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Impact of Diet Nutritional Quality on Swine Gastrointestinal Health and...
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Impact of Diet Nutritional Quality on Swine Gastrointestinal Health and Growth Performance

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 3432

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mayra Anton Dib Saleh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agrarian Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Interests: animal husbandry; animal physiology; animal welfare; immunomodulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding the interactions between nutrition and the immune system is crucial for adjusting nutrient requirements and dietary formulations to optimize swine production efficiency from the early stages. In this regard, the selection of the best feed additives to be included in the diet is essential due to their potential to enhance the well-being of pigs in ways beyond providing necessary nutrients. Many additives elicit positive effects on pig health and performance by altering the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract or by possessing immunomodulatory properties. Consequently, there is a need to gain better insights into the underlying physiological, nutritional, and immunological adaptations occurring in the gastrointestinal tract at different production stages, enabling the practical application of nutritional approaches to support organ function and immunity.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: health and immune status effects on nutrient partitioning and the nutrient requirements of swine; intestinal health and its effects on swine immunity and nutrition; the toxins and antinutritional factors of common feedstuffs fed to swine; the effects of the physical form of feed on pig performance and health; the impact of stress on nutrient metabolism, gastrointestinal tract development, and different stages of pig production; the potential implications of improved health provided by traditional feed ingredients or alternative ingredients; and microbiome and welfare interactions with swine nutrition and production.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Mayra Anton Dib Saleh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

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

  • alternative feedstuffs
  • feed additives
  • immunomodulation
  • intestinal biomarkers
  • intestinal microbiota
  • intestinal morphometry
  • metabolism
  • multi-omics
  • physiological stress
  • pig immunity and welfare

