days after weaning is a serious problem which influences
intestinal integrity and later performance
(McCracken et al. 1999; Spreeuwenberg et al. 2001).
Exposure to certain flavors during lactation could
enhance diet acceptance in later life, stimulate ingestion,
as well as improve adaptability to post-weaning
conditions (Langendijk et al. 2007). Studies conducted
in newborn animals and human infants suggested that
maternal flavor intake transferred some chemosensory
information to maternal milk and changes milk flavor,
and eventually influencing post-weaning offspring
diet acceptance (Mennella 2009). Furthermore, a
study also found in pigs that flavor fed to lactating
sows or weaning piglets could stimulate feed intake or
improve the performance of piglets, especially at
weaning or during the starter period (King 1979;
McLaughlin et al. 1983; Torrallardona et al. 2000). In
the present study, FMA flavor was well accepted by
sows and piglets, which suggested a great consistency
between maternal and filial flavor preference. Following
this theory, supplementation with certain flavors
to sows and their piglets during lactation could influence
their later feeding behaviors, which provides a
good way to improve feed intake and performance of
sows and piglets.