Medium-chain fatty acids: Protecting pigs from pathogens.

Global movement of feed ingredients calls for an in-feed disease mitigation strategy.

Feed and feed ingredients have the potential to harbor devastating bacteria and viruses like porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and African swine fever (ASF).


The bacteria and viruses can be transmitted in feed – eventually making their way through the pig’s digestive system and replicating, causing infection.

 The global movement of feed ingredients and commodities increases the risk of introducing disease through ingredients when sourced from areas of active disease pressures.


The risk of global disease transmission reinforces the need for an in-feed mitigation strategy to help guard against disease threats.

 Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs)  have proven to be a useful biosecurity tool, essentially acting as security guards to protect pigs from bacteria and viruses.

The coconut oil  contains a (medium chain fatty acid}begin working in feed, before pigs consume it, to reduce the feed’s pathogen load. After feed consumption, it continues to work inside the animal to weaken pathogens in the digestive tract. Learn how coconut oil in your pig diet can act as a biosecurity tool .

The coconut oil kills bacteria in feed before the pig consumes it and also prevents the replication of bacteria inside the pig.

This is how it kills bacteria:1)Degrade the bacterial cell membrane.

 2)Dissociate into the bacterial cell, causing the pH inside the cell to drop.

 3)Block DNA replication of bacterial cells. In case of viruses with envelopes this is how coconut oil protects the pigs.



Coconut oil is effective against viruses with an “envelope” outer layer, including PEDv and PRRS. Enveloped viruses have a bilipid layer similar to the bacterial cell membrane.

The lipid layer has receptors designed to connect to cells inside the animal. When the receptors connect, the envelope unfolds and releases its viral contents, allowing the virus to replicate inside the animal and cause an infection.

 Coconut oil work in the feed before the pigs consumes it. Viruses can hide in feed, but they cannot replicate in it unless inside the pig’s body.


When feed with coconut oil contact viruses in feed, they break through the envelope lining, causing the release of viral material and making it inactive before it can harm the animal. Read more about the other medium chain fatty acids