Potential Role of Brown Macroalgae on Pig Health: A Review

The transition of pig farming to intensive production, along with the shortening of the weaning age to 21-28 days, has led to increased use of in-feed antibiotic growth promoters (AGP). Following the ban on AGP in 2006 and the pharmacological level (2500 ppm) of zinc oxide in 2022 in Europe, the need for natural alternatives in pig production during weaning has substantially increased. Recently, brown macroalgae (BMA) have attracted considerable interest due to their diverse bioactive compounds with significant health-promoting potential. Therefore, this review emphasizes the use of BMA as a natural alternative to AGP use in pig health and production. Particularly, BMA-derived health-promoting compounds, potential uses, and limitations of using macroalgal biomass in pig health and production have been discussed.