Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Modeling Postprandial Plasma Amino Acids Kinetics in Pigs.

Postprandial plasma amino acid (AA) kinetics serve as essential indicators of digestive efficiency and systemic metabolic status in pigs. Traditional kinetic analysis relies on Non-Linear Least Squares (NLS) regression using compartmental models, yet these methods typically demand repeated blood sampling and precise initialization to ensure convergence. In this study, we developed a Physics-Informed Neural Network (PINN) framework by integrating mechanistic Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) directly into the deep learning loss function. The framework was evaluated using a benchmark dataset. Specifically, we performed a retrospective analysis by downsampling the original high-frequency data to simulate dense and sparse sampling strategies. The results demonstrate that while both models exhibit high fidelity under dense sampling, PINN maintains superior robustness and predictive accuracy under data-constrained conditions. Under the sparse sampling scenario, PINN reduced the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) compared to NLS in key metabolic profiles, such as Methionine in the FAA group (