ISSUE FOCUS 50 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE June 2025 phorus release and nutrient availability, supporting optimal growth and development. c. Viscous fibre Maintaining a favourable balance between insoluble and soluble fibre in the diet is important to optimize nutrition and growth performance of piglets and growing pigs alike. Certain soluble fibres can reduce diarrhoea by supporting beneficial fermentation and gut integrity. However, excessive soluble fibre can increase digesta viscosity and retention time, reducing nutrient digestion and absorption, and allowing greater proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. This promotes harmful fermentation in the hindgut and the production of toxic metabolites, disrupting gut balance and contributing to diarrhoea. CONCLUSIONS Antinutrients such as allergens, mycotoxins, peptidoglycans, and undigested nutrients can significantly impair piglet health and performance if not properly managed. As detailed in this review, understanding their mechanisms and applying targeted dietary interventions is key to supporting gut function and optimizing early growth. References 1Efird, R. C., W. D. Armstrong, and D. L. Herman. 1982. The development of digestive capacity in young pigs: effects of age and weaning system. Journal of Animal Science 55: 1380–1387 2Grenier, B., and T. J. Applegate. 2013. Modulation of intestinal functions following mycotoxin ingestion: meta-analysis of published experiments in animals. Toxins (Basel) 5:396–430 3Antonissen, G., A. Martel, F. Pasmans, R. Ducatell, E. Verbrugghe, V. Vandenbroucke, S. Li, F. Haesebrouck, F. Van Immerseel, and S. Croubels. 2014. The impact of Fusarium mycotoxins on human and animal host susceptibility to infectious diseases. Toxins (Basel) 6:430–452 4Vatzia, E., A. Pierron, A. Hoog, and A. Saalmueller. 2020. Deoxynivalenol has the capacity to increase transcription factor expression and cytokine production in porcine T cells. Frontiers in Immunology 11:2009 5Savard, C., C. A. Gagnon, and Y. Chorfi. 2015. Deoxynivalenol (DON) naturally contaminated feed impairs the immune response induced by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) live attenuated vaccine. 33:3881–3886 6Liu, D., L. Ge, Q. Wang, J. Su, X. Chen, C. Wang, and K. Huang. 2020. Low-level contamination of deoxynivalenol: A threat from environmental toxins to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection. Environmental International 143:105949 7Costanzo, P., A. Santini, L. Fattore, E. Novellino, and A. Ritieni. 2015. Toxicity of aflatoxin B1 towards the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Food and Chemical Toxicology 76:77–79 8Kogut, M. H., K. J. Genovese, C. L. Swaggerty, H. He, and L. Broom. 2018. Inflammatory phenotypes in the intestine of poultry: not all inflammation is created equal. Poultry Science 97:2339–2346. 9Pirgozliev et al. 2021 10McCormack et al., 2023. Abstract No. 43000 presented on 31st August 2023 at the 74th meeting of EAAP in Lyon (France) 11T. A. Woyengo, and C. M. Nyachoti, 2013. Review: Anti-nutritional effects of phytic acid in diets for pigs and poultry – current knowledge and directions for future research. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 93:9–21 About Dr. Jeru Abelilla-Mesina Born in Lopez, Quezon, Philippines, Dr. Jeru Abelilla-Mesina was inspired by her parents who are both Agriculturists, and decided to get a BS in Agriculture at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños (UPLB), where she majored in Animal Science with a specialization in Animal Nutrition. After graduation, she worked for a feed mill company where she learned more about the animal industry. After almost two years, she decided to get her Master’s Degree at UPLB. There, she worked on determining the digestibility of phosphorus in rice bran fed to pigs. Upon the completion of her Master’s degree, she decided to pursue further education and came to UIUC, where she earned her Ph.D. in 2018. She has been serving as the Technical Manager for Swine for dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health since May of 2023.
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