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Distinct functional roles of Lactobacillus strains in modulating lipid metabolism, adipose accumulation, inflammatory responses, and carcass characteristics in heavy finishing pigs
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DOI：10.1016/j.aninu.2026.03.006.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Supplementation with Lactobacillus strains attracts intense interest for its potential in regulating fat accumulation in both humans and animals. However, the functional disparities among Lactobacillus strains remain poorly understood. This study examined the impact of dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) and Lactobacillus johnsonii (L. johnsonii) on lipid metabolism, carcass traits, and meat quality in heavy finishing pigs. A total of 288 finishing pigs (equal numbers of castrated barrows and gilts; initial body weight = 109.88 ± 1.58 kg) were randomly allocated to 3 dietary treatments with 6 replicate pens and 16 pigs per pen. Pigs were fed a basal diet (CON), or the basal diet supplemented with L. reuteri or L. johnsonii at a daily dose of 5 × 1010 CFU per pig, respectively, over a 42-d experimental period. The experimental results demonstrated that compared with CON, both probiotic strains significantly decreased serum levels of cortisol and pro-inflammatory factors including TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-17, while significantly elevating the levels of anti-inflammatory factor IL-4 and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (P < 0.05), and reduced the concentration of saturated fatty acids in Longissimus thoracis (LT) (P = 0.014). L. johnsonii supplementation significantly reduced backfat thickness at the 10th-rib (P = 0.040) and last-rib backfat (P = 0.025), significantly increased fat-free lean index (P = 0.015), and significantly decreased adipocyte size in subcutaneous adipose tissue (P < 0.001), accompanied by the activation of the AMPK/PPARγ signaling pathway. Compared with CON, L. reuteri supplementation significantly reduced the shear force (P = 0.043) and intramuscular fat (IMF) content (P = 0.026) of LT muscle of finishing pigs and significantly increased free valine, methionine, and isoleucine concentrations in fresh meat (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the two strains of Lactobacillus exhibited distinct characteristics. Specifically, L. johnsonii primarily promoted lipid catabolism while simultaneously suppressing lipid anabolism by activating the AMPK/PPARγ signaling pathway, leading to a reduction in backfat thickness. In contrast, L. reuteri exhibited stronger focus on improving meat quality traits, such as tenderness and amino acid composition. This study offers a valuable insight into the specific application of probiotics in high-quality pork production.
Keywords:
Lactobacillus reuteri
Lactobacillus johnsonii
Lipid metabolism
Subcutaneous fat accumulation
Carcass characteristics
Pig
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