Early weaning of piglets elicits weaning stress, which in turn induces oxidative stress and consequently impairs growth and development. Hydrogen-rich water (HRW), characterized by selective antioxidant properties, mitigates oxidative stress damage and serves as an ideal intervention. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of HRW on weaned piglets, specifically investigating its impact on growth performance, diarrhea incidence, antioxidant function, intestinal morphology, gut microbiota, and hepatic metabolites. The results demonstrate that HRW significantly increased the average daily feed intake and significantly reduced the diarrhea rate in weaned piglets. Analysis of serum oxidative stress indicators revealed that HRW significantly elevated the activities of total antioxidant capacity and total superoxide dismutase while significantly decreasing malondialdehyde concentration. Assessment of intestinal morphology showed that HRW significantly increased the villus height to crypt depth ratio in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Microbial analysis indicated that HRW significantly increased the abundance of Prevotella in the colon. Furthermore, HRW increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Akkermansia, in the jejunum and cecum, while concurrently reducing the abundance of harmful bacteria like Escherichia. Hepatic metabolite profiling revealed that HRW significantly altered the metabolite composition in the liver of weaned piglets. Differentially abundant metabolites were enriched in oxidative stress-related KEGG pathways, including ABC transporters; pyruvate metabolism; autophagy; FoxO signaling pathway; glutathione metabolism; ferroptosis; and AMPK signaling pathways. In conclusion, HRW alleviates diarrhea and promotes growth in weaned piglets by enhancing antioxidant capacity. These findings provide a scientific foundation for the application of HRW in swine production and serve as a reference for further exploration into the mechanisms underlying HRW’s effects on animal health and productivity.

Boar sperm freezability (SF) is an economically important trait that influences reproductive efficiency and genetic improvement in pigs. However, its genetic basis remains poorly understood. In this study, semen samples from 382 Duroc and 151 Yorkshire boars were evaluated for sperm motility and recovery rate, and all individuals were genotyped using an 80K SNP array. Within-breed GWAS were first conducted, followed by a meta-analysis integrating the GWAS results from both boars. Individuals were classified into GSF and PSF groups based on sperm recovery rate for subsequent selection signature analysis. The results showed that Duroc boars exhibited significantly higher SF than Yorkshire boars. Heritability estimates for SF were moderate, with values of 0.35 in Duroc and 0.30 in Yorkshire. GWAS identified 10 significant SNPs in Duroc and 33 in Yorkshire associated with SF. Meta-analysis further detected 12 significant SNPs, annotated to candidate genes such as CCDC181, PARN, SOX9, and NCKAP5L. Association analysis identified ten representative variants significantly correlated with sperm recovery rate, with variants in PARN and MAP2K6 showing strong additive effects. Selection signature analysis revealed multiple genomic regions under differential selection between GSF and PSF groups, identifying several candidate genes associated with SF. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that these genes are mainly involved in spermatogenesis, flagellar motility, cellular stress response, and cold adaptation pathways. Overall, this study provides novel insights into the genetic architecture of boar SF and identifies potential molecular markers for genetic improvement and functional genomic studies in pigs.