the mitochondria during this process as by-products of the electron transport chain reaction.” He says that other life stag- es are also relevant, adding, “I would always recommend an antioxidant protection strategy over all phases of production.”
Core vitamins and minerals Barbosa urges the use of several core vitamins and minerals as well as a blend of antioxidants such as ethoxyquin and propyl gallate. Ethoxyquin has been used for decades as a di- etary additive that helps pig performance on a variety of fronts. The three vitamins and minerals that he says have produced better results over the years compared to others are vitamin E, selenium (in either organic or inorganic form) and vitamin C (in “protected” form). “But remember that all of them are more than antioxidants and also have biological functions,” says Barbosa. “And spe- cially vitamin E, where you can see a lot of research evaluat- ing its replacement by other antioxidants. Antioxidants are not a replacement to nutritional levels of vitamin E. Therefore, the recommendation is to always follow the nutritional guidelines you’re using.”
Plant-based antioxidants In terms of future research needed in the area of oxidative stress mitigation, Barbosa says novel antioxidants from plants, called phytogenic compounds, may be the ones to pay attention to.
Kostas Mountzouris, professor of animal nutritional biotech- nology at the Agricultural University of Athens in Greece, echoed this thought in a “Hot Talks” interview in All About Feed. “Nutrigenomic studies addressing the effects of dietary bioactive compounds such as plant-based bioactive com- pounds on the activation and magnitude of the animal’s adaptive capacity to counteract stressors leading to inflam- mation are clearly required,” Prof Mountzouris stated. In the new book Gut Microbiota, Immunity, and Health in Pro- duction Animals, published in January 2022, he and his col- leagues have a chapter outlining how supplying poultry with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals directly supports oxidative defense. Plant-based compounds with antioxidant capacity include curcumin, a compound from the turmeric plant, and resvera- trol, a compound derived from grapes and wine. In Table 1, the Chinese researchers who published the 2021 review of oxidative stress outline the antioxidant effects of curcumin, resveratrol and 16 other natural antioxidant compounds in pigs. Clearly – as Barbosa points out – due to the dietary, so- cial, environmental and metabolic stress that today’s pigs are subjected to in order “to achieve higher and higher perfor- mance levels”, the need for antioxidants in the pig diet will only increase. Exciting findings about plant-based compounds are sure to come as research into the effects of these compounds on livestock performance expands, building on past and current research, showing their positive effects on human health.
▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 38, No. 4, 2022
Vitamin and mineral levels given to pigs in China and Brazil exceed recom- mendations.
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