Original scientific paper

Influence of body mass at birth on the activity of enzymes and biocatalysts concentration in the serum of Large White piglets until weaning.

Anamaria Ekert Kabalin ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Tomislav Balenović ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Marcela Šperanda ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of J. J. Strossmayer in Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Velimir Sušić ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Željko Pavičić ; Department of Animal Hygiene, Environment and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Suzana Milinković-Tur ; Department of Physiology and Radiobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Igor Štoković ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Sven Menčik ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Newborn piglets weighing less than 1000 grams at birth are more susceptible to diseases and the negative influence of stress factors, slow progress, and therefore cause greater losses than heavier ones. Also, they are physiologically immature and establish postnatal metabolical mechanisms more slowly than suckling piglets of normal body mass. The aim of our research was to determine changes in the activity of some enzymes and concentrations of biocatalysts in the blood serum of suckling piglets. In this study 48 piglets were included: 24 animals with birth weight less than 1000 g (experimental group) and 24 littermates of the same sex with body mass of 1000 g and more (control group). Blood samples were taken on the 1st, 7th, 14th and 21st days of the piglets’ life from the vena cava cranialis (1.5 mL) in BD Vacutainer SST tubes with the gel for biochemical analysis. After centrifugation, the samples were analyzed using an automatic analyzer Olympus AU 600. In the sera of both groups of piglets the activities of creatin kinase and alkaline phosphatase as well as calcium and phosphorus concentrations were higher at weaning, while the concentrations of magnesium was below the reference value. Also, we found lower activity of creatin kinase in 1 day-old piglets with small birth mass (P<0.05), possibly associated with poor development of the muscle tissue. In contrast, activity of alaninaminotransferase was significantly higher (P<0.01) in the serum of experimental animals on the 1st day of life. We assume that the observed changes in enzymes activities and biocatalyst concentrations indicate the intensive growth and development of newborn animals, especially in the control group of piglets.

Keywords

Large White; suckling piglets; birth weight; enzymes; electrolytes

Hrčak ID:

86316

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/86316

Publication date:

11.9.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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