Daily feeding frequency impacts muscle characteristics and fat deposition in finishing pigs associated with alterations in microbiota composition and bile acid profile
IntroductionFeeding frequency has been shown to affect growth and body composition of the host associated with gut microbiota. It remains unknown whether adjusting feeding frequency could effectively regulate both skeletal muscle development and whole-body lipid metabolism and thus affect carcass co...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1510354/full |
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| author | Luga Hu Huayu Tang Zhaoxi Xie Hongyu Yi Lunjie Feng Pan Zhou Yong Zhang Jingbo Liu Xiang Ao Jianchuan Zhou Honglin Yan |
| author_facet | Luga Hu Huayu Tang Zhaoxi Xie Hongyu Yi Lunjie Feng Pan Zhou Yong Zhang Jingbo Liu Xiang Ao Jianchuan Zhou Honglin Yan |
| author_sort | Luga Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionFeeding frequency has been shown to affect growth and body composition of the host associated with gut microbiota. It remains unknown whether adjusting feeding frequency could effectively regulate both skeletal muscle development and whole-body lipid metabolism and thus affect carcass composition and feed conversion efficiency. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of feeding frequency on muscle growth, fat deposition, cecal microbiota composition, and bile acid composition in finishing pigs.MethodsSixteen Sichuan-Tibetan black pigs, with an initial weight of 121.50 ± 1.60 kg, were divided into two groups and fed either two meals (M2) or four meals (M4) per day. The trial lasted 30 days. The muscle fiber characteristics, lipid metabolism in adipose tissue, and cecal microbiota and bile acid composition were determined.ResultsThe present study revealed that pigs fed four meals exhibited a lower feed-to-gain ratio, abdominal fat weight, and average backfat thickness (p < 0.05), as well as a higher loin eye area (p = 0.09) and myofiber diameter in the longissimus muscle than their counterparts. The mRNA expression of slow-twitch fiber and myogenesis-associated genes in the longissimus muscle was upregulated, while lipid metabolism-related genes in the backfat were downregulated in the M4 group compared to the M2 group (p < 0.05). The M4 pigs exhibited higher abundances of Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, Bacillus, Clostridium_sensu_1, and Romboutsia, and lower abundances of Spirochaetota, Verrucomicrobiota, Treponema, and Muribaculaceae in the cecal content than the M2 pigs (p < 0.05). A higher feeding frequency increased the levels of primary bile acids and decreased the concentrations of taurine-conjugated bile acids in the cecal content of pigs (p < 0.05).ConclusionOur research suggested that the M4 feeding pattern, compared to the M2 pattern, promoted muscle growth and reduced fat deposition by enhancing fast- to slow-twitch fiber conversion and myogenesis in the muscle and repressing lipid metabolism in adipose tissue, associated with altered microbiota composition and bile acid profiles. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-328e6e289de747e1bd1471278c657c4e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-328e6e289de747e1bd1471278c657c4e2025-01-28T22:12:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2025-01-011610.3389/fmicb.2025.15103541510354Daily feeding frequency impacts muscle characteristics and fat deposition in finishing pigs associated with alterations in microbiota composition and bile acid profileLuga Hu0Huayu Tang1Zhaoxi Xie2Hongyu Yi3Lunjie Feng4Pan Zhou5Yong Zhang6Jingbo Liu7Xiang Ao8Jianchuan Zhou9Honglin Yan10School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, ChinaFeng Guangde Laboratory, Sichuan TQLS Group, Mianyang, Sichuan, ChinaFeng Guangde Laboratory, Sichuan TQLS Group, Mianyang, Sichuan, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, ChinaIntroductionFeeding frequency has been shown to affect growth and body composition of the host associated with gut microbiota. It remains unknown whether adjusting feeding frequency could effectively regulate both skeletal muscle development and whole-body lipid metabolism and thus affect carcass composition and feed conversion efficiency. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of feeding frequency on muscle growth, fat deposition, cecal microbiota composition, and bile acid composition in finishing pigs.MethodsSixteen Sichuan-Tibetan black pigs, with an initial weight of 121.50 ± 1.60 kg, were divided into two groups and fed either two meals (M2) or four meals (M4) per day. The trial lasted 30 days. The muscle fiber characteristics, lipid metabolism in adipose tissue, and cecal microbiota and bile acid composition were determined.ResultsThe present study revealed that pigs fed four meals exhibited a lower feed-to-gain ratio, abdominal fat weight, and average backfat thickness (p < 0.05), as well as a higher loin eye area (p = 0.09) and myofiber diameter in the longissimus muscle than their counterparts. The mRNA expression of slow-twitch fiber and myogenesis-associated genes in the longissimus muscle was upregulated, while lipid metabolism-related genes in the backfat were downregulated in the M4 group compared to the M2 group (p < 0.05). The M4 pigs exhibited higher abundances of Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, Bacillus, Clostridium_sensu_1, and Romboutsia, and lower abundances of Spirochaetota, Verrucomicrobiota, Treponema, and Muribaculaceae in the cecal content than the M2 pigs (p < 0.05). A higher feeding frequency increased the levels of primary bile acids and decreased the concentrations of taurine-conjugated bile acids in the cecal content of pigs (p < 0.05).ConclusionOur research suggested that the M4 feeding pattern, compared to the M2 pattern, promoted muscle growth and reduced fat deposition by enhancing fast- to slow-twitch fiber conversion and myogenesis in the muscle and repressing lipid metabolism in adipose tissue, associated with altered microbiota composition and bile acid profiles.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1510354/fullfeeding frequencymyofiber type transformationlipid depositionmicrobiotabile acids |
| spellingShingle | Luga Hu Huayu Tang Zhaoxi Xie Hongyu Yi Lunjie Feng Pan Zhou Yong Zhang Jingbo Liu Xiang Ao Jianchuan Zhou Honglin Yan Daily feeding frequency impacts muscle characteristics and fat deposition in finishing pigs associated with alterations in microbiota composition and bile acid profile Frontiers in Microbiology feeding frequency myofiber type transformation lipid deposition microbiota bile acids |
| title | Daily feeding frequency impacts muscle characteristics and fat deposition in finishing pigs associated with alterations in microbiota composition and bile acid profile |
| title_full | Daily feeding frequency impacts muscle characteristics and fat deposition in finishing pigs associated with alterations in microbiota composition and bile acid profile |
| title_fullStr | Daily feeding frequency impacts muscle characteristics and fat deposition in finishing pigs associated with alterations in microbiota composition and bile acid profile |
| title_full_unstemmed | Daily feeding frequency impacts muscle characteristics and fat deposition in finishing pigs associated with alterations in microbiota composition and bile acid profile |
| title_short | Daily feeding frequency impacts muscle characteristics and fat deposition in finishing pigs associated with alterations in microbiota composition and bile acid profile |
| title_sort | daily feeding frequency impacts muscle characteristics and fat deposition in finishing pigs associated with alterations in microbiota composition and bile acid profile |
| topic | feeding frequency myofiber type transformation lipid deposition microbiota bile acids |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1510354/full |
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