ArticleJournal of animal science2026
Effects of dietary medium-chain fatty acid supplementation levels on growth performance, fecal score, energy, antioxidant, inflammatory status, and fecal metabolites of nursery pigs fed high-protein diets.
Article in Journal of animal science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of increasing medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) supplementation levels on growth performance, fecal score, energy status, gut health, inflammatory responses, and fecal metabolites in nursery pigs fed high-protein diets (24-24.5% crude protein; CP). A total of 72 pigs (initial body weight: 4.89 ± 1.57 kg weaned at 17.8 ± 2.35 d) were allotted to three treatments in six replicates, with four pigs per pen for a 35-d feeding trial. Treatments were based on MCFA supplementation levels at 0%, 0.5%, and 1.0%, with two phases of d 0-21 (Phase 1, 24% CP) and 21-35 (Phase 2, 24.5% CP) postweaning. Growth performance and fecal score (1 = normal to 4 = severe diarrhea), blood parameters at d 7 and 21 postweaning and fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels at d 21 and 35 postweaning were measured. With increasing MCFA levels, average daily gain linearly increased in d 21-28 (P < 0.05) and 21-35 (P = 0.08, tendency) postweaning, average daily feed intake linearly decreased in d 0-21 postweaning (P < 0.05), and gain-to-feed ratio quadratically increased in d 0-21, 21-35 postweaning, and overall period (P < 0.05), while fecal score linearly decreased in d 0-21 (P < 0.05), and d 21-35 (P = 0.09, tendency) postweaning, and overall period (P < 0.05). Serum free fatty acid levels decreased linearly at d 21 postweaning (P < 0.05), while serum interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-8 tended to decrease linearly with increasing MCFA levels at d 7 postweaning (P < 0.10). Serum urea nitrogen linearly increased with increasing MCFA levels at d 7 (P < 0.05) and 21 (P = 0.08, tendency) postweaning, while serum d-lactate levels decreased quadratically at d 21 postweaning (P < 0.05) and serum diamine oxidase levels tended to decrease at d 7 (P = 0.09, linear) and 21 (P = 0.06, quadratically) postweaning. There were no differences in serum superoxide dismutase activity, protein carbonyl, and malondialdehyde levels. Fecal propionate, butyrate and total SCFA concentrations increased linearly with increasing MCFA levels at d 35 postweaning (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary MCFA supplementation up to 1.0% in high-protein diets could improve growth rate, feed efficiency, and fecal consistency in the nursery period and enhance energy status, gut integrity, immunity, and fecal SCFA concentrations in nursery pigs although a slight reduction in feed intake was observed in early nursery period, potentially due to its satiety effects.
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