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Effect of Moderate or Severe Protein Restriction during Pregnancy on Sow and Progeny Digestive Enzymes¹

Department of Animal Science, The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH 44691 and Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Two experiments were conducted to compare the effects of feeding various gestation/lactation (G/L) dietary protein sequences on the resulting digestive enzyme activities in sows and progeny. In the first experiment a 9/18% was compared to a 14/14% sequence in mature fourth parity sows; a second trial evaluated a 0/30% to a 14/14% protein sequence with first-litter sows. Similar preand postnatal digestive enzyme activities were found in the progeny of sows fed the 9/18 or 14/14% protein sequence. The feeding of a protein-free gestation diet resulted in lowered reproductive performance as well as reduced weight and enzymatic activities in the sow and fetal pancreas and small intestine at 4 days prepartum. Protease activity appeared to be more severely affected than the other digestive enzymes in the sow and progeny when protein was restricted to the dam. Following a postnatal reciprocal transfer of progeny, resulting digestive enzyme activities (protease, amylase, maltase, sucrase, lactase) were similar for all pig groups from both sow groups by 28 days postpartum. Digestive function as measured by pancreatic protease and amylase activity in sows initially fed a non-protein gestation diet was initially impaired by 4 days prepartum but when offered a 30% protein lactation diet, activities were similar to those of control sows by 28 days postpartum. These results suggest that pregnant dams or their fetuses did not have impaired postpartum digestive function following severe dietary protein restriction during gestation.

KEY WORDS: • protein • digestion • enzyme • pancreas • intestine • swine

¹ Approved for publication as Journal Article 196-79 of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster.

² Present address: Cargill Research Farm. Elk River, MN 55330.

Manuscript received 10 December 1979.