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other·animal science, veterinary medicine, nutrition, gastroenterology, musculoskeletal·PMC10177536

Effects of Equol Supplementation on Growth Performance, Redox Status, Intestinal Health and Skeletal Muscle Development of Weanling Piglets with Intrauterine Growth Retardation

Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI · 7 authors, 3 centres

AI SUMMARY

POPULATIONWeanling female piglets with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR; birth weight 0.89 ± 0.06 kg) and normal-birth-weight (NBW) controls (birth weight 1.53 ± 0.09 kg)

INTERVENTIONBasal diet supplemented with 50 mg equol per kg of diet for 21 days post-weaning

COMPARISONIUGR piglets fed basal diet without equol; NBW piglets fed basal diet without equol

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AGENT 01 · STRUCTURED SUMMARY

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TL;DR

This study investigated whether equol (Eq), a daidzein metabolite, could improve growth in weanling piglets with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Supplementation with 50 mg/kg Eq increased average daily gain by 14.6%, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT), improved intestinal morphology and barrier function, and promoted fast-twitch skeletal muscle fiber development. These findings suggest Eq may be a feasible nutritional intervention to mitigate IUGR-related growth deficits in pig production.

Full summary

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**Background:** Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) affects 15–20% of pig litters, causing oxidative damage, gut dysfunction, and reduced muscle growth that persists postnatally. Equol (Eq), a gut bacterial metabolite of daidzein, has potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and estrogenic properties, but no prior study had tested its effects on IUGR piglets. This study aimed to evaluate whether dietary Eq supplementation could improve growth performance, redox status, intestinal health, and skeletal muscle development in weanling IUGR piglets.

**Methods:** Twenty newborn female IUGR piglets (mean BW 0.89 ± 0.06 kg) and ten NBW female piglets (mean BW 1.53 ± 0.09 kg) were selected from litters of third-to-fifth parity sows. After weaning at 21 d, NBW piglets received a basal diet (NBW group), 10 IUGR piglets received basal diet (IUGR group), and 10 IUGR piglets received basal diet + 50 mg Eq/kg diet (IUGR+Eq group) for 21 d. At trial end, serum, intestinal tissues (duodenum, jejunum, ileum), and longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle were collected. Outcomes included growth metrics, intestinal morphology (villus height, crypt depth, V/C), antioxidant markers (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, T-AOC, MDA), serum barrier markers (DAO, D-lactate, endotoxin, immunoglobulins), cytokine concentrations (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-10), mRNA expression of tight junction and mucin genes (ZO1, ZO2, CLDN1, CLDN2, OCLN, MUC1, MUC2, TFF3), and muscle fiber typing via ATPase staining and MyHC isoform mRNA.

**Key Results:** IUGR piglets had significantly lower final BW (9.53 vs 12.82 kg), ADG (181.56 vs 242.44 g/d), and ADFI (300.41 vs 398.27 g/d) than NBW piglets (all p<0.05). Eq supplementation significantly increased final BW (10.33 kg, +8.39%), ADG (208.07 g/d, +14.6%), and ADFI (345.48 g/d, +15%) in IUGR piglets (p<0.05). Intestinal morphology improved: duodenal crypt depth decreased (208.79 vs 263.32 μm, p=0.018), duodenal V/C increased (1.86 vs 1.39, p=0.006), and jejunal villus height increased (386.30 vs 322.58 μm, p=0.037). Antioxidant capacity improved: serum SOD (10.76 vs 7.45 U/mL, p=0.039) and CAT (16.45 vs 12.82 U/mL, p=0.029) increased; serum MDA decreased (2.45 vs 3.10 nmol/mL, p=0.043). Duodenal SOD (15.09 vs 10.80 U/mg prot, p=0.024) and CAT (8.58 vs 5.52 U/g prot, p=0.038) increased. Jejunal SOD increased (20.45 vs 13.87 U/mg prot, p=0.036) and MDA decreased (2.72 vs 3.58 nmol/mg prot, p=0.041). Ileal MDA decreased (3.46 vs 4.37 nmol/mg prot, p=0.032). Serum DAO activity (8.26 vs 10.23 U/L, p=0.025), D-lactate (25.28 vs 27.11 μg/mL, p=0.041), and endotoxin (160.30 vs 184.17 EU/mL, p=0.029) decreased, while IgG increased (6.82 vs 5.58 g/L, p=0.039). Jejunal TNF-α (59.12 vs 67.33 pg/mg prot, p=0.029) and IL-10 (26.05 vs 31.22 pg/mg prot, p=0.011) decreased; ileal TNF-α decreased (67.16 vs 79.67 pg/mg prot, p=0.008). mRNA expression of CLDN1, OCLN, and TFF3 increased in jejunum; ZO1, CLDN1, OCLN, and MUC2 increased in ileum (all p<0.05). Fast-fiber percentage in LT muscle increased, with higher MyHC IIb mRNA and lower MyHC I mRNA (p<0.05).

