Effects of a high carbohydrate diet and arginine supplementation during the rearing period of gilts on osteochondrosis prevalence at slaughter

Osteochondrosis (OC) is a consequence of necrotic growth cartilage formation early in life and suggested to be associated with lameness and premature culling of sows. Higher insulin, glucose, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are associated with increased OC in horses and are affected by carbohydrates. If dietary composition can affect OC through metabolic parameters in sows, it could be a tool in practice to reduce OC prevalence. This study examined if OC prevalence in rearing gilts can be influenced by dietary carbohydrates and/or arginine by affecting IGF-1, insulin, glucose, and nitric oxide (NO) levels. Gilts (n=212; Dutch Large White x Dutch Landrace) were acquired after weaning (4 weeks of age). At 6 weeks of age, gilts were subjected to a 2??2 factorial treatment design of dietary carbohydrate and arginine level scale fed at pen level. Carbohydrate level consisted of 12.5% cornstarch and 12.5% dextrose added to a basal diet (C+) versus an isocaloric diet in which cornstarch and dextrose were replaced with 8.9% soya bean oil (C-). Arginine supplementation consisted of 0.8% arginine supplemented to a basal diet (A+) versus 1.64% alanine as the isonitrogenous control (A-). At 24 weeks of age, blood samples of in total 34 gilts around feeding were taken and assessed for insulin, glucose, IGF-1, and NO levels. After slaughter at 25 weeks of age, OC was scored on the elbow, knee, and hock joints. Gilts in the C- treatment had higher glucose and insulin levels 90 min after feeding onwards and higher IGF-1 levels than gilts in the C+ treatment (P