Dietary Inulin Improves Pork Quality and Systemic Health Via Gut Microbiome and Metabolome Modulation in Finishing Pigs

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However, the potential to influence pork flavor development through gut environment changes in animal husbandry remains unexplored. This study investigated the relationships among systemic health, meat flavor, gut microbiome, and metabolome in pigs fed a diet supplemented with inulin. Thirty-six male Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire pigs (75.0 ± 1.5 kg) were divided into 2 groups, and fed either a regular diet (CON group) or a diet containing 0.5% inulin (INU group) for 60 d. Results Inulin supplementation did not adversely affect production or slaughter performance ( P > 0.05) but enhanced systemic health by improving serum biochemistry indicators ( P < 0.05). Additionally, it increased the level of C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, and glutamic acid in pork ( P < 0.05), while modulating the gut microbiome to reduce alpha-diversity and increase specific microbes including Escherichia-Shigella , UCG - 005 , Streptococcus , Terrisporobacter , Lactobacillus , Lachnospiraceae _ NK4A136 _ group , Romboutsia , Family _ Xlll _ AD3011 _ group, Roseburia , and Turicibacter . Furthermore, inulin supplementation significantly altered metabolic pathways, down-regulating arginine biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, riboflavin metabolism, and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. These microbial and metabolic changes strongly correlated with the observed improvements in pork quality and flavor. Conclusion Dietary inulin supplementation is recommended to enhance pork quality and systemic health without compromising productive performance. Inulin Finishing pig Pork quality Flavor development Microbiome Metabolome Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Introduction The increasing demand for healthier diets has heightened consumer interest in premium and flavorful meat. While rapid fattening techniques have successfully shortened pig growth cycles and boosted pork production, they have also led to declines in pork quality, including reduced sensory attributes, nutritional value, intramuscular fat content, and flavor [1, 2]. To address these challenges, animal husbandry has employed a diverse range of traditional medicinal herbs and naturally plant- derived products as nutrual solutions for enhancing the quality and flavor of animal products [3-9]. Inulin, a fructan linked by β-glycosidic bonds [10], is one such promising additive. It resists digestion in the stomach and small intestine but undergoes microbial fermentation in the gut [11, 12]. Extracted primarily from Jerusalem artichoke and chicory roots, inulin can be categorized by chain length into short, medium, and long chains, each with distinct health benefits [13]. The fractional precipitation method can be used to separate inulin of different chain lengths, which are divided into natural inulin (the degree of polymerization (DP) between 2 and 60), short-chain inulin (average DP ≤ 10), long-chain inulin (average DP ≥ 23), and those with a DP between 10 and 23 are typically referred to as medium-chain inulin [14]. Medium-chain inulin, for example, has demonstrated potential in mitigating high-fat diet-induced metabolic disorders, hepatic steatosis, and chronic inflammation in mice [15]. As a prebiotic, inulin enhances antioxidative capacity and improves pork juiciness without compromising other sensory attributes [2]. Based on our previous research, we identified a medium-chain inulin with a DP of 12 that effectively regulates glucolipid metabolism and modulates the gut microbiome (data not shown, under review). We hypothesized that the incorporating this inulin into the diets of finishing pigs could modify the intestinal microbiome and metabolic processes, thereby enhancing both pork quality and flavor. In a previous statistical study, the median of inulin in pig farming was 0.1-2% [16]. Supplementing weaned piglets' diets with 2.5 and 5 g/kg of inulin is advantageous for intestinal development, reduces inflammation, and improves intestinal permeability [17]. Furthermore, 0.5% inulin diet can improve the growth performance and carcass traits of growing barrows [18]. However, higher doses may pose a potential risk of flatulence in the host [19]. Thus, the study aims to explore the effects of an appropriate amount of dietary inulin supplementation on the physical phenotypes, pork quality and flavor, gut microbiome, and metabolome in finishing pigs. Results Production performance and slaughter traits Dietary inulin supplementation did not apparently affect body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed efficiency (G/F) over the 60-day experimental period (Table 1). However, significant differences were observed in slaughter traits between the two groups, with the INU group showing reduction in hoof, tail, liver indices, along with leather thickness, and an increased eye muscle area (EMA) index ( P <0.05). Table 1. Effects of inulin on production and slaughter performance of finishing pigs Item 1 Treatments 2 SEM P -value CON INU Initial body weight, kg 74.93 75.00 0.263 0.906 Final body weight, kg 120.83 120.33 0.593 0.694 ADG, kg/d 0.77 0.76 0.008 0.600 ADFI, kg/d 2.75 2.73 0.019 0.687 G:F 0.28 0.28 0.002 0.690 Dressing percentage, % 71.18 70.91 0.483 0.797 Head index, % 5.22 4.68 0.113 0.008 Hooves index, % 2.23 2.02 0.039 0.002 Tail index, % 0.14 0.11 0.005 0.034 Liver index, % 1.40 1.12 0.049 <0.001 Leather thick, mm 3.39 2.92 0.118 0.038 Back fat thick, mm 39.63 42.09 0.810 0.133 EMA, mm 2 38.50 50.63 2.299 0.002 1 ADG, average daily gain; ADFI, average daily feed intake; G:F, gain-to-feed ratio; EMA, eye muscle area. 2 CON, control group; INU, the same diet supplemented with 0.5% inulin. Serum biochemistry Inulin supplementation significantly improved serum biochemical indices as shown in Table 2. Levels of ALT, AST, UREA, GLU, TG, and TCHO were significantly lower in the INU group compared to the CON group ( P < 0.05), with respective reduction proportions of 26.95%, 19.07%, 16.62%, 21.71%, 12.50%, and 31.36%. On the other hand, the HDL/LDL ratio increased in the INU group compared to the CON group ( P < 0.01), primarily attributed to increased HDL concentrations ( P < 0.01) and decreased LDL concentrations ( P < 0.01). No significant differences were observed in total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) levels. Table 2. Effects of inulin on serum biochemistry of finishing pigs Item 1 Treatments SEM P -value CON INU ALT, U/L 46.33 33.83 2.091 <0.001 AST, U/L 39.33 31.83 1.515 0.005 TP, mmol/L 74.32 74.23 0.873 0.965 ALB, mmol/L 30.55 29.85 0.863 0.705 UREA, mmol/L 7.70 6.42 0.220 <0.001 GLU, mmol/L 4.56 3.57 0.158 <0.001 TG, mmol/L 0.32 0.28 0.007 <0.001 TCHO, mmol/L 2.36 1.62 0.117 <0.001 HDL, mmol/L 0.62 0.77 0.025 <0.001 LDL, mmol/L 1.07 0.79 0.049 <0.001 HDL/LDL 0.59 0.96 0.063 <0.001 1 ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartatea aminotransferase; TP, total protein; ALB, albumin; GLU, glucose; TG, triglycerides; TCHO, total cholesterol; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein. Pork quality analysis As shown in Table 3, inulin supplementation had no effect on pork moisture, dry matter, or ash content. Tenderness-related traits showed substantial improvements, including reductions in drip loss (29.66%, P < 0.001), cooking loss (6.05%, P < 0.05), and shear force (33.1%, P < 0.01). Flesh color was enhanced with decrease lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) ( P < 0.01) and increase redness (a*) ( P < 0.05). Besides, dietary inulin promoted the contents of crude protein ( P < 0.05) and ether extract ( P < 0.05) in pork. Table 3. Effects of inulin on pork quality traits of finishing pigs Item 1 Treatments SEM P -value CON INU Initial water, % 71.98 71.75 0.214 0.620 DM, % 93.00 93.29 0.183 0.451 CP, % 81.96 82.48 0.122 0.024 EE, % 6.47 6.85 0.088 0.024 Ash, % 4.13 4.10 0.058 0.654 Drip loss, % 6.98 4.91 0.365 <0.001 Cooking loss, % 29.58 27.79 0.403 0.017 Shear force, N 116.39 77.82 6.187 <0.001 Longissimus pH 45min 6.01 6.02 0.006 0.402 Chromaticity Lightness, L* 38.26 35.10 0.564 0.001 Redness, a* 7.57 8.75 0.256 0.012 Yellowness, b* 7.47 6.19 0.233 0.001 1 DM, dry matter; CP, crude protein; EE, ether extract. Fatty acid Profile of Pork Fatty acids with concentrations greater than 0.1 μg/g were analyzed and the results are shown in Table 4. Pork from the INU group exhibited significantly higher concentrations of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) ( P < 0.05). Briefly, the primary saturated fatty acids were palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0), and myristic acid (C14:0). Monounsaturated fatty acids included oleic acid (C18:1), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), erucic acid (C22:1), and eicosenoic acid (C20:1). Polyunsaturated fatty acids included linoleic acid (C18:2), arachidonic acid (C20:4), eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3), and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n3). However, the PUFA/SFA and n-3/n-6 ratios were lower compared to the CON group ( P < 0.05). Table 4. Effects of inulin on pork free fatty acids of finishing pigs Item 1 Treatments SEM P -value CON INU C6:0, μg/g 0.05 0.05 0.000 0.585 C8:0, μg/g 0.06 0.06 0.000 0.604 C10:0, μg/g 0.06 0.06 0.002 0.098 C11:0, μg/g 0.06 0.06 0.001 0.047 C12:0, μg/g 0.06 0.07 0.002 0.066 C13:0, μg/g 0.06 0.07 0.002 0.082 C14:0, μg/g 0.08 0.13 0.012 0.005 C14:1, μg/g 0.07 0.07 0.002 0.123 C15:0, μg/g 0.05 0.06 0.002 0.130 C15:1, μg/g 0.06 0.07 0.002 0.068 C16:0, μg/g 1.06 1.85 0.186 0.003 C16:1, μg/g 0.12 0.31 0.042 <0.001 C17:0, μg/g 0.07 0.07 0.003 0.174 C17:1, μg/g 0.06 0.07 0.003 0.180 C18:0, μg/g 0.62 0.99 0.088 0.003 C18:1n9t, μg/g 0.06 0.07 0.003 0.044 C18:1n9c, μg/g 1.21 3.00 0.406 <0.001 C18:2n6t, μg/g 0.06 0.07 0.002 0.074 C18:2n6c, μg/g 0.48 0.67 0.045 0.003 C20:0, μg/g 0.06 0.71 0.004 0.060 C18:3n6, μg/g 0.07 0.07 0.002 0.081 C20:1, μg/g 0.07 0.10 0.008 0.039 C18:3n3, μg/g 0.06 0.08 0.004 0.066 C21:0, μg/g 0.05 0.06 0.002 0.080 C20:2, μg/g 0.07 0.09 0.005 0.029 C22:0, μg/g 0.06 0.06 0.002 0.049 C20:3n6, μg/g 0.07 0.08 0.003 0.036 C22:1n9, μg/g 0.19 0.24 0.011 0.034 C20:3n3, μg/g 0.06 0.07 0.003 0.031 C23:0, μg/g 0.05 0.06 0.002 0.071 C20:4n6, μg/g 0.16 0.22 0.013 0.001 C22:2, μg/g 0.06 0.07 0.002 0.045 C24:0, μg/g 0.06 0.07 0.002 0.049 C20:5n3, μg/g 0.06 0.07 0.002 0.048 C24:1, μg/g 0.07 0.08 0.002 0.036 C22:6n3, μg/g 0.10 0.11 0.002 0.026 SFA, μg/g 2.49 3.79 0.307 0.004 UFA, μg/g 3.09 5.50 0.542 <0.001 MUFA, μg/g 1.91 4.00 0.471 <0.001 PUFA, μg/g 1.17 1.50 0.075 0.001 PUFA/SFA 0.47 0.40 0.020 0.021 n-3/n-6 0.33 0.28 0.011 0.015 1 SFA, saturated fatty acid; UFA, unsaturated fatty acid; MUFA, monounsaturated fatty acid; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acid; n-3, sum of the C18:3n3, C20:3n3, C20:5n3 and C22:6n3; n-6, sum of the C18:2n6t, C18:2n6c, C18:3n6, C20:3n6, C20:4n6. The amino acids profile of the pork Inulin supplementation led to a 10.20% increase in the total amino acid content, with a notable 45.44% rise in umami amino acids (Table 5). Glutamic acid levels increased significantly from 14.09 to 22.16 μg/g ( P < 0.05). Essential amino acids like arginine and lysine also showed significant increase ( P < 0.05). Table 5. Effects of inulin on pork amino acids of finishing pigs Item 1 Treatments SEM P -value CON INU Histidine, μg/g 12.1 14.03 0.784 0.258 4-Hydroxy-L-Proline, μg/g 5.47 5.13 0.280 0.605 Arginine, μg/g 17.13 21.46 1.082 0.016 Asparagine, μg/g 11.47 9.75 0.437 0.021 Glutamine, μg/g 1045.46 1190.83 35.935 0.013 Serine, μg/g 17.08 15.47 0.430 0.039 Glycine, μg/g 73.73 73.90 0.761 0.923 Aspartic acid, μg/g 3.66 3.67 0.114 0.985 Glutamic acid, μg/g 14.09 22.16 1.840 0.001 Threonine, μg/g 21.33 18.97 0.630 0.038 Alanine, μg/g 80.31 73.06 1.737 0.007 γ-Aminobutyric acid, μg/g 0.26 0.18 0.021 0.045 Proline, μg/g 24.30 22.00 0.575 0.016 (R)-2-Aminobutyric acid, μg/g 1.14 1.86 0.221 0.103 Lysine, μg/g 9.84 14.12 0.973 <0.001 Methionine, μg/g 8.71 7.10 0.376 0.002 Tyrosine, μg/g 19.41 16.81 0.628 0.008 Valine, μg/g 18.13 20.80 0.700 0.031 Isoleucine, μg/g 12.83 13.84 0.330 0.134 Leucine, μg/g 19.75 21.36 0.557 0.167 Phenylalanine, μg/g 18.66 13.02 1.306 0.002 Tryptophan, μg/g 7.09 8.72 0.504 0.104 TAAs, μg/g 1441.95 1589.09 36.719 0.016 EAAs, μg/g 116.34 117.92 0.720 0.322 UAAs & SAAs, μg/g 1291.43 1429.82 34.634 0.016 1 TAAs, total amino acids; EAAs, essential amino acids; UAAs & SAAs, umami amino acids (asparagine, glutamine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid) and sweet amino acids (serine, glycine, threonine, alanine and proline). Effects of INU treatment on cecum microbiome Gut microbiome composition Based on 97% sequence similarity, a total of 3,846 Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTUs) were identified in the INU group, which were then assigned to 39 phyla, 92 classes, 185 orders, 267 families, and 466 genera. In the CON group, 4,118 OTUs were obtained and were clustered into 39 phyla, 98 classes, 181 orders, 271 families, and 481 genera. There were 2,847 OTUs that were common across the two experimental groups (Fig. 1A). Inulin supplementation significantly reduced alpha-diversity in the gut microbiome, as indicated by lower Shannon, Simpson, Chao1, and observed species indices in the INU group compared to the CON group ( P 99 >99 Richness Estimators Observed species 1075.83 935.83 27.264 0.003 Chao1 1174.87 1068.72 19.109 0.001 ACE 1185.72 1073.22 22.576 0005 Alpha-diversity Indexes PD_whole_tree 89.56 90.86 5.043 0.905 Shannon 7.57 6.79 0.136 <0.001 Simpson 0.99 0.97 0.003 <0.001 Beta-diversity analysis, using PCoA, revealed distinct microbiome community structures between the two groups (Fig 1B). The INU group exhibited an increased relative abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and a reduced abundance of Bacteroidetes , resulting in a significantly higher Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio ( P < 0.05, Fig 1C). The relative abundance of microbes exceeding 0.5% were displayed at the phylum, family, and genus levels (Fig. 1D-F). Concretely, within the Firmicutes phylum, the dominant families included in both groups were Lachnospiraceae , Oscillospiraceae , Clostridiaceae , and Peptostreptococcaceae , while in phyla of Bacteroidetes were Prevotellaceae , Rikenellaceae , Muribaculaceae , and p-251-o5 . Gut microbiome biomarker At the genus level, inulin supplementation enriched beneficial microbes, including Lactobacillus , Lachnospiraceae _ NK4A136 _ group , Roseburia , Turicibacter , Streptococcus , Terrisporobacter , Romboutsia , and UCG - 005 , while decreasing potentially harmful genera such as Treponema , Rikenellaceae _ RC9 _ gut _ group , and Methanobrevibacter (Fig. 2A). Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LefSe, with LDA > 4.0) further identified significant biomarkers differentiating the two dietary groups (Fig 2B). Additionally, the cladograms illustrated the phylogenetic distribution of discrepant bacteria, as shown in Fig. 2C. By integrating these two logical analyses, we identified and selected 15 microbial genera for further investigation. Gut metabolome Composition and biomarker Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of gut metabolome identified 854 metabolites (582 positive and 272 negative ions) in the treatment groups. To compare the distribution of cecum metabolites, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was conducted. This revealed a distinct clustering pattern between the CON and INU groups, suggesting that inulin supplementation significantly altered gut metabolites. As shown in Fig. 3A, the OPLS-DA model (R 2 X = 0.735, R 2 Y = 1, and Q 2 = 0.996) score plot revealed that the first principal component explained 70.2% of the features between the groups, while the second principal component explained 3.29%. The variable importance in projection (VIP) value of the OPLS-DA model was used to measure the contribution of metabolites to distinguishing characteristics between groups. Univariate statistical analysis was combined to calculate the P -value and fold change (FC) between the INU and CON groups, leading to the identification of 379 differentiated metabolites with 71 upregulated and 308 downregulated in the INU group (Fig. 3C, VIP > 1.0, FC > 2.0 and FC < 0.5, P < 0.05). In addition, the heatmap shows that the samples from the CON and INU groups cluster well, indicating a strong correlation with the additive treatment (Fig. 3C). The KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway enrichment analysis of differential metabolites revealed that the highlighted metabolic pathways primarily involved amino and fatty acid metabolism (Fig. 3D). Based on their impact, the top five differential metabolic pathways were identified as linoleic acid metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, riboflavin metabolism, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism (the profile of metabolic pathways modulated by inulin supplementation can be referred to in Table 7). Among them, the taurine and hypotaurine metabolism pathway was upregulated in the inulin dietary supplementation, while the other four pathways were downregulated. Classification analysis of significantly modulated metabolites within the top five pathways revealed that those regulated by inulin primarily included lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids and derivatives, as well as organoheterocyclic compounds. Thirteen primary differential metabolites and their respective categories are detailed in Fig. 3E. Table 7. Profile of metabolic pathways modulated by inulin supplementation Names of pathway Total Hits Raw P − log 10 ( P ) Impact Linoleic acid metabolism 5 2 0.02 1.65 1.00 Arginine biosynthesis 14 8 <0.01 7.19 0.52 Riboflavin metabolism 4 1 0.19 0.73 0.50 Alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism 28 4 0.05 1.32 0.49 Taurine and hypotaurine metabolism 8 2 0.06 1.25 0.43 Pathways correlation The interconnection of metabolic pathways suggested inulin supplementation reshaped the gut metabolome, promoting beneficial changes linked to pork flavor and host health (Fig. 4). Correlation among the phenotypes, differentiated microbes and metabolites Spearman correlation analysis revealed strong association among health parameters, gut microbiota, metabolites, and pork quality traits. Beneficial genera enriched in the INU group, such as Escherichia - Shigella , Treponema , UCG - 005 , Streptococcus , Rikenellaceae _ RC9 _ gut _ group , Terrisporobacter , Lactobacillus , Romboutsia , Lachnospiraceae _ NK4A136 _ group , Ruminococcus , Methanobrevibacter , NK4A214 _ group , Roseburia , Family _ XIII _ AD3011 _ group , Turicibacter , were positively correlated with improved phenotypes, including higher levels of HDL, crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE) and redness (a*) (P < 0.05). These genera were also associated with reduced levels of ALT, AST, glucose, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TCHO), and shear force, indicating enhanced systemic health and meat tenderness (Fig. 5B). In addition to their correlations with systemic health and pork quality, these beneficial microbes positively influenced the levels of taurine, taurocholic acid in the gut, and fatty acids like SFAs and MUFAs in meat, which serve as flavor precursors in pork. In contrast, genera more abundant in the CON group, such as NK4A214 _ group , Methanobrevibacter , Treponema , Rikenellaceae _ RC9 _ gut _ group , and Ruminococcus , were associated with less favourable phenotypes including higher levels of drip loss, LDL and yellowness (b*) (Fig. 5B). Correlation analysis also identified 13 key metabolites significantly linked to both host phenotypes and pork flavor traits. Inulin-modulated metabolic pathways, particularly those involving amino acids like alanine, aspartate, and glutamate, as well as fatty acids, were strongly connected to these observed improvements (Fig. 5C&D). For example, higher levels of umami-related amino acids such as glutamic acid, and beneficial fatty acids in pork from the INU group were closely linked to the reshaped gut microbiota and metabolome. The integration of microbiome, metabolome, and phenotype data highlights the pivotal role of inulin in optimizing systemic health and pork quality through gut microbiome modulation. Discussion This study demonstrated that dietary inulin supplementation improved systemic health, pork quality, and flavor while having no adverse effects on production performance in finishing pigs. These findings align with previous studies showing that polysaccharides in pig diets do not directly enhance production performance but can significantly improve the quality of animal by-products [7, 20]. The observed reduction in by-products, such as liver and tail indices, also suggest potential economic benefits from inulin supplementation. Inulin’s role as a non-digestible carbohydrate likely contributed to the observed improvements in systemic health by balancing carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Reduced fasting blood glucose levels and improved serum indicators, such as lower ALT, AST, and TG levels, reflect enhanced hepatic function and metabolic stability [21, 22]. The increase in HDL/LDL ratio further supports the hypothesis that inulin promotes systemic health by regulating lipid metabolism, as seen in previous studies [23].. Our findings indicated that a diet supplemented with inulin balanced the metabolism of carbohydrates and protein, maintaining energy metabolism and homeostasis, thus contributing to enhanced systemic health in the host. The enhancements in pork quality, including reduced drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force, suggest an improvement in water-holding capacity and tenderness. Increased crude protein and fatty acid content also highlight the nutritional benefits of inulin supplementation. These improvements can be attributed to the modulation of oxidative stress and increase levels of essential nutrients in the meat, consistent with earlier findings [2, 24]. The degradation of SFAs, MUFAs, and PUFAs, including oleic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid, produces volatile flavor substances such as aldehydes, acids, ketones, hydrocarbons, esters, alcohols, and heterocyclic compounds [25, 26]. The consumption of inulin results in an elevation of the levels of various fatty acids deposited in pork, thereby enhancing the flavor during the cooking process. However, while the higher levels of UFAs enhance pork flavor, the reduced PUFA/SFA and n-3/n-6 ratios may slightly diminish its health benefits [27, 28]. It is worthwhile to mention that higher levels of UFA may shorten the shelf life of meat product [29]. Therefore, future studies should aim to balance flavor enhancement with nutritional quality. The elevated levels of umami-related amino acids, such as glutamic acid, contributed to the superior flavor profile of pork from the INU group. These amino acids are critical for enhancing the umami taste, sweetness, and overall flavor of meat [30, 31]. Serine and alanine primarily influence the meat's sweetness [32], while arginine generates pyrazine compounds during ripening [33]. Valine produces caramel via the Maillard reaction when combined with glucose [34], and phenylalanine degradation leads to benzaldehyde, imparting a nutty flavor [35]. Dietary interventions, such as inulin supplementation, can modify amino acid profiles to enhance distinctive pork flavor. Additionally, inulin’s ability to increase the abundance of beneficial microbes, such as Lactobacillus and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group , likely supported the production of flavor precursors. These microbes are known for their roles in gut health, nutrient metabolism, and reducing inflammation [36, 37]. The gut microbiome of pigs in the INU group showed reduced alpha-diversity and increased abundance of beneficial genera, such as Turicibacter and Romboutsia . These microbial changes were associated with improved systemic health, as well as increased deposition of fatty acids and amino acids, which enhance pork flavor [38]. The observed increase in the F/B ratio aligns with findings from a recent study by [39], further supporting the role of inulin supplementation in modulating gut microbiota (i.e., Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium ) to enhance nutrient absorption and energy metabolism. Additionally, Lu et al. reported increased intramuscular fat content and enhanced redness (a*) in pork, signifying improved meat color and quality. In contrast, harmful genera such as Treponema and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group were more prevalent in the CON group, correlating with unfavorable phenotypes and metabolic outcomes [40-43]. These results support the hypothesis that inulin supplementation reduces the prevalence of potentially harmful microbes, thereby conferring protection against pathogen-associated issues. Furthermore, the increase abundance of UCG-005 , a member of the Oscillospiraceae family is essential for host fatness [38], in the INU group suggests the inulin may have the potential to promote production performance, consistent with the rise in the F/B ratio. As a non-protein amino acid, taurine reduces oxidative stress and supports lipid metabolism by forming taurocholate with bile acids, promoting fat digestion and lowering serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels [44-46]. Riboflavin (vitamin B 2 ) also plays a key role in protein and lipid metabolism [47]. In our study, inulin supplementation reduced protein and lipid degradation by modulating related metabolic pathways. The alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism pathway, central to amino acid metabolism and pork flavor [48], is linked to arginine synthesis initiated by glutamate [49]. Additionally, linoleic acid, precursor for conjugated linoleic acid, enhanced pork flavor by increasing fatty acid content [50, 51]. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that inulin can effectively inhibit the breakdown of flavor-enhancing amino acids and preserve umami compounds, as evidenced by the high glutamate content and increased fatty acid levels in pork. These results confirm the down-regulation of fatty acid catabolism pathways observed in the omics analysis. Conclusions In conclusion, pigs receiving inulin supplementation displayed a gut microbiome characterized by decreased alpha-diversity and increased the abundance of beneficial microbes, accompanying by the downregulation of flavor-degrading metabolic pathways. Furthermore, inulin supplementation resulted in superior phenotypic traits, improved pork flavor, and maintained average growth and fattening performance compared to the control group. Therefore, feeding 0.5% inulin to finishing pigs was feasible for superior meat quality in intensive rearing conditions. Methods Experimental design, Animals, and feeding management Thirty-six healthy Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire (DLY) pigs with an average body weight of 75.0 ± 1.5 kg were randomly allocated into six pens (4 m × 8 m), with six pigs per pen. The pens were equally divided between two dietary treatment groups: a control group (CON) fed a standard diet and an inulin-supplemented group (INU) fed a diet containing 5 g/kg inulin. Each treatment was replicated three times. Dietary formulation (Table 8) was based on the China national standard outlined in GB/T 39235-2020 [52] to satisfy the nutrient requirements of fatting pigs, and the crude protein (the method of 954.01), crude fat (920.39), ash (942.05), Ca (927.02) and TP (965.17) content in diet were all analysed according to the AOAC [53]. The dietary digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) was calculated according to the following formula: DE (ME) = corn × DE1 (ME 1 ) + wheat middlings × DE2 (ME 2) + wheat bran × DE3 (ME 3) + … + minerals × DE14 (ME 14) . All values from DE 1 (ME 1 ) to DE 14 (ME 14 ) were based on nutritional value listed on the GB/T 39235-2020 [52]. The inulin was provided by Gansu Lircon Biological Co., Ltd. The molar mass of inulin is 1,800 g/mol, and mean degree of polymerization (DP) is 12. Inulin was first combined with a premix that was subsequently mixed with other ingredients and then stored in covered containers. All diets were prepared in a single batch and stored in a cool warehouse. The pigs were provided ad libitum access to fresh water and fed three times daily (6:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.). Feed intake was calculated based on the quantity provided and leftovers. After a 7-day acclimation period, the pigs were fed their respective diets for 60 days. Table 8. Basic diet composition and nutritional level Items Content Ingredients Corn, % 60.50 Wheat middlings, % 10.00 Wheat bran, % 10.00 Soybean meal, % 9.00 Defatted rice bran, % 3.00 Peanut meal, % 4.00 CaHPO 4 ·2 H 2 O, % 0.34 NaCl, % 0.45 Soybean oil, % 1.00 Sulfate lysine (70%), % 0.30 DL-methionine (99%), % 0.01 Limestone, % 1.00 Vitamins 1 , % 0.20 Minerals 2 , % 0.20 Total, % 100.00 Nutrients content 3 , 4 DE, MJ/kg 14.08 ME, MJ/kg 13.46 CP, % 14.43 EE, % 3.71 Lys, % 0.84 Lys/ME, g/MJ 0.62 Ca, % 0.57 TP, % 0.47 Met, % 0.25 Thr, % 0.51 Cys, % 0.29 1 The Vitamins provided the following per kg DM of diets: Vitamin A 8000 IU, Vitamin D 3 3500 IU, Vitamin E 30 IU, Vitamin K₃ 1.0 mg, Vitamin B₁ 1.5 mg, Vitamin B₂ 5.5 mg, Vitamin B₆ 2.0 mg, Vitamin B₁₂ 0.02mg, Pantothenic acid 7.50 mg, Niacin 26.5 mg, Biotin 0.07mg, Folic acid 0.6 mg; 2 The Minerals provided the following per kg DM of diets: Mn (as manganese sulfate) 40 mg, Fe (as ferrous sulfate) 70 mg, Zn (as zinc sulfate) 80 mg, Cu (as copper sulfate) 25 mg, I (as potassium iodide) 0.2 mg, Se (as sodium selenite) 0.4 mg; 3 The content of CP, EE, Ca, and TP were measured values (n = 6), methionine (Met), lysine (Lys), Threonine (Thr), and Cystine (Cys) were the actual addition. The value of dietary DE and ME was calculated based on the DE and ME values of each ingredient in the formula. 