Glutamine and glutamate (AminoGut) supplementation influences sow colostrum and mature milk composition

Glutamine and glutamate are the most abundant amino acids in milk and play important roles in neonatal development and growth. Glutamine and glutamate supplementation to both suckling and weanling piglets has beneficial effects on growth and health and we have previously demonstrated that such supplementation to the lactating sow can increase milk glutamine and glutamate content. This work was designed to determine if glutamine and glutamate (AminoGut) supplementation to lactating sows resulted in other changes in milk composition. Sows were provided with a conventional diet with or without 1.5% AminoGut from one week prior to parturition through the end of lactation (day 21). Compared with control pigs supplementation with AminoGut resulted in 60% higher fat content in colostrum, and although there was no significant difference in milk fat content between control and AminoGut supplemented pigs at day 7 of lactation, milk fat content was 33% higher in the AminoGut supplemented pigs at day 21 of lactation. On day 7 of lactation the somatic cell count (SSC) was approximately 55% higher in milk from the AminoGut supplemented pigs when compared with that from control pigs. In milk from control pigs the SSC dropped between days 7 and 21 of lactation but remained elevated in milk from AminoGut supplemented pigs throughout lactation. Milk protein, lactose and total milk solids were not influenced by AminoGut supplementation. Milk glutamine content was higher in AminoGut supplemented pigs throughout lactation. Thus supplementation with glutamine and glutamate to the sow resulted in major differences in glutamine and lipid content of the milk, both of which would be predicted to benefit the suckling piglet particularly at the time of abrupt weaning.