Abstract
Chlorogenic acid (CGA)-rich extract from Eucommia ulmoides (CAE) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; however, systematic investigations of its maternal effects on offspring development from late gestation through lactation are limited. This study investigated the effects of dietary CAE supplementation in sows during late gestation and lactation on maternal and offspring outcomes. Sows were randomly allocated to receive either a basal diet (CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 2000 mg/kg CAE. Compared with CON, CAE supplementation resulted in elevated maternal serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and catalase (CAT) activity, as well as immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgM) levels (q < 0.05). Placental villus capillary density and antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and CAT, were also greater (q < 0.05), accompanied by increased colostrum IgG concentration (q < 0.01). The CAE group exhibited greater litter-mean birth weight (q < 0.05). Offspring average daily gain (ADG) from birth to weaning was greater (p < 0.01), alongside higher serum T-AOC and CAT activity and immunoglobulin levels (q < 0.05) and enhanced intestinal morphological indices, including duodenal villus height and villus-to-crypt ratio (VH/CD) (q < 0.001). Fecal microbiota beta diversity differed between groups (ANOSIM: R = 0.687, p = 0.001), with phylum-level enrichment of Firmicutes_A and Spirochaetota and reduction in Proteobacteria and Fusobacteriota, alongside significant changes in multiple bacterial genera (q < 0.05). Exploratory metabolomic profiling of colostrum identified metabolite alterations associated with increased vitamin E acetate and 4-hydroxyacetophenone, altered amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles, and modified phospholipid signatures. These findings suggest that maternal CAE supplementation enhances maternal antioxidant status, alters placental microvascular morphology, modifies colostrum composition, and improves neonatal metrics and postnatal intestinal development. Because CAE supplementation spanned both late gestation and lactation, the relative contributions of gestational versus lactational exposure cannot be isolated; the functional significance of observed microbiota and metabolomic shifts requires further investigation through temporally partitioned experimental designs.