4 DE, digestible energy; ME, Metabolizable energy; CP, Crude protein; EE, Ether extract; Ca, Calcium; TP, Total phosphorus. Sample collection At the end of trial, 12 pigs (two randomly selected per pen, six per treatment group) were chosen for sample collection. Blood samples were obtained from fasted pigs on the day before slaughter. The pigs were euthanized using electrical stunning following guidelines from the Animal Ethics Committee of Shandong Agricultural University. Longissimus dorsi muscle samples were collected to access meat quality and nutrient composition. Gut content was sampled from the junction of the cecum and colon using sterile surgical procedures. Samples were immediately flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored for further microbiome and metabolome analysis. Meat quality assessment Muscle samples were evaluated for physical traits, including the nutrient content, drip loss, cooking loss and shear force. The nutritional values of the pork also determined by the methods mentioned in the AOAC [53], which the moisture according to the method of 950.46, while the 928.08 for analysing the crude protein, 960.39 for the ether extract, and the ash refer to the 920.153. Drip loss was determined as a percentage of weight loss for a sample (30 ± 3 g) after hanging at 4°C for 24 hours. Similarly, cooking loss was calculated as the weight difference of muscle (50 ± 5 g) before and after being water-bathed in a sealed bag at 80°C for 60 mins. The cooked samples were then trimmed into rectangular chunks (30 mm × 10 mm × 10 mm) parallel to the muscle fibers. The chunks were subsequently sliced perpendicular to the myofiber orientation using a tenderness meter (C-LM38, NEAU, China) to determine the pork's shear force. Briefly, one gram of the freeze-dried samples was weighed onto filter paper and placed in a Soxhlet extractor with petroleum ether for 5 hours to determine the crude fat content. Concurrently, 0.4 grams of the samples were subjected to sulfuric acid digestion, followed by the determination of the crude protein content using a protein analyzer (K9860, Hanon, China). pH values were measured at 45 mins post-mortem (PHBJ-260, INESA, China), and color parameters (L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness)) were accessed using a colorimeter (CR 300, Minolta, Japan) [54]. Fatty acids and amino acids analysis The profiles of free fatty acids and amino acids in pork samples were analyzed by Shanghai Sanshu Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Fatty acids were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS, Agilent Technologies Inc. CA, USA), and amino acids were determined using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC, (Vanquish, Thermo, USA)) coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (Q Exactive, Thermo, USA). Briefly, the GC system utilized Agilent 6890 (Agilent Technologies, USA), with an INU-Sil 88(100m×0.25mm×0.25 µm) column and an injection volume of 1 μL at a split ratio of 10:1 and nitrogen flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The initial temperature in the column chamber was set at 100 ℃ for a duration of 5 mins, followed by a heating ramp to reach 240 ℃ at a rate of 4 ℃/min. For MS detection, Agilent 5977 (Agilent Technologies, USA) equipped with electron impact ion source (EI) source and MassHunter workstations were used. The MS conditions were as follows: the injection port temperature was maintained at 260 ℃ while the Quadrupole temperature remained constant at150 ℃; full SCAN mode was selected for detection with a Mass (m/z) scan range from30-550. The UPLC system was equipped with a Waters BEH C18 column (50×2.1 mm, 1.7 μm). Ultra-pure water containing 0.1% formic acid was used as mobile phase A, while acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid served as mobile phase B. The flow rate was 0.5 mL/min, the temperature was set at 55°C, and the injection volume was 1 μL. The MS employed electrospray ionization (ESI) with the following settings: sheath gas, 40 arb; assisted gas, 10 arb; ion spray voltage, +3000V; temperature, 350°C; capillary temperature, 320°C. The scanning mode was set to FullScan using the positive ion method. Microbiome and metabolome analysis Gut microbiome composition was analyzed through 16S rRNA sequencing, and metabolome profiles were determined using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), as previously described [55]. Microbial alpha- and beta-diversity were evaluated, and key metabolic pathways were identified using KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Statistical analysis Individual pigs were used for phenotypes, pork traits data collection, microbiome analysis, and metabolome analysis ( n = 6). A single pen was used as the unit for free amino acid and medium-long chain fatty acid determination ( n = 3). Statistical differences were assessed using IBM SPSS 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) to perform the independent two-sample t -tests, the statistical analysis model used as follows: where Y i is the outcome variable, X i is a binary indicator (0 = Group A, 1 = Group B), β 0 represents the mean of Group A, β 1 is the mean difference between Group B and Group A, ϵ i are independent normally distributed errors. The null hypothesis H 0 : β 1 = 0 was tested against the alternative H 1 : β 1 ≠ 0. The P -value <0.05 was considered to have statistical significance. Gut microbiome data were analysed and plotted using Prism 8.1 (GraphPad, LaJolla, CA, USA) and http://www.ehbio.com/Cloud_Platform/. Metabolome data were analysed using MetaboAnalyst 6.0, and heatmaps were generated using https://cloud.metware.cn/. Abbreviations DLY Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire pigs CON Control group INU Inulin group DP the degree of polymerization BW Body weight ADG Average daily gain ADFI Average daily feed intake G:F Gain-to-feed ratio EMA Eye muscle area ALT Alanine aminotransferase AST Aspartatea aminotransferase TP Total protein ALB Albumin GLU Glucose TG Triglycerides TCHO Total cholesterol HDL High-density lipoprotein LDL Low-density lipoprotein DM Dry matter CP Crude protein EE Ether extract SFA Saturated fatty acid UFA Unsaturated fatty acid MUFA Monounsaturated fatty acid PUFA Polyunsaturated fatty acid TAAs Total amino acids EAAs Essential amino acids UAAs Umami amino acids SAAs Sweet amino acids OTUs Operational taxonomic units PCoA Principal coordinate analysis LefSe Linear discriminant analysis effect size LDA Linear discriminant analysis LC-MS/MS Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry OPLS-DA Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis VIP Variable importance in projection FC Fold change KEGG Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes AOAC Association of official analytical chemists DE Digestible energy ME Metabolizable energy GC-MS Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry UPLC Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography EI Ion source Declarations Author contributions Conceptualization, Yunkyoung Lee and Guiguo Zhang ; Methodology, Yunpeng Wang and Kayeon Ko ; Investigation, Yunpeng Wang and Minhyeok Kang ; Formal Analysis and Writing - Original Draft, Yunpeng Wang ; Writing - Review & Editing, Yunkyoung Lee , Miroslava Kačániová , and Guiguo Zhang ; Funding Acquisition and Supervision, Yunkyoung Lee and Guiguo Zhang ; All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Funding This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China-Korea cooperative project (2019YFE0107700, NRF-2019K1A3A1A20081146), the National Research Foundation Grant of Korea (NRF-2020R1A2C2004144, RS-2024-00334577), the key project for foreign experts of Shandong Province (WRS2023075), Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education (RS-2024-00410255), the Forage Industrial Innovation Team Project (SDAIT-23-05), and the Key R&D Program of Shandong Province (2022TZXD0018). Data availability The Raw 16S rRNA sequences datasets described in this study have been deposited in the NCBI database (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov: Accession number PRJNA971324). The metabolome data reported in this paper have been deposited in the OMIX, China National Center for Bioinformation / Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences at https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/omix: Accession number OMIX 010210. 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Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 12 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Animal Microbiome → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 29 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 29 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 29 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Dec, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 13 Jul, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 31 May, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 26 May, 2025 First submitted to journal 25 May, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6562341","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":484793428,"identity":"6acfa41b-f4a0-413a-9992-6a74b005dbf8","order_by":0,"name":"Yunpeng Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shandong Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yunpeng","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":484793430,"identity":"c8658444-27c0-4756-aec7-7d011cca84e7","order_by":1,"name":"Kayeon Ko","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jeju National University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kayeon","middleName":"","lastName":"Ko","suffix":""},{"id":484793434,"identity":"6e00e4f5-6207-48a3-b78f-13a21d2f7520","order_by":2,"name":"Minhyeok Kang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jeju National University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Minhyeok","middleName":"","lastName":"Kang","suffix":""},{"id":484793437,"identity":"07dda0ab-36ec-4a3e-b2db-e7f3abbc2a83","order_by":3,"name":"Miroslava Kačániová","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Slovak University of Agriculture","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Miroslava","middleName":"","lastName":"Kačániová","suffix":""},{"id":484793442,"identity":"68cbbdd3-2620-4542-bb97-5eefb54b0f1f","order_by":4,"name":"Yunkyoung Lee","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jeju National University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yunkyoung","middleName":"","lastName":"Lee","suffix":""},{"id":484793444,"identity":"5ad670fd-e82d-466a-9d27-f49cd3aaf339","order_by":5,"name":"Guiguo Zhang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA20lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCQglx8CQAKKZiddiTLqWxAaitcjPbn728Muv2vT57cnPJBgqrBMb2M8ewKuFcc4xc2PZvuO5G848M5NgOJOe2MCTl4BXC7NEgpm0ZM+x3A1AhgRj2+HEBgkeA7xa2CTSv4G0pMvPSP8mwfiPCC08Ejlmkh9+1CQw3MgB2tJAhBYJiZwyacaGA4Ybzrwptkg4lm7cxpODXwvQPdskf/ypk5dvT99440ONtWw/+xn8WkCAmbftMISVAPIdQfVAwAi0hRh1o2AUjIJRMFIBAHChRYG8Y+48AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Shandong Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Guiguo","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-04-30 07:38:24","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6562341/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6562341/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-026-00566-5","type":"published","date":"2026-04-12T15:58:45+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":86770706,"identity":"5413df40-900e-4d1d-a779-da4463b95455","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-15 11:41:02","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":127138,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEffects of diets with inulin-supplementation on the profile and relative abundance of the gut microbial community at the phylum, family, and genus levels in pigs. (A) The mutual and specific OTUs in two different diet groups, (B) Beta-diversity, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) plot. (C) The ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. (D-F) The relative abundances at the phylum, family, and genus levels of the gut microbiota of pigs fed either CON or INU diet. * \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05, ** \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.01.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6562341/v1/c54c794f626a91ff92db7900.png"},{"id":86770705,"identity":"0b4e3a21-064e-4773-a900-d2c181554195","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-15 11:41:02","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":722274,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eDemonstration of differential microbes in the gut of inulin-fed pigs. (A) The differential microbes among groups at the genus levels. Only microbes that had a relative abundance of more than 0.5% were compared, (B) Histogram of the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) value distribution of different bacteria among groups (LDA score \u0026gt; 4.0), (C) Cladogram constructed to visualize the microbial community relative abundance data among the gut samples from the groups. Different color nodes indicate different groups, and the species classifications at the phylum, class, order, family, and genus levels are shown from the inside to the outside. Differences were declared to be statistically significant when * \u003cem\u003eP \u003c/em\u003e\u0026lt; 0.05, ** \u003cem\u003eP \u003c/em\u003e\u0026lt; 0.01.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6562341/v1/0296240364fecefa6a91cd7a.png"},{"id":86770708,"identity":"75d12ff9-565d-49f9-8aee-62f10b9c30db","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-15 11:41:03","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":747236,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eDifferential metabolites and their classification in the gut of inulin-fed pigs. (A) The orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) presenting the distribution and separation of the gut metabolites in the different treatments, (B) Volcano plot displaying the discrepant metabolites between the CON group and the INU group. Taking variable importance in the projection (VIP \u0026gt; 1.0), fold change (FC \u0026gt; 2.0 or FC \u0026lt; 0.5, INU vs. CON) and P-value (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026lt; 0.05) of metabolites, 379 differentiated metabolites were identified. Of them, 71 were observed to be up-regulated, indicated by red dots, and 308 were downregulated, displayed by green dots, (C) Heatmap used to show differential metabolite levels in individual samples. (D) Significantly modulated metabolic pathways following the analysis of differentiated metabolites between two groups. (E) Ascertained classifications of discrepant metabolites (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026lt; 0.05) that were up-regulated or downregulated in the INU group than those in the CON group.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6562341/v1/78f0fe131ca9a5c9ce841c6e.png"},{"id":86770709,"identity":"10469ebb-fed4-4e3c-8003-f95d158e7f1d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-15 11:41:03","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":154348,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eCorrelations among the metabolic pathways significantly modified by inulin supplementation based on the differential metabolites and KEGG pathways. The metabolites linked with solid lines indicate a direct conversion, while those connected with dashed lines mean an indirect conversion through a biochemical process. The metabolites (black fonts) with light-red background indicated an increase in concentration, whereas the light-blue indicated a decrease in concentration due to the dietary inulin supplementation. The metabolic pathways (white fonts) marked with deep-red background was the up-regulated metabolic pathways, and those marked with deep-blue were the downregulated pathways. The yellow rectangles represented the physiological and/or biochemical processes affected by the inulin-modulated metabolic pathways.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6562341/v1/69e68a7cb8381e72c3faba36.png"},{"id":86770707,"identity":"4ffdf29c-96f0-47ca-8b5d-19b01c3acfa8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-15 11:41:03","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":231596,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe cause-and-effect process of dietary affecting the phenotypes of pigs fed CON or INU diet. Correlations among the differential phenotypes, microbes and metabolites altered by inulin supplementation. The red font indicated the microbes or metabolites and their positive correlation parameters significantly up-regulated by inulin supplementation. (A) The dietary treatment specially impacted the gut microbes, (B) Correlations between the health parameters and differ entially microbes, (C) Associations between health parameters and screening metabolites, (D) Correlations between the biomarker microbes and metabolites.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6562341/v1/0b40a5f7298d9d0fd0838c11.png"},{"id":106810335,"identity":"c3a17823-464e-4d5c-aa33-79ee7126c4d5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-13 16:15:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3427785,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6562341/v1/e28ec9f4-ad9e-4306-a38b-fa74ae5d279b.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Dietary Inulin Improves Pork Quality and Systemic Health Via Gut Microbiome and Metabolome Modulation in Finishing Pigs","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe increasing demand for healthier diets has heightened consumer interest in premium and flavorful meat. While rapid fattening techniques have successfully shortened pig growth cycles and boosted pork production, they have also led to declines in pork quality, including reduced sensory attributes, nutritional value, intramuscular fat content, and flavor [1, 2].