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Dietary Organic Selenium Supplementation for Weaned Piglets Challenged with Deoxynivalenol
by
,
Wenyue Zhou
1
,
Haopeng Zhong
1,2,
Zhouyin Huang
1,
Jiajun Han
1,
Zheng Yang
1,
Tiande Zou
1,
Jinming You
1 and
Jun Chen
1,* 1
Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed, Jiangxi Province Key Innovation Center of Integration in Production and Education for High-Quality and Safe Livestock and Poultry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
2
Ganzhou Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Research Institute, Ganzhou 341000, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2025, 15(17), 2546; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15172546
Submission received: 28 July 2025
/
Revised: 22 August 2025
/
Accepted: 28 August 2025
/
Published: 29 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Uses of Trace Elements and Plant-Derived Bioactive Additives in Swine Nutrition)
Simple Summary
The consumption of deoxynivalenol (DON) commonly induces multiple detrimental effects in swine, including diminished nutrient digestibility. Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota may play a critical role in mediating the toxicological impact of DON in animals. In pigs, the cecum serves as the primary site for microbiota digestibility. Consequently, it is imperative to explore potential approaches to mitigate impaired nutrient digestibility and disturbances in cecal microbiota in pigs exposed to DON-contaminated feed. Importantly, in this study, dietary selenium supplementation at 0.5 mg/kg elevated the apparent total tract digestibility of crude ash in DON-exposed nursery piglets, which may correlate with alterations in cecal microbial diversity and composition.
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary selenium (Se) supplementation levels on the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of crude protein, crude fat, and crude ash, and cecal microbiota diversity and composition in nursery piglets challenged with deoxynivalenol (DON). Twenty-four weaned piglets were allocated to four dietary treatment groups (n = 6). The four treatment diets were as follows: (1) post-weaning diet containing 0.3 mg/kg of Se; (2) post-weaning diet without supplemental Se + 3 mg/kg DON; (3) post-weaning diet containing 0.3 mg/kg Se + 3 mg/kg DON; and (4) post-weaning diet containing 0.5 mg/kg Se + 3 mg/kg DON. The native Se levels in the feedstuffs were 0.03–0.06 mg/kg. The Se source was supplemented in the form of selenomethionine. The trial lasted 28 days, with fecal samples collected during the final 4 days for ATTD analysis of crude protein, crude fat, and crude ash. Upon trial completion, cecal digesta was sampled for microbial diversity and composition analysis. The results showed that piglets in the 0.5 mg/kg Se + DON group had a higher ATTD of crude fat than the 0 mg/kg Se + DON group and a greater ATTD of crude ash than the 0.3 mg/kg Se + DON group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the 0.5 mg/kg Se + DON group displayed increased Shannon and Chao 1 indices compared to the 0 mg/kg Se + DON group (p < 0.05). Microbial composition analysis revealed higher Firmicutes abundance in the 0.5 mg/kg Se + DON group than in the 0.3 mg/kg Se + DON group, along with reduced Euryarchaeota abundance relative to the 0 mg/kg Se + DON group (p < 0.05). The 0.5 mg/kg Se + DON group also had higher Selenomonadaceae abundance than the other groups (p < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis indicated a negative correlation between Selenomonadaceae abundance and the ATTD of ash, whereas [Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group abundance was positively correlated with the ATTD of ash (p < 0.10). Collectively, dietary Se supplementation at 0.5 mg/kg improved nutrient digestibility in DON-exposed nursery piglets, which was potentially associated with the modulation of cecal microbiota diversity and composition.
