Effect of Different Dietary Lipid Sources on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Intestinal Health in Weaned Pigs

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Lipids are an ideal source of energy for piglets. Several studies have shown that dietary oil supplementation can improve the growth performance of weaned piglets. This experiment investigated the effects of different fat sources on the growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets, and compared with the conventional use of soybean oil, pigs treated with fish–palm–rice oil mixture (FPRO) and coconut–palm–rice oil mixture (CPRO) showed improvements in digestibility and intestinal epithelial function, and a reduction in the production of inflammatory cytokines. The results of this study can provide the theoretical basis for the rational selection of lipid sources in weaned piglets and other mammals. ABSTRACT: To investigate the effects of lipid sources on growth performance and intestinal health, 72 weaned pigs were randomly allocated to three treatments. Pigs were fed with a corn–soybean meal diet containing 2% soybean oil (SO), or fish–palm–rice oil mixture (FPRO), or coconut–palm–rice oil mixture (CPRO). The trial lasted for 28 days; blood and intestinal tissue samples were collected. The results showed that the crude fat digestibility of the FPRO group was higher than that of the SO and CPRO groups (p < 0.05). The FPRO group also had higher digestibility of dry matter, ash, and gross energy than the SO group (p < 0.05); compared to the SO group, the serum interlukin-6 (IL-6) concentration was decreased. Interestingly, the FPRO and CPRO groups had higher villus height than the SO group in the jejunum and ileum, respectively (p < 0.05). Moreover, the FPRO group had higher Lactobacillus abundance than the SO group in the colon and cecum (p < 0.05). Importantly, the expression levels of tight junction protein ZO-1, Claudin-1, and Occludin in the duodenal and ileal mucosa were higher in the FPRO group than in the SO and CPRO groups (p < 0.05). The expression levels of nutrient transporters such as the CAT-1, PepT1, FATP1, and SGLT1 were higher in the FPRO group than in the SO group (p < 0.05). The improved digestibility and intestinal epithelium functions, as well as the reduced inflammatory cytokines, in the FPRO and CPRO group suggest that a mixed lipid source such as the FPRO deserves further attention.