Bacillus licheniformis (B. Licheniformis) has been considered to be an effective probiotic to maintain gut health and boost productivity in the pig industry, but there is no complete understanding of its mechanisms. We determined whether weaned piglets exposed to BL−S6 (probiotic) had altered intestinal barrier function or microbiota composition. In our study, 108 weaned piglets (54 barrows and 54 gilts) were divided equally into three groups, each with six pens and six piglets/pen, and fed a basal diet supplemented without or with antibiotic (40 g/t of Virginiamycin and 500 g/t of Chlortetracycline) or probiotic (1000 g/t of B. Licheniformis) for a 14-day trial. On day 14, one piglet was chosen from each pen to collect blood and intestinal samples. Compared with the control group, dietary supplementation with a probiotic promoted body weight (BW) gain and average daily gains (ADG) while reducing diarrhea incidence (p < 0.05). Probiotics enhanced superoxidase dismutase (SOD) activity and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in serum (p < 0.05), and increased the level of mRNA expression of SOD1, Nrf2, and HO-1 (p < 0.05) in the jejunum mucosa. Moreover, supplementation with probiotics improved intestinal mucosal integrity as evidenced by higher villus heights and a higher ratio of villus heights to crypt depths (duodenum and jejunum) and higher mRNA and protein levels of occludin and ZO-1 in jejunum mucosa (p < 0.05). The intestinal sIgA levels (p < 0.05) were elevated in the probiotic group, and that of serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) tended to be higher (p = 0.09). Furthermore, weaning piglets who were given probiotics had a better balance of the cecum microbiota, with lactobacillus abundance increased and clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 abundance decreased. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with the probiotic BL−S6 promoted intestinal integrity, which was associated, in part, with modulating intestinal barrier function and microbial diversity in weaned piglets; it may offer a promising alternative to antibiotics to prevent diarrhea.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with stimbiotics (STB) on growth performance, diarrhoea incidence, plasma antioxidant capacity, immunoglobulin concentration and hormone levels, and faecal microorganisms in weaned piglets. Compared with the control (CT) group, the addition of STB improved the body weight (BW) of piglets on days 28 and 42 (p < 0.05) and increased daily weight gain and daily feed intake from days 14–28 and throughout the trial period (p < 0.05). Correspondingly, the plasma insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) level on day 42 was significantly improved by STB (p < 0.05). VistaPros (VP) group levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) A and G were significantly higher on days 14 and 42 (p < 0.05) than the CT group levels. In addition, the activity of plasma catalase tended to be increased on day 14 (p = 0.053) in the VP group, as for superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and malondialdehyde, STB did not significantly affect their levels (p > 0.05). Moreover, dietary STB increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, including norank_f_Muribaculaceae, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Parabacteroides, and unclassified_f__Oscillospiraceae. In summary, STB improved the immunity and IGF-1 levels in the plasma of weaned piglets and consequently promoted the growth performance of weaned piglets.

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of Laminaria japonica polysaccharide (LJP) supplementation at levels of 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg on the growth performance, faecal digestive enzyme activity, and serum biochemistry and amino acids of weaned piglets. One hundred and twenty weaned piglets (Barkshire × Licha Black, 21 days old, 6.13 ± 0.16 kg) were randomly divided into four groups with five replicates of six piglets in each group based on body weight. Piglets were fed with different levels (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) of LJP for a 21-day trial. On day 21, faecal and blood samples were collected from one piglet per pen. The results showed that the supplementation of the 200 and 400 mg/kg LJP significantly increased average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) compared to the control group (p = 0.007; p = 0.002), and dietary LJP linearly increased ADG and ADFI (p = 0.002; p < 0.001). In addition, the supplementation of the 200 and 400 mg/kg LJP significantly increased faecal amylase activity (p < 0.001) compared to the control group, and dietary LJP linearly increased faecal amylase and lipase activities (p = 0.001; p = 0.037). Moreover, dietary LJP at 400 mg/kg increased serum histidine content compared to the other groups (p = 0.002), and dietary LJP linearly increased the contents of serum histidine and asparagine in piglets (p < 0.001; p = 0.046). In conclusion, supplementation of 200 and 400 mg/kg LJP could enhance growth performance and faecal digestive enzyme activity and modulate the serum amino acid content of weaned piglets, potentially contributing to the health of weaned piglets.

