Impact of dietary fibre and immune challenge on threonine requirements and pig robustness

Sub-clinical disease results in reduced growth and less efficient use of nutrients, resulting in substantial impact on profitability of pork producers. With the elimination of in-feed antibiotics for growth promotion it is increasingly important to understand the interaction between nutrition and health and nutrient requirements during disease challenge events. Feeding high-fibre feedstuffs reduces the efficiency of utilization of dietary threonine for growth in pigs due to an increase in endogenous threonine loss as a result of increased mucin production. The mucus layer serves to protect the intestinal mucosal surface against threats, such as enteric pathogens. In addition to mucin production, threonine is an important precursor for the synthesis of many acute phase proteins involved in the immune response. While an increased threonine requirement has been shown with increased fibre and with immune challenge, the interaction of these factors on threonine requirements is unknown. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Andrew Van Kessel

Student:

Michael Wellington

Partner:

Prairie Swine Centre Inc.

Discipline:

Animal science

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

Program: