Figure 2.

Factors affecting porcine muscle growth and development, and fat deposition via regulating gut microbiota. The diversity of gut microbiota can be influenced by many factors. Both host genetics and diet composition (such as dietary fat, fiber) play a pivotal role in shaping the gut microbiota. Moreover, subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics applied in commercial farming can negatively impact the microbiota. The addition of probiotics and prebiotics could improve gut microbiota diversity. Ultimately, these factors can affect the growth and development of muscle, and fat deposition in pigs by regulating the composition and metabolites (such as SCFAs, bile acids and BCAA) of gut microbiota. SCFAs, short-chain fatty acids; BCAA, branched-chain amino acids.