Feed-induced lectins in piglets. Feed-induced lectins and their effect on post-weaning diarrhoea, daily weight gain and mortality.

The effect on various biological variables of a special weaner feed (FD) with the capacity to induce endogenous synthesis of feed induced lectins (FIL), and a commonly used commercial diet (CD) was evaluated in 891 piglets in four different experiments. The FD diet was found to induce a high activity of FIL (FIL = 0.94 +/- 0.03 units/ml. blood), as compared to CD (FIL < 0.20 units/ml. blood). The FIL values did not decrease after weaning. The incidence of diarrhoea in piglets fed FD 0-14 days post-weaning was 12 +/- 5 per cent, as compared to 41 +/- 9 per cent in the CD group, the difference being significant. Daily weight gain 0-35 days after weaning was 67 +/- 15 grams greater in the FD group than among those fed CD. The consumption of FD was double that of CD in the period before weaning (at 5 weeks), and some 40 per cent more in the postweaning period up to 9 weeks of age.