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. 2025 Jul 8:12:1605448.
doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1605448. eCollection 2025.

Safety evaluation of matrine and its impact as a feed additive on the production performance of piglets

Zhigang Cao #  1 , Yalin Wu #  1 , Xiangming Cong  2 , Abdul Haseeb  1 , Panpan Sun  1 , Hua Zhang  1 , Kuohai Fan  3 , Wei Yin  1 , Huizhen Yang  1 , Zhenbiao Zhang  1 , Jia Zhong  1 , Jianzhong Wang  1 , Yaogui Sun  1 , Hongquan Li  1 , Na Sun  1
Affiliations

Safety evaluation of matrine and its impact as a feed additive on the production performance of piglets

Zhigang Cao et al. Front Vet Sci. .

Abstract

Introduction: Previous studies have suggested that matrine may improve animal production performance, but its role and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Methods: Following the determination of the LD50 of matrine in ICR mice, the long-term toxic effects of matrine on SD-weaned rats were evaluated. 0.375, 0.75, 1.5, and 3 mg/kg matrine were added to the feed of weaned piglets, respectively. The feed intake and body weight of piglets were recorded to evaluate the growth-promoting effect of matrine. The feces and blood of weaned piglets were collected to explore the mechanism of matrine improving the growth performance of piglets.

Results: Our findings imply that the LD50 of matrine in mice was 202.54 mg/kg, and matrine did not cause any hazardous effects when administered to rats within the range of 24.5-50 mg/kg for 180 days. Furthermore, supplementation of 0.375, 0.75, and 1.5 mg/kg matrine can increase ADG (average daily weight gain), and ADFI (average daily feed intake), and decrease the FCR (food conversion rate) of piglets. Additionally, 0.375 and 0.75 mg/kg matrine could increase the positive rate of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccine antibody in serum of piglets. We analyzed the correlation between intestinal flora, fecal metabolites, and growth performance through Mothur software and found that the impact of matrine on ADG, ADFI, and FCR might be associated to Gemmiger formicilis and thiamine.

Conclusion: These findings revealed that matrine can improve the growth performance of weaned piglets by increasing the abundance of Gemmiger formicilis and thiamine content in feces.

Keywords: Gemmiger formicilis; feed additives; growth performance; matrine; thiamine; weaned piglets.

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Conflict of interest statement

XC was employed by the Manhua Medical Technology Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative images of some rat organs by H&E staining. (A) H&E staining of organs after 90 days of matrine gavage. (B) H&E staining of organs after 180 days of matrine gavage.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effects of matrine on immune indexes of weaned piglets. (A) The detection of IL-1β in serum of weaned piglets. (B) The detection of IL-6 in serum of weaned piglets. (C) The detection of IL-8 in serum of weaned piglets. (D) The detection of IgA in serum of weaned piglets. (E) The detection of IgG in serum of weaned piglets. (F) The detection of IgM in serum of weaned piglets. (G) The detection of TNF-α in serum of weaned piglets.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Representative images of some piglet organs by H&E staining. (A) Basal diets+0.375 mg/kg MT. (B) Basal diets+0.750 mg/kg MT. (C) Basal diets+1.500 mg/kg MT. (D) Basal diets+3.000 mg/kg MT. (PC) Basal diets+50 mg/kg BS. (NC) Basal diets.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The results of fecal metagenomics in weaned piglets. (A) α diversity analysis. (B) PCA analysis. (C) Species composition analysis. (D) LEfSe analysis.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The results of a non-targeted metabolomics study on feces of weaned piglets. (A) Volcanic diagram in positive ion mode. (B) Volcanic diagram in negative ion mode. (C) OPLS-DA analysis in positive ion mode. (D) OPLS-DA analysis in negative ion mode. (E) Cluster analysis of differential metabolites.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Results of the correlation analysis. (A) The results of correlation analysis between metagenomics and production data. (B) Correlation analysis between metagenomics and metabolomics. (C) The results of correlation analysis between metabolomics and production data. (D) Metabolomics KEGG analysis. * indicates p < 0.05, and ** indicates p < 0.01.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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