Maternal supplementation with konjac glucomannan and κ-carrageenan promotes sow performance and benefits the gut barrier in offspring

This research aims to investigate the effects of dietary konjac glucomannan and κ-carrageenan (SF) on sow performance and suckling piglet gut barrier. Thirty-four sows in late gestation (parity 2-5) were selected at random and grouped into two treatments. The control group (Con group; <i>n</i> = 17) was fed the basal diet; the SF group was fed the same diet supplemented with 0.25% konjac glucomannan + 0.25% κ-carrageenan (SF group; <i>n</i> = 17). The results showed that sows fed the SF diet had a higher feed intake during lactation than the Con group (<i>P</i> < 0.05), and the levels of neuropeptide tyrosine (NPY) (<i>P</i> = 0.006) and acetylcholine enzyme (AChE) (<i>P</i> < 0.05) significantly increased. The fecal microbial analysis indicated that the SF diet had a higher abundance of <i>Subdoligranulum, Holdemanella</i>, and <i>Succinivibrio</i> at the genus level, and the acetate level was significantly increased (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Moreover, SF lowered the level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in milk (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Regarding suckling piglets, maternal supplementation with SF reduced jejunal IL-6 protein levels in suckling piglets (<i>P</i> < 0.05). In the colon of the piglet, the SF group up-regulated protein levels of occludin (<i>P</i> < 0.05), and the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) (0.05 ≤ <i>P</i> < 0.1), and claudin 4 (CLDN4) (0.05 ≤ <i>P</i> < 0.1) protein levels tended to be up-regulated. Consequently, supplementation of SF in sow diets positively affects lactation feed intake and maternal microflora. Furthermore, the maternal effect improves the jejunum and colon barriers of suckling piglets.