Effects of a blend of thyme,peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils on growth performance,serum lipid and hepatic enzyme indices,immune response and ileal morphology and microflora in broilers

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a blend of essential oils (EOB) derived from thyme (Thymus vulgaris), peppermint (Mentha piperita) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globules) as a natural growth promoter. Five dosages (0 (CON), 50, 100, 150 and 200 ppm) of EOB were added daily to the drinking water to determine its effect on growth performance, carcass quality, blood biochemistry, immune response and ileal morphology in Ross 308 broiler chicks. A total of 500, 10‐day‐old male Ross 308 broilers were allocated into five treatments with four replicates each. Inclusion of EOB at 150 ppm improved (p < 0.05) body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and production index by 11.73, 10.81 and 24.13% compared to CON respectively. The inclusion of EOB at 100, 150 and 200 ppm increased (p < 0.05) carcass yield and thigh muscle compared to CON. Serum concentration of hepatic enzymes (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase) was decreased while the ileal villus height and ratio of villus height to crypt depth were improved (p < 0.05) in response to inclusion of 150 and 200 ppm of EOB compared to CON. The ileal Escherichia coli count was lower and Lactobacillus count was higher in EOB‐200 and EOB‐150, respectively, compared to CON at 21 and 42 days of age (p < 0.05). Antibody titre of Newcastle, bronchitis and infectious bursal disease was linearly increased (p < 0.05) by increasing supplemental level of EOB at day 4 post‐inoculation. Our results suggested that supplementation of EOB at the 150 ppm into drinking water during day 11–42 could improve growth performance, humoral immunity and ileal morphology and microflora in broilers, and thus, EOB has merit to be used as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters.     

Presence and distribution of leptin and its receptor in the gut of adult zebrafish in response to feeding and fasting

Leptin is an anorectic hormone secreted mainly by peripheral adipocytes but also by other central and peripheral tissues. It acts by means of a receptor called OB‐R, influencing not only appetite and body mass but being also involved in many fields like endocrinology, metabolism and reproduction. Immunohistochemistry and qRT‐PCR techniques were, respectively, used to demonstrate the presence of leptin and its receptor in the gut of adult zebrafish and to evaluate the leptin gene expression response to feeding and fasting. Immunoreactivity for the antibodies utilized was demonstrated in feeding but not in fasting fish, and the gene expression analysis corroborates the data obtained by immunohistochemistry. Therefore, all the obtained results support the hypothesis of the role of this hormone in food regulation in zebrafish.     

Probiotics intake from proximal or distal gastrointestinal tract: The investigation on intestinal morphology and performance of Japanese quail

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of early single‐dose probiotics administered from proximal or distal gastrointestinal tract on quails’ performance and small intestinal morphology. A total of 120 Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) 1‐d‐old chicks were divided into the following experimental groups before being transferred to the raising room: (i) control (no probiotic administered); (ii) oral group (received probiotics via oesophageal gavage); and (iii) vent lip group (received probiotics directly into vent). Four replicates of 10 chicks per cage were considered for each treatment and birds were raised up to 35 days in the same conditions with ad libitum access to feed and water. A commercial probiotics (Protexin, Somerset, UK) used in this study contained 2 × 10⁹ cfu/g of nine different micro‐organisms. On day 35, all birds were weighed and then three birds in every pen were killed via cervical dislocation. Two cm of mid‐point of duodenum and ileum were cut for histomorphology assays. Both probiotics‐treated groups had higher body weight and body weight gain than control (p < .01). Ileum was longer in probiotics‐treated groups than in the control (p < .01). Orally treated birds had the highest duodenum villus height and crypt depth (p < .01). In the cloacally treated quails, ileum villus length was higher than the both other groups, and crypts’ depth was deeper than the control (p < .01). The numbers of both types of goblet cells (acidic mucin producer and neutral mucin producer) were higher in the birds receiving probiotics than control birds (p < .01). Although there were no statistical differences in performance values between the different ways of probiotics entrance into gut, some intestinal histomorphometric parameters were improved in ileum of the birds receiving probiotics through distal gut that is cloaca (p < .01).     

