0
Meat quality is a key trait in pig production, with intramuscular fat and fatty acid composition influencing pork characteristics. Phytosterols are plant bioactive compounds with potential effects on lipid metabolism and gut health.
Objective: This study evaluated the effects of phytosterols supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, lipid metabolism, and gut microbiota in finishing pigs.
Methods: Forty-eight finishing barrows were randomly assigned to a basal diet or the same diet supplemented with 300 mg/kg soybean-derived phytosterols for 42 days. Growth performance was recorded throughout the trial. Fecal samples were collected on days 38–40, while blood, muscle, adipose tissue, and intestinal samples were collected at slaughter after the feeding period. Nutrient digestibility, serum biochemistry, digestive enzymes, meat quality, fatty acid profile, adipose tissue morphology, lipid metabolism-related gene expression, and colonic microbiota (16S rRNA sequencing) were evaluated.
Results: Phytosterols supplementation improved average daily gain, ether extract digestibility, and jejunal lipase concentration. It also increased serum HDL cholesterol, intramuscular fat content, and muscle essential fatty acids, including C18:2n6c, C18:3n3, and n-3 PUFA. Phytosterols increased the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes, including acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FASN), and PPARγ, and tended to increase CD36 expression. Gut microbiota analysis showed reduced abundances of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Escherichia-Shigella, and Prevotella_9, together with increased abundances of unidentified Ruminococcaceae and Paludicola. Correlation analysis indicated associations between these bacterial changes and genes involved in lipid metabolism.
Conclusion: Dietary phytosterol supplementation at 300 mg/kg improved growth performance, nutrient utilization, and pork quality in finishing pigs, potentially through modulation of lipid metabolism and gut microbiota.
Zhong S, Li C, Tian Q, Yang L, Mei L, Huang X, Li Y. Effects of phytosterols on growth performance and meat quality in finishing pigs: Role of lipid metabolism and gut microbiota. Frontiers in Veterinary Science; 2026; 13: 1864330. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1864330