PSVII-19 Substandard jujube meal as a functional feed: Effects on growth, systemic health, and meat quality in growing-finishing pigs.

Abstract Dried jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is cultivated in at least 48 countries, with over 90% of global production originating from China. Despite its abundance, up to one-third of the harvest fails to meet market standards despite retaining high levels of phenolics, flavonoids, and polysaccharides. Converting this substandard fruit into jujube meal offers a sustainable strategy to deliver bioactive compounds in pig diets. This study aimed to determine how graded levels of jujube meals affect growth performance, physiological health, and meat quality in growing-finishing pigs. Seventy-two growing-finishing pigs (78.2 ± 1.1 kg) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments containing 0% (JP0), 5% (JP5), 10% (JP10), or 15% (JP15) jujube meal and fed for 30 days. Each treatment included three replicate pens of six pigs per pen (n = 3). All diets were formulated to be isocaloric (equal metabolizable energy) and to meet identical nutrient requirements. At d 30, one pig per replicate with a body weight (BW) closest to the treatment average was slaughtered. Blood and the longissimus dorsi muscle were sampled. Parameters included growth performance and carcass yield, blood hematology and immunity, meat quality traits, muscle histology, antioxidant status, and muscle metabolomic profiles. Data was analyzed using SAS 9.4 (Cary, NC, USA). Polynomial contrasts were used to test the linear and quadratic effects of increasing jujube meal levels. Results showed a quadratic trend (P = 0.083) of jujube meal supplementation on average daily feed intake (ADFI), with the lowest intake at an 8% inclusion rate. The average daily gain (ADG) tended to decline linearly (P = 0.056) as inclusion increased. Slaughter yield increased linearly (P < 0.05) with meal levels. Red blood cell counts and serum globulin increased linearly (P < 0.05), and serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) tended to decrease linearly (P = 0.092) as inclusion rose. The intramuscular fat content and meat redness (a*) increased linearly (P < 0.05), whereas drip loss and shear force declined linearly (P < 0.05). Muscle fiber diameter and cross-sectional area decreased linearly (P < 0.05), with fiber density increasing in both linear and quadratic fashions (P < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in muscle displayed both linear and quadratic responses (P < 0.05), peaking at approximately 11% inclusion. Metabolomic profiling identified higher (P < 0.05) anserine, creatine, and amanita in JP15 than in JP0 and JP5. In conclusion, incorporating 10% jujube meal delivers the most consistent improvements in physiological health and antioxidant capacity, while 15% inclusion further enhances meat quality and bioactive metabolite deposition. These findings support 10-15% jujube meal as a value-adding feed ingredient for growing-finishing pigs.