Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Stimbiotics to Sows on Lactation Performance, Immune Function, and Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Capacities during Late Gestation and Lactation.

Stimbiotic supplementation may provide an innovative feed additive solution to accelerate the proliferation of beneficial fiber-degrading bacteria in the distal intestine and the utilization of dietary fiber. Optimal utilization of dietary fiber has multiple benefits for gut health and nutrient utilization. This study was conducted to evaluate the late gestation and lactation performance, the plasma, colostrum, and milk immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgM) concentrations, and the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant biomarkers in plasma of sows fed with or without a stimbiotic during the late gestation and lactation phase. A total of 40 sows were allocated to two treatment groups: control (CT) with no supplementation or 100 mg/kg stimbiotic (VP), with 20 sows per treatment. Sows were fed the treatment diets from d 85 of gestation to d 28 of lactation. In the results, the average daily weight gain of piglets during lactation was greater from sows fed in the VP group compared to that in the CT group (p < 0.05). The plasma concentrations of IgM at farrowing and IgG at weaning of the sows fed the diet with the stimbiotic supplementation were much higher than those in the CT sows (p < 0.05), respectively. In addition, the dietary stimbiotic increased the concentrations of IgM in the colostrum and of IgA and IgM in the milk at d 14 of lactation (p < 0.05). Plasma concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) on d 0 and d 28 of lactation tended to be lower in sows fed the VP diets compared with those of the sows fed the CT diets. Thus, our study indicated that stimbiotic supplementation could improve the daily weight gain of piglets and the immune function of sows in lactation.

Posture and Time Arrangement Influence Shank Circumference Reduction When Performing Leg Raising Exercise.

This study recruited nine young women who performed a leg raising exercise under six test combinations of three holding postures (lying supine, placing the shanks on a yoga ball, and elevating the legs at 60° against the wall) and two time arrangements (continuous vs. intermittent) for a period of 15 min. The intermittent arrangement included an additional 1-min rest set in the middle of the 15 min test. The participants' shank circumference (SC) reductions and discomfort ratings were measured after each test combination was performed. Results indicated that the most efficient method for SC reduction was the yoga ball (5.4 mm), followed by the supine lying posture (4.6 mm) and wall-supported leg raising (3.1 mm). A significant interaction of posture × time arrangement (p < 0.01) implied that the yoga ball method combined with a 1-min rest produced the greatest SC reduction (6.7 mm). Our results also showed that participants experienced the greatest discomfort (score: 4.96) when performing wall-supported leg raising, compared with both lying supine (score: 1.34) and the yoga ball (score: 1.32). This study suggests that the effectiveness of leg raising as conventionally practiced for eliminating leg fatigue or swelling requires further consideration.