Rahman Rajibur, Marcolla Camila Schultz, Willing Benjamin P
Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave., Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada.
Anim Microbiome. 2025 Jul 20;7(1):76. doi: 10.1186/s42523-025-00440-w.
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is gaining attention as a method to modulate the gut microbiome in pigs, with the goal of enhancing health and production outcomes. While some studies indicate that FMT can enhance growth performance and intestinal health in piglets, others report minimal or even negative effects. This variability highlights the need for standardized protocols and further research to optimize FMT for swine applications. Currently, the use of FMT in pigs is still in its early stages, with limited studies showing considerable methodological differences. Although some evidence supports the effectiveness of FMT, significant gaps remain in our understanding of its approach and underlying mechanisms. Therefore, this review summarizes the role and development of gut microbiota in pigs, analyzes existing FMT research in pigs, emphasizes the varying outcomes, illustrates the potential mechanisms of action based on human and animal studies and discusses the innovative potential of using co-evolved microbial communities as a transplant material. As our understanding of pig gut microbiome advances, FMT and related microbiome-based interventions could become valuable tools in pig production. However, ongoing research is essential to elucidate their mechanisms and develop reliable protocols.
粪便微生物群移植（FMT）作为一种调节猪肠道微生物群的方法正受到关注，目的是改善健康状况和生产性能。虽然一些研究表明FMT可以提高仔猪的生长性能和肠道健康，但其他研究报告的效果甚微甚至是负面影响。这种变异性凸显了制定标准化方案以及进一步开展研究以优化猪用FMT的必要性。目前，FMT在猪身上的应用仍处于早期阶段，有限的研究显示出相当大的方法差异。尽管有一些证据支持FMT的有效性，但我们对其方法和潜在机制的理解仍存在重大差距。因此，本综述总结了肠道微生物群在猪中的作用和发展，分析了现有的猪FMT研究，强调了不同的结果，根据人类和动物研究阐述了潜在的作用机制，并讨论了使用共同进化的微生物群落作为移植材料的创新潜力。随着我们对猪肠道微生物群的了解不断深入，FMT和相关的基于微生物群的干预措施可能会成为猪生产中有价值的工具。然而，持续的研究对于阐明其机制和制定可靠的方案至关重要。
