Gut chemosensing and the regulation of nutrient absorption and barrier function in pigs

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Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock, and it is a major food-producing industry worldwide. Poor development and growth, disease, morbidity and mortality of these animals are often caused by poor gut health associated with leaky gut, intestinal atrophy, infection and inflammation, particularly when the animals are young. There is a need for better solutions that can be practised to improve gut health for sustainable animal production, especially when antibiotic use in feed has been becoming more limited due to mounting public concerns. The gut is not only a digestive organ but also a chemosensory system that mediates the orchestration of physiological and metabolic responses required to maintain homeostasis in animals through cellular and molecular signaling cascades within the gut and among the gut, brain and other organs. Taste receptors including calcium sensor receptor (CaSR) are expressed in various tissues of animals, play very important roles in nutrient sensing and regulate the physiology, growth and development of the animals.