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo address these challenges, animal husbandry has employed a diverse range of traditional medicinal herbs and naturally plant- derived products as nutrual solutions for enhancing the quality and flavor of animal products [3-9]. Inulin, a fructan linked by \u0026beta;-glycosidic bonds [10], is one such promising additive. It resists digestion in the stomach and small intestine but undergoes microbial fermentation in the gut [11, 12]. Extracted primarily from Jerusalem artichoke and chicory roots, inulin can be categorized by chain length into short, medium, and long chains, each with distinct health benefits [13]. The fractional precipitation method can be used to separate inulin of different chain lengths, which are divided into natural inulin (the degree of polymerization (DP) between 2 and 60), short-chain inulin (average DP \u0026le; 10), long-chain inulin (average DP \u0026ge; 23), and those with a DP between 10 and 23 are typically referred to as medium-chain inulin [14].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMedium-chain inulin, for example, has demonstrated potential in mitigating high-fat diet-induced metabolic disorders, hepatic steatosis, and chronic inflammation in mice [15]. As a prebiotic, inulin enhances antioxidative capacity and improves pork juiciness without compromising other sensory attributes [2]. Based on our previous research, we identified a medium-chain inulin with a DP of 12 that effectively regulates glucolipid metabolism and modulates the gut microbiome (data not shown, under review). We hypothesized that the incorporating this inulin into the diets of finishing pigs could modify the intestinal microbiome and metabolic processes, thereby enhancing both pork quality and flavor.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a previous statistical study, the median of inulin in pig farming was 0.1-2% [16]. Supplementing weaned piglets\u0026apos; diets with 2.5 and 5 g/kg of inulin is advantageous for intestinal development, reduces inflammation, and improves intestinal permeability [17]. Furthermore, 0.5% inulin diet can improve the growth performance and carcass traits of growing barrows [18]. However, higher doses may pose a potential risk of flatulence in the host [19]. Thus, the study aims to explore the effects of an appropriate amount of dietary inulin supplementation on the physical phenotypes, pork quality and flavor, gut microbiome, and metabolome in finishing pigs.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduction performance and slaughter traits\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDietary inulin supplementation did not apparently affect body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed efficiency (G/F) over the 60-day experimental period (Table 1). However, significant differences were observed in slaughter traits between the two groups, with the INU group showing reduction in hoof, tail, liver indices, along with leather thickness, and an increased eye muscle area (EMA) index (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 1. Effects of inulin on production and slaughter performance of finishing pigs\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItem\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 30px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTreatments\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSEM\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCON\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eINU\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eInitial body weight, kg\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e74.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e75.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.263\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.906\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFinal body weight, kg\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e120.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e120.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.593\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.694\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eADG, kg/d\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.77\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.76\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.008\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.600\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eADFI, kg/d\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.73\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.019\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.687\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eG:F\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.690\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDressing percentage, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e71.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e70.91\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.483\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.797\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHead index, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.68\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.113\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.008\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHooves index, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.039\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTail index, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.005\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.034\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLiver index, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.049\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLeather thick, mm\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.39\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.92\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.118\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.038\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBack fat thick, mm\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39.63\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.09\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.810\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.133\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEMA, mm\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e38.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50.63\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.299\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e ADG, average daily gain; ADFI, average daily feed intake; G:F, gain-to-feed ratio; EMA, eye muscle area.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e2\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eCON, control group; INU, the same diet supplemented with 0.5% inulin.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSerum biochemistry\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInulin supplementation significantly improved serum biochemical indices as shown in Table 2. Levels of ALT, AST, UREA, GLU, TG, and TCHO were significantly lower in the INU group compared to the CON group (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05), with respective reduction proportions of 26.95%, 19.07%, 16.62%, 21.71%, 12.50%, and 31.36%. On the other hand, the HDL/LDL ratio increased in the INU group compared to the CON group (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.01), primarily attributed to increased HDL concentrations (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.01) and decreased LDL concentrations (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.01). No significant differences were observed in total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) levels.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 2. Effects of inulin on serum biochemistry of finishing pigs\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItem\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 30px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTreatments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSEM\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCON\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eINU\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eALT, U/L\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e46.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.091\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAST, U/L\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.515\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.005\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTP, mmol/L\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e74.32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e74.23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.873\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.965\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eALB, mmol/L\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.55\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29.85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.863\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.705\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUREA, mmol/L\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.70\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.42\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.220\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGLU, mmol/L\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.158\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTG, mmol/L\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.007\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTCHO, mmol/L\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.117\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHDL, mmol/L\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.77\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.025\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLDL, mmol/L\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.79\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.049\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHDL/LDL\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.59\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.96\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.063\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartatea aminotransferase; TP, total protein; ALB, albumin; GLU, glucose; TG, triglycerides; TCHO, total cholesterol; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePork quality analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs shown in Table 3, inulin supplementation had no effect on pork moisture, dry matter, or ash content. Tenderness-related traits showed substantial improvements, including reductions in drip loss (29.66%, \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.001), cooking loss (6.05%, \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05), and shear force (33.1%, \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.01). Flesh color was enhanced with decrease lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.01) and increase redness (a*) (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05). Besides, dietary inulin promoted the contents of crude protein (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05) and ether extract (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05) in pork.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 3. Effects of inulin on pork quality traits of finishing pigs\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItem\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 30px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTreatments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSEM\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCON\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eINU\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eInitial water, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e71.98\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e71.75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.214\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.620\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDM, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e93.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e93.29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.183\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.451\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCP, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e81.96\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e82.48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.122\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.024\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEE, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.088\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.024\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAsh, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.058\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.654\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDrip loss, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.98\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.91\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.365\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCooking loss, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29.58\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.79\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.403\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.017\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eShear force, N\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e116.39\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e77.82\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.187\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 41px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLongissimus pH 45min\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.006\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.402\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eChromaticity\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLightness, L*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e38.26\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.564\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRedness, a*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.256\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.012\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYellowness, b*\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.233\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e DM, dry matter; CP, crude protein; EE, ether extract.