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Animals
Special Issues
Strategies to Improve Gut Health and Immunity in Monogastric Animals
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Strategies to Improve Gut Health and Immunity in Monogastric Animals

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 19361

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Anna Czech

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Toxicology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Interests: feed components; feed additives; monogastric animal nutrition; probiotics; prebiotics; ferments; production parameters; digestibility; body immunity parameters; antioxidant parameters; biochemical parameters
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Justyna Batkowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Interests: poultry; rearing systems; meat quality; eggs quality; hatching eggs; feed additives; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Maintaining the gut health of animals is critical in livestock farming. This is extremely important, especially in young animals (weaning piglets, chicks), which are extremely susceptible to pathogens from various sources (rearing environment, diet, veterinary prophylaxis, the health status of the parental stock, etc.). For many years, research has been conducted on improving the intestinal health and immunity of animals. Many research directions of experiments have been considered, starting from zoohygienic procedures (temperature, humidity, ventilation, bedding additives) and the use of feed additives and supplements (i.e., probiotics, prebiotics, phytobiotics, etc.) and ending with interference in animal genetics. Providing breeding animals with conditions that have a positive impact on their gut anatomical structure (crypts, villi), increasing the absorption surface and/or microbiome, i.e., the development of beneficial intestinal micro-flora and limiting the spread of pathogens, brings many benefits, including, among others, improving digestibility, nutrient absorption, and the integrity of the intestinal barrier or stimulation of mucosal immunity.

This Special Issue, “Strategies to Improve Gut Health and Immunity in Monogastric Animals”, welcomes the submission of original research papers and reviews concerning all aspects related to optimizing the gut health of monogastric animals.

