Effects of Fermented Herbal Feed on Pig Growth and Microbiota

Eighty Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire pigs were fed diets with varying levels of fermented Chinese herbal medicine over a 110-day trial. The study measured growth performance, cecal microbiota composition, metabolite profiles, and muscle flavor compounds. It provides data on associations between microbial shifts, metabolic changes, and alterations in muscle fatty acids and volatile organic compounds.

Use Cases

• Analyze associations between FCHM dosage levels (0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%) and growth metrics like final body weight and average daily gain.
• Model the relationship between cecal microbiota genera (e.g., Alloprevotella, Marvinbryantia) and altered metabolite levels (e.g., cytosine, L-malic acid).
• Investigate correlations between specific cecal metabolite profiles and changes in muscle fatty acid or volatile organic compound composition.
• Compare feed-to-gain ratio outcomes across the control and high-dosage (GH) treatment groups.

Strengths

• Experimental data from 80 pigs across four distinct treatment groups.
• Multifaceted measurements covering growth, microbiota, metabolites, and muscle composition from a 110-day trial.
• Clear documentation of the FCHM preparation from 10 traditional herbs fermented with lactic acid bacteria and yeast.

Limitations

• Very small data scale (16.6 KB file), indicating the dataset is likely a summary table or document, not raw experimental records.
• Sample data and column structure are unavailable, limiting direct analytical utility.
• Findings are exploratory and based on a subset analysis, requiring validation for mechanistic conclusions.

Provenance

Source

Xuan Luo via figshare.

Collection Method

Controlled animal feeding trial with randomized group assignments.

Time Range

110-day experimental trial.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

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