Advances in Nutritional Strategies for Optimizing Swine Growth Performance and Gut Health

Nutritional strategies influence nutrient digestion, absorption, immune responses, and oxidative stress management in pigs. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining these functions and improving the gut environment. Gut dysbiosis or imbalance can lead to poor growth performance, inefficient feed utilization, and increased morbidity in pigs. Recent advances in nutritional strategies with functional ingredients and feed additives, including functional amino acids, trace minerals, vitamins, probiotics, organic acids (such as butyrate and medium-chain fatty acids), bioactive compounds, etc., have shown positive potential in optimizing gut health, nutrient utilization, immunity, and antioxidant capacity in pigs and sows. By supporting a balanced gut microbiome and improving intestinal integrity, these strategies not only improve pig performance, but also help sows produce healthier offspring, improve milk production, and extend longevity, while reducing the need for antibiotics and ZnO.

The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a comprehensive overview of how nutritional strategies can influence both gut health and growth performance, as well as pig overall health including immunity and antioxidant capacity. By exploring innovative nutritional interventions and their impact on the gut microbiota, intestinal integrity, and overall growth and health, this issue aims to offer researchers, nutritionists, and producers practical, sustainable solutions for achieving optimal swine performance through a holistic approach to gut health and disease resistance as key factors in improving productivity and animal well-being.

This collection will cover a wide range of topics related to innovative nutritional strategies for improving gut health, immunity, antioxidant status, and growth performance in pigs and sows, including:

1) Nutritional strategies for optimizing gut microbiota, and growth,
2) The role of feed additives such as probiotics, functional amino acids, organic acids, bioactive compounds in feed ingredients for gut and growth optimization,
3) Novel approaches to improve nutrient utilization and feed efficiency,
4) The impact of diet in gut health, disease resistance, and antioxidant status,
5) Mechanisms for improving gut health and its association with growth and overall health.

Contributors are invited to submit either original research articles, reviews, and short communications that evaluate and summarize the relationship between nutritional interventions, gut health, and performance in pigs and sows. Manuscripts should present novel findings, mechanisms, and/or practical applications that can enhance our current knowledge of how nutrition can optimize both gut health and productivity. Submission should follow the journal’s guidelines and will undergo a peer-review process to ensure the highest scientific standards.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: pigs, nutrients, growth, gut health, feed additives

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.