Heat stress is one of the major challenges facing modern swine production,negatively affecting growth, feed efficiency, reproductive performance, and farm profitability.
Beyond reducing feed intake, heat stress induces physiological, metabolic, and immunological changes that directly impact productive performance. During periods of heat stress, the gastrointestinal tract receives less oxygen and fewer nutrients, resulting in intestinal hypoxia and impaired intestinal mucosal function.
This condition disrupts tight junction integrity,, increases intestinal permeability, reduces nutrient absorption , and promotes the translocation of bacterial endotoxins into the bloodstream, thereby triggering systemic inflammation and oxidative stress.
Plant-derived bioactive compounds have attracted increasing interest as tools to improve animal resilience to heat stress. Among them, polyphenols from grape extract and capsaicin help to reduce oxidative stress, modulate inflammatory responses, protect intestinal integrity, and promote thermoregulation and heat dissipation.
In this context, nutritional strategies play a key role in complementing management measures, by helping to maintain animal welfare, preserve productivity, and reduce the economic losses associated with heat stress.