**Clinical Implications:** This is the first study to demonstrate that dietary equol supplementation at 50 mg/kg can partially reverse IUGR-induced growth retardation in weanling piglets. The mechanisms involve enhanced antioxidant capacity (increased SOD, CAT; reduced MDA), improved intestinal morphology and barrier integrity (reduced DAO, D-lactate, endotoxin; increased tight junction and mucin gene expression), reduced intestinal inflammation (lower TNF-α, IL-10), and promotion of fast-twitch muscle fiber development (increased MyHC IIb). These findings support Eq as a potential nutritional strategy to improve growth outcomes in IUGR piglets, which could reduce economic losses in swine production. Further research is needed to confirm these effects in larger-scale production settings and to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying Eq's actions.

PICO

PPOPULATION

Weanling female piglets with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR; birth weight 0.89 ± 0.06 kg) and normal-birth-weight (NBW) controls (birth weight 1.53 ± 0.09 kg)

IINTERVENTION

Basal diet supplemented with 50 mg equol per kg of diet for 21 days post-weaning

OOUTCOME

Growth performance (BW, ADG, ADFI, F/G), redox status (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, T-AOC, MDA), intestinal morphology (villus height, crypt depth, V/C), intestinal barrier function (DAO, D-lactate, endotoxin, IgG, cytokines, tight junction mRNA), and skeletal muscle fiber type (ATPase staining, MyHC mRNA isoforms)

STUDY TYPE

other

SPECIALTY

animal science

SUMMARISED BY

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10177536

Effects of Equol Supplementation on Growth Performance, Redox Status, Intestinal Health and Skeletal Muscle Development of Weanling Piglets with Intrauterine Growth Retardation

Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Simple Summary Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) hurts the postnatal growth and development of weanling piglets. Equol (Eq), a primary bioactive metabolite of daidzein, derives from intestinal bacterial metabolism and exerts numerous biological benefits. Nevertheless, no evidence is available to discover whether dietary Eq treatment exerts positive influences on the growth performance, redox status, intestinal health and skeletal muscle development of piglets with IUGR. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influences of Eq supplementation on growth performance, redox status, intestinal health and skeletal muscle development. Here, twenty IUGR piglets and ten normal-birth-weight (NBW) female weanling piglets were used in this study and the results showed that Eq treatment enhanced antioxidant capacity and intestinal health, and facilitated skeletal muscle development, thus promoting the growth performance of IUGR piglets. Our findings provide significant implications for improving the growth performance of IUGR piglets and highlighting feasible applications in pig production. Abstract Animals with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) usually undergo injured postnatal growth and development during the early period after birth. Equol (Eq), an isoflavan produced by gut bacteria in response to daidzein intake, has various health benefits. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether Eq supplementation can influence the growth performance, redox status, intestinal health and skeletal muscle development of weanling piglets with IUGR. A total of 10 normal-birth-weight (NBW) newborn female piglets and 20 newborn female piglets with IUGR were selected. After weaning at the age of 21 d, 10 NBW piglets and 10 IUGR piglets were allocated to the NBW group and IUGR group, respectively, and offered a basal diet. The other 10 IUGR piglets were allocated to the IUGR + Eq group and offered a basal diet with 50 mg of Eq per kg of diet. The whole trial lasted for 21 d. At the end of the feeding trial, all piglets were sacrificed for the collection of serum, intestinal tissues and skeletal muscles. Supplementation with Eq increased the average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), duodenal villus height to crypt depth ratio (V/C), jejunal villus height and V/C, but reduced the duodenal crypt depth in neonatal piglets with IUGR. Meanwhile, Eq supplementation elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the serum and duodenum and the activity of SOD in the jejunum, but lowered malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the serum, jejunum and ileum of piglets with IUGR. In addition, supplementation with Eq reduced diamine oxidase (DAO) activity and the levels of D-lactate and endotoxin in serum, and the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level in jejunum and ileum, whereas the concentration of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and the mRNA levels of intestinal barrier-related markers in jejunum and ileum of IUGR piglets were increased. Furthermore, supplementation with Eq elevated the percentage of fast-fibers and was accompanied with higher mRNA expression of myosin heavy chain IIb ( MyHC IIb ) and lower mRNA levels in MyHC I in the longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle of IUGR piglets. In summary, Eq supplementation can promote antioxidant capacity, maintain intestinal health and facilitate skeletal muscle development, thus resulting in the higher growth performance of IUGR piglets. Keywords: equol, intrauterine growth retardation, intestinal health, skeletal muscle development, piglets, redox status

CITATION EXPORT

Yong Zhang, Jingchang Ren, Li Chen et al.. Effects of Equol Supplementation on Growth Performance, Redox Status, Intestinal Health and Skeletal Muscle Development of Weanling Piglets with Intrauterine Growth Retardation. Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI. (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13091469

AUTHORS

7 · 3 CENTRES

Yong Zhang, Jingchang Ren, Li Chen, Honglin Yan, Tiande Zou, Hongfu Zhang, Jingbo Liu

1School of Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China; [email protected] (Y.Z.); [email protected] (J.R.); [email protected] (L.C.); [email protected] (H.Y.)
2Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; [email protected]
3Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; [email protected]