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To evaluate the phytobiotic effect of Anacardium occidentale leaf powder (AOLP) on growth performance, diarrhea incidence, blood biochemistry, and intestinal traits, seventy-two weaned piglets were randomly distributed into four groups (six replicates/group and three pigs/replicate) for 28 days, receiving a control diet (T0) or being supplemented with 5 (T1), 10 (T2), or 15 (T3) g/kg of AOLP. The diets did not affect the growth performance (p > 0.05); however, the AOLP groups had a decreased diarrhea incidence and malondialdehyde concentration (p < 0.05; 28 days). However, the AOLP groups had increased immunoglobulins (G and M) and villus heights (p < 0.05) in the duodenum. Likewise, T3 improved the number of goblet cells in the villi and the whole intestine (p < 0.01), the Mucin2 area in the jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05), occludin gene expression in the jejunum (p < 0.01), and acetic and valeric acid production (p < 0.05). Microbial diversity at the genus level was not different (p > 0.05); however, T3 increased the abundance of the Lactobacillus genus. These findings suggest that dietary supplementation with AOLP improved intestinal health by increasing antioxidant, immune, anti-inflammatory, and antidiarrheal activity in the weaned piglets.

The placenta plays a crucial role in nutrient transport and waste exchange between the dam and fetus, sustaining fetal growth. While the positive effects of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OH-D3) on animal performance have been reported, its impact on placental function remains largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of supplementing 25-OH-D3 in the diet of primiparous sows on reproductive performance, antioxidant capacity, placental oxidative stress, nutrient transport, and inflammatory response during mid-to-late gestation. A total of 45 healthy Landrace × Yorkshire primiparous sows on day 60 of gestation were selected and randomly allocated to three treatment groups based on body weight and backfat thickness: the control group (corn-soybean meal basal diet), the VD3 group (basal diet + 2000 IU VD3), and the 25-OH-D3 group (basal diet + 50 μg/kg 25-OH-D3). The results demonstrated that supplementation with 25-OH-D3 in the diet enhanced sows’ average litter weight and birth weight during mid-to-late gestation. Additionally, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in sows significantly decreased in the VD3 and 25-OH-D3 groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, lower gene expressions of placental HO-1, GPX2, IL-8, and IL-6 were found in the VD3 or 25-OH-D3 groups (p < 0.05 or p < 0.10), while higher gene expressions of GLUT1 and SNAT2 in the placenta of sows were observed in the VD3 and 25-OH-D3 groups, respectively (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that the supplementation of VD3 and 25-OH-D3 in the diet of sows can improve their plasma oxidative stress status, enhance placental antioxidant capacity and nutrient transport, and reduce placental inflammatory responses, with more pronounced improvements in sow performance observed in sows fed diets supplemented with 25-OH-D3.

Weaning is a challenging period for piglets, characterized by stress-related growth checks, compromised immunity, and gut dysbiosis. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.), known for its rich content of antioxidants, has potential as a functional feed ingredient. This study investigates the effects of feeding fermented purslane (FP) on the growth performance, immune function, intestinal microbiota, and metabolic profiles of weaned piglets. Forty-eight weaned piglets were randomly divided into two groups, with eight pens in each group and three pigs in each pen: a control diet (CON group) and a diet supplemented with 0.20% FP (FP group). The experiment lasted 28 days. The results show that FP supplementation did not affect the average daily feed intake (ADFI) but significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG) during the initial 14 days post-weaning. FP supplementation decreased diarrhea occurrence, with a pronounced reduction from days 10 to 13 (p < 0.05). Immunologically, the FP group had a trend towards reduced serum IgA levels on day 14 (p < 0.10). Importantly, the serum concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 were significantly reduced on both days 14 and 28 post-weaning. The antioxidative analysis showed increased serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and decreased catalase (CAT) activities on day 14 (p < 0.05). In addition, FP supplementation significantly decreased serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity and D-lactate levels by day 28, indicating a potential improvement in gut integrity. Fecal microbiota assessment demonstrated a distinctive clustering of microbial communities between the FP and CON groups, with an increase in the abundance of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Tyzzerella, and Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group and a decrease in Lactobacillus, Bacillus, and Subdoligranulum in the FP group (p < 0.05). Functional predictions suggested that the relative abundance of microbial butyrate synthesis enzymes (EC 2.7.2.7 and EC 2.3.1.19) was significantly enhanced by FP treatment. This modulation was further corroborated by elevated fecal butyrate levels (p < 0.05). In summary, dietary supplementation with FP promotes early-growth performance and has beneficial effects on immune function and intestinal health in weaned piglets. The enhancements may be attributed to distinct microbiota compositional changes and targeted modulation of microbial butyrate metabolism, which are crucial for piglet post-weaning adaptation and overall health.

