Intrauterine growth retardation affects liver bile acid metabolism in growing pigs:effects associated with the changes of colonic bile acid derivativesOA

Background:Intrauterine growth retardation(IUGR) is associated with severely impaired nutrient metabolism and intestinal development of pigs.Our previous study found that IUGR altered intestinal microbiota and metabolites in the colon.However,the consequences of IUGR on bile acid metabolism in pigs remained unclear.The present study aimed to investigate the bile acid metabolism in the liver and the profile of bile acid derivatives in the colon of growing pigs with IUGR using bile acid targeted m...     

Effects of Soybean Meal Replaced by Fermented Plant Protein Compound on Growth,Immune, Antioxidant and Intestinal Microflora Structure of Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus)北大核心CSCD

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of soybean meal replaced by fermented plant protein compound on growth, immune, antioxidant and intestinal microflora structure of black carp (Mylopharyn-godon piceus). The different proportions (1∶1 and 2∶1) of fermented cottonseed meal and fermented rapeseed meal were used to replace 0 (control group), 50% and 75% soybean meal in the basic diet, respectively, 5 kinds of isonitrogenous and isoenergetic experimental diets were prepared, and the black carp with initial weight of (6. 04 ± 0. 18) g were fed for 8 weeks. The results showed that there were no significant differences on growth performance, morphological indicators and body composition among all group (P>0.05). There were no significant differences on serum complement 3, malondialdehyde, albumin contents and lysozyme activity among all group (P>0.05). The serum complement 4 content in 50% replacement group was significantly higher than that in other groups (P<0.05), and the serum immunoglobulin M content in 75% replacement group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences on hepatopancreas superoxide dismutase, catalase, alkaline phosphatase activities and total antioxidant capacity and total cholesterol content among all group (P>0.05). There were no significant differences on intestinal α-amylase and lipase activities among all group (P>0.05), and the intestinal pepsin activity in fermented cottonseed meal and fermented rapeseed meal replacing 75% soybean meal with 1 ∶ 1 proportion group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The dominant microflora in intestine of black carp at the phylum level were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria and Planctomycotes, and the dominant bacteria at the genus level were Aeromonas, Cetobacterium, Ralstonia and Plesiomonas. There were no significant differences on the relative abundances of intestinal main microflora among all group (P>0.05). To sum up, under the experimental conditions, the high proportion (75%) of fermented plant protein replacing soybean meal do not cause hepatopancreas damage and intestinal microflora structure change of black carp, and even improve the activities of some immune indicators in serum and intestinal protease activity, and the compound proportion of fermented cottonseed meal and fermented rapeseed meal have no significant effects on growth performance, morphological indicators, body composition, hepatopancreas antioxidant indexes and intestinal microflora structure of black carp. © 2023 Chinese Journal of Urology. All rights reserved.     

Supplementing the early diet of broilers with soy protein concentrate can improve intestinal development and enhance short-chain fatty acid-producing microbes and short-chain fatty acids,especially butyric acidOA

Background: Research on nutrition in early-life commonly focuses on the maturation of the intestine because the intestinal system is crucial for ensuring continued growth. To explore the importance of early nutrition regulation in animals, soy protein concentrate(SPC) was added to the early diet of broilers to investigate its effects on amino acid digestibility, intestinal development, especially intestinal microorganisms, and broiler metabolites. A total of 192 oneday-old Arbor Acres(AA) male b...     

Effect of sialyllactose on growth performance and intestinal epithelium functions in weaned pigs challenged by enterotoxigenic Escherichia ColiOA

Background: Sialyllactose(SL) is one of the most abundant oligosaccharides present in porcine breast milk.However, little is known about its effect on growth performance and intestinal health in weaned pigs. This study was conducted to explore the protective effect of SL on intestinal epithelium in weaned pigs upon enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC) challenge.Methods: Thirty-two pigs were randomly divided into four treatments. Pigs fed with a basal diet or basal diet containing SL(5.0 g/kg) ...     

