Effects of dietary Pleurotus geesteranus stem supplementation on growth performance, anti-inflammation activity, intestinal function, and meat quality in pigs

The study evaluated the effects of Pleurotus geesteranus stem (PGS), an agricultural waste rich in bioactive components, on pig growth, antioxidant status, anti-inflammatory responses, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, fecal microbiota, intestinal function, and meat quality across different stages. In Exp. 1, 108 weaned piglets (7.80 ± 0.41 kg) were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments: control (basal diet), 1.5% PGS, and 3% PGS. In Exp. 2, 108 growing-finishing pigs (76.97 ± 5.91 kg) were subjected to the same treatments. Results showed that diets supplemented with PGS increased the average daily gain (ADG) (P<0.05) and fecal total SCFA contents (P<0.05) of piglets. PGS supplementation reduced serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) content (P<0.05) and fecal Escherichia coli counts (P<0.05) in piglets. The PGS addition could enhance ileal mucosal mucin 1 and mucin 2 expression (P<0.05), decrease drip loss (P<0.05), and increase pH45min value (P<0.05) of longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM), and down-regulate ACC expression (P<0.05) in LDM of growing-finishing pigs. Overall, PGS supplementation positively influenced growth performance, inflammation control, SCFA production, intestinal health, and meat quality.