Effects of dietary yeast cell wall on faecal bacteria and fermentation products in adult cats

This study evaluated the effects of increasing concentrations of spray‐dried yeast cell wall (YCW) in diets for healthy adult cats on apparent nutrient digestibility and on bacterial composition and fermentation products in the stool. Fourteen cats with an average weight of 4.40 ± 1.05 kg and an average age of 6.2 ± 0.54 years were used and assigned to treatments in an unbalanced randomized block design (by experimental period) with two blocks and three or four cats per diet in each block. Treatments included: control (0% YCW), 0.2% YCW, 0.4% YCW and 0.6% YCW, totalling seven animals per experimental diet. We found that YCW did not affect body weight, nutrient and food intake, faecal production, faecal score, faecal pH or urine output (p > .05). Regarding faecal bacteria, we observed a linear reduction in Clostridium perfringens, a quadratic reduction in Escherichia coli, and linear increases in Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. (p < .05) with the inclusion of YCW. Regarding the faecal short‐chain fatty acid profile, butyrate, valerate, total biogenic amines, putrescine, cadaverine and histamine increased linearly (p < .05) with the inclusion of YCW. It was concluded that in healthy adult cats, consumption of YCW modulates the faecal bacterial populations, with an increased presence of beneficial bacteria and a reduction in some potentially pathogenic bacteria. It was concluded that YCW modulated the levels of fermentation products. There was an increase in fermentation products coming from carbohydrate metabolism, an important effect that can potentially benefit the intestinal health of cats. The consumption of YCW also increased the fermentation of nitrogen compounds, which have not yet been defined as deleterious or beneficial. The fermentability of carbohydrates and nitrogen compounds may be associated. Therefore, YCW may cause rapid fermentation of both classes of compounds by enhancing the fermentability of one class.     

Gut microbes limit growth in house sparrow nestlings (Passer domesticus) but not through limitations in digestive capacity

Recent research often lauds the services and beneficial effects of host‐associated microbes on animals. However, hosting these microbes may come at a cost. For example, germ‐free and antibiotic‐treated birds generally grow faster than their conventional counterparts. In the wild, juvenile body size is correlated with survival, so hosting a microbiota may incur a fitness cost. Avian altricial nestlings represent an interesting study system in which to investigate these interactions, given that they exhibit the fastest growth rates among vertebrates, and growth is limited by their digestive capacity. We investigated whether reduction and restructuring of the microbiota by antibiotic treatment would: (i) increase growth and food conversion efficiency in nestling house sparrows (Passer domesticus); (ii) alter aspects of gut anatomy or function (particularly activities of digestive carbohydrases and their regulation in response to dietary change); and (iii) whether there were correlations between relative abundances of microbial taxa, digestive function and nestling growth. Antibiotic treatment significantly increased growth and food conversion efficiency in nestlings. Antibiotics did not alter aspects of gut anatomy that we considered but depressed intestinal maltase activity. There were no significant correlations between abundances of microbial taxa and aspects of host physiology. Overall, we conclude that microbial‐induced growth limitation in developing birds is not driven by interactions with digestive capacity. Rather, decreased energetic and material costs of immune function or beneficial effects from microbes enriched under antibiotic treatment may underlie these effects. Understanding the costs and tradeoffs of hosting gut microbial communities represents an avenue of future research.     

