ABSTRACT
The role of intestinal microbiota in mammals and humans are gaining increasing attention. The health of piglets requires a dynamically balanced intestinal microbiota. However, there are temporal and spatial changes in the distri-bution and composition of microbiota from the esophagus to the rectum during the life cycle of the pig. The intestinal micro?biota has various beneficial functions in pig, like nutrient metabolism, intestinal mucosal barrier, immune responses and pathogen infection. A variety of factors play an important role in the formation and stabilization of intestinal microbiota, in?cluding the ways of delivery ( vaginal or caesarean) , the diet during infancy ( breast milk or formula feeds) and the usage of antibiotics or antibiotic-like molecules. In this review, we mainly discussed the relationship between intestinal microbi?ota and the intestinal health of piglets from the aspects of the composition and colonization of intestinal microbiota, as well as the functions and influencing factors of intestinal microbiota, so as to further understanding the importance of intestinal microbiota in intestinal function of piglets.