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Animals
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Piglets Nutrition and Management
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Piglets Nutrition and Management

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 8228

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Guangtian Cao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Standardization, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Interests: animal science; antibiotic replacement; brain–gut axis; gastrointestinal health; multi-omics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yingping Xiao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, MOA Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products (Hangzhou), Institute of Agro-Product Safety and Nutrition, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Interests: animal science; intestinal microbiology; antibiotic replacements; pathogens detection; microelement reduction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The low-carbon and eco-efficient production of livestock is the basis of global ecological and environmental governance, within which the pig industry occupies a very important position. This Special Issue will focus on describing the interactions between the nutrition and management of piglets on the change of intestinal microbiota, antioxidant capacity, serum metabolites, and the growth performance of the host. Weaning is a critical stage of sow production that influences the nutrition, disease resistance, and metabolism of the animal. Precision nutrition and functional feed additives are becoming the two major methods to decrease the adverse influences of weaning stress on piglets. Particularly, the correlations between growth performance, intestinal microflora, and metabolism affect piglet health and production. A large number of research approaches have been applied for a deeper understanding of nutrition and management, including high-throughput sequencing, metabolome, etc. How these interactive modulations can help in enhancing production efficiency, decreasing weaning harmful effects, and reducing the use of antibiotics is a question that needs answering. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: piglets nutrition and management, antibiotics replacements, and multi-omics analysis for gastrointestinal health and metabolism.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Guangtian Cao
Dr. Yingping Xiao
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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
  • nutrition and management
  • multi-omics
  • antibiotics replacements
  • metabolism

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1718 KiB  
Article
Preweaning Purified Fucoidan Drench: Effects on Growth, Immune Response, and Intestinal Morphology in Weaned Piglets
by Bonnie Homer, Reza Barekatain, Kiro R. Petrovski, Kate J. Plush, Corinna Dwan, Darryl N. D’Souza, Paul J. Verma, Roy N. Kirkwood and Bryony S. Tucker
Animals 2024, 14(10), 1472; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14101472 - 15 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 993
Abstract
Weaning stress imposes considerable physiological challenges on piglets, often manifesting in intestinal disturbances, such as inflammation and compromised barrier function, ultimately affecting growth and health outcomes. While conventional interventions, including antimicrobials, have effectively mitigated these sequelae, concerns surrounding antimicrobial resistance necessitate the exploration [...] Read more.
Weaning stress imposes considerable physiological challenges on piglets, often manifesting in intestinal disturbances, such as inflammation and compromised barrier function, ultimately affecting growth and health outcomes. While conventional interventions, including antimicrobials, have effectively mitigated these sequelae, concerns surrounding antimicrobial resistance necessitate the exploration of alternatives. Fucoidan, derived from brown seaweed, offers promise due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Previous research has been limited to the in-feed supplementation of partially purified fucoidan extracted from brown seaweed. The focus of the present study is assessing the effect of a preweaning drench with highly purified (85%) fucoidan on piglet growth, immune response, and intestinal morphology post-weaning. Forty-eight male piglets at 17 ± 3 days of age (5.67 ± 0.16 kg) were assigned to a saline (control), fucoidan, or antimicrobial group, receiving treatment as a single 18 mL oral drench three days before weaning. Monitoring for seven days post-weaning included body weight measurements, blood sample collection for the inflammatory protein assay, and small intestine morphological analysis. The findings revealed that the preweaning fucoidan drench did not elicit adverse effects on piglets. However, neither fucoidan nor antimicrobial drenches significantly enhanced growth parameters, immune markers, or intestinal morphology compared to that of the control-treated piglets (p > 0.05). The lack of response may be attributed to the high health status of the experimental cohort and the limitation of a single dosage. Future research should consider a more challenging production setting to evaluate the viability and optimal application of fucoidan as an antimicrobial alternative in the pig industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Piglets Nutrition and Management)
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17 pages, 5621 KiB  
Article
Maternal Supplementation with Ornithine Promotes Placental Angiogenesis and Improves Intestinal Development of Suckling Piglets
by Yun Yang, Guanyu Hou, Fengjie Ji, Hanlin Zhou, Renlong Lv and Chengjun Hu
Animals 2024, 14(5), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14050689 - 22 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1216
Abstract
The blood vessels of the placenta are crucial for fetal growth. Here, lower vessel density and ornithine (Orn) content were observed in placentae for low-birth-weight fetuses versus normal-birth-weight fetuses at day 75 of gestation. Furthermore, the Orn content in placentae decreased from day [...] Read more.
