Zheng Shugui, Li Mingbo, Luan Xinhong, Tong Chuan, Li Jiguang, Zhang Zhiying
College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.
Front Vet Sci. 2025 Jun 13;12:1552482. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1552482. eCollection 2025.
Soybean meal (SBM), widely used in pig farming, can induce intestinal damage and dysfunction in newly-weaned piglets due to the presence of soybean antigen proteins. However, research on natural compounds capable of mitigating these adverse effects remains limited. This study investigated the effects of lycopene, a carotenoid, on the intestinal health of piglets fed a SBM-based diet.
Eighteen 21-day-old piglets were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: a negative control (NC) group fed an animal protein-based diet, a positive control (PC) group fed a SBM-based diet, and a lycopene group, which received the PC diet supplemented with lycopene. Growth performance, antioxidant capacity, cell apoptosis, intestinal barrier function, intestinal histomorphology, and gut microbiota composition of piglets in each group were systematically evaluated.
Dietary lycopene significantly improved average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) while reducing incidence of diarrhea in early-weaned piglets. Lycopene enhanced antioxidant capacity, as evidenced by increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in body. Additionally, lycopene reduced apoptosis in small intestinal cells and strengthened intestinal barrier function, as indicated by decreased serum diamine oxidase (DAO) levels. It also improved small intestinal histomorphology, characterized by increased villus height and reduced crypt depth. Furthermore, lycopene modulated gut microbiota by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria, particularly Lactobacillus, while reducing the abundance of harmful bacteria.
These findings demonstrated that lycopene supplementation in SBM-based diets significantly enhanced antioxidant capacity, decreased apoptosis in small intestinal cells, improved intestinal barrier function and morphology, and optimized gut microbiota composition. These beneficial effects collectively contributed to improved intestinal health and enhanced production performance in piglets fed a SBM-based diet.
豆粕（SBM）在养猪业中广泛使用，由于存在大豆抗原蛋白，会导致新断奶仔猪肠道损伤和功能障碍。然而，关于能够减轻这些不利影响的天然化合物的研究仍然有限。本研究调查了类胡萝卜素番茄红素对饲喂基于SBM日粮的仔猪肠道健康的影响。
将18头21日龄仔猪随机分为三个处理组：饲喂动物蛋白日粮的阴性对照组（NC）、饲喂基于SBM日粮的阳性对照组（PC）和接受补充番茄红素的PC日粮的番茄红素组。系统评估了每组仔猪的生长性能、抗氧化能力、细胞凋亡、肠道屏障功能、肠道组织形态学和肠道微生物群组成。
日粮中添加番茄红素显著提高了早期断奶仔猪的平均日增重（ADG）和平均日采食量（ADFI），同时降低了腹泻发生率。番茄红素增强了抗氧化能力，体内超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性和总抗氧化能力（T-AOC）增加证明了这一点。此外，番茄红素减少了小肠细胞凋亡，增强了肠道屏障功能，血清二胺氧化酶（DAO）水平降低表明了这一点。它还改善了小肠组织形态学，表现为绒毛高度增加和隐窝深度减小。此外，番茄红素通过促进有益菌特别是乳酸杆菌的生长来调节肠道微生物群，同时减少有害菌的丰度。
这些发现表明，在基于SBM的日粮中添加番茄红素可显著提高抗氧化能力，减少小肠细胞凋亡，改善肠道屏障功能和形态，并优化肠道微生物群组成。这些有益作用共同有助于改善饲喂基于SBM日粮的仔猪的肠道健康并提高生产性能。