日粮ADF水平对断奶肉兔肠道健康、营养物质消化及生产性能的影响

选用100只体重相近的35日龄断奶新西兰肉兔,随机分为5组,分别饲喂不同水平酸性洗涤纤维(ADF,13%、16%、19%、22%和25%)的日粮,探讨我国生长肉兔适宜的ADF需要量。结果表明:试兔肠道健康状况受日粮ADF水平影响较大,13%和16%ADF组肉兔腹泻发生率和健康风险指数明显高于其他各处理组;平均腹泻时间随ADF水平的提高逐渐下降,其中,25%组显著低于13%组(P<0.05)。13%、16%ADF组的空肠、盲肠和结肠pH均显著低于19%、22%和25%ADF组(P<0.05)。随日粮ADF水平升高,粗纤维消化率逐渐下降(P<0.05),粗蛋白质、粗脂肪和能量消化率先增加后降低(P<0.05),分别以19%和16%ADF组最高。随日粮ADF水平升高,平均日采食量逐渐增加;日增重先增加后降低,以19%ADF组最高,为31.43 g/d。综合分析,断奶至2月龄肉兔适宜的ADF水平为19%。     

内蒙古锡林郭勒冬季放牧蒙古牛肠道微生物多样性和功能预测分析

为探究内蒙古锡林郭勒冬季放牧蒙古母牛肠道微生物组成及其功能,采集同一地区冬季(11、12月和次年1月)放牧蒙古母牛(各20头)直肠粪便样品,利用16SrRNA测序技术对其肠道菌群多样性进行分析及PICRUSt(Phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states,PICRUSt)功能预测。结果显示,60份样品平均每样品测得90 075条序列,通过聚类共获得3 975个操作分类单元(Operational taxonomic units,OTU),84.60%的OTU注释到门水平;29.56%的OTU注释到属水平;在门水平和属水平,冬季放牧蒙古牛肠道中优势物种分别为厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、拟杆菌属(Bacteroides)和艾克曼菌属(Akkermansia);随着天气逐渐变冷,食物短缺,蒙古牛肠道中厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)减少,而拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)增多;聚类分析发现,11月和12月蒙古牛肠道微生物群落较为相似,而与次年1月相比有明显差异;PICRUSt功能预测发现,随着天气逐渐变冷,免疫系统、环境适应性及细胞运动性相关通路丰度降低,氨基酸代谢通路丰度增加。综上,蒙古牛肠道菌群在适应食物短缺的冬季发挥着重要作用。     

Effect of nutritional interventions with quercetin,oat hulls, β-glucans,lysozyme and fish oil on performance and health status related parameters of broilers chickens

ABSTRACT

1. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of technical feed ingredients between 14 and 28 d of age on performance and health status of broilers (d 14–35) fed diets with a high inclusion rate of rapeseed meal as a nutritional challenge. It was hypothesized that the feed ingredients would improve health status related parameters.

2. A total of 1008 one-day-old male Ross 308 chicks were distributed over 36 floor pens and allocated to one of six iso-caloric (AME_N 13 MJ/kg) growing diets (d 15–28): a control and five test diets supplemented with quercetin (400 mg/kg), oat hulls (50 g/kg), β-glucan (100 mg/kg), lysozyme (40 mg/kg) or fish oil ω-3 fatty acids (40 g/kg), with six replicate pens per treatment.

3. Dietary inclusion of oat hulls and lysozyme resulted in a reduction in broiler performance during the first week after providing the experimental diets.

4. No effect of interventions on the microbiota diversity in the jejunum and ileum was observed. Ileal microbiota composition of birds fed oat hulls differed from the other groups, as shown by a higher abundance of the genus Enterococcus, mainly at the expense of the genus Lactobacillus.

5. In the jejunum, villus height and crypt depth of lysozyme-fed birds at d 28 were decreased compared to the control group. Higher total surface area of villi occupied by goblet cells and total villi surface area in jejunum (d 21 and 28) were observed in chickens fed oat hulls compared to other groups.

6. Genes related to the growth-factor-activity pathway were more highly expressed in birds fed β-glucan compared to the control group, while the genes related to anion-transmembrane-transporter-activity pathway in the quercetin- and oat hull-fed birds were less expressed. The genes differently expressed between dietary interventions did not seem to be directly involved in immune related processes.

7. It was concluded that the tested nutritional interventions in the current experiment only marginally effected health status related parameters.