Dietary Enzyme Supplementation in Swine Nutrition

Dietary enzyme supplementation in swine nutrition involves the addition of specific exogenous enzymes to pig feed with the aim of enhancing nutrient digestibility, growth performance and gut health. Commonly used enzymes include proteases, which catalyse protein degradation; carbohydrases, which break down non-starch polysaccharides; and phytases, which liberate phosphorus bound to phytate. By reducing antinutritional factors, improving the availability of amino acids, energy and minerals, and modulating the intestinal microbiota and barrier function, enzyme supplementation can lead to better feed conversion, lower environmental nutrient excretion and more consistent animal health. Practical applications range from weaned piglets, whose endogenous enzyme secretion is often inadequate, to growing-finishing pigs, where optimised enzyme blends contribute to economic viability and sustainable pork production.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated that inclusion of aspartic protease in reduced-protein diets significantly enhances average daily gain and feed conversion efficiency in growing pigs without adverse effects on health indicators. Optimal dosing not only improved apparent nutrient digestibility but also resulted in greater carcass weight and yield. Economic analyses revealed that moderate enzyme inclusion maximised profitability by offsetting the cost of supplementation through improved growth metrics and feed utilisation.

Dietary Enzyme Supplementation in Swine Nutrition publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in dietary enzyme supplementation in swine nutrition across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Exogenous enzyme: An enzyme added to the feed rather than produced by the animal’s own digestive system.

Protease: A class of enzymes that hydrolyse peptide bonds, facilitating protein breakdown into absorbable amino acids.

Ileal digestibility: The proportion of nutrients absorbed in the small intestine up to the ileum, often used to assess true feed utilisation.

Villus height-to-crypt depth ratio: A histological measure of intestinal health; higher ratios indicate improved absorptive surface and mucosal regeneration.

References

1. Dietary Protease Supplementation Improved Growth Performance and Nutrients Digestion via Modulating Intestine Barrier, Immunological Response, and Microbiota Composition in Weaned Piglets. Antioxidants (2024).
2. Aspartic protease supplementation enhancing the performance, carcass characteristics, nutrient digestibility and economic viability, without changing blood parameters and salivary cortisol of pigs. Scientific Reports (2024).
3. Effects of Protease in Soybean Meal-Reduced Diets on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Intestinal Health of Weaned Piglets. Animals (2023).
4. Effect of protease supplementation on amino acid digestibility of soybean meal fed to growing-finishing pigs in two different ages. Journal of Animal Science (2024).