The blood vessels of the placenta are crucial for fetal growth. Here, lower vessel density and ornithine (Orn) content were observed in placentae for low-birth-weight fetuses versus normal-birth-weight fetuses at day 75 of gestation. Furthermore, the Orn content in placentae decreased from day 75 to 110 of gestation. To investigate the role of Orn in placental angiogenesis, 48 gilts (Bama pig) were allocated into four groups. The gilts in the control group were fed a basal diet (CON group), while those in the experimental groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0.05% Orn (0.05% Orn group), 0.10% Orn (0.10% Orn group), and 0.15% Orn (0.15% Orn group), respectively. The results showed that 0.15% Orn and 0.10% Orn groups exhibited increased birth weight of piglets compared with the CON group. Moreover, the 0.15% Orn group was higher than the CON group in the blood vessel densities of placenta. Mechanistically, Orn facilitated placental angiogenesis by regulating vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). Furthermore, maternal supplementation with 0.15% Orn during gestation increased the jejunal and ileal villi height and the concentrations of colonic propionate and butyrate in suckling piglets. Collectively, these results showed that maternal supplementation with Orn promotes placental angiogenesis and improves intestinal development of suckling piglets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Piglets Nutrition and Management)
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16 pages, 1020 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Sodium Alginate-Coated Nano-Zinc Oxide on the Growth Performance, Serum Indexes and Fecal Microbial Structure of Weaned Piglets
by Xiao Xiao, Kai Guo, Jinsong Liu, Yulan Liu, Caimei Yang, Yinglei Xu and Bo Deng
Animals 2024, 14(1), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14010146 - 31 Dec 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1728
Abstract
High dose of zinc oxide (ZnO) could improve growth performance and alleviate disease status, whereas it caused serious environmental pollution and bacterial resistance. This study was to investigate whether low doses of sodium alginate-coated nano zinc oxide (saZnO), a new type of zinc [...] Read more.
High dose of zinc oxide (ZnO) could improve growth performance and alleviate disease status, whereas it caused serious environmental pollution and bacterial resistance. This study was to investigate whether low doses of sodium alginate-coated nano zinc oxide (saZnO), a new type of zinc resource, could serve as a potential alternative to pharmacological doses of traditional ZnO in weaned piglets. A total of 144 crossbred piglets were randomly allocated into three groups, including a basal diet without the addition of Zn (CON), a basal diet with 1600 mg Zn/kg from traditional ZnO (ZnO), and a basal diet with 500 mg Zn/kg from saZnO (saZnO). The experiment lasted for 28 days. The results showed that supplementing with ZnO and saZnO for 14 and 28 days significantly improved body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) (p < 0.01) and markedly reduced the feed intake-to-gain ratio (F/G) (p < 0.05) and diarrhea rate. In addition, dietary ZnO and saZnO significantly increased the activities of the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p < 0.01). Supplementing with saZnO also promoted the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), IgM and copper- and zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) in serum (p < 0.05), whereas a ZnO addition decreased the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.05), indicating the beneficial effect of Zn on antioxidant and immune functions. Piglets fed the ZnO diet showed higher serum Zn accumulations than those fed the CON and saZnO diets at d 28 (p < 0.01), and supplementing with ZnO and saZnO markedly contributed to Zn excretion in feces, especially in the ZnO diet (p < 0.01). Additionally, piglets fed the saZnO diet had greater valeric acid concentrations (p < 0.05) in their feces, while other short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were not affected by different treatments (p > 0.05). Microbial alpha diversity was reduced in the saZnO group compared with the CON group (p < 0.05), while an obvious separation of microbial composition, the marker of beta diversity, was shown among the three groups (p < 0.05). At the genus level, six genera, including Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Terrisporobacter, f_Muribaculaceae, Subdoligranulum and Intestinibacter, were pronouncedly increased in the ZnO and saZnO groups (p < 0.05); another nine species were dramatically downregulated, such as f_Lachnospiraceae, f_Prevotellaceae, f_Butyricicoccaceae and f_Ruminococcaceae (p < 0.05). Finally, a functional analysis indicated that altered microbes significantly changed the “Metabolism” pathway (p < 0.05). These findings suggested that saZnO could act as a feasible substitute for ZnO to reduce Zn emission and enhance growth performance, antioxidant and immune functions, and to adjust the structure of gut microbiota in piglets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Piglets Nutrition and Management)
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16 pages, 6936 KiB  
Article
Maternal Folic Acid Supplementation Improves the Intestinal Health of Offspring Porcine by Promoting the Proliferation and Differentiation of Intestinal Stem Cells
by Yuhui Zhang, Xiaofeng Zhang, Jianjun Chen, Shouchuan Jiang, Yu Han and Huahua Du
Animals 2023, 13(19), 3092; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13193092 - 3 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1820
Abstract
Maternal folic acid intake has important effects on offspring growth and development. The mechanism involved in the renewal of intestinal epithelial cells remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the potential effect of maternal folic acid supplementation during gestation and lactation on [...] Read more.
