Dietary supplementation with eugenol modulates lipid metabolism in finishing pigs through the TRPV1/AMPK signaling pathway.

Eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol), a natural phytogenic compound, exhibits physiological properties including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary eugenol supplementation on lipid metabolism, carcass characteristics, and mechanism in finishing pigs. In our findings, dietary supplementation with eugenol significantly improved carcass traits in finishing pigs (P < 0.05). The eugenol-supplemented diet markedly reduced serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (P < 0.05), while significantly increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (P < 0.05). Furthermore, eugenol supplemented diet significantly decreased the content of TC and TG in muscle tissue (P < 0.05). Specifically, EUG significantly downregulated the protein expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) in adipose tissue (P < 0.05). EUG treatment upregulated protein expressions of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) and P-AMPK/AMPK (P < 0.05). These results demonstrated that eugenol regulates lipid metabolism through the TRPV1/AMPK signaling pathway, effectively reducing serum TG and cholesterol levels while inhibiting lipid accumulation.