This study aimed to investigate the effect of the fermented soybean meal on the reproductive performance, oxidative stress and colostrum composition of sows, and the growth performance of their progeny. A total of 44 sows were allotted to four dietary groups (n = 11/group). The dietary groups included the basal diet group (control) and the treatment groups in which soybean meal in the basal diet was replaced with 2%, 4%, and 6% fermented soybean meal, respectively. The experimental diets were fed to the sows from the 78th day of gestation to the 21st day of lactation. Replacing soybean meal in the basal maternal diet with the fermented soybean meal decreased the levels of malondialdehyde, cortisol, and 8-iso-prostaglandinF2α in the serum of sows and increased the average weight of piglets on the 14th day and the 21st day after birth. The activity of superoxide dismutase in the serum of sows was increased in the group with 4% fermented soybean meal on the 17th day of lactation. The levels of estrogen and growth factors in the serum of sows were enhanced in the group with 6% fermented soybean meal. In the colostrum, the levels of the protein and the immunoglobulin G were enhanced in the group with 4% fermented soybean meal. In conclusion, replacing the soybean meal in the basal maternal diet with the fermented soybean meal attenuates the oxidative stress status of the gestational and lactational sows, and enhances the average weight of their offspring.

Pregnancy is an oxidative stress and immune challenge for the mother. Fish oil is rich in EPA and DHA, which can partly inhibit aspects of inflammation and restore antioxidant capacity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of maternal diet with fish oil during the late gestation period on oxidative stress and inflammatory response in sows and their progenies. Twelve second-parity sows were allocated equally into two groups. Sows were fed either the soybean oil diet (SD) or soybean oil+fish oil diet (FD) during the gestation period. The plasma of sows, cord blood, and new-born piglets were collected. Full-term placentas and livers of new-born piglets were also sampled. The activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) in the plasma of sows on farrowing day were higher, and the concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PGE2) in the plasma of sows on farrowing day and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the plasma of cord blood were lower in the FD group than those in the SD group (P<0.05). The FD downregulated the expression of SOD, IL-1β, IL-6, and transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 binding protein 1 (TAB1) mRNA but upregulated the expression of lipoxygenase enzyme 5 (ALOX5) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) mRNA in placentas (P<0.05). The FD downregulated the protein expression level of p-JNK/JNK in placentas (P<0.05). In the livers of new-born piglets, the FD upregulated the expression of ALOX5 (P<0.05) and G-protein-coupled receptor 120 (GPR120) (P<0.05) mRNA. Our results suggest that the maternal diet with fish oil might alleviate oxidative stress in sows on farrowing day and modulate inflammatory response in full-term placentas by inhibiting the JNK signal pathway. Moreover, the maternal diet with fish oil might partly regulate the neonatal immune response of their progenies.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the maternal diet with fish oil on the oxidative stress and inflammatory response in sows, and the protective effect on the piglets suckling the sows fed the diet with fish oil in the context of inflammatory stimulation. Twelve sows were divided into two groups. Sows were fed soybean oil diet (SD) or soybean oil + fish oil diet (FD) from gestation to lactation period. The blood samples of sows were collected from the auricular vein at the 16th day of lactation. One piglet was selected from each litter on the 14th day after birth. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was injected into the neck muscle after pre-treatment blood samples were collected from the anterior vena cava of piglets. The blood samples of piglets were collected at 5 h and 48 h post-LPS injection from the front cavity vein. Liver samples were collected at 48 h post-LPS injection. The FD diet significantly increased the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the plasma of lactating sow, decreased the levels of alkaline phosphatase(AKP) and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α) in the plasma of lactating sows, and increased the level of immunoglobulin G(IgG) in the colostrum and interleukin-10(IL-10) in the milk (p < 0.05). In the FD group, the levels of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) significantly increased in the plasma of piglets at 48 h post-LPS injection (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the relative expression of GSH-Px mRNA was decreased in the FD group (p < 0.05). However, the levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6(IL-6) in the plasma of piglets were significantly higher in the FD group pre- and post-LPS injection (p < 0.05). The ratio of the phosphonated extracellular regulated protein kinases to the extracellular regulated protein kinases (p-ERK/ERK) protein in the livers of piglets was decreased (p < 0.05), but the expression of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) mRNA and the ratio of the phosphonated inhibitor of NF-κB to the inhibitor of NF-κB (p-IκB-α/IκB-α) protein was increased in the livers of piglets (p < 0.05). These results indicate that a maternal diet with fish oil might decrease the oxidative stress and inflammatory response in sows, and enhance the antioxidative ability but increase the susceptibility to inflammatory stimulation in their progenies.

The cytotoxicity of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on normal cells is still unclear. This study investigated the effects of DHA on the cytotoxicity and possible mechanism in the BRL-3A cell. The cultured rat liver BRL-3A cell line was treated with 50, 100 and 200 μM DHA for 24 h. The cell viability was increased in the 50 and 100 μM DHA treatments, but decreased in the 200 μM DHA treatment. The 50, 100 and 200 μM DHA treatments increased the proportion of the apoptotic cells, the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and IL-6 in the supernatant, and the ratio of the phosphonated p38MAPK to the p38MAPK (p-p38/p38) protein in the cells. The expression of TGF beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), nuclear transcription factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65) and the inhibitor of NF-κB alpha (IκBα) mRNA, and the ratio of the phosphonated IκBα (p-IκBα) to IκBα protein were increased in the 200 μM DHA treatment, while the ratio of phosphonated extracellular regulated protein kinases (p-ERK) to ERK protein was decreased in the 200 μM DHA treatment. These results indicate that DHA-treated (50, 100 and 200 μM) BRL-3A cells for 24 h promotes cell apoptosis and inflammatory response, and the p38 MAPK, ERK and NF-κB signal pathways were involved in mediating the apoptosis and inflammatory response.