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFatty acid Profile of Pork\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFatty acids with concentrations greater than 0.1 \u0026mu;g/g were analyzed and the results are shown in Table 4. Pork from the INU group exhibited significantly higher concentrations of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05). Briefly, the primary saturated fatty acids were palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0), and myristic acid (C14:0). Monounsaturated fatty acids included oleic acid (C18:1), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), erucic acid (C22:1), and eicosenoic acid (C20:1). Polyunsaturated fatty acids included linoleic acid (C18:2), arachidonic acid (C20:4), eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3), and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n3). However, the PUFA/SFA and n-3/n-6 ratios were lower compared to the CON group (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 4. Effects of inulin on pork free fatty acids of finishing pigs\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItem\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 28px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTreatments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSEM\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCON\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eINU\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC6:0, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.585\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC8:0, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.604\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC10:0, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.098\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC11:0, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.047\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC12:0, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.066\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC13:0, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.082\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC14:0, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.012\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.005\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC14:1, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.123\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC15:0, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.130\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC15:1, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.068\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC16:0, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.186\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC16:1, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n 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style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC18:1n9t, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.044\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC18:1n9c, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.406\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n 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style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.081\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC20:1, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.008\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.039\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC18:3n3, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.004\u003c/p\u003e\n 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style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.036\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC22:1n9, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.011\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.034\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC20:3n3, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n 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\u003cp\u003e0.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.013\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC22:2, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.045\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC24:0, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.049\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC20:5n3, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.048\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC24:1, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.036\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eC22:6n3, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.026\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSFA, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.49\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.79\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.307\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.004\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUFA, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.09\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.542\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMUFA, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.91\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.471\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePUFA, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.075\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePUFA/SFA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.020\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.021\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 35px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en-3/n-6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.011\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.015\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e SFA, saturated fatty acid; UFA, unsaturated fatty acid; MUFA, monounsaturated fatty acid; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acid; n-3, sum of the C18:3n3, C20:3n3, C20:5n3 and C22:6n3; n-6, sum of the C18:2n6t, C18:2n6c, C18:3n6, C20:3n6, C20:4n6.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe amino acids profile of the pork\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInulin supplementation led to a 10.20% increase in the total amino acid content, with a notable 45.44% rise in umami amino acids (Table 5). Glutamic acid levels increased significantly from 14.09 to 22.16 \u0026mu;g/g (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05). Essential amino acids like arginine and lysine also showed significant increase (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 5. Effects of inulin on pork amino acids of finishing pigs\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItem\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTreatments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSEM\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCON\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eINU\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHistidine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.03\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.784\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.258\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4-Hydroxy-L-Proline, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.280\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.605\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eArginine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21.46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.082\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.016\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAsparagine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.437\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.021\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGlutamine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1045.46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1190.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35.935\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.013\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSerine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.430\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.039\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGlycine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e73.73\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e73.90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.761\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.923\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAspartic acid, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.66\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.114\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.985\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGlutamic acid, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.09\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.840\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThreonine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.630\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.038\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAlanine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80.31\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e73.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.737\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.007\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026gamma;-Aminobutyric acid, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.26\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.021\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.045\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eProline, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24.30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.575\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.016\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(R)-2-Aminobutyric acid, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.86\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.221\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.103\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLysine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.973\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMethionine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.376\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTyrosine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19.41\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.81\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.628\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.008\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eValine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20.80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.700\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.031\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIsoleucine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.330\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.134\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLeucine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19.75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21.36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.557\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.167\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePhenylalanine, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.66\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.306\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTryptophan, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.09\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.72\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.504\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.104\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTAAs, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1441.95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1589.09\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e36.719\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.016\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEAAs, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e116.34\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e117.92\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.720\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.322\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUAAs \u0026amp; SAAs, \u0026mu;g/g\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1291.43\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1429.82\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e34.634\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.016\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e TAAs, total amino acids; EAAs, essential amino acids; UAAs \u0026amp; SAAs, umami amino acids (asparagine, glutamine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid) and sweet amino acids (serine, glycine, threonine, alanine and proline).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEffects of INU treatment on\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;cecum microbiome\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGut microbiome composition\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on 97% sequence similarity, a total of 3,846 Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTUs) were identified in the INU group, which were then assigned to 39 phyla, 92 classes, 185 orders, 267 families, and 466 genera. In the CON group, 4,118 OTUs were obtained and were clustered into 39 phyla, 98 classes, 181 orders, 271 families, and 481 genera. There were 2,847 OTUs that were common across the two experimental groups (Fig. 1A). Inulin supplementation significantly reduced alpha-diversity in the gut microbiome, as indicated by lower Shannon, Simpson, Chao1, and observed species indices in the INU group compared to the CON group (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.01, Table 6).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 6. Alpha-diversity of the cecum microbiota of pigs feeding inulin\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 53px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItem\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 24px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTreatments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSEM\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-value\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCON\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eINU\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 53px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCoverage percentage, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;99\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;99\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 30px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRichness Estimators\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eObserved species\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1075.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e935.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.264\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eChao1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1174.87\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1068.72\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19.109\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eACE\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1185.72\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1073.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22.576\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0005\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 30px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAlpha-diversity Indexes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePD_whole_tree\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e89.56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e90.86\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.043\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.905\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eShannon\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.79\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.136\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 23px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSimpson\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.99\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 11px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeta-diversity analysis, using PCoA, revealed distinct microbiome community structures between the two groups (Fig 1B). The INU group exhibited an increased relative abundance of \u003cem\u003eFirmicutes\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eProteobacteria\u003c/em\u003e and a reduced abundance of \u003cem\u003eBacteroidetes\u003c/em\u003e, resulting in a significantly higher \u003cem\u003eFirmicutes\u003c/em\u003e/\u003cem\u003eBacteroidetes\u003c/em\u003e (F/B) ratio (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05, Fig 1C). The relative abundance of microbes exceeding 0.5% were displayed at the phylum, family, and genus levels (Fig. 1D-F). Concretely, within the Firmicutes phylum, the dominant families included in both groups were \u003cem\u003eLachnospiraceae\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eOscillospiraceae\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eClostridiaceae\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003ePeptostreptococcaceae\u003c/em\u003e, while in phyla of Bacteroidetes were \u003cem\u003ePrevotellaceae\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRikenellaceae\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMuribaculaceae\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003ep-251-o5\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGut microbiome biomarker\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the genus level, inulin supplementation enriched beneficial microbes, including \u003cem\u003eLactobacillus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLachnospiraceae\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003eNK4A136\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egroup\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRoseburia\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eTuricibacter\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eStreptococcus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eTerrisporobacter\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRomboutsia\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eUCG\u003c/em\u003e-\u003cem\u003e005\u003c/em\u003e, while decreasing potentially harmful genera such as \u003cem\u003eTreponema\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRikenellaceae\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003eRC9\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egut\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egroup\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eMethanobrevibacter\u003c/em\u003e (Fig. 2A). Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LefSe, with LDA \u0026gt; 4.0) further identified significant biomarkers differentiating the two dietary groups (Fig 2B). Additionally, the cladograms illustrated the phylogenetic distribution of discrepant bacteria, as shown in Fig. 2C. By integrating these two logical analyses, we identified and selected 15 microbial genera for further investigation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGut metabolome\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComposition and biomarker\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLiquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of gut metabolome identified 854 metabolites (582 positive and 272 negative ions) in the treatment groups. To compare the distribution of cecum metabolites, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was conducted. This revealed a distinct clustering pattern between the CON and INU groups, suggesting that inulin supplementation significantly altered gut metabolites. As shown in Fig. 3A, the OPLS-DA model (R\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003eX = 0.735, R\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003eY = 1, and Q\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e = 0.996) score plot revealed that the first principal component explained 70.2% of the features between the groups, while the second principal component explained 3.29%.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe variable importance in projection (VIP) value of the OPLS-DA model was used to measure the contribution of metabolites to distinguishing characteristics between groups. Univariate statistical analysis was combined to calculate the \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e-value and fold change (FC) between the INU and CON groups, leading to the identification of 379 differentiated metabolites with 71 upregulated and 308 downregulated in the INU group (Fig. 3C, VIP \u0026gt; 1.0, FC \u0026gt; 2.0 and FC \u0026lt; 0.5, \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05). In addition, the heatmap shows that the samples from the CON and INU groups cluster well, indicating a strong correlation with the additive treatment (Fig. 3C).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway enrichment analysis of differential metabolites revealed that the highlighted metabolic pathways primarily involved amino and fatty acid metabolism (Fig. 3D). Based on their impact, the top five differential metabolic pathways were identified as linoleic acid metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, riboflavin metabolism, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism (the profile of metabolic pathways modulated by inulin supplementation can be referred to in Table 7). Among them, the taurine and hypotaurine metabolism pathway was upregulated in the inulin dietary supplementation, while the other four pathways were downregulated. Classification analysis of significantly modulated metabolites within the top five pathways revealed that those regulated by inulin primarily included lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids and derivatives, as well as organoheterocyclic compounds. Thirteen primary differential metabolites and their respective categories are detailed in Fig. 3E.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 7. Profile of metabolic pathways modulated by inulin supplementation\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 49px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNames of pathway\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTotal\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHits\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRaw \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026minus; log 10 (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImpact\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 49px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLinoleic acid metabolism\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 49px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eArginine biosynthesis\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 49px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRiboflavin metabolism\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.73\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 49px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAlanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.49\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 49px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTaurine and hypotaurine metabolism\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.43\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePathways correlation\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe interconnection of metabolic pathways suggested inulin supplementation reshaped the gut metabolome, promoting beneficial changes linked to pork flavor and host health (Fig. 4).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCorrelation among the phenotypes, differentiated microbes and metabolites\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpearman correlation analysis revealed strong association among health parameters, gut microbiota, metabolites, and pork quality traits. Beneficial genera enriched in the INU group, such as \u003cem\u003eEscherichia\u003c/em\u003e-\u003cem\u003eShigella\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eTreponema\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eUCG\u003c/em\u003e-\u003cem\u003e005\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eStreptococcus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRikenellaceae\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003eRC9\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egut\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egroup\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eTerrisporobacter\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLactobacillus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRomboutsia\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLachnospiraceae\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003eNK4A136\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egroup\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRuminococcus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMethanobrevibacter\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNK4A214\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egroup\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRoseburia\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eFamily\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003eXIII\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003eAD3011\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egroup\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eTuricibacter\u003c/em\u003e, were positively correlated with improved phenotypes, including higher levels of HDL, crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE) and redness (a*) (P \u0026lt; 0.05). These genera were also associated with reduced levels of ALT, AST, glucose, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TCHO), and shear force, indicating enhanced systemic health and meat tenderness (Fig. 5B).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to their correlations with systemic health and pork quality, these beneficial microbes positively influenced the levels of taurine, taurocholic acid in the gut, and fatty acids like SFAs and MUFAs in meat, which serve as flavor precursors in pork. In contrast, genera more abundant in the CON group, such as \u003cem\u003eNK4A214\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egroup\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMethanobrevibacter\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eTreponema\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRikenellaceae\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003eRC9\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egut\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egroup\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eRuminococcus\u003c/em\u003e, were associated with less favourable phenotypes including higher levels of drip loss, LDL and yellowness (b*) (Fig. 5B).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCorrelation analysis also identified 13 key metabolites significantly linked to both host phenotypes and pork flavor traits. Inulin-modulated metabolic pathways, particularly those involving amino acids like alanine, aspartate, and glutamate, as well as fatty acids, were strongly connected to these observed improvements (Fig. 5C\u0026amp;D). For example, higher levels of umami-related amino acids such as glutamic acid, and beneficial fatty acids in pork from the INU group were closely linked to the reshaped gut microbiota and metabolome. The integration of microbiome, metabolome, and phenotype data highlights the pivotal role of inulin in optimizing systemic health and pork quality through gut microbiome modulation.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study demonstrated that dietary inulin supplementation improved systemic health, pork quality, and flavor while having no adverse effects on production performance in finishing pigs. These findings align with previous studies showing that polysaccharides in pig diets do not directly enhance production performance but can significantly improve the quality of animal by-products [7, 20]. The observed reduction in by-products, such as liver and tail indices, also suggest potential economic benefits from inulin supplementation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInulin\u0026rsquo;s role as a non-digestible carbohydrate likely contributed to the observed improvements in systemic health by balancing carbohydrate and protein metabolism. \u0026nbsp;Reduced fasting blood glucose levels and improved serum indicators, such as lower ALT, AST, and TG levels, reflect enhanced hepatic function and metabolic stability [21, 22]. The increase in HDL/LDL ratio further supports the hypothesis that inulin promotes systemic health by regulating lipid metabolism, as seen in previous studies [23].. Our findings indicated that a diet supplemented with inulin balanced the metabolism of carbohydrates and protein, maintaining energy metabolism and homeostasis, thus contributing to enhanced systemic health in the host.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe enhancements in pork quality, including reduced drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force, suggest an improvement in water-holding capacity and tenderness. Increased crude protein and fatty acid content also highlight the nutritional benefits of inulin supplementation. These improvements can be attributed to the modulation of oxidative stress and increase levels of essential nutrients in the meat, consistent with earlier findings [2, 24]. The degradation of SFAs, MUFAs, and PUFAs, including oleic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid, produces volatile flavor substances such as aldehydes, acids, ketones, hydrocarbons, esters, alcohols, and heterocyclic compounds [25, 26]. The consumption of inulin results in an elevation of the levels of various fatty acids deposited in pork, thereby enhancing the flavor during the cooking process. However, while the higher levels of UFAs enhance pork flavor, the reduced PUFA/SFA and n-3/n-6 ratios may slightly diminish its health benefits [27, 28]. It is worthwhile to mention that higher levels of UFA may shorten the shelf life of meat product [29]. Therefore, future studies should aim to balance flavor enhancement with nutritional quality.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe elevated levels of umami-related amino acids, such as glutamic acid, contributed to the superior flavor profile of pork from the INU group. These amino acids are critical for enhancing the umami taste, sweetness, and overall flavor of meat [30, 31]. Serine and alanine primarily influence the meat\u0026apos;s sweetness [32], while arginine generates pyrazine compounds during ripening [33]. Valine produces caramel via the Maillard reaction when combined with glucose [34], and phenylalanine degradation leads to benzaldehyde, imparting a nutty flavor [35]. Dietary interventions, such as inulin supplementation, can modify amino acid profiles to enhance distinctive pork flavor. Additionally, inulin\u0026rsquo;s ability to increase the abundance of beneficial microbes, such as \u003cem\u003eLactobacillus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eLachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group\u003c/em\u003e, likely supported the production of flavor precursors. These microbes are known for their roles in gut health, nutrient metabolism, and reducing inflammation [36, 37].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gut microbiome of pigs in the INU group showed reduced alpha-diversity and increased abundance of beneficial genera, such as \u003cem\u003eTuricibacter\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eRomboutsia\u003c/em\u003e. These microbial changes were associated with improved systemic health, as well as increased deposition of fatty acids and amino acids, which enhance pork flavor [38]. The observed increase in the F/B ratio aligns with findings from a recent study by [39], further supporting the role of inulin supplementation in modulating gut microbiota (i.e.,\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;Lactobacillus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBifidobacterium\u003c/em\u003e) to enhance nutrient absorption and energy metabolism. Additionally, Lu et al. reported increased intramuscular fat content and enhanced redness (a*) in pork, signifying improved meat color and quality. In contrast, harmful genera such as \u003cem\u003eTreponema\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eRikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group\u003c/em\u003e were more prevalent in the CON group, correlating with unfavorable phenotypes and metabolic outcomes [40-43].\u0026nbsp;These results support the hypothesis that inulin supplementation reduces the prevalence of potentially harmful microbes, thereby conferring protection against pathogen-associated issues. Furthermore,\u0026nbsp;the increase abundance of\u0026nbsp;\u003cem\u003eUCG-005\u003c/em\u003e,\u0026nbsp;a member of the\u0026nbsp;\u003cem\u003eOscillospiraceae\u003c/em\u003e family is essential for host fatness\u0026nbsp;[38], in the INU group suggests the inulin\u0026nbsp;may have the potential to promote production performance, consistent with the\u0026nbsp;rise\u0026nbsp;in the F/B ratio.