The aims of this study were to test the effects of dietary probiotics and acidifiers on the production performance, colostrum components, serum antioxidant activity and hormone levels, and gene expression in the mammary tissue of lactating sows. Four treatments were administered with six replicates to 24 lactating sows. The control group (GC) received a basal diet, while the experimental groups received a basal diet with 200 mL/d probiotics (GP), 0.5% acidifiers (GA), and 200 mL/d probiotics + 0.5% acidifiers (GM), respectively. Compared with the GC, (1) the average weight of the piglets on the 21st day of lactation in the GM was higher (p < 0.05); (2) the colostrum fat ratio increased significantly (p < 0.05); (3) the malondialdehyde levels in GP and GM were lower (p < 0.05) on the 11th day; (4) on the 1st, 11th, and 21st days, the prolactin in GP and GM increased (p < 0.05); (5) on the 21st day, the relative expression levels of the prolactin receptor and fatty acid synthase were increased (p < 0.05). In summary, the basal diet mixed with 200 mL/d probiotics + 0.5% acidifiers could improve the production performance, colostrum components, serum antioxidant activity, and hormone levels of lactating sows.

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with N-Carbamylglutamate (NCG) on growth performance, immune function, intestinal metabolites, and microbiota in Danzhou chickens. In a 35-day feeding trial, a total of 480 one-day-old female chicks were randomly assigned to a control group (basal diet) and three experimental groups supplemented with 400, 800, or 1200 mg/kg NCG, with 120 chicks in each group (n = 120). The results demonstrated that NCG, particularly at 400 mg/kg, significantly improved growth parameters, including average daily gain and feed conversion ratio, while enhancing immune function by increasing serum levels of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgY) and malate dehydrogenase (p < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis revealed that NCG modulated key pathways such as sphingolipid metabolism and mTOR signaling pathway, leading to significant changes in metabolites including L-arginine, ceramide, and docosahexaenoic acid (p < 0.05). 16S rDNA sequencing indicated that NCG induced structural shifts in the gut microbiota, primarily affecting Bacteroidota and Firmicutes, with several bacterial genera showing strong correlations with the observed metabolic changes (p < 0.05). Mechanistically, NCG promotes growth by facilitating arginine synthesis via the urea cycle and activating the mTOR signaling pathway, while its regulation of sphingolipid metabolism enhances immunomodulatory capacity. In conclusion, NCG enhances feed efficiency and immune competence by orchestrating the gut microbiota-metabolite network, demonstrating its potential for poultry production.

This study evaluated the effects of supplementing Alpinia katsumadai and Wurfbainia vera extracts on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, intestinal metabolites, and microbiota of Danzhou chickens. Using Danzhou broilers, we examined the individual or combined inclusion of Alpinia katsumadai and Wurfbainia vera extracts in a 2 × 2 factorial layout. Four hundred and eighty female dual-purpose chickens were randomly assigned to four treatments (six replicates of 20 chicks each): control basal diet (CON), basal + 600 mg kg⁻¹Alpinia katsumadai (T1), basal + 600 mg kg⁻¹ Wurfbainia vera (T2), or basal + 600 mg kg⁻¹ Alpinia katsumadai + 600 mg kg⁻¹ Wurfbainia vera (T3). All treatments differed significantly from CON. For intestinal morphology, T1, T2, and T3 increased jejunal villus height and villus-to-crypt ratio while reducing crypt depth. T1 exceeded CON (p < 0.05), and an interaction was detected. T1 raised the abundances of Bacteroidota, Bifidobacterium, Tidjanibacter, and Phocaeicola relative to CON (p < 0.05). T3 exhibited higher activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase than CON, T2, and T1 (p < 0.05). Metabolomically, T1, T2, and T3 elevated intestinal Menaquinone-9, lecithin, and L-galactono-1,5-lactone versus CON (p < 0.05). T3 lowered 3-(R)-Hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid and 9-(R)-Hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid versus CON and T1, and increased eugenol versus CON (p < 0.05). Overall, T1 and T2, especially in combination, enhance antioxidant capacity, improve gut morphology, promote beneficial microbiota and activate health-related metabolic pathways in Danzhou broilers.

