# Dietary Supplementation with Fermented Milk Improves Growth Performance and Intestinal Functions in Intrauterine Growth-Restricted Piglets

## TL;DR

Fermented milk improves growth and gut health in underweight piglets born small, offering a potential solution for the swine industry.

## Contribution

This study is the first to demonstrate the benefits of fermented milk on intestinal health and growth in intrauterine growth-restricted piglets.

## Key findings

- Fermented milk increased growth rates and feed efficiency in IUGR piglets.
- It enhanced intestinal development and reduced inflammation and oxidative stress.
- Digestive enzyme activities and intestinal barrier functions were improved by the treatment.

## Abstract

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) adversely affects survival, growth, development, and health in mammals, and it commonly occurs in pigs and causes serious economic losses to the swine industry. Fermented milk, a dairy product with high nutritive value and probiotic attributes, has shown gastrointestinal and general health benefits. However, the effect of fermented milk on IUGR in pigs remains unclear. This study revealed that dietary supplementation with fermented milk increased growth rates and feed efficiency in weaned piglets with IUGR. The fermented milk also promoted intestinal development, increased digestive enzyme activities, enhanced barrier functions, and alleviated oxidative stress and inflammation in the small intestine. Overall, fermented milk improved the growth performance and intestinal health of IUGR piglets. Our research provides a potential nutritional approach for managing IUGR in swine production.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) commonly occurs in pigs and poses a significant challenge to the swine industry. This study investigated the effect of fermented milk on growth performance and intestinal health in IUGR-affected piglets. A total of 24 28-day-old weaned piglets with IUGR were randomly assigned to a corn-soybean basal diet (control) or a basal diet mixed with fermented milk (3:1 w/v, treatment). The results showed that fermented milk increased the average daily gain and decreased the feed-to-gain ratio (p < 0.05). Fermented milk increased the villus height in the duodenum and decreased the jejunal crypt depth (p < 0.05). Pigs in the treatment showed higher activities of lipase, α-amylase, and sucrase in the duodenum, along with an elevation in jejunal sucrase activity (p < 0.05). The ileal glutathione concentration was increased by the treatment (p < 0.05). Moreover, fermented milk upregulated the protein expression of occludin and claudin-3 while decreasing the gene expression of interleukin 1 beta, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor αlpha in the jejunum (p < 0.05). Collectively, these results indicate that dietary supplementation with fermented milk significantly improved growth performance through the enhancement of intestinal functions in IUGR piglets, highlighting the potential of fermented milk as a nutritional strategy to improve postnatal growth in IUGR piglets.