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a non-protein amino acid, taurine reduces oxidative stress and supports lipid metabolism by forming taurocholate with bile acids, promoting fat digestion and lowering serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels [44-46]. Riboflavin (vitamin B\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e) also plays a key role in protein and lipid metabolism [47]. In our study, inulin supplementation reduced protein and lipid degradation by modulating related metabolic pathways.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism pathway, central to amino acid metabolism and pork flavor [48], is linked to arginine synthesis initiated by glutamate [49]. Additionally, linoleic acid, precursor for conjugated linoleic acid, enhanced pork flavor by increasing fatty acid content [50, 51]. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that inulin can effectively inhibit the breakdown of flavor-enhancing amino acids and preserve umami compounds, as evidenced by the high glutamate content and increased fatty acid levels in pork. These results confirm the down-regulation of fatty acid catabolism pathways observed in the omics analysis.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, pigs receiving inulin supplementation displayed a gut microbiome characterized by decreased alpha-diversity and increased the abundance of beneficial microbes, accompanying by the downregulation of flavor-degrading metabolic pathways. Furthermore, inulin supplementation resulted in superior phenotypic traits, improved pork flavor, and maintained average growth and fattening performance compared to the control group. Therefore, feeding 0.5% inulin to finishing pigs was feasible for superior meat quality in intensive rearing conditions.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExperimental design, Animals, and feeding management\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThirty-six healthy Duroc \u0026times; Landrace \u0026times; Yorkshire (DLY) pigs with an average body weight of 75.0 \u0026plusmn; 1.5 kg were randomly allocated into six pens (4 m \u0026times; 8 m), with six pigs per pen. The pens were equally divided between two dietary treatment groups: a control group (CON) fed a standard diet and an inulin-supplemented group (INU) fed a diet containing 5 g/kg inulin. Each treatment was replicated three times.\u0026nbsp;Dietary formulation (Table 8) was based on the China national standard outlined in\u0026nbsp;GB/T 39235-2020\u0026nbsp;[52]\u0026nbsp;to satisfy the nutrient requirements of fatting pigs, and the\u0026nbsp;crude protein (the method of 954.01), crude fat (920.39), ash (942.05), Ca (927.02) and TP (965.17) content in diet were all analysed according to the AOAC\u0026nbsp;[53]. The dietary digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) was calculated according to the following formula: DE (ME) = corn \u0026times; DE1 (ME\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e) + wheat middlings \u0026times; DE2 (ME\u003csub\u003e2)\u003c/sub\u003e + wheat bran \u0026times; DE3 (ME\u003csub\u003e3)\u003c/sub\u003e + \u0026hellip; + minerals \u0026times; DE14 (ME\u003csub\u003e14)\u003c/sub\u003e. All values from DE\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (ME\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e) to DE\u003csub\u003e14\u003c/sub\u003e (ME\u003csub\u003e14\u003c/sub\u003e) were based on nutritional value listed on the\u0026nbsp;GB/T 39235-2020\u0026nbsp;[52].\u0026nbsp;The inulin was provided by Gansu Lircon Biological Co., Ltd. The molar mass of inulin is 1,800 g/mol, and mean degree of polymerization (DP) is 12. Inulin was first combined with a premix that was subsequently mixed with other ingredients and then stored in covered containers. All diets were prepared in a single batch and stored in a cool warehouse.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;pigs\u0026nbsp;were\u0026nbsp;provided ad libitum access to fresh water and fed three times daily\u0026nbsp;(6:00\u0026nbsp;a.m., 12:00\u0026nbsp;p.m.,\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;6:00\u0026nbsp;p.m.).\u0026nbsp;Feed intake was calculated based on the\u0026nbsp;quantity provided and\u0026nbsp;leftovers.\u0026nbsp;After a 7-day acclimation period, the pigs were fed their respective diets for 60 days.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 8. Basic diet composition and nutritional level\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItems\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContent\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIngredients\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCorn, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWheat middlings, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWheat bran, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSoybean meal, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDefatted rice bran, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePeanut meal, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCaHPO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e\u0026middot;2 H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.34\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNaCl, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSoybean oil, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSulfate lysine (70%), %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDL-methionine (99%), %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLimestone, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVitamins\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMinerals\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNutrients content\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003csup\u003e, 4\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDE, MJ/kg\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eME, MJ/kg\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCP, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.43\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEE, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLys, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLys/ME, g/MJ\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCa, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTP, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMet, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThr, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.51\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 59px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCys, %\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 40px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e1\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eThe Vitamins provided the following per kg DM of diets: Vitamin A 8000 IU, Vitamin D\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e 3500 IU, Vitamin E 30 IU, Vitamin K₃ 1.0 mg, Vitamin B₁ 1.5 mg, Vitamin B₂ 5.5 mg, Vitamin B₆ 2.0 mg, Vitamin B₁₂ 0.02mg, Pantothenic acid 7.50 mg, Niacin 26.5 mg, Biotin 0.07mg, Folic acid 0.6 mg;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e2\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eThe Minerals provided the following per kg DM of diets: Mn (as manganese sulfate) 40 mg, Fe (as ferrous sulfate) 70 mg, Zn (as zinc sulfate) 80 mg, Cu (as copper sulfate) 25 mg, I (as potassium iodide) 0.2 mg, Se (as sodium selenite) 0.4 mg;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e3\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eThe content of CP, EE, Ca, and TP were measured values (n = 6), methionine (Met), lysine (Lys), Threonine (Thr), and Cystine (Cys) were the actual addition. The value of dietary DE and ME was calculated based on the DE and ME values of each ingredient in the formula.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e4\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eDE, digestible energy; ME, Metabolizable energy; CP, Crude protein; EE, Ether extract; Ca, Calcium; TP, Total phosphorus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSample collection\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of trial, 12 pigs (two randomly selected per pen, six per treatment group) were chosen for sample collection. Blood samples were obtained from fasted pigs on the day before slaughter. The pigs were euthanized using electrical stunning following guidelines from the Animal Ethics Committee of Shandong Agricultural University. Longissimus dorsi muscle samples were collected to access meat quality and nutrient composition. Gut content was sampled from the junction of the cecum and colon using sterile surgical procedures. Samples were immediately flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored for further microbiome and metabolome analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeat quality assessment\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMuscle samples were evaluated for physical traits, including the nutrient content, drip loss, cooking loss and shear force. The nutritional values of the pork also determined by the methods mentioned in the AOAC [53], which the moisture according to the method of 950.46, while the 928.08 for analysing the crude protein, 960.39 for the ether extract, and the ash refer to the 920.153. Drip loss was determined as a percentage of weight loss for a sample (30 \u0026plusmn; 3 g) after hanging at 4\u0026deg;C for 24 hours. Similarly, cooking loss was calculated as the weight difference of muscle (50 \u0026plusmn; 5 g) before and after being water-bathed in a sealed bag at 80\u0026deg;C for 60 mins. The cooked samples were then trimmed into rectangular chunks (30 mm \u0026times; 10 mm \u0026times; 10 mm) parallel to the muscle fibers. The chunks were subsequently sliced perpendicular to the myofiber orientation using a tenderness meter (C-LM38, NEAU, China) to determine the pork\u0026apos;s shear force.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBriefly, one gram of the freeze-dried samples was weighed onto filter paper and placed in a Soxhlet extractor with petroleum ether for 5 hours to determine the crude fat content. Concurrently, 0.4 grams of the samples were subjected to sulfuric acid digestion, followed by the determination of the crude protein content using a protein analyzer (K9860, Hanon, China). pH values were measured at 45 mins post-mortem (PHBJ-260, INESA, China), and color parameters (L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness)) were accessed using a colorimeter (CR 300, Minolta, Japan) [54].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFatty acids and amino acids analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe profiles of free fatty acids and amino acids in pork samples were analyzed by Shanghai Sanshu Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Fatty acids were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS, Agilent Technologies Inc. CA, USA), and amino acids were determined using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC, (Vanquish, Thermo, USA)) coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (Q Exactive, Thermo, USA).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBriefly, the GC system utilized Agilent 6890 (Agilent Technologies, USA), with an INU-Sil 88(100m\u0026times;0.25mm\u0026times;0.25 \u0026micro;m) column and an injection volume of 1 \u0026mu;L at a split ratio of 10:1 and nitrogen flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The initial temperature in the column chamber was set at 100 ℃ for a duration of 5 mins, followed by a heating ramp to reach 240 ℃ at a rate of 4 ℃/min. For MS detection, Agilent 5977 (Agilent Technologies, USA) equipped with electron impact ion source (EI) source and MassHunter workstations were used. The MS conditions were as follows: the injection port temperature was maintained at 260 ℃ while the Quadrupole temperature remained constant at150 ℃; full SCAN mode was selected for detection with a Mass (m/z) scan range from30-550.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe UPLC system was equipped with a Waters BEH C18 column (50\u0026times;2.1 mm, 1.7 \u0026mu;m). Ultra-pure water containing 0.1% formic acid was used as mobile phase A, while acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid served as mobile phase B. The flow rate was 0.5 mL/min, the temperature was set at 55\u0026deg;C, and the injection volume was 1 \u0026mu;L. The MS employed electrospray ionization (ESI) with the following settings: sheath gas, 40 arb; assisted gas, 10 arb; ion spray voltage, +3000V; temperature, 350\u0026deg;C; capillary temperature, 320\u0026deg;C. The scanning mode was set to FullScan using the positive ion method.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMicrobiome and metabolome analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGut microbiome composition was analyzed through 16S rRNA sequencing, and metabolome profiles were determined using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), as previously described [55]. Microbial alpha- and beta-diversity were evaluated, and key metabolic pathways were identified using KEGG pathway enrichment analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStatistical analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndividual pigs were used for phenotypes, pork traits data collection, microbiome analysis, and metabolome analysis (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e = 6). A single pen was used as the unit for free amino acid and medium-long chain fatty acid determination (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e = 3). Statistical differences were assessed using IBM SPSS 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) to perform the independent two-sample \u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e-tests, the statistical analysis model used as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"data:image/png;base64,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\" width=\"151\" height=\"33\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhere \u003cem\u003eY\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/em\u003e is the outcome variable, \u003cem\u003eX\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/em\u003e is a binary indicator (0 = Group A, 1 = Group B), \u003cem\u003e\u0026beta;\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/em\u003e represents the mean of Group A, \u003cem\u003e\u0026beta;\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/em\u003e is the mean difference between Group B and Group A, \u003cem\u003eϵ\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eare independent normally distributed errors. The null hypothesis \u003cem\u003eH\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/em\u003e :\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026beta;\u003csub\u003e1\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/em\u003e= 0 was tested against the alternative\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;H\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/em\u003e :\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026beta;\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u0026ne;\u003c/em\u003e 0. The \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e-value \u0026lt;0.05 was considered to have statistical significance. Gut microbiome data were analysed and plotted using Prism 8.1 (GraphPad, LaJolla, CA, USA) and http://www.ehbio.com/Cloud_Platform/. Metabolome data were analysed using MetaboAnalyst 6.0, and heatmaps were generated using https://cloud.metware.cn/.