Solid-state fermentation of corn-soybean meal mixed feed with Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium for degrading antinutritional factors and enhancing nutritional value

Background: Corn and soybean meal(SBM) are two of the most common feed ingredients used in pig feeds.However, a variety of antinutritional factors(ANFs) present in corn and SBM can interfere with the bioavailability of nutrients and have negative health effects on the pigs. In the present study, two-stage fermentation using Bacillus subtilis followed by Enterococcus faecium was carried out to degrade ANFs and improve the nutritional quality of corn and SBM mixed feed. Furthermore, the microbial composition and in vitro nutrient digestibility of inoculated mixed feed were determined and compared those of the uninoculated controls.Results: During the fermentation process, B. subtilis and lactic acid bacteria(LAB) were the main dominant bacteria in the solid-state fermented inoculated feed, and fermentation produced a large amount of lactic acid(170 mmo L/kg),which resulted in a lower pH(5.0 vs. 6.4) than the fermented uninoculated feed. The amounts of soybean antigenic proteins(β-conglycinin and glycinin) in mixed feed were significantly decreased after first-stage fermentation with B. subtilis. Inoculated mixed feed following two-stage fermentation contained greater concentratioin of crude protein(CP), ash and total phosphorus(P) compared to uninoculated feed, whereas the concentrations of neutral detergent fiber(NDF), hemicellulose and phytate P in fermendted inoculated feed declined(P 0.05) by 38%, 53%, and 46%,respectively. Notably, the content of trichloroacetic acid soluble protein(TCA-SP), particularly that of small peptides and free amino acids(AA), increased 6.5 fold following two-stage fermentation. There was no difference in the total AA content between fermented inoculated and uninoculated feed. However, aromatic AAs(Phe and Tyr) and Lys in inoculated feed increased, and some polar AAs, including Arg, Asp, and Glu, decreased compared with the uninoculated feed. In vitro dry matter and CP digestibility of inoculated feed improved(P 0.05) compared with the uninoculated feed.Conclusions: Our results suggest that two-stage fermentation using B. subtilis followed by E. faecium is an effective approach to improve the quality of corn-soybean meal mixed feed.     

Effects of Dietary Sodium Acetate on Lactation Performance and Rumen Microbiota of Dairy Goats北大核心CSCD

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary sodium acetate on lactation performance and rumen microbiota of dairy goats. Fifteen healthy Xinong Saanen dairy goat ewes with similar body weight of (53.54±3.07) kg, the same parity (2 parities) and in mid-lactation [(60±5) d] were randomly divided into 3 groups with 5 replicates in each group. Dairy goats in the control group were fed a basal diet, and those in the experimental groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 30 (experimental group I) and 60 g/ (d.head) (experimental group II) sodium acetate, respectively. The pre-trial period lasted for 7 days and the experimental period lasted for 21 days. The milk yield of dairy goats was recorded during the experiment. At the end of the experiment, milk samples were collected to analyze the changes in milk composition, and rumen contents of dairy goats were collected from two groups (control group and experimental group II) with significant differences in milk fat percentage. Gas chromatography and 16S rDNA sequencing technology were used to analyze the rumen fermentation parameters and rumen microbial composition and structure of dairy goats. The results showed as follows: 1) compared with the control group, dietary sodium acetate extremely significantly increased the daily milk yield of dairy goats (P<0.01), and the daily milk yield in experimental groups I and II was increased by 0.29 and 0.22 kg, respectively (P<0.01); in experimental group II, the milk fat percentage was significantly increased by 1.30 percentage points (P<0.01), and the non-fat solid content in milk was increased by 3.10% (P>0.05). 2) Compared with the control group, the rumen butyric acid content of dairy goats in experimental group II was significantly decreased (P<0.01), and there was no significant difference in rumen pH, the other volatile fatty acid content and acetic acid to propionic acid ratio (P>0.05). 3) Compared with the control group, the Sobs index, Chao1 index and Ace index of rumen microbiota in experimental group II were significantly increased (P<0.05); the results of similarity analysis (ANOSIM) also showed that there were significant differences in the structure of rumen microbiota between the two groups (P<0.05). 16S rDNA sequencing results showed that at the phylum level, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in the rumen of the two groups of dairy goats; at the genus level, Prevotella_1 was the dominant genus in the rumen. Compared with the control group, the relative abundances of Ruminococcus_1, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, Prevotellaceae_UCG-004 and Lachnoclostridium_12 in rumen of dairy goats in experimental group II were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the relative abundances of Succiniclasticum and Methanobrevibacter in rumen was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 4) The results of correlation analysis showed that rumen microbiota was correlated with daily milk yield, milk fat percentage, milk protein percentage and non-fat solid content of dairy goats. In conclusion, dietary 60 g/ (d.head) sodium acetate can significantly increase the daily milk yield and milk fat percentage, significantly reduce rumen butyrate content, and improve the lactation performance of dairy goats by improving rumen microbial composition and structure. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Fructooligosaccharides on Growth Performance,Nutrient Digestibility and Serum Biochemical Indices of Arctic Foxes (Alopex lagopus) during Early Growth Period北大核心CSCD