Silybin (Si) is the main element of silymarin isolated from the seeds of Silybum marianum L. Gaernt., which has superior antioxidant properties. However, the protective role of Si in maintaining liver health under oxidative stress remains ambiguous. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of the beneficial effect of dietary Si against hepatic oxidative injury induced by paraquat (PQ) in weaned piglets. A total of 24 piglets were randomly allocated to four treatments with six replicates per treatment and 1 piglet per replicate: the control group; Si group; PQ group; and Si + PQ group. Piglets in the control group and PQ group were given a basal diet, while piglets in the Si and Si + PQ groups were given a Si-supplemented diet. On the 18th day, the pigs in the PQ treatment group received an intraperitoneal injection of PQ, and the others were intraperitoneally injected with the same volume of saline. All piglets were sacrificed on day 21 for plasma and liver sample collection. The results showed that dietary Si supplementation mitigated PQ-induced liver damage, as proven by the reduction in liver pathological changes and plasma activity of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase. Si also improved superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and total antioxidant capacity, as well as decreased malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide concentration in the liver, which were closely related to the activation of the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling pathway. Meanwhile, Si reduced tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-8 production and their transcript levels as well as abrogated the overactivation of nuclear factor-κB induced by PQ. Importantly, Si improved mitochondrial function by maintaining mitochondrial energetics and mitochondrial dynamics, which was indicated by the elevated activity of mitochondrial complexes I and V and adenosine triphosphate content, decreased expression of dynamin 1 protein, and increased expression of mitofusin 2 protein. Moreover, Si inhibited excessive hepatic apoptosis by regulating the B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated-X-protein signaling pathway. Taken together, these results indicated that Si potentially mitigated PQ-induced hepatic oxidative insults by improving antioxidant capacity and mitochondrial function and inhibiting inflammation and cell apoptosis in weaned piglets.

Fucoidan (FC) is known for its antioxidant properties, but it has unclear effects and mechanisms on weaned piglets. Two experiments were conducted to determine the optimal FC dosage in piglet diets and its protective effect against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced oxidative stress. In experiment one, 24 low weight weaned piglets were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: a basal diet (FC 0), or a diet supplemented with 150 (FC 150), 300 (FC 300), or 600 mg/kg FC (FC 600). In experiment two, 72 low-weaning weight piglets were randomly allocated into four treatments: a basal diet (CON), or 300 mg/kg of fucoidan added to a basal diet challenged with LPS (100 µg LPS/kg body weight) or not. The results showed that FC treatments increased the G:F ratio, and dietary FC 300 reduced the diarrhea incidence and increased the plasma IGF-1 concentrations. In addition, FC 300 and FC 600 supplementation increased the plasma SOD activity and reduced the plasma MDA concentration. LPS challenge triggered a strong systemic redox imbalance and mitochondrial dysfunction. However, dietary FC (300 mg/kg) supplementation increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including SOD, decreased the MDA concentration in the plasma and liver, down-regulated Keap1 gene expression, and up-regulated Nrf2, CAT, MFN2, SDHA, and UQCRB gene expression in the liver. These results indicated that dietary fucoidan (300 mg/kg) supplementation improved the growth performance and antioxidant capacity of low-weaning weight piglets, which might be attributed to the modulation of the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway and the mitochondrial function in the liver.

In the weaning period, piglets often face oxidative stress, which will cause increased diarrhea and mortality. Genistein, a flavonoid, which is extracted from leguminous plants, possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidative bioactivities. However, little is known about whether genistein could attenuate the oxidative stress that occurs in porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2). Herein, this experiment was carried out to investigate the protective effects of genistein in the IPEC-J2 cells oxidative stress model. Our results disclosed that H2O2 stimulation brought about a significant diminution in catalase (CAT) activity and cell viability, as well as an increase in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in IPEC-J2 cells (p < 0.05), whereas pretreating cells with genistein before H2O2 exposure helped to alleviate the reduction in CAT activity and cell viability (p < 0.05) and the raise in the levels of ROS (p = 0.061) caused by H2O2. Furthermore, H2O2 stimulation of IPEC-J2 cells remarkably suppressed gene level Nrf2 and CAT expression, in addition to protein level Nrf2 expression, but pretreating cells with genistein reversed this change (p < 0.05). Moreover, genistein pretreatment prevented the downregulation of occludin expression at the gene and protein level, and ZO-1 expression at gene level (p < 0.05). In summary, our findings indicate that genistein possesses an antioxidant capacity in IPEC-J2 cells which is effective against oxidative stress; the potential mechanism may involve the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Our findings could offer a novel nutritional intervention strategy to enhance the intestinal health of piglets during the weaning process.

