Potassium Diformate Attenuates Inflammation and Enhances Intestinal Barrier Function Associated With Gut Microbiota...

This experiment explored the impacts of potassium diformate (K-diformate) on growth performance, inflammation, intestinal barrier function, and gut microbiota in nursery piglets. Twenty-four weaned piglets were assigned to four dietary groups supplemented with 0%, 0.6%, 1.2%, or 1.8% K-diformate for 28 days. Results showed that the FCR decreased linearly with increasing K-diformate levels (p < 0.05). Importantly, piglets in the 1.8% K-diformate group had the lowest FCR, which was lower than that of the control group by 15.03% and 14.29% in weeks 1-2 and 3-4, respectively (p < 0.05). Additionally, piglets receiving 1.8% K-diformate demonstrated lower serum IL-6 levels (9.27% reduction), along with reduced jejunal IL-6 (17.64%), IL-1β (10.29%), and TNF-α levels (14.01%) relative to the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, piglets in the 1.8% K-diformate group exhibited decreased serum D-lactate (36.00% reduction) and LPS levels (9.90% reduction), and elevated serum GLP-2 levels (9.23% increase), as well as upregulated jejunal ZO-1, Occludin, and MUC2, both at mRNA and protein expression levels (p < 0.05). Microbiota analysis revealed piglets in the 1.8% K-diformate group exhibited higher abundances of Treponema, Roseburia, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, and norank_f_Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, while showing lower abundances of Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Sarcina, and Blautia (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis further revealed associations between Roseburia, Blautia, Sarcina, and Lactobacillus with inflammation, and between Treponema, Roseburia, Streptococcus, Blautia, and Sarcina with intestinal barrier function (p < 0.05). Collectively, dietary addition with K-diformate (especially 1.8%) improved growth performance, inflammation, and intestinal barrier function associated with gut microbiota modulation in nursery piglets.