Betaine is a natural compound widely distributed in plants and animals. It can be added to feed for a variety of purposes. Betaine has positive effects on intestinal health of weaned piglets. Betaine has different opportunities to support nutrient digestion and absorption, improve the physical barrier of protection, influence the microbiome and enhance the defense capacity of piglets.

Intestinal epithelial cells need to deal with highly variable osmotic conditions and are produced by intestinal lumen content during nutrient digestion. At the same time, these intestinal cells need to control the exchange of water and different nutrients between the intestinal lumen and plasma. Betaine is an important osmolar cell that protects cells from these challenges. When betaine concentration was observed in different tissues, intestinal tissue contained quite high levels of betaine. In addition, an effect of betaine concentration on these levels was observed. The cells were well balanced, proliferous and resilient. Therefore, the researchers found that increased betaine levels in piglets increased duodenal villi height and ileum fossa depth, and the villi were more uniform.

The activity of diamine oxidase in plasma, a marker of intestinal mucosal injury, was significantly decreased in pigs, indicating a stronger intestinal barrier. Increases in intestinal tensile strength were measured at slaughter when betaine was added to the diet of growing-finishing pigs. Betaine has osmotic protection not only in animals. In addition, a variety of bacteria can accumulate betaine either by de novo synthesis or by transportation from the environment. There are indications that betaine can positively affect bacterial populations in the gastrointestinal tract of weaned piglets.