The aim of this experiment is to evaluate the effects of adding porous zinc oxide, plant polyphenols, and their combination to diets without antibiotics and high-dose zinc oxide on the growth performance, diarrhea incidence, intestinal morphology, and microbial diversity of weaned piglets. A total of 150 Duroc × Landrace × Large White weaned piglets were allocated to one of five diets in a randomized complete block design with six replicates and five piglets per replicate. The experimental period was 42 d, divided into two feeding stages: pre-starter (0–14 d) and starter (14–42 d). In the pre-starter stage, the negative control group (NC) was fed a basal diet, the positive control group (PC) was fed a basal diet with 2000 mg/kg of zinc oxide, the porous zinc oxide group (PZ) was fed a basal diet with 500 mg/kg of porous zinc oxide, the plant polyphenol group (PP) was fed a basal diet with 1500 mg/kg of plant polyphenols, and the combination group (PZ + PP) was fed a basal diet with 500 mg/kg of porous zinc oxide and 1500 mg/kg of plant polyphenols. In the starter stage, the NC, PC, and PZ groups were fed a basal diet, while the PP and PZ + PP groups were fed a basal diet with 1000 mg/kg of plant polyphenols. The results showed that, (1) compared with the PZ group, adding plant polyphenols to the diet showed a trend of increasing the ADFI of weaned piglets from 14 to 28 d (p = 0.099). From days 28 to 42 and days 0 to 42, porous zinc oxide and the combination of porous zinc oxide and plant polyphenols added to the control diet improved the FCR to the level observed in pigs fed the PC diet. (2) Dietary PZ + PP tended to increase the jejunal villus height (VH) of weaned piglets (p = 0.055), and significantly increased the villus-height-to-crypt-depth ratio compared to the NC group (p < 0.05). (3) Compared with the NC group, PZ supplementation decreased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, and the relative abundance of Lactobacillus in the PZ and PZ + PP groups were both increased. In conclusion, porous zinc oxide and plant polyphenols may have synergistic effects in modulating intestinal health in weaned piglets and be a potential alternative to high-dose zinc oxide.

Flaxseed meal (FSM) is a byproduct of flaxseed oil extraction which has rich nutritional value and can be used as a high-quality new protein ingredient. However, the anti-nutrient factor (ANF) in FSM restricts its potential application in feed. The strategy of microbial fermentation is a highly effective approach to reducing ANF in FSM and enhancing its feeding value. However, evaluation of the nutritional value of fermented flaxseed meal (FFSM) in growing pigs has not yet been conducted. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the nutritional value of FFSM in growing pigs and comparison of the effect of fermentation treatment on improving the nutritional value of FSM. Two experiments were conducted to determine the available energy value, apparent digestibility of nutrients, and standard ileal digestibility of amino acids of FSM and FFSM in growing pigs. The results showed as follows: (1) Fermentation treatment increased the levels of crude protein (CP), Ca and P in FSM by 2.86%, 9.54% and 4.56%, while decreasing the concentration of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) by 34.09% and 12.71%, respectively (p < 0.05); The degradation rate of CGs in FSM was 54.09% (p < 0.05); (2) The digestible energy (DE) and metabolic energy (ME) of FSM and FFSM were 14.54 MJ/kg, 16.68 MJ/kg and 12.85 MJ/kg, 15.24 MJ/kg, respectively; (3) Compared with FSM, dietary FFSM supplementation significantly increased the apparent digestibility of CP, NDF, ADF, Ca, and P of growing pigs (p < 0.05) and significantly increased the standard ileal digestibility of methionine (p < 0.05). These results indicate that fermentation treatment could effectively enhance the nutritional value of FSM and provide basic theoretical data for the application of FFSM in pig production.

