Gluconic acid improves performance of newly weaned piglets associated with alterations in gut microbiome and fermentation

Table 3 Effect of diet on blood indices in piglets fed the experimental diets and sampled on d 21 (n = 8)^ab

Item	Gluconic acid (g/kg)			SEM	P
Item	0	9	18	SEM	P
Haematology on whole blood
Red blood cells (10¹²/L)	6.3	6.2	6.2	0.1	0.872
Haematocrit (%)	35.9	37.3	35.7	0.6	0.478
Haemoglobin (g/dL)	10	10.6	10.2	0.2	0.457
Mean corpuscular volume (fL)	56.8	61.8	57.5	1	0.092
Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (pg)	15.8	17	16.5	0.2	0.116
Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (g/dL)	27.9	27.7	28.6	0.2	0.204
Reticulocytes (%)	1.53	1.43	1.79	0.16	0.66
White blood cells (K/μL)	94	88.1	110.1	9.7	0.651
Lymphocytes (%)	28.8^a	26.5^a	18.2^b	1.5	0.005
Monocytes (%)	47.8	46.7	45.7	1.3	0.817
Neutrophils (%)	8.1	9.5	9.4	0.4	0.283
Eosinophils (%)	42.7	41.6	42.5	1.5	0.955
Basophils (%)	1.3	2.1	2.2	0.2	0.115
Lymphocytes (K/μL)	0.19	0.17	0.19	0.02	0.964
Monocytes (K/μL)	13.2^a	12.3^ab	8.3^b	0.8	0.028
Neutrophils (K/μL)	2.3	2.6	1.7	0.2	0.173
Eosinophils (K/μL)	11.3	11	7.8	0.7	0.06
Basophils (K/μL)	0.32	0.5	0.4	0.04	0.24
Thrombocytes (K/μL)	0.053	0.049	0.03	0.006	0.229
Mean platelet volume (fL)	400	310	397	25	0.256
Biochemical indices	11.2	11.5	12.1	0.2	0.046
Creatinine (μmol/L)	83.5	79	77.8	2.1	0.504
NEFA ^c (mmol/L)	0.052	0.069	0.068	0.007	0.521
Total protein (g/L)	46.7	45.1	44.4	0.6	0.247
Urea (mmol/L)	3.8^a	2.6^b	2.6^b	0.2	0.003

^aPiglets were sampled on d 21
^bMeans within row without common superscript are significantly different, P < 0.05
^cNon-esterified fatty acids

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