Prof. Dr. Anna Czech
Prof. Dr. Justyna Batkowska
Guest Editors

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

  • gut
  • immunity
  • health
  • microbiome
  • monogastric animals

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

23 pages, 5865 KB  
Article
Preliminary Multi-Omics Insights into Green Alternatives to Antibiotics: Effects of Pulsatilla chinensis, Acer truncatum, and Clostridium butyricum on Gut Health and Metabolic Regulation in Chickens
by Lin Sun, Zhijun Wang, Shidi Qin, Chunhong Liang, Ayong Zhao and Ke He
Animals 2025, 15(9), 1262; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15091262 - 29 Apr 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1499
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance has become a global health concern, driving the need for sustainable alternatives in animal husbandry. This study explores the potential of natural feed additives as a viable solution to enhance poultry growth and health while reducing reliance on antibiotics. Chinese herbal [...] Read more.
Antibiotic resistance has become a global health concern, driving the need for sustainable alternatives in animal husbandry. This study explores the potential of natural feed additives as a viable solution to enhance poultry growth and health while reducing reliance on antibiotics. Chinese herbal medicines and probiotics have been widely studied as green, healthy, and safe antibiotic alternatives in livestock and poultry production. A total of 120 chickens were randomly divided into four groups: a control group and three treatment groups supplemented with 1% Pulsatilla chinensis powder, 3% fresh Acer truncatum, or 1% Clostridium butyricum. The results showed that Pulsatilla chinensis powder significantly increased gamma-glutamylcysteine (p < 0.05), UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (p < 0.05), tyramine (p < 0.01), and leucine (p < 0.05). Acer truncatum notably altered cecal metabolites, including L-tyrosine (p < 0.05), α-ketoisovaleric acid (p < 0.01), myristoleic acid (p < 0.01), glutathione (p < 0.05), and PGA1 (p < 0.05). Clostridium butyricum modified cecal metabolites such as L-glutamine (p < 0.05), riboflavin (p < 0.05), L-Carnitine (p < 0.05), ergocalciferol (p < 0.01), and α-tocotrienol (p < 0.05). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Gut Health and Immunity in Monogastric Animals)
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19 pages, 852 KB  
Article
Heat Stress in Growing–Finishing Pigs: Effects of Low Protein with Increased Crystalline Amino Acids on Growth, Gut Health, Antioxidant Status and Microbiome
by Jihwan Lee, Sungwoo Park, Hyunju Park, Junseon Hong, Yongmin Kim, Yongdae Jeong, Soojin Sa, Yohan Choi and Joeun Kim
Animals 2025, 15(6), 848; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060848 - 15 Mar 2025
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4001
Abstract
A total of sixty crossbred ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) pigs with an initial body weight of 46.34 ± 0.13 kg were randomly assigned to four treatments under thermoneutral (TN, 22 °C) or heat-stress (HS, 31 °C) conditions for 54 d trial (Phase [...] Read more.
A total of sixty crossbred ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) pigs with an initial body weight of 46.34 ± 0.13 kg were randomly assigned to four treatments under thermoneutral (TN, 22 °C) or heat-stress (HS, 31 °C) conditions for 54 d trial (Phase 1: 0–26 d; Phase 2: 27–54 d): a control diet (16% CP in phase 1, 14% CP in phase 2) under TN (PC), a control diet under HS (NC), a low crude protein (LCP) diet (14% CP in phase 1, 12% CP in phase 2) under HS (LCP) and an LCP diet with increased crystalline AA (an increase in 5% in Lys, Met, Thr and Trp based on calculated SID AA) (LCP5) under HS. Experimental treatments consisted of five replicate pens, with three pigs per pen. The results showed that HS reduced (p < 0.05) growth performance and nutrient digestibility compared to TN. However, LCP5 improved (p < 0.05) growth performance and nutrient digestibility compared to other HS groups. Heat stress adversely affected (p < 0.05) intestinal morphology, gut integrity and serum oxidative markers, but these effects were alleviated (p < 0.05) by LCP5 supplementation. Notably, LCP5 improved (p < 0.05) the production of butyric acids among short-chain fatty acid production and decreased (p < 0.05) proteobacteria and Spirochaetota in phylum in feces. These findings highlight the potential of LCP diets supplemented with crystalline AA as an effective nutritional strategy to mitigate the negative effects of HS on pigs, enhancing their performance, gut health and overall welfare in high-temperature environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Gut Health and Immunity in Monogastric Animals)
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15 pages, 7197 KB  
Article
Effects of Increased Housing Space Without Altering Stocking Density on Body Weight, Stress, and Gut Microbiome in Broiler Chickens
by Eun Bae Kim, Seojin Choi, Jongbin Park and Biao Xuan
Animals 2025, 15(3), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030441 - 5 Feb 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2155