The reproductive efficiency of modern breeding sows is commonly restricted by a mismatch between high genetic reproductive potential and insufficient voluntary feed intake during critical physiological periods. This review comprehensively examines the physiological, nutritional, and management mechanisms regulating feed intake in sows and their implications for reproductive performance, synthesizing recent advances across neuroendocrine regulation, metabolic signaling, immune-related pathways, and precision feeding strategies. We construct an integrated framework involving three core dimensions: (1) Physiological regulation: the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal, hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal, and hypothalamic–pituitary–spleen axes functionally interact via shared neuroimmune pathways within the hypothalamic–pituitary–immune axis, coordinately regulating feeding patterns and reproductive cyclicity through core hormonal and inflammatory signaling molecules. Perinatal stress induces pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, activates the intestinal JAK-STAT3 pathway, and upregulates intestinal hepcidin expression, impairing intestinal barrier integrity and triggering persistent inflammation. These peripheral inflammatory signals modulate hypothalamic neuropeptide Y and Proopiomelanocortin expression, forming a negative feedback loop that suppresses feeding behavior. (2) Nutritional regulation: dietary nutrients and specific flavor compounds reshape intestinal satiety signaling, improving piglet growth performance and survival rates, while optimized dietary composition and functional additive supplementation enhance sow feed intake capacity. (3) Management strategies: standardized feeding regimes and optimal rearing environments regulate nutrient digestion and gut hormone secretion. Major knowledge gaps include the translational potential of precision nutrition approaches, biomarker validation for feed intake monitoring, and the scalability of integrated interventions under commercial production conditions. This review provides a multidimensional framework integrating physiological, nutritional, and management strategies to enhance sow feed intake, offering theoretical insights and practical guidance for sustainable pig production.

To investigate the effects of Bacillus coagulans (BC) and tributyrin (TB) on Danzhou chickens, a 2 × 2 factorial design was adopted. A total of 480 chickens were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments, consisting of two BC levels (0 and 1.5 g/kg) and two TB levels (0 and 1.0 g/kg), for a 35-day trial. The results showed that supplementation with BC or TB alone significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG), serum immune parameters (immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, and anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-4 and interleukin-10), total antioxidant capacity, and catalase activity, while reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and the feed-to-gain ratio (p < 0.05). In addition, individual supplementation with BC or TB also enhanced digestive enzyme activities in the intestine, increased villus height in the small intestine, and optimized the structure of the cecal microbiota (p < 0.05). More importantly, significant synergistic interactions between BC and TB were observed across multiple parameters (p < 0.05). Combined supplementation further increased ADG, serum immunoglobulin M levels, superoxide dismutase activity, lipase activity in the ileum, and villus height in the jejunum (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the combined supplementation also significantly elevated the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroides, Eubacterium_brachy_group, and Negativibacillus. In conclusion, supplementation with BC or TB effectively improved the growth performance, antioxidant status, immune function, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota composition of Danzhou chickens, and the combined supplementation demonstrated superior effects compared to individual supplementation.

To investigate the effects of low net-energy (NE) diets on intestinal health in Tunchang pigs, 96 animals (25.40 ± 1.11 kg) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatment groups with NE levels of 9.82 (CG), 9.57 (EY1), 9.32 (EY2), and 9.07 (EY3) MJ/kg. Each group consisted of six replicates with four pigs per replicate. The experiment lasted for 63 days. The results showed that compared with the CG, the EY2 increased jejunal villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, as well as reduced crypt depth in the colon (p < 0.05). Both the EY1 and EY2 demonstrated improved intestinal barrier function through upregulation of zonula occludens-1 and occludin expression in the jejunum, zonula occludens-1 in the ileum, and zonula occludens-1, occludin, and claudin-1 in the colon (p < 0.05). Furthermore, EY2 significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, while reducing malondialdehyde content in both the jejunum and colon (p < 0.05). EY2 showed significantly downregulated relative expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6, in the jejunum, ileum, and colon (p < 0.05). Microbial and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) analyses showed that the EY2 increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Faecalibacterium, CF231, Coprococcus, Ruminococcus, and Blautia and elevated the concentrations of acetate, propionate, and butyrate. In summary, reducing dietary NE levels to no less than 9.32 MJ/kg improved intestinal health by modulating the gut microbiota and increasing SCFA production.