The effects of plant-derived squalene supplementation on growth performance and acute oxidative stress-induced growth retardation and intestinal damage in piglets

Piglets are particularly susceptible to oxidative stress, which leads to poor growth performance and intestinal damage. Squalene, a natural bioactive substance enriched in shark liver oil, shows excellent antioxidant properties and can currently be obtained at a low cost from deodorizer distillate during the production of plant oil. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of plant-derived squalene supplementation on the growth performance of piglets and explore the beneficial roles of squalene against oxidative stress and intestinal injury in diquat-challenged piglets.

Methods: Forty piglets were randomly divided into five pens and fed a basal diet supplemented with squalene at 0, 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg for 5 weeks. Acute oxidative stress was induced in the piglets with diquat (10 mg/kg BW) at the fourth week of the experiment, followed by a 7-d recovery period. The average daily gain and feed intake were measured weekly.

Results: Before the diquat challenge, squalene supplementation significantly improved growth performance and serum antioxidant status, and after the diquat challenge, squalene supplementation significantly mitigated diquat-induced growth arrest, intestinal villous atrophy, intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis, intestinal hyperpermeability, and deficiency of intestinal epithelial tight junction proteins (zonula occludens-1, occludin, and claudin-3). Under oxidative stress induced by diquat, squalene supplementation consistently improved the antioxidant status of the small intestine, liver, and muscle. In vitro, squalene was shown to alleviate hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced increase of the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species and apoptosis of porcine intestinal epithelial cells.

Conclusion: In conclusion, squalene supplementation improves growth performance and effectively alleviates acute oxidative stress-induced growth retardation and intestinal injury via improving antioxidant capacity in piglets.

Tian J, Jiang Q, Bao X, Yang F, Li Y, Sun H, Yao K, Yin Y. Plant-derived squalene supplementation improves growth performance and alleviates acute oxidative stress-induced growth retardation and intestinal damage in piglets. Animal Nutrition. 2023; 15: 386-398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2023.09.001