Abstract
Effective poultry management practices that promote chicken health are crucial for producing higher-quality chicken meat at a lower cost. This study examined the hypothesis that increasing space while maintaining stocking density may positively impact poultry health. We evaluated body weight (BW) as an [...] Read more.
Effective poultry management practices that promote chicken health are crucial for producing higher-quality chicken meat at a lower cost. This study examined the hypothesis that increasing space while maintaining stocking density may positively impact poultry health. We evaluated body weight (BW) as an indicator of growth, stress markers, and the composition of the gut microbiome by comparing two housing sizes: smaller (control) and larger (treatment) spaces, with 10 birds per space and a stocking density of 12.3 birds/m2. Chickens in the larger space had 15% higher BW (p = 0.06) compared to those in the smaller space when significance was evaluated at p < 0.10. Stress indicators such as blood cortisol (acute) and brain FKBP51 did not differ significantly. Faith’s phylogenetic diversity was marginally higher in the larger space (p = 0.05), and microbial communities differed significantly between the two groups. The relative abundance of several genera, including Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 (p = 0.02), Lactobacillus (p = 0.03), and Paracoccus (p < 0.01), was greater in the larger space, whereas Turicibacter (p = 0.02), Escherichia–Shigella (p = 0.01), and Lysinibacillus (p = 0.01) were more abundant in the smaller space. The larger and smaller spaces were associated with a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the abundance of 39 and 25 MetaCyc pathways, respectively, involved in amino acid and nitrogen metabolisms. These findings suggest that increasing housing space without altering stocking density or additional treatments may improve both growth and gut microbiome health in broilers. Our results provide insights into the relationship between chicken housing environments and the gut microbiome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Gut Health and Immunity in Monogastric Animals)
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11 pages, 253 KB  
Article
Dietary Zn Deficiency Inhibits Cell Proliferation via the GPR39-Mediated Suppression of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway in the Jejunum of Broilers
by Yangyang Hu, Ke Yang, Weiyun Zhang, Mengxiao Xue, Tingting Li, Shengchen Wang, Xiaoyan Cui, Liyang Zhang, Yun Hu and Xugang Luo
Animals 2024, 14(6), 979; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14060979 - 21 Mar 2024
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2499
Abstract
A prior investigation revealed that a lack of Zinc (Zn) could hinder intestinal cell proliferation in broiler chickens; however, the mechanisms responsible for this effect remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the possible mechanisms of dietary Zn deficiency in inhibiting the jejunal cell [...] Read more.
A prior investigation revealed that a lack of Zinc (Zn) could hinder intestinal cell proliferation in broiler chickens; however, the mechanisms responsible for this effect remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the possible mechanisms of dietary Zn deficiency in inhibiting the jejunal cell proliferation of broilers. For this study, a total of 112 chickens (21 days old) were randomly divided into two treatments (seven replicate cages per treatment, eight chickens per replicate cage): the control group (CON) and the Zn deficiency group. The duration of feeding was 21 d. Chickens in the control group were provided with a basal diet containing an extra addition of 40 mg Zn/kg in the form of Zn sulfate, whereas chickens in the Zn deficiency group were given the basal diet with no Zn supplementation. The results indicated that, in comparison to the CON, Zn deficiency increased (p < 0.05) the duodenal and jejunal crypt depth (CD) of broilers on d 28 and jejunal and ileal CD on d 35, and decreased (p < 0.05) the duodenal, jejunal, and ileal villus height/crypt depth (VH/CD) on d 28 and the jejunal VH, jejunal and ileal villus surface area, and VH/CD on d 35. Furthermore, Zn deficiency decreased (p < 0.0001) the number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive cells and downregulated (p < 0.01) the mRNA or protein expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylated PI3K, phosphorylated serine–threonine kinase (AKT), phosphorylated mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), G protein-coupled receptor 39 (GPR39), and extracellular-regulated protein kinase, but upregulated (p < 0.05) the mRNA or protein expression levels of P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 1 and JNK2, and phosphorylated protein kinase C in the jejunum of the broilers on d 42. It was concluded that dietary Zn deficiency inhibited cell proliferation possibly via the GPR39-mediated suppression of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in the jejunum of broilers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Gut Health and Immunity in Monogastric Animals)

