ISSUE FOCUS 78 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2026 able information on both the level and profile of SCFA production. STRATEGIES TO MAKE ANIMALS ROBUST AND REINFORCING THEIR RESILIENCE While animals are inherently driven to maintain homeostasis, we know the path is never smooth, and the organism needs to constantly adapt so it can perform as close as possible to its genetic potential. The stronger these adaptations, the higher the demand in energy and other micronutrients to maintain homeostasis. In other words, one should account for these expenses when maintenance requirements are estimated, and diets are formulated. While inflammation is a normal response, it is demanding in energy, and multiple other micro-nutrients. Providing the nutrients to cope with the increased demand may allow to sustain performance. Other strategies may consist in stimulating the anti-inflammatory response or increase antioxidant capacity. Animals face multiple sources of stress during their life. From life events such as hatching, vaccination, weaning, farrowing, or laying, to environmental and social stressors, all these events challenge homeostasis and may increase the presence of free radicals, also called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). When the availability of antioxidants is limited in the cells, the overaccumulation of ROS may result in oxidative stress. Depending on the duration and the intensity of the stress(es), oxidative stress may impair physiological functions, induce inflammatory response, opportunistic pathogen invasion, and ultimately infections. Supplementing diets with antioxidants such as selenium, vitamin C and E, or live yeast reinforce antioxidant capacity and may enable animals to better cope with the excess of ROS in situations of stress. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE FUTURE? To integrate adequate predictions of animal response into precision nutrition, more parameters than nutrient requirements and levels should be considered. Nutritionists need to define feeding strategies that support gut integrity, robustness and resilience to ensure efficient nutrient utilisation for maximum productivity and be closer to genetic potential. Managing intestinal microbiome is a very complex task, indeed, but it can potentially add value to standard precise nutrition approaches. The microbiome still needs to be explored further, and ongoing research should bring more understanding of the host and microbiota interactions for future leverage. Microbiome function can be explored in commercial conditions using faecal samples. As we collect more data, we also gain insights into animal responses, which will help us link bacteria presence with fermentation activity and gut health. If we better understand how animals respond under different conditions, we can hope to better quantify their requirements, and adapt nutritional strategies to different scenarios and targets, and eventually be able to link these responses to mechanistic models. About Virginie Blanvillain Born and raised in France, Virginie Blanvillain lives in Quebec, Canada. She developed an international experience in the animal feed industry by working in research and development, technology transfer, nutrition and quality assurance. Over the past years, she has been actively involved in the development and implementation of innovative tools and services for nutritionists, producers, integrators and feed mills. She provides training and technical support to the AB Vista network worldwide, while leading the development and continuous improvement of NIR, carbon emissions and lab services.
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