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDLY\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDuroc \u0026times; Landrace \u0026times; Yorkshire pigs\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCON\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eControl group\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eINU\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eInulin group\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDP\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethe degree of polymerization\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBW\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBody weight\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eADG\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAverage daily gain\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eADFI\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAverage daily feed intake\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eG:F\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGain-to-feed ratio\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEMA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEye muscle area\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eALT\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAlanine aminotransferase\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAST\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAspartatea aminotransferase\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTP\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal protein\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eALB\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAlbumin\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGLU\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGlucose\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTG\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTriglycerides\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTCHO\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal cholesterol\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHDL\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHigh-density lipoprotein\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLDL\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLow-density lipoprotein\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDM\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDry matter\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCP\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCrude protein\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEE\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEther extract\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSFA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSaturated fatty acid\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUFA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUnsaturated fatty acid\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMUFA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMonounsaturated fatty acid\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePUFA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePolyunsaturated fatty acid\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTAAs\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal amino acids\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEAAs\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEssential amino acids\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUAAs\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUmami amino acids\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSAAs\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSweet amino acids\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOTUs\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOperational taxonomic units\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePCoA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrincipal coordinate analysis\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLefSe\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLinear discriminant analysis effect size\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLDA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLinear discriminant analysis\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLC-MS/MS\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLiquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOPLS-DA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOrthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVIP\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVariable importance in projection\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFC\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFold change\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eKEGG\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eKyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAOAC\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAssociation of official analytical chemists\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDE\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDigestible energy\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eME\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMetabolizable energy\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGC-MS\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGas chromatography-mass spectrometry\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUPLC\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUltra-high-performance liquid chromatography\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEI\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 79px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIon source\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConceptualization, \u003cstrong\u003eYunkyoung Lee\u003c/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eGuiguo Zhang\u003c/strong\u003e; Methodology, \u003cstrong\u003eYunpeng Wang\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eand \u003cstrong\u003eKayeon Ko\u003c/strong\u003e; Investigation, \u003cstrong\u003eYunpeng Wang\u003c/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eMinhyeok Kang\u003c/strong\u003e; Formal Analysis and Writing - Original Draft,\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;Yunpeng Wang\u003c/strong\u003e; Writing - Review \u0026amp; Editing, \u003cstrong\u003eYunkyoung Lee\u003c/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMiroslava Kač\u0026aacute;niov\u0026aacute;\u003c/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eGuiguo Zhang\u003c/strong\u003e; Funding Acquisition and Supervision, \u003cstrong\u003eYunkyoung Lee\u003c/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eGuiguo Zhang\u003c/strong\u003e; All authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was supported by the National Key R\u0026amp;D Program of China-Korea cooperative project (2019YFE0107700, NRF-2019K1A3A1A20081146), the National Research Foundation Grant of Korea (NRF-2020R1A2C2004144, RS-2024-00334577), the key project for foreign experts of Shandong Province (WRS2023075), Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education (RS-2024-00410255), the Forage Industrial Innovation Team Project (SDAIT-23-05), and the Key R\u0026amp;D Program of Shandong Province (2022TZXD0018).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raw 16S rRNA sequences datasets described in this study have been deposited in the NCBI database (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov: Accession number PRJNA971324). The metabolome data reported in this paper have been deposited in the OMIX, China National Center for Bioinformation / Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences at https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/omix: Accession number OMIX 010210. All the other original data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions, but will be made available upon request from [email protected].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthic approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe current experiment adhered to animal welfare guidelines and experimental protocols established by the Research Ethics Committee of Shandong Agricultural University. Approval was granted by the Laboratory Animal Management Committee of Shandong Agricultural University (Protocol No. S20240136).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interest statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBonneau M, Lebret B. Production systems and influence on eating quality of pork. Meat Sci. 2010;84(2):293-300; doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2009.03.013.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrela ER, Świątkiewicz M, Florek M, Bąkowski M, Skiba G. Effect of Inulin Source and a Probiotic Supplement in Pig Diets on Carcass Traits, Meat Quality and Fatty Acid Composition in Finishing Pigs. 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Food Chem: X. 2023;17:100550; doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100550.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCharlier D, Bervoets I. Regulation of arginine biosynthesis, catabolism and transport in Escherichia coli. Amino Acids. 2019;51(8):1103-27; doi: 10.1007/s00726-019-02757-8.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCottin SC, Alsaleh A, Sanders TAB, Hall WL. Lack of effect of supplementation with EPA or DHA on platelet-monocyte aggregates and vascular function in healthy men. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2016;26(8):743-51; doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2016.03.004.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYing W, Ya-Ting J, Jin-Xuan C, Yin-Ji C, Yang-Ying S, Xiao-Qun Z, et al. Study on lipolysis-oxidation and volatile flavour compounds of dry-cured goose with different curing salt content during production. Food Chem. 2016;190:33-40; doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.05.048.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStandard CN. Nutrient requirements of swine. GB/T 39235-2020. Beijing: Standards Press of China. 2020.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOfficial Methods of Analysis of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. Oxford University Press; 2023.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFu Q, Shi H, Hu D, Cheng J, Chen S, Ben A. Pork longissimus dorsi marinated with edible mushroom powders: Evaluation of quality traits, microstructure, and protein degradation. Food Res Int. 2022;158:111503; doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111503.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLi S, Du M, Zhang C, Wang Y, Lee Y, Zhang G. Diet Type Impacts Production Performance of Fattening Lambs by Manipulating the Ruminal Microbiota and Metabolome. Front Microbiol. 2022;13; doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.824001.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"animal-microbiome","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"amic","sideBox":"Learn more about [Animal Microbiome](http://animalmicrobiome.biomedcentral.com)","snPcode":"42523","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/42523/3","title":"Animal Microbiome","twitterHandle":"@bmc","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Inulin, Finishing pig, Pork quality, Flavor development, Microbiome, Metabolome","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6562341/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6562341/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground\u003c/strong\u003e Inulin is widely recognized for its ability to improve glucolipid metabolism and modulate the gut microbiome and metabolome. However, the potential to influence pork flavor development through gut environment changes in animal husbandry remains unexplored. This study investigated the relationships among systemic health, meat flavor, gut microbiome, and metabolome in pigs fed a diet supplemented with inulin. Thirty-six male Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire pigs (75.0 ± 1.5 kg) were divided into 2 groups, and fed either a regular diet (CON group) or a diet containing 0.5% inulin (INU group) for 60 d.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults\u003c/strong\u003e Inulin supplementation did not adversely affect production or slaughter performance (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026gt; 0.05) but enhanced systemic health by improving serum biochemistry indicators (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05). Additionally, it increased the level of C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, and glutamic acid in pork (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05), while modulating the gut microbiome to reduce alpha-diversity and increase specific microbes including \u003cem\u003eEscherichia-Shigella\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eUCG\u003c/em\u003e-\u003cem\u003e005\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eStreptococcus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eTerrisporobacter\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLactobacillus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLachnospiraceae\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003eNK4A136\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egroup\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRomboutsia\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eFamily\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003eXlll\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003eAD3011\u003c/em\u003e_\u003cem\u003egroup, Roseburia\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eTuricibacter\u003c/em\u003e. Furthermore, inulin supplementation significantly altered metabolic pathways, down-regulating arginine biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, riboflavin metabolism, and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. These microbial and metabolic changes strongly correlated with the observed improvements in pork quality and flavor.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion \u003c/strong\u003eDietary inulin supplementation is recommended to enhance pork quality and systemic health without compromising productive performance.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Dietary Inulin Improves Pork Quality and Systemic Health Via Gut Microbiome and Metabolome Modulation in Finishing Pigs","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-07-15 11:40:58","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6562341/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-01-30T02:03:15+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-29T09:05:44+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-29T07:31:32+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"40725514806857248843849838968448995150","date":"2025-12-18T09:26:42+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"76671000205535204639969900594448515801","date":"2025-12-16T10:26:21+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-07-13T14:41:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-05-31T09:30:57+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-05-26T12:54:08+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Animal Microbiome","date":"2025-05-25T10:03:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"animal-microbiome","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"amic","sideBox":"Learn more about [Animal Microbiome](http://animalmicrobiome.biomedcentral.com)","snPcode":"42523","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/42523/3","title":"Animal Microbiome","twitterHandle":"@bmc","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"a6b65d1a-9781-4ffa-bfdd-68aef6cffb65","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 15th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-13T16:13:38+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-6562341","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-026-00566-5","journal":{"identity":"animal-microbiome","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Animal Microbiome"},"publishedOn":"2026-04-12 15:58:45","publishedOnDateReadable":"April 12th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-07-15 11:40:58","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s42523-026-00566-5","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-026-00566-5","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6562341","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6562341","identity":"rs-6562341","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}