Melatonin Alleviates T-2 Toxin-Induced Intestinal Injury by Enhancing Gut Barrier Function and Modulating Microbiota in Weaned Piglets

The T-2 toxin, originating from a Fusarium species, is a mycotoxin that can adversely affect animal health. Melatonin (MT) is a natural hormone recognized for its properties that reduce inflammation and act as an antioxidant. However, MT's capacity to alleviate intestinal harm from T-2 toxin remains incompletely explored. Employing postweaning piglets, this research investigates MT's prophylactic impact on T-2 toxin-induced enterotoxicity. The results indicate that MT improved growth performance in piglets exposed to T-2 toxins while also enhancing intestinal barrier function. Such effects probably stem from MT's ability to reduce colonic oxidative stress and inflammation. Further findings suggest that these changes are closely associated with MT-induced remodeling of intestinal microbiota and an increase in short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels in the intestine. MT therefore alleviates T-2 toxin intestinal damage; gut microbiota are the key to this process.