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In swine production, diet formulation is one of the most important factors affecting the performance of growing and finishing pigs. Over recent years, the prices of main raw materials for animal feeding have experienced a long-term raising. Consequently, fiber raw materials such as grains, tubers, and agricultural by-products are widely used as alternative ingredients. Dietary fiber constitutes a complex array of compounds mainly derived from the cell walls of plants, including cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, gums, phytate, protein, and phenol complexes. Dietary fiber can be classified into soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber, or neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber.
Method: This study aimed to reveal the effects and regulatory mechanism of dietary NDF on the performance of pigs by multi-omics analysis. For that purpose, 108 castrated hybrid male finishing pigs were randomly distributed into three diets containing 14 % NDF, 16 % NDF, or 18 % NDF. Performance data were recorded through the trial, and samples for carcass characteristics and meat quality collected.
Results: Results showed that 16 % dietary NDF significantly improved meat quality, increased flavor amino acid content, and reduced backfat thickness and the feed-to-gain ratio. 16S rDNA sequencing showed that 16 % NDF significantly increased the abundance of Akkermansia, Lachnoclostridium, and Ruminococcus. Transcript analysis showed that genes related to muscle development and lipid metabolism were significantly modified. Metabonomic analysis showed that 16 % NDF significantly increased amino and fatty acid related metabolites. Correlation analysis suggested that 16 % NDF treatment may alter the gut microbiota and metabolites, regulate the expression of genes related to lipid and amino metabolism, and ultimately affect the flavor and performance of pigs.
Conclusion: This study provides a novel understanding about the effect and regulatory mechanism of NDF supplements on the finishing pigs and a relevant reference for the improvement of diet formulation.
Lu S, Xu Y, Song X, Li J, Jiang J, Qin C, Wu K, Cui K, Liu Y, Liu Q, Shen S, Li Z. Multi-omics reveal the effects and regulatory mechanism of dietary neutral detergent fiber supplementation on carcass characteristics, amino acid profiles, and meat quality of finishing pigs. Food Chemistry. 2024: 138765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.138765