Objective: This study aimed at detecting changes in redox balance (reactive oxygen species (ROS), serum antioxidant capacity (SAC) and oxidative stress index (OSi)) during the peripartum period in dairy goats and evaluating the relationship between oxidative biomarkers (ROS, SAC and OSi) and selected metabolic biomarkers (total cholesterol, triglycerides, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs)). Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 32 secondiparous Alpine dairy goats (average daily milk production: 3.93 ± 1.23 L) from the same commercial herd at dry-off, kidding and 30 days in milk (DIM). Results: Fatty acids at dry-off and BHB at kidding (rho: 0.56; p < 0.01) and 30 DIM (rho: 0.54; p < 0.01) were positively correlated, suggesting a potential role of pre-partum NEFA concentrations on the metabolic status of dairy goats during early lactation. Parturition was associated with the highest values of ROS (183.13 ± 6.99 Carr. U; p < 0.05) and OSi (0.50 ± 0.03 Carr. U/umol HCLO/mL; p < 0.05) probably due to the stress typical of this period. As expected, OSi exhibited a positive correlation with ROS (rho: 0.405, p < 0.01) and a negative correlation with SAC (rho: −0.707, p < 0.01). Furthermore, NEFAs showed a tendency to be positively correlated with ROS (rho: 0.191 p < 0.06) and were positively correlated with OSi (rho: 0.219 p < 0.03), suggesting a potential role of this metabolic parameter on oxidant status. Conclusions: The knowledge of the interplay between oxidative stress and metabolic changes during the peripartum period could potentially facilitate the development of strategies for the early detection and management of metabolic disorders in dairy goats.

Alpha-ketoglutaric acid (AKG) is a key intermediate in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and plays a crucial role in energy production and amino acid metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of AKG on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, plasma biochemical parameters, and plasma amino acid profiles in weaned piglets. A total of 72 weaned piglets with an average weight of 7.33 kg (±0.50 kg) and an average age of 28 (±2 days) were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments with 6 replicates per group in a 42-day trial. The treatments included a basal diet (CT), a basal diet with 500 g/t AKG (AKG1), and a basal diet with 1000 g/t AKG (AKG2). Blood samples were collected on days 14 and 42, and fecal samples were collected on day 42. The results showed that diets including 500 g/t and 1000 g/t AKG significantly reduced diarrhea incidence in piglets compared to the CT group (p < 0.01). Moreover, diets including 1000 g/t AKG enhanced fecal dry matter digestibility, plasma albumin (ALB), and glucose (GLU) concentrations on day 42 compared to the AKG1 group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, diets including AKG reduced diarrhea incidence in weaned piglets, potentially through improved nutrient digestibility and enhanced systemic health. The 1000 g/t level exhibited greater beneficial effects than 500 g/t.

Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) supplementation has been explored as a nutritional strategy to mitigate the negative effects of protein restriction. This study aims to evaluate the effects of supplementing a low-protein diet with AKG on growth performance, diarrhea incidence, and fecal nutrient digestibility in weaned piglets. A total of 60 weaned piglets (initial body weight: 7.53 kg; age: 28 days old) were randomly distributed into three dietary treatments with five replicates per group, for a 42-day experimental period. The treatments consisted of a control diet (CT), a low-protein diet (LP), and a low-protein diet supplemented with 1000 g/t AKG (AKG). Fecal samples were collected on days 40–42 to determine the apparent digestibility of nutrients. The results showed that the feed conversion rate (FCR) in LP-group piglets were significantly higher than that of the CT group (p = 0.028), while the crude protein (CP) digestibility was significantly lower in the LP group compared with the CT group (p = 0.038). However, supplementing the low-protein diet with 1000 g/t AKG effectively mitigated these negative effects. Pigs in the AKG group had reduced incidence of diarrhea between days 1 and 14 compared to CT group (p = 0.041). These findings suggest that incorporating 1000 g/t AKG into low-protein diets may reduce post-weaning diarrhea and improve growth performance of piglets.