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of dietary lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and serum biochemical indices of Arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) during early growth period. Sixty male post-litter Arctic foxes with the average body weight of (1.16±0.15) kg and at the age of (45±3) days were randomly assigned to 4 groups with 3 replicates per group and 5 foxes per replicate. The foxes were fed the following diets, respectively: basal diet (control group), basal diet+3×109 CFU / kg LAB (LAB group), basal diet+5 g / kg FOS (FOS group) and basal diet+3×109 CFU / kg LAB+5 g / kg FOS (LAB+FOS group). The experiment lasted for 30 days. The results showed as follows: 1) on the days 1 to 15, the diarrhea rate of foxes in the LAB group and LAB+FOS group was significantly lower than that in the control group and FOS group (P<0.05). On the days 16 to 30, the average daily gain of foxes in the LAB+FOS group was significantly higher than that in the control group and FOS group (P<0.05), but had no significant difference with LAB group (P>0.05); the diarrhea rate of foxes in the LAB+FOS group was significantly lower than that in the control group and FOS group (P<0.05), but had no significant difference with LAB group (P>0.05); compared with the FOS group, the feed to gain ratio of foxes in the LAB+FOS group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 2) The dry matter digestibility of foxes in the LAB + FOS group was significantly higher than that in the control group and FOS group (P < 0.05), but had no significant difference with LAB group (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in nitrogen intake, fecal nitrogen, urine nitrogen, nitrogen deposition, net protein utilization and protein biological value among all groups (P>0.05). 3) Serum total protein (TP) content of foxes in the LAB+FOS group was significantly higher than that in the FOS group (P<0.05), but had no significant difference with control group and LAB group (P>0.05). Serum albumin (ALB) content of foxes in the LAB group was significantly higher than that in the control group and FOS group (P<0.05), but had no significant difference with LAB+ FOS group (P>0.05). Serum urea nitrogen (UN) content of foxes in the LAB+FOS group was significantly decreased compared with the control group (P < 0. 05). In conclusion, the combined supplementation of 3 × 109 CFU / kg LAB and 5 g / kg FOS in the diet is beneficial to reduce diarrhea rate, improve dry matter digestibility, improve body immune level, and promote the growth of Arctic foxes during early growth period. © 2023 Chinese Journal of Urology. All rights reserved.     

Dietary supplementation of zinc oxide modulates intestinal functionality during the post-weaning period in clinically healthy pigletsOA

Background To improve our understanding of host and intestinal microbiome interaction, this research investigated the effects of a high-level zinc oxide in the diet as model intervention on the intestinal microbiome and small intestinal functionality in clinically healthy post-weaning piglets. In study 1, piglets received either a high concentration of zinc(Zn) as zinc oxide(Zn O, Zn, 2,690 mg/kg) or a low Zn concentration(100 mg/kg) in the diet during the post weaning period(d 14–23). The effec...     

