Mhalhel Kamel, Cavallaro Mauro, Pansera Lidia, Ledesma Leyanis Herrera, Levanti Maria, Germanà Antonino, Sutera Anna Maria, Tardiolo Giuseppe, Zumbo Alessandro, Aragona Marialuisa, Montalbano Giuseppe
Zebrafish Neuromorphology Lab, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy.
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
Vet Sci. 2025 Jul 30;12(8):716. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12080716.
Liquid whey (LW) is a nutrient-rich dairy by-product and a promising resource for animal nutrition. However, data regarding its impact on intestinal morphology and endocrine signaling are limited. Therefore, the current study aims to dissect those aspects. An experiment was conducted on 14 crossbred pigs divided into control (fed 3% of their body weight pelleted feed) and LW (fed 3% of their body weight supplemented with 1.5 L of LW) groups. The results show a significantly increased body weight gain in LW pigs during the second half of the experiment. Moreover, an increased ileal villus height, deeper crypts, and a thicker muscularis externa in the duodenum and jejunum have been reported in LW-fed pigs. Goblet cell count revealed a significant abundance of these cells in duodenal villi and jejunal crypts of the LW group, suggesting enhanced mucosal defense in all segments of LW-fed pigs. While Cholecystokinin8 and Galanin showed the same expression pattern among both groups and SI segments, the leptin expression was significantly higher in LW swine. These findings indicate that LW promotes growth, gut mucosa remodeling, and neuroendocrine signaling, thus supporting LW use as a functional dietary strategy with attention to the adaptation period.
液态乳清（LW）是一种营养丰富的乳制品副产品，也是一种很有前景的动物营养资源。然而，关于其对肠道形态和内分泌信号影响的数据有限。因此，本研究旨在剖析这些方面。对14头杂交猪进行了一项实验，将其分为对照组（饲喂占体重3%的颗粒饲料）和LW组（饲喂占体重3%的颗粒饲料并补充1.5升LW）。结果显示，在实验后半期，LW组猪的体重显著增加。此外，据报道，饲喂LW的猪回肠绒毛高度增加、隐窝加深，十二指肠和空肠的外肌层增厚。杯状细胞计数显示，LW组十二指肠绒毛和空肠隐窝中的这些细胞数量显著增多，表明饲喂LW的猪所有肠段的黏膜防御功能增强。虽然胆囊收缩素8和甘丙肽在两组和不同肠段的表达模式相同，但LW猪的瘦素表达显著更高。这些发现表明，LW可促进生长、肠道黏膜重塑和神经内分泌信号传导，因此支持将LW作为一种功能性饮食策略，但需注意适应期。
