Effects of Fermented Citrus Residue on Growth Performance and Physiological Functions of Weaned Piglets

LÜ Lingyan; LIU Saian; SHI Yun; LIU Zheng; ZHANG Jiaqing; HU Chuanhuo; YUAN Peng; LIU Kai

doi:10.15933/j.cnki.1004-3268.2026.03.015

Abstract：To assess the effects of fermented citrus residue(FCR)with respect to growth performance,apparent nutrient digestibility,serum biochemical indexes,as well as antioxidant capacity and immune function in weaned piglets,80'Landrace×Yorkshire'crossbred weaned piglets with consistent health status and initial body weight of(8.20±0.50)kg were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups(each treatment group consisted of 4 replicates with 5 weaned piglets per replicate).Pigs in the control group were offered a basal diet,while those in the experimental groups were given the basal diet added with 2%,5%and 8%of FCR,recorded as FCR-1 group,FCR-2 group,and FCR-3 group respectively,and the experimental period lasted for 30 days.The results showed that compared with the control group,the final body weights of piglets in the three experimental groups were significantly increased by 7.87%,9.59%,and 10.18%respectively.Average daily gain in the FCR-2 and FCR-3 groups were both significantly increased by 15.79%.Among them,the FCR-2 group had the lowest feed-to-weight and diarrhea rate,which were decreased by 16.44%and 22.28%respectively.The apparent digestibility of dry matter,crude protein and crude fat in the FCR-2 and FCR-3 groups was significantly higher than that in the control group.The apparent digestibility of crude fiber and calcium in the FCR-2 group was 16.01%and 9.88%higher than that in the control group respectively,and the apparent phosphorus digestibility of all experimental groups was markedly enhanced.In comparison with the control group,there was no significant difference in the serum contents of albumin,globulin,albumin/globulin ratio and total protein in the experimental groups,but the blood urea nitrogen content of FCR-2 group was significantly decreased by 16.75%.The level of serum total antioxidant capacity,catalase acivity,superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione peroxidase activity were significantly increased across all experimental groups.The catalase activity in the FCR-2 and FCR-3 groups was increased by 16.53%and 12.16%,respectively,while the malondialdehyde content of FCR-1,FCR-2 and FCR-3 groups was significantly decreased by 5.12%,15.83%and 13.03%,respectively.Additionally,the contents of IgA,IL-10 and C3 were significantly elevated in the FCR-2 and FCR-3 groups;the FCR-2 group had the highest IgM content,which was significantly superior to that of the other groups.The TNF-α content in the FCR-2 and FCR-3 groups was 17.64%and 20.69%lower than that in the control group,respectively,and the IL-6 content in each experimental group was 10.84%,12.76%and 13.86%lower than that in the control group,respectively.In conclusion,the addition of 5%FCR in the basal diet of weaned piglets can significantly improve their growth performance and nutrient utilization efficiency,while also can optimize serum biochemical status,as well as enhance the body's antioxidant capacity and immune function,which provides experimental support for the rational application of fermented citrus residue in the diet of weaned piglets.