Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of ground red-osier dogwood (ROD) on oxidative status in weaned pigs challenged with Escherichia coli K88(+). Twenty-eight piglets weaned at 21 d of age (6.94 ± 0.28 kg of body weight) were assigned to one of five dietary treatments: 1) CON (a corn-wheat-soybean meal-based diet), 2) AGP (CON + 0.025% of antibacterial growth promotor), 3) ROD2 (CON + 2% ROD), and 4) ROD4 (CON + 4% ROD). On d 8, all pigs were orally inoculated with E. coli K88(+) (2 × 10(9) CFU/mL). The ground ROD was included at the expense of corn and wheat. Blood samples were collected at 24 h before challenge and 6 h and 24 h, 48 h, and 144 h after challenge, whereas ileal tissue samples were collected on d 7 post-challenge for serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) measurement. Data were analyzed using the Mixed procedures of SAS. At 6 h post-weaning, dietary treatments did not affect MDA concentrations in serum. Pigs fed ROD4 or PC diets showed reduced (P < 0.05) levels of serum MDA at 24 h, 48h, and 144 h post-challenge and levels of ileal MDA than those fed CON diet. Furthermore, levels of SOD in the serum at 144 h post-challenge and ileum were lowered (P < 0.05) in pigs fed AGP or ROD4 than in those fed CON. However, the inclusion of 2% ROD did not affect levels of MDA nor SOD in serum and ileum. In conclusion, oxidative stress induced by E. coli infection in weaned pigs can be attenuated by feeding a nursery diets supplemented with AGP or 4% of ROD.