Antimicrobial peptides: Source, biological function and intestinal regulation of piglets.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) belong to a class of small molecules with broad-spectrum antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activities, which have the potential as novel nutritional additives for livestock in the post-antibiotic era. Most of these compounds possess a distinctive mechanism of action, which are capable of binding and disrupting to the microbial membrane, leading to leakage of intracellular contents. Certain AMPs have also been demonstrated the ability to affect DNA/RNA, cell wall synthesis, and protein folding, thereby posing challenges for pathogens in developing drug resistance. In addition, AMPs play essential roles in regulating both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses, as well as in the modulation of intestinal barrier. The review summarizes the sources, biological functions and in vivo regulation of AMPs in piglets, thus providing crucial insights into their contribution to the modulation of nutrition and disease.