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 863 KiB  
Article
Effects of Olive Cake on the Performance, Digestibility, Blood Parameters, and Intestinal Villi of Bísaro Pigs
by Jessica Paié-Ribeiro, Divanildo Outor-Monteiro, Cristina Guedes, Maria José Gomes, José Teixeira, Alfredo Teixeira and Victor Pinheiro
Animals 2025, 15(8), 1131; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15081131 - 14 Apr 2025
Viewed by 291
Abstract
Olive oil production generates by-products, such as olive cake (OC), which can be used in animal feed, reducing the environmental impact. This study assessed the effects of OC in pig diets on intestinal morphometry and blood parameters. Twenty-four Bísaro pigs were randomly assigned [...] Read more.
Olive oil production generates by-products, such as olive cake (OC), which can be used in animal feed, reducing the environmental impact. This study assessed the effects of OC in pig diets on intestinal morphometry and blood parameters. Twenty-four Bísaro pigs were randomly assigned to three treatments: OC0 (control), OC15 (15% dehydrated OC), and OC25 (25% dehydrated OC) for 93 days. The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fat (CF), and fiber (NDF) was evaluated through total feces collection. No significant differences in average daily gain (ADG) or feed conversion ratio (FCR) were found (p > 0.05). However, average daily feed intake (ADFI) increased from 2.84 kg (control) to 3.46 kg (OC15) and 3.64 kg (OC25). OC inclusion increased the ADFI of CF (90.8 g to 171.5 g and 169.2 g) and NDF (586.8 g to 896.6 g and 1115.4 g). The ATTD of all parameters decreased with 25% OC. The digestible intake of DM, OM, and CP was unaffected, but CF intake was higher in OC-fed groups (p = 0.005). Histomorphometric analysis revealed no significant differences in villi size. Lymphocyte counts were higher in OC25 (p < 0.05). This study suggests that up to 15% OC inclusion is feasible without compromising the pigs’ performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Diet Nutritional Quality on Swine Gastrointestinal Health and Growth Performance)
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14 pages, 4070 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Gut Microbiota Diversity Across Different Digestive Tract Sites in Ningxiang Pigs
by Wangchang Li, Xianglin Zeng, Lu Wang, Lanmei Yin, Qiye Wang and Huansheng Yang
Animals 2025, 15(7), 936; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15070936 - 25 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 405
Abstract
Background: Microbial communities in the gastrointestinal tract play a critical role in nutrient absorption, metabolism, and overall health of animals. Understanding the structure and function of tissue-specific microbial communities in Ningxiang pigs is essential for optimizing their growth, development, and nutritional efficiency. However, [...] Read more.
Background: Microbial communities in the gastrointestinal tract play a critical role in nutrient absorption, metabolism, and overall health of animals. Understanding the structure and function of tissue-specific microbial communities in Ningxiang pigs is essential for optimizing their growth, development, and nutritional efficiency. However, the diversity and functional roles of microbiota in different nutrient absorption tissues remain underexplored. Methods: We collected samples from four key nutrient absorption tissues (NFC: Cecal Content, NFI: Ileal Content, NFL: Colonic Content, NFG: Gastric Content, N = 6) of Ningxiang pigs and performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze microbial community composition. Bioinformatics analyses included alpha and beta diversity assessments, linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) for biomarker identification, and PICRUSt2-based functional prediction. Comparative metabolic abundance analysis was conducted to explore functional differences among tissues. Results: Alpha diversity indices (ACE, Chao1, Simpson, and Shannon) revealed significant differences in microbial richness and evenness among the four tissues. At the phylum level, Firmicutes dominated the microbiota, while Bacteroidota was prominent in NFC and NFL. LEfSe analysis identified tissue-specific dominant microbial groups, such as f_Prevotellaceae in NFC, o_Lactobacillales in NFG, f_Clostridiaceae in NFI, and f_Muribaculaceae in NFL. Functional profiling using PICRUSt2 showed that the microbiota was primarily involved in organismal systems (e.g., aging, digestion), cellular processes (e.g., cell growth, transport), environmental information processing (e.g., signaling), genetic information processing (e.g., transcription, translation), and metabolic regulation (e.g., amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism). Comparative metabolic abundance analysis highlighted distinct functional profiles across tissues, with significant differences observed in pathways related to the immune system, energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, transcriptional and translational regulation, and aging. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that tissue-specific microbial communities in Ningxiang pigs exhibit distinct structural and functional characteristics, which are closely associated with nutrient absorption and metabolic regulation. These results provide valuable insights into the roles of microbiota in the growth and health of Ningxiang pigs and pave the way for future studies on microbe-mediated nutritional interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Diet Nutritional Quality on Swine Gastrointestinal Health and Growth Performance)
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17 pages, 3867 KiB  
Article
Dietary Effects of Different Proportions of Fermented Straw as a Corn Replacement on the Growth Performance and Intestinal Health of Finishing Pigs
by Xiaoguang Ji, Wenfei Tong, Xiangxue Sun, Lei Xiao, Mengjun Wu, Peng Li, Yonggang Hu and Yunxiang Liang
Animals 2025, 15(3), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030459 - 6 Feb 2025
Viewed by 795
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the dietary effects of replacing corn with different proportions of fermented straw on the growth performance and intestinal health of finishing pigs. A total of 275 healthy commercial finishing pigs aged 126 days (average [...] Read more.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the dietary effects of replacing corn with different proportions of fermented straw on the growth performance and intestinal health of finishing pigs. A total of 275 healthy commercial finishing pigs aged 126 days (average body weight, 82.96 ± 3.07 kg) were randomly allocated into three groups: the control (CTR, basal diet) group, the 5% fermented straw (FJJG5, replacing 5% of the corn) group, and the 10% fermented straw (FJJG10, replacing 10% of the corn) group. There were six replicates in each group and 14–16 pigs per replicate. On day 39 of the experiment, one animal from each replicate was slaughtered for sampling and for further analysis. The results showed that the finishing pigs in the FJJG10 group had a reduced average daily weight gain and an increased feed-to-gain ratio. The FJJG5 group had reduced total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein in their serum, while the FJJG5 and FJJG10 groups had reduced contents of lactate dehydrogenase. In addition, the FJJG5 group exhibited increased T-SOD activity and MDA content in the colon, while the FJJG10 group also showed increased T-AOC activity in their serum and increased contents of MDA in the colon. The FJJG5 group exhibited increased activities of jejunal disaccharidase and lipase, while the FJJG10 group exhibited decreased jejunal crypt depths. Moreover, the FJJG5 group presented an increased relative expression of APOA4, LPL, and MUC2 but decreased SLC7A7 and IL-10 in the jejunum and APOA4 in the colon. The FJJG10 group exhibited a decreased relative expression of SLC7A7 and IL-10 in the jejunum and decreased MMP13, KCNJ13, APOA4, SLC7A7, LPL, and IL-10 in the colon. Furthermore, the FJJG5 group exhibited an increased relative abundance of Lactobacillus in colon contents, while the FJJG10 group had a reduced relative abundance of streptococcus. In conclusion, 5% fermented straw can improve the lipid metabolism and colon microbiota structure of finishing pigs, while 10% fermented straw has adverse effects on the growth performance and intestinal health of finishing pigs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Diet Nutritional Quality on Swine Gastrointestinal Health and Growth Performance)
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21 pages, 2441 KiB  
Article
Different Physiochemical Properties of Novel Fibre Sources in the Diet of Weaned Pigs Influence Animal Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Caecal Fermentation
by Agnieszka Rybicka, Pedro Medel, Emilio Gómez, María Dolores Carro and Javier García
Animals 2024, 14(17), 2612; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14172612 - 8 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1338
Abstract
The effect of including micronised fibre sources (FS) differing in fermentability and hydration capacity (HC) on growth performance, faecal digestibility, and caecal fermentation was investigated in piglets. There were four dietary treatments: a control diet (CON) and three treatments differing in the HC [...] Read more.
The effect of including micronised fibre sources (FS) differing in fermentability and hydration capacity (HC) on growth performance, faecal digestibility, and caecal fermentation was investigated in piglets. There were four dietary treatments: a control diet (CON) and three treatments differing in the HC and fermentability of FS added at 1.5% to prestarter (28–42 d) and starter (42–61 d) diets. These were: LHC (low-HC by-product-based insoluble fibre (IF) with a prebiotic fraction (PF) from chicory root); MHC (medium-HC by-product-based IF with a PF); and HHC (high-HC non-fermentable wood-based IF with no PF). There were eight replicates per treatment. Over the entire period, LHC and MHC piglets showed a 10% increase in daily growth and feed intake (p ≤ 0.019) and tended to have a reduced feed conversion ratio (p = 0.087) compared to HHC piglets. At 42 d, faecal protein digestibility increased by 5% in the LHC and MHC groups compared with the HHC group (p = 0.035) and did not differ from the CON group. Both LHC and MHC fibres were more fermented in vitro with caecal inocula from 61 d old piglets than HHC fibre (p ≤ 0.003). These results suggest that balanced soluble and insoluble fibre concentrates can improve piglet performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Diet Nutritional Quality on Swine Gastrointestinal Health and Growth Performance)
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