Increased rates
of digestion,
absorption,
and tissue mobilization for fetal and mammary growth and milk production favor overproduction of free radicals and cause oxidative stress in the maternal body (Castillo et al., 2005).Feed additives, to improve antioxidant capacity in sows beneficial to increasing litter size and promoting preweaning piglet growth, include vitamin E, vitamin C, carotenoids, and selenium (Loudenslager et al., 1986; Lykkesfeldt and Svendsen, 2007).