Review

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19 pages, 460 KB  
Review
Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on Broilers’ Health and Meat Quality—Systematic Review
by Peter Ayodeji Idowu, Tshilidzi Cynthia Negogogo and Takalani J. Mpofu
Animals 2026, 16(5), 846; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16050846 - 8 Mar 2026
Viewed by 927
Abstract
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are increasingly applied as functional nutrients to improve broiler health, metabolic resilience, and meat quality. However, studies remain inconsistent regarding optimal inclusion levels and their efficacy. This systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. This study included 69 [...] Read more.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are increasingly applied as functional nutrients to improve broiler health, metabolic resilience, and meat quality. However, studies remain inconsistent regarding optimal inclusion levels and their efficacy. This systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. This study included 69 experimental studies that met predefined eligibility criteria, requiring broiler-specific trials with clear reporting of omega-3 source, inclusion level, and measurable outcomes related to growth, immune or antioxidant function, gut morphology, fatty acid composition, or meat quality. Searches were performed in Scopus and Web of Science for peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025. Across studies, supplementation with fish oil, flaxseed, or algal oil consistently increased the deposition of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in broiler tissues. Omega-3 inclusion improved immune modulation, gut morphology, and antioxidant enzyme activity while reducing inflammatory markers and lipid peroxidation. Meat quality benefits included lower n-6:n-3 ratios by improving tenderness and juiciness and enhanced oxidative stability with no detrimental effects on growth performance. Nevertheless, responses varied with broiler strain, dietary formulation, feeding phase, antioxidant protection, and environmental conditions. As high levels of marine oils remained susceptible to oxidative degradation. Overall, omega-3 supplementation represents a viable and scalable precision-nutrition strategy for enriching poultry meat and supporting broiler health. Future research should prioritize cost-effective algal sources, establish phase-specific inclusion thresholds across genetic lines, and evaluate synergy with natural antioxidants and bioactive compounds to optimize oxidative stability, shelf life, and consumer acceptance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Gut Health and Immunity in Monogastric Animals)
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19 pages, 646 KB  
Review
The Role of Swine Gut Microbiota and Its Metabolites in Maintaining Intestinal Barrier Integrity and Mitigating Stress via the Gut–Brain Axis
by Katarzyna Woś, Karol Pachciński, Marianna Wacko, Oliwia Koszła, Przemysław Sołek and Anna Czech
Animals 2025, 15(24), 3653; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15243653 - 18 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1263
Abstract
The gut-brain axis is a complex communication network linking the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system, in which the gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in regulating intestinal homeostasis, immune responses and neuroendocrine functions. This review summarizes current knowledge on the role [...] Read more.
The gut-brain axis is a complex communication network linking the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system, in which the gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in regulating intestinal homeostasis, immune responses and neuroendocrine functions. This review summarizes current knowledge on the role of the porcine gut microbiota in the functioning of the gut-brain axis and examines nutritional strategies aimed at its modulation. Key production-related stressors, such as weaning, transport and handling, disrupt microbiota composition, increase intestinal permeability and activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to heightened stress responses, impaired immunity and behavioral disturbances. Evidence indicates that supplementation with probiotics, prebiotics, or postbiotics stabilizes the gut microbiota, enhances the production of bioactive metabolites, supports intestinal barrier integrity and alleviates oxidative stress. Such interventions improve adaptation to environmental stress, animal welfare and performance, while potentially reducing the need for antibiotics. Maintaining a balanced gut microbiota is therefore essential for the proper functioning of the neuroendocrine and immune systems in pigs. An integrated approach utilizing omics technologies (metagenomics, metabolomics, proteomics) may further elucidate microbiota-brain interactions and support the development of sustainable and ethical swine production strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Gut Health and Immunity in Monogastric Animals)
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13 pages, 580 KB  
Review
Nutritional Value of Oregano-Based Products and Its Effect on Rabbit Performance and Health
by Ayman Abd El-Aziz, Ahmed Elfadadny, Mahmoud Abo Ghanima, Damiano Cavallini, Isa Fusaro, Melania Giammarco, Giovanni Buonaiuto and Karim El-Sabrout
Animals 2024, 14(20), 3021; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14203021 - 18 Oct 2024
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5135
Abstract
Antimicrobials long been used to enhance the performance and immunity of rabbits, typically by adding them to feed or drinking water to prevent illness. However, increasing consumer concerns about antibiotic-resistant microorganisms have led to a shift toward natural, eco-friendly, non-antibiotic feed supplements that [...] Read more.
Antimicrobials long been used to enhance the performance and immunity of rabbits, typically by adding them to feed or drinking water to prevent illness. However, increasing consumer concerns about antibiotic-resistant microorganisms have led to a shift toward natural, eco-friendly, non-antibiotic feed supplements that can improve rabbit health and productivity. Recently, aromatic herbs and their extracts have gained considerable attention as natural antioxidants with growth-promoting and health-boosting properties. Essential oils and secondary metabolites play a central role in these effects, with Origanum vulgare (oregano) emerging as a standout option. Compared to synthetic alternatives, oregano is a natural, residue-free feed supplement with fewer harmful side effects. Its key bioactive components, thymol and carvacrol, have been shown to deliver significant benefits when incorporated into rabbit diets, particularly in improving production performance, immunity, and antioxidant capacity. Supplementing rabbit diets and drinking water with oregano essential oil (OEO) has been found to enhance growth performance, feed efficiency, and meat quality, while also lowering cholesterol levels and boosting antioxidant activity. Despite these promising results, research on the use of oregano in rabbit farming remains limited. This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the potential effect of oregano supplements, on growth parameters, carcass and meat quality, hemato-biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, immunity response, gut health, and gene expression in rabbits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Gut Health and Immunity in Monogastric Animals)
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