Effects of Compound Preparation of Chinese Herbal Extract on Performance,Immune and Antioxidant Function and Ruminal Bacterial Flora of Cows with High Somatic Cell Count In Milk北大核心CSCD

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of compound preparation of Chinese herbal extract on performance, immune and antioxidant function and ruminal bacterial flora of cows with high somatic cell count (SCC) in milk. Ten transitional Holstein cows with similar body condition, lactation period, milk yield and milk SCC higher than 500 000 cells / mL were selected and divided into control group [milk SCC = (97.48±23.75) ten thousand cells / mL] and experimental group [milk SCC = (98. 78 ± 29. 92) ten thousand cells / mL] based on the principle of similar milk SCC, each group contained 5 cows, and cows in 2 groups were not treated with medication. The control group was fed a total mixed ration (TMR), and the experimental was fed the TMR+54 g / (d.head) compound preparation of Chinese herbal extract. The experiment lasted for 35 days. The results showed as follows: 1) compared with the control group, the addition of compound preparation of Chinese herbal extract in the diet significantly decreased the SCC in milk at days 14 and 28 of cows with high SCC in milk (P<0.05), but had no significant effects on milk yield, milk composition and nutrient apparent digestibility (P>0.05) . 2) Compared with the control group, the addition of compound preparation of Chinese herbal extract in the diet significantly increased the contents of immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin M (IgM) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in serum of cows with high SCC in milk (P<0.05), and significantly decreased the serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) content (P<0.05) . 3) Compared with the control group, the addition of compound preparation of Chinese herbal extract in the diet significantly decreased the proportions of Actinobacteria, Succinivibrionaceae_UCG-001 and Ruminococcus_gauvreauii_group in rumen of cows with high SCC in milk (P < 0. 05), and significantly increased the rumen Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 proportion (P<0.05) . It is concluded that the addition of compound preparation of Chinese herbal extract in the diet can reduce the SCC in milk, increase the immune function, and improve the rumen bacterial flora composition of cows with high SCC in milk. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.     

A Capra hircus chromosome 19 locus linked to milk production influences mammary conformationOA

Background: Economically important milk production traits including milk volume, milk fat and protein yield vary considerably across dairy goats in New Zealand. A significant portion of the variation is attributable to genetic variation. Discovery of genetic markers linked to milk production traits can be utilised to drive selection of highperformance animals.A previously reported genome wide association study across dairy goats in New Zealand identified a quantitative trait locus(QTL) located o...     

Dietary oregano aqueous extract improves growth performance and intestinal health of broilers through modulating gut microbial compositionsOA

Background Intestinal health plays a pivotal role in broiler chicken growth. Oregano aqueous extract(OAE) effectively exerts anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. However, the protective effects of OAE on intestinal health in broilers and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of OAE on growth performance, the gut microbiota and intestinal health. A total of 840 1-d-old male and female broilers(Arbor Acres) were randomly allocated in...     

Effects of Dietary Supplemented with Combined Yeast⁃Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Culture on Intestinal Morphology,Intestinal Permeability,Cecal Fermentation and Microflora of Rex Rabbits北大核心CSCD

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplemented with combined yeast and Bacillus coagulans fermentation culture on intestinal morphology, intestinal permeability, cecal fer⁃ mentation and microflora of Rex rabbits. A total of 160 healthy Rex rabbits weaned at 35⁃day⁃old with similar body weight were randomly allocated to 4 groups with 8 replicates per group and 5 rabbits per replicate. Rex rabbits in the control group were fed a basal diet, while the others in experimental groups were fed experimental diets supplemented with 0.01%, 0.02% and 0.04% combined yeast and Bacillus coagulans fermentation cul⁃ ture based on the basal diet, respectively. The pretrial period lasted for 7 days and formal period lasted for 56 days. The results showed as follows: 1) the crypt depth of jejunum in the 0.02% and 0.04% added groups was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), the jejunum villus height / crypt depth ratio in the 0.02% added group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0. 05), and the ileum villus height in the 0