Optimizing Early-Life Nutrition: The Role of Feed Additives in Piglet Growth and Development
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 158
Special Issue Editor
Interests: swine and poultry; nutritional immunology; feline and canine nutrition; amino acids; metabolism; feed additives; feed efficiency
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The inclusion of feed additives in piglet diets represents a vital strategy to promote health, growth, and long-term productivity. Early-life challenges, including weaning stress, dietary transitions, and the immaturity of the immune system, render piglets particularly vulnerable to gastrointestinal disturbances and reduced performance. Nutritional interventions such as probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, organic acids, and selected vitamins and minerals contribute to improved nutrient utilization, stabilization of the gut microbiota, and enhancement of immune function. Beyond supporting growth efficiency, these approaches also reduce dependence on antibiotics, thereby fostering sustainable swine production and addressing broader concerns related to antimicrobial resistance.
This Special Issue seeks to advance scientific understanding of how dietary additives shape piglet physiology, health, and performance. We invite the submission of original research, comprehensive reviews, and case studies that provide novel insights and practical perspectives to guide innovation in animal nutrition and sustainable swine production.
Dr. Anoosh Rakhshandeh
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- piglets
- feed additives
- weaning stress
- gut microbiota
- immune function
- probiotics and prebiotics
- antibiotic reduction
- sustainable swine production
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