ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2025 65 GM1 AC cAMP PKA Water Na+ TLR4 Membrane lipids Stress Endotoxin ClHCO3 - Na+ LPS IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2 IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2 MAPK ROS ROS Inflammation NF-κB ZO Myosin Light Chain ERK p38 Rel A P65 MLCK Transcription ENTEROCYTE Claudin & occludin ROS build-up activates the Nuclear Factor kappalight-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) pathway. This translocates to the cell’s nucleus and changes protein transcription. One effect is impairing the synthesis of tight junction proteins, altering the function of the intestinal barrier. This increases gut permeability and causes microbiota imbalances that favor intestinal colonization by entero-toxigenic Escherichia coli, leading to diarrhea. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide enhances ROS production by the mitochondrion, increasing oxidative status. Another effect is the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8), causing intestinal inflammation and altering local innate immunity. The diagram contained in Figure 1 schematically summarizes the implications of the enhanced oxidative status in intestinal cells. Producers try to overcome the low voluntary intake immediately after weaning by enhancing feed palatability. While this strategy may effectively increase feed consumption, the status of the intestine prevents an effective nutrient digestion, and contribute to exacerbating oxidative stress. This is worrisome because weight gain is a direct consequence of intake, and low gains at this stage may either cause lower weight at the end of fattening, or unnecessarily lengthening the time required to reach market weight. In both cases economic losses are incurred by the producer. So, the use of additives to enhance daily feed intake may have the intended consequence of aggravating the intestinal physio-metabolic status. It is in this complex technical and economic environment that polyphenol-rich botanical extracts find their role of restoring piglet’s homeostasis and functional balance. There is extensive published research showcasing the ability of polyphenols to reduce the oxidative status of production animals, recovering the usual productive parameters as the outcome of their Figure 1. Pathways, effectors and consequences of weaning stress on the enterocyte, leading to compromised growth rate. TLR4: toll -like receptor 4; NF-kB: Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells pathway; MAPK: Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase pathway; ERK, Rel A: nucleus-translocated components of pathways modifying protein transcription; MLCK: Myosin Light Chain Kinase; ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species; IL-1b, TNF-a, IL-6, COX-2: pro-inflammatory cytokines; GM1: ganglioside receptor of ETEC LT toxin; LPS: bacterial lipopolysaccharide.
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