Phytogenics in swine nutrition. REVIEW

Dear colleagues,

In this case, I summarize the recent paper entitled “Phytogenics in swine nutrition and their effects on growth performance, nutrient utilization, gut health, and meat quality” published by Madesh et al. in Springer Nature's Journal Stress Biology.

ABSTRACT

Phytogenic additives have undergone extensive testing in swine production to determine their effects on gastrointestinal function and health, as well as their implications for the systemic health and welfare of pigs, flock production efficiency, food safety, and environmental impact.

These plant-derived additives, which include herbs, spices, fruits, and various plant components, contain numerous bioactive ingredients.

A review of the published literature on phytogenic feed additive supplementation has revealed conflicting findings regarding their efficacy in swine production.

This suggests that further efforts are needed to determine appropriate inclusion levels and thoroughly clarify their mechanisms of action.

This review summarizes current trends in the application of phytogenic feed additives, highlighting their effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, biochemical profiles, gene expression, hypocholesterolemic properties, immunity, meat quality, fatty acid composition, amino acid content, and intestinal microbiota in pigs. In particular, it focuses on their study as possible substitutes for growth-promoting antibiotics in pig production.

CONCLUSION

It has been suggested that the addition of phytogenics to pig feed attenuates the stress response by suppressing the NF-κB and Nrf2 pathways and enhancing the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines. This review demonstrates that essential oil, plant extract, and herbal extract could be used as phytogenics in the swine industry to improve food safety, health, and economic aspects.

This review demonstrates that essential oil, plant extract, and herbal extract could be used as phytogenics in the swine industry to improve food safety, health, and economic aspects.

Original article:

Phytogenics in swine nutrition and their effects on growth performance, nutrient
utilization, gut health, and meat quality: a review. Madesh et al. Stress Biology (2025) 5:11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44154-024-00209-2