Maternal folic acid intake has important effects on offspring growth and development. The mechanism involved in the renewal of intestinal epithelial cells remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the potential effect of maternal folic acid supplementation during gestation and lactation on the structural and functional development of the small intestine in piglet offspring. Twenty-four Duroc sows were assigned to a control group (CON) and a folic-acid-supplemented group (CON + FA, supplemented with 15 mg/kg of folic acid). The results showed that maternal folic acid supplementation throughout gestation and lactation significantly increased the body weight, serum folate level, and intestinal folate metabolism in piglets. It also improved the villus length, villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, and transcript levels of nutrient transporters (GLUT4, SNAT2, FABP2, and SLC7A5) in piglets’ duodenum and jejunum. In addition, maternal folic acid supplementation increased Ki67-positive cells and the expression of proliferation-related marker genes (C-Myc, CyclinD1, and PCNA) in piglets’ intestinal stem cells. It also boosted the expression of genes associated with mature secreted cells (ChrA, Muc2, Lyz, Vil1), indicating enhanced proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells. These findings demonstrate that maternal folic acid supplementation enhances growth performance and gut health in piglet offspring by promoting epithelial cell renewal equilibrium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Piglets Nutrition and Management)
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18 pages, 5525 KiB  
Article
Effects of Bacillus licheniformis on the Growth Performance, Antioxidant Capacity, Ileal Morphology, Intestinal Short Chain Fatty Acids, and Colonic Microflora in Piglets Challenged with Lipopolysaccharide
by Guangtian Cao, Shenglan Yang, Huixian Wang, Ruiqiang Zhang, Yanping Wu, Jinsong Liu, Kaifan Qiu, Yingkun Dong and Min Yue
Animals 2023, 13(13), 2172; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13132172 - 1 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1817
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Bacillus licheniformis (BL) on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, ileal morphology, intestinal fecal short-chain fatty acids, and microflora of weaned piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Piglets were assigned into three groups: [...] Read more.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Bacillus licheniformis (BL) on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, ileal morphology, intestinal fecal short-chain fatty acids, and microflora of weaned piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Piglets were assigned into three groups: basal diet (Con), a basal diet with added 109 CFU B. licheniformis/kg (BLl), and a basal diet with added 1010 CFU B. licheniformis/kg (BLh). On day 28, BLh piglets were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (CBL) and sterilized saline water (BL), Con piglets were injected with LPS (LPS) and sterilized saline water (Con), with the injections being administered for three consecutive days. The average daily gain significantly increased from day 1 to day 28 and the feed: gain ratio decreased with BL supplementation compared with the Con group. Supplementation with BLl and BLh reduced the diarrhea rate in piglets. Serum catalase activity increased and malondialdehyde concentration decreased in the CBL treatment group compared with the LPS treatment group. Both BL and CBL treatments increased the ileal villus length/crypt depth ratio compared with Con and LPS treatments. BL administration significantly increased colonic propionic and isobutyric acid concentrations compared with Con treatment. Both BL and CBL piglets had significantly increased fecal acetic, propionic, and butyric acid levels compared with LPS piglets. Analysis of the colonic microbial metagenome showed that Prevotella species were the predominant bacteria in piglets treated with BL and CBL. The CBL-treated piglets had higher scores for lysine biosynthesis, arginine biosynthesis, sulfur relay system, and histidine metabolism. BL-treated piglets had higher scores for glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis-keratan sulfate, oxidative phosphorylation, and pyruvate and carbon metabolism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Piglets Nutrition and Management)
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