intake in the feeding dip after weaning. Whereas, starvation has a negative effect on gut health, feed intake stimulates the development of the gut wall. Secondly, the digestibility of plasma is high, which is in line with the better growth in pig- lets and young chickens, that have an immature digestive system at a time where plasma is giving its positive effect. When the plasma is easily absorbed it nourishes the entero- cytes and improves the integrity of the gut wall. Thirdly, the immunoglobulin G fraction (IgG) of plasma is re- sponsible for the enhanced pig performance that occurs when spray-dried plasma is fed. IgG specifically binds bacte- ria and viruses. It prevents these bacteria colonising the gut and infecting the animal. The immunoglobulin G fraction of plasma seems to stimulate equal or better growth perfor- mance than whole plasma, and the early responses seem to be more consistently maintained into later post-weaning pe- riods. Because SDPP contains specific antibodies, SDPP reduc- es post-weaning diarrhoea. These antibodies prevent the at- tachment to and infection of the gut wall. Excretion of the pathogenic bacteria and transmission to neighbouring pigs decreases. Finally, plasma contains many bio-active proteins, besides immunoglobulin G that play a significant role in im- mune modulation and communication. It is likely that these proteins exert an effect on the gut wall too.


Systemic health effects SDPP has an outstanding record of improving performance in


young piglets. Studies show that weaned piglets have the same performance when zinc or antibiotics are replaced by spray dried plasma. The SDPP makes young animals more robust against the negative effects of a bacterial infection. The immunoglobulins prevent that ingested pathogens can colonise or infect the animals and disturb the gut microbiota. Besides the local gut effect, some studies suggest that there are also systemic health effects. It is has been observed that SDPP fed piglets had a stronger protection after vaccination against respiratory diseases compared to non-SDPP fed piglets. That gut health affects the health of other organ systems is understandable, because the gut is a such a dominant organ system. Moreover, there is communication between the immune systems of the different organs, for example between the lymphoid tissues in these organs. The use of spray-dried plasma is legally allowed in almost all parts of the world, including the EU. Decreasing antibiotic use, a low carbon footprint of processed by-products, and circulari- ty of agro-systems are additional reasons to use these proteins. Critical or transition periods in juveniles happens in all farmed animals, not only in piglets. The evidence that SDPP has an ef- fect in poultry and fish, is also increasing. Young chicks grow faster and less mortality is seen in shrimps with feed containing SDPP. Also in poultry and aquatic animals antibiotics are used in juveniles to overcome the challenges at the critical transi- tional stages of life. SDPP can help in these groups of animals to decrease the need for antimicrobials, like it does in pigs.


▶ GUT HEALTH | DECEMBER 2020 11


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