# Prebiotic galactooligosaccharide (GOS) effects on suckling and weaned pigs [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0k6djhb5w](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0k6djhb5w) The data represent growth performance, intestinal short chain fatty acids and histology together with systemic cytokine concentrations from pre- and post-weaning pigs fed diets with or without prebiotic galactooligosaccharides. A full peer-reviewed manuscript is being published that describes various methods in full detail. [https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-024-01047-y](https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-024-01047-y) ## Description of the data and file structure The excel workbook contains multiple sheets that report raw data collected for various dependent variables. Each sheet identifies the independent variables to which each experimental unit was assigned. The first sheet includes a list of abbreviations used in subsequent sheets. These data were statistically analyzed and reported in the associated journal publication. | Abbreviations | Meaning | | :--------------- | :----------------------------------------------- | | trt | treatment | | ftrt | farrowing treatment | | ntrt | nursery treatment | | ADG | average daily gain | | ADFI | average daily feed intake | | FC | Farrowing control | | FG- | Farrowing creep without GOS | | FG+ | Farrowing creep with GOS | | NG- | Nursery diet without GOS | | NG+ | Nursery diet with GOS | | prop | propionate | | buty | butyrate | | val | valerate | | BCA | branched chain acids | | GM-CSF | granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor | | IFN | interferon | | IL | interluekin | | TNF | tumor necrosis factor | | d… | day… | | F or M (for Sex) | Female or Male | | . | missing data point |

Galactooligosaccharides were supplemented to gruel creep diets during farrowing and/or in phase 1 nursery diets. Growth performance, intestinal health parameters (such as GI morphology, short-chain fatty acids & microbial community) and plasma cytokins were evaluated under the hypothesis that GOS would improve piglet growth through its prebiotic effects as it is fermented in the intestine.

Detailed methods are reported in the published paper