or spermidine.


CONCLUSIONS
Milk formulas supplemented with polyamines at maternal milk physiologic doses slightly enhanced gut growth and maturation in neonatal piglets.
Sabater-Molina
María
M
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Larqué
Elvira
E
Torrella
Francisco
F
Plaza
Javier
J
Lozano
Teresa
T
Muñoz
Antonio
A
Zamora
Salvador
S
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005526:Food, Formulated; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development; D007583:Jejunum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism*; D013095:Spermidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013096:Spermine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013552:Swine; D014886:Weaning; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
D013096:Spermine; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D013095:Spermidine