Oxidative stress is the major incentive for intestinal dysfunction in weaned piglets, which usually leads to growth retardation or even death. Silybin has caught extensive attention due to its antioxidant properties. Herein, we investigated the effect of dietary silybin supplementation on growth performance and determined its protective effect on paraquat (PQ)-induced intestinal oxidative damage and microflora dysbiosis in weaned piglets. In trial 1, a total of one hundred twenty healthy weaned piglets were randomly assigned into five treatments with six replicate pens per treatment and four piglets per pen, where they were fed basal diets supplemented with silybin at 0, 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg for 42 days. In trial 2, a total of 24 piglets were randomly allocated to two dietary treatments with 12 replicates per treatment and 1 piglet per pen: a basal diet or adding 400 mg/kg silybin to a basal diet. One-half piglets in each treatment were given an intraperitoneal injection of paraquat (4 mg/kg of body weight) or sterile saline on day 18. All piglets were euthanized on day 21 for sample collection. The results showed that dietary supplementation with 400 mg/kg silybin resulted in a lower feed conversion ratio, diarrhea incidence, and greater antioxidant capacity in weaned piglets. Dietary silybin enhanced intestinal antioxidant capacity and mitochondrial function in oxidative stress piglets induced by PQ. Silybin inhibited mitochondria-associated endogenous apoptotic procedures and then improved the intestinal barrier function and morphology of PQ-challenged piglets. Moreover, silybin improved intestinal microbiota dysbiosis induced by the PQ challenge by enriching short-chain fatty-acid-producing bacteria, which augmented the production of acetate and propionate. Collectively, these findings indicated that dietary silybin supplementation linearly decreased feed conversion ratio and reduced diarrhea incidence in normal conditions, and effectively alleviated oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, intestinal damage, and microflora dysbiosis in weaned piglets.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with different types of potassium and magnesium on the reproductive performance, antioxidant capacity, and immunity of sows. Forty-five Landrace × Yorkshire sows at the late gestation stage (85 d) were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 15). Sows in the control group (CON), potassium chloride and magnesium sulfate group (PM), and potassium-magnesium sulfate group (PMS) were fed with a basal diet, a basal diet supplemented with magnesium sulfate (0.20%) and potassium chloride (0.15%), or a basal diet supplemented with potassium-magnesium sulfate (0.45%), respectively. The results showed that dietary supplementation with PMS did not yield significant effects on the reproductive performance compared with the CON group (p > 0.05). However, it significantly elevated the level of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in plasma and immunoglobulin A (IgA) in colostrum (p < 0.05). Furthermore, PMS significantly augmented the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) while reducing the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in comparison to the CON group (p < 0.05). Compared with the PM group, the PMS group significantly reduced the incidence rate of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased the concentration of the proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α) level in plasma (p < 0.05). These results indicated that dietary supplementation with PMS during late gestation could enhance sows’ antioxidant capacity and the IgA level in colostrum. These findings will provide a theoretical reference for the use of magnesium and potassium in sow production to improve sows’ health.

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.

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.

Chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), a primary bile acid (BA), has been demonstrated to play an important role as a signaling molecule in various physiological functions. However, the role of CDCA in regulating intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) function remains largely unknown. Herein, porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) were used as an in vitro model to investigate the effects of CDCA on IEC proliferation and explore the underlying mechanisms. IPEC-J2 cells were treated with CDCA, and flow cytometry and transcriptome analysis were adopted to investigate the effects and potential molecular mechanisms of CDCA on the proliferation of IECs. Our results indicated that adding 50 μmol/L of CDCA in the media significantly increased the proliferation of IPEC-J2 cells. In addition, CDCA treatment also hindered cell apoptosis, increased the proportion of G0/G1 phase cells in the cell cycle progression, reduced intracellular ROS, and MDA levels, and increased mitochondrial membrane potential, antioxidation enzyme activity (T-AOC and CAT), and intracellular ATP level (p < 0.05). RNA-seq results showed that CDCA significantly upregulated the expression of genes related to cell cycle progression (Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), cyclin G2 (CCNG2), cell-cycle progression gene 1 (CCPG1), Bcl-2 interacting protein 5 (BNIP5), etc.) and downregulated the expression of genes related to mitochondrial biogenesis (ND1, ND2, COX3, ATP6, etc.). Further KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that CDCA significantly enriched the signaling pathways of DNA replication, cell cycle, and p53. Collectively, this study demonstrated that CDCA could promote IPEC-J2 proliferation by regulating cell cycle progression and mitochondrial function. These findings provide a new strategy for promoting the intestinal health of pigs by regulating intestinal BA metabolism.

