Effects of Medium-Chain Fatty Acid Glycerides on Nutrient Metabolism and Energy Utilization in Weaned Piglets

Zhijuan Cui; Xianze Wang; Simeng Liao; Ming Qi; Andong Zha; Gang Zuo; Peng Liao; Yuguang Chen; Chun Guo; Bie Tan

doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.938888

Effects of Medium-Chain Fatty Acid Glycerides on Nutrient Metabolism and Energy Utilization in Weaned Piglets

Front Vet Sci. 2022 Jun 29:9:938888. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.938888. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Zhijuan Cui^{1

2}, Xianze Wang¹, Simeng Liao³, Ming Qi³, Andong Zha³, Gang Zuo¹, Peng Liao², Yuguang Chen¹, Chun Guo⁴, Bie Tan¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China.
² Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, Institute of Subtropical Animal Nutrition and Feed, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
³ Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, China.
⁴ Center for Medical Research and Innovation, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China.

Abstract

Weaning stress induces the depressed digestive and absorptive capacity and insufficient intestinal energy supply. Medium-chain fatty acid glycerides have shown to improve the growth performance and intestinal barrier function of weaned piglets in the previous study. This study was aimed to investigate the regulation of medium-chain fatty acid glyceride on the nutrient absorption and energy utilization of weaned piglets. Nighty healthy weaned piglets were randomly assigned into five treatments: NP (Normal protein, normal-protein diet no antibiotics included); NC (Negative control, low-protein diet no antibiotics included); PC (Positive control, low-protein diet +75 mg/kg quinocetone, 20 mg/kg virginiamycin and 50 mg/kg aureomycin); MCT (tricaprylin + tricaprin group, low-protein diet + tricaprylin + tricaprin); GML (glycerol monolaurate group, low-protein diet + glycerol monolaurate). The results showed that GML treatment increased the ALP activity, concentrations of serine and methionine, MCT treatment increased concentrations of serine and 3-methyl-histidine but decreased TG concentration in serum. MCT and GML supplementations significantly promoted the lipase activity in the jejunum and ileum, as well as the AMP content in the ileal mucosa. GML addition significantly decreased the contents of butyric acid, isobutyric acid and total volatile fatty acid. In addition, medium chain fatty acid glycerides altered gene expressions involved in lipid metabolism, which showing the increases of AMPK2, CD36 and CGI58 and the decreases of MGAT2 and DGAT2 in the liver, as well as the increases of CD36, CGI58, MGAT2 and DGAT2 in the subcutaneous adipose tissue. These findings showed that medium-chain fatty acid glyceride can effectively improve the absorption of nutrients and lipid metabolism of piglets to meet the energy demand of weaned piglets, and then regulate the growth and development of weaned piglets.

Keywords: energy; enzyme activity; lipid metabolism; medium-chain fatty acid glycerides; nutrient absorption.