The study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with spray-dried animal plasma (SDAP) on growth performance, intestinal morphology, as well as serum and intestinal cytokines and antioxidant indicators of artificially reared neonatal piglets. Three diets, 1) control (a fish meal basal diet), 2) SDAP (containing 10% SDAP), and 3) autoclaved SDAP (auSDAP; containing 10% auSDAP), were fed to 36 weaned piglets (3 d old), which were randomly allotted to 3 groups. At 21 d of age, blood and intestinal mucosal samples were collected from all piglets after they were slaughtered. Compared with the control, both SDAP and auSDAP improved ADFI and duodenal villus height of piglets, whereas SDAP increased ADG and duodenal villus height to crypt depth ratio. Piglets fed SDAP and auSDAP had reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content in mucosa. The concentration of serum MDA was decreased and mucosal catalase (CAT) activities were increased in piglets fed SDAP diet than those fed the control diet. In the mucosa, both SDAP and auSDAP decreased tumor necrosis factor α, IL-6, transforming growth factor β, and soluble IL-2 receptor contents. Mucosal IL-1β was decreased in SDAP compared with auSDAP and control groups. The SDAP and control groups had increased mucosal IL-2 compared with auSDAP group. The cytokines in serum were not affected by SDAP and auSDAP. The results indicate that both SDAP and auSDAP improved the growth performance of neonatal piglets, whereas the SDAP had a greater effect. The benefits of SDAP probably resulted from the promotion of the intestinal development, which were accompanied by the increased antioxidant capacity and the decreased production of inflammatory factors in the intestinal mucosa.

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