Flaxseed meal (FSM) is rich in protein, α-linolenic acid, dietary fiber, flaxseed gum, and other bioactive substances. The total protein content of these components is up to 30%. Thus, FSM can be used as a high-quality protein feed resource. However, due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors, such as cyanogenic glycosides (CGs), phytic acid, anti-vitamin B6 factor, and other anti-nutritional factors, the application of FSM is restricted in animal diets. Recently, the interest in decreasing anti-nutritional factors and improving the nutritional value of FSM has been increasing in the field of animal nutrition. Therefore, this paper reviews the nutritional components, anti-nutritional factors, and the CG detoxification methods of FSM as well as its application in livestock and poultry, in order to provide a theoretical reference for the application of FSM in animal husbandry.

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with glycerol monolaurate (GML) or the combination (Solider, SOL) of GML and tributyrin (TB) on the growth performance and rumen microbiome of weaned lambs. Thirty-six male Hu lambs (11.46 ± 0.88 kg BW and 40 ± 5 days of age) were divided into three treatment groups: (1) CON: basal diet, (2) GML: basal diet supplemented with GML at 1.84 g/kg DM, and (3) SOL: basal diet supplemented with SOL at 3 g/kg DM. GML increased the final BW (p = 0.04) and ADG (p = 0.02) compared with CON. There were no significant differences in the DMI (p > 0.10) among the three treatment groups. GML and SOL tended to decrease the dry matter intake/average daily gain (p = 0.07) compared with CON. GML tended to increase the apparent digestibility of CP (p = 0.08) compared with CON. SOL increased the apparent digestibility of NDF (p = 0.04) compared with CON. The Chao1 and Shannon indexes of SOL were both significantly higher than those of the other groups (p = 0.01). LefSE analysis showed that Bifidobacteriaceae of the Bifidobacteriales was enriched in the GML group. In addition, compared with GML, SOL reduced the relative abundance of Actinobacteria (p < 0.01) and increased the relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia (p = 0.05), and GML reduced the relative abundance of Ruminococcus (p = 0.03). Our results indicated that dietary supplementation with GML or SOL improved growth performance and feed conversion, and changed the rumen microbiome of weaned lambs.

The present study determined the effects of live yeast (LY) supplementation during middle–late gestation and the lactation period in primiparous sows on reproductive parameters, lactation performance, and immunity, and also explores the carryover effects in their offspring. On day (d) 60 of gestation, 16 crossbred primiparous sows were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments (with or without supplementation of 425 mg/kg of live yeast; LYT and CT, respectively) homogeneous for body weight (BW) and backfat thickness. Experimental diets were applied from day 60 of gestation to the end of lactation. At weaning, 60 piglets with an average BW of each treatment were selected based on their source litter and assigned to two groups corresponding to the original treatments received by their mothers. Each group had five replicates of six piglets each and was fed a basal diet for 42 days. The results showed that LY supplementation significantly increased the serum IgA and IgG concentrations of sows at farrowing and weaning stages, and of piglets on day 14 and 28 post weaning. No significant differences were found in reproductive and lactation performance, while minor effects were observed on antioxidant capacity. In conclusion, live yeast addition during middle–late gestation and the whole lactation period resulted in enhanced immunity of primiparous sows and their offspring, therefore, improving maternal and progeny health.

This study evaluated the effects of dietary gallic acid (GA) on growth performance, diarrhea incidence and plasma antioxidant status of weaned piglets regardless of whether weaning weight was high or low. A total of 120 weaned piglets were randomly allocated to four treatments in a 42-day experiment with a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement comparing different weaning weights (high weight (HW) or low weight (LW), 8.49 ± 0.18 kg vs. 5.45 ± 0.13 kg) and dietary treatment (without supplementation (CT) or with supplementation of 400 mg/kg of GA). The results showed that HW piglets exhibited better growth performance and plasma antioxidant capacity. Piglets supplemented with GA had higher body weight (BW) on day 42 and average daily gain (ADG) from day 0 to 42 compared to the control piglets, which is mainly attributed to the specific improvement on BW and ADG of LW piglets by the supplementation of GA. The decreased values of diarrhea incidence were seen in piglets fed GA, more particularly in LW piglets. In addition, dietary GA numerically reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content in plasma of LW piglets. In conclusion, our study suggests that dietary GA may especially improve the growth and health in LW weaned piglets.