Dietary Regulation for Nutrient Metabolism and Utilization in Animals

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 642

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Research Center for Bio-Feed and Molecular Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
Interests: metabolism; amino acids; intestinal health; low-protein diets; nonruminant nutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Given your hard work in and dedication to your field, we are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue. We aim to gather cutting-edge research on the mechanisms underlying dietary regulation of animal nutrient metabolism and utilization, facilitating knowledge exchange to optimize animal nutrition strategies, enhance production efficiency, and promote sustainable livestock and poultry farming. The scope of this Special Issue will cover monogastric animals (pigs, poultry), ruminants, and aquatic species, encompassing studies on functional feed ingredients (probiotics, enzymes, plant extracts), dietary nutrients (amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates), and nutritional interventions for gut health, nutrient metabolism, and nutrient bioavailability. Key topics include molecular pathways of dietary regulation, precision nutrition technologies, and environmentally friendly dietary strategies. This issue welcomes original research, reviews, and short communications to advance the understanding of dietary–nutrient interactions and guide practical animal feeding practices.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Zhihong Sun
Guest Editor

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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.

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Keywords

  • dietary regulation
  • nutrient metabolism
  • nutrient utilization
  • feed additives
  • functional feeds
  • metabolic homeostasis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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21 pages, 6175 KB  
Systematic Review
Disadvantages of the Use of Low-Protein Diets in Weaned Piglets and Nutritional Interventions: A Meta-Analysis
by Jingchun Gao, Xiaoyi Long, Qingsong Tang, Xie Peng, Yetong Xu and Zhihong Sun
Animals 2026, 16(8), 1157; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16081157 - 10 Apr 2026
Viewed by 387
Abstract
This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of low-protein (LP) diets and their associated nutritional interventions on growth performance and intestinal health in weaned piglets through a meta-analysis. Following the PRISMA guidelines, 21 studies were selected from an initial set of 1720 [...] Read more.
This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of low-protein (LP) diets and their associated nutritional interventions on growth performance and intestinal health in weaned piglets through a meta-analysis. Following the PRISMA guidelines, 21 studies were selected from an initial set of 1720 to construct a database. A random-effects model was employed to assess the growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets, comparing LP diet with control diet, and LP diet + additive with LP diet alone. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic, and its sources along with publication bias were explored through meta-regression, subgroup analysis, and Egger’s linear regression. The results show that LP diets (crude protein < 18%) reduced final body weight (p < 0.001), average daily gain (p < 0.001), and gain-to-feed ratio (p < 0.001) of weaned piglets. Additionally, forest plot data show that LP diet (crude protein < 18%) decreased villus height and crypt depth in the jejunum and ileum of weaned piglets (p < 0.05). To mitigate these adverse effects, plant extracts, amino acids (AAs), fatty acids, vitamins, enzymes, and carbohydrates are commonly used as additives. Among these, the results show that LP diets supplemented with AAs and plant extracts increased average daily feed intake (p < 0.001) and ileal crypt depth (p < 0.05). Network meta-analysis further identified AAs and plant extracts as the most effective additives for improving growth performance of weaned piglets. In conclusion, dietary protein levels below 18% negatively affect the growth performance of weaned piglets, and supplementation with AAs or plant extracts represents a promising strategy to counteract these adverse effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Regulation for Nutrient Metabolism and Utilization in Animals)
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