Effects of chito-oligosaccharide on intestinal mucosal amino acid profiles and alkaline phosphatase activities, and serum biochemical variables in weaned piglets

• Chito-oligosaccharide enhanced serum IgG and urea nitrogen in weaned piglets.
• Chito-oligosaccharide affected intestinal amino acid profiles in weaned piglets.
• Chito-oligosaccharide enhanced ileal alkaline phosphatase activity of weaned piglets.
• Chito-oligosaccharide affected colonic and caecal short chain fatty acid contents.

The present experiment was conducted to determine the effects of chito-oligosaccharide (COS) on intestinal mucosal amino acid profiles and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, and serum biochemical variables in weaned piglets. A total of 24 piglets (BW=7.82±0.21 kg) were weaned at 25 d of age and were blocked by body weight, sex, and litter and randomly assigned to one of two treatments consisting of a basal diet (CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 30 mg/kg COS for a 14-d period. Each treatment was assigned to 6 pens (2 piglets/pen) and 6 piglets (3 males and 3 females) were randomly selected from each treatment (1 pigs/pen) for blood and tissue sampling. Dietary supplementation with COS increased (P<0.05) serum IgG and urea nitrogen contents, and tended to increase (P<0.10) serum calcium. The ileal mucosal ALP activity in piglets fed with COS diet were greater (P<0.05) than that in CON piglets. Dietary supplementation with COS increased (P<0.05) the contents of Asn and Cys, and tended to increase (P<0.10) the contents of Asp and Orn in the small intestinal mucosa of weaned piglets. Moreover, the contents of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) in caecal and colonic digesta of weaned piglets were affected (P<0.05) by dietary COS supplementation. There were interactions (P<0.05) between dietary COS and intestinal section for mucosal AA contents and digesta SCFA contents in weaned piglets. In conclusion, the results of the present experiment suggest that dietary supplementation with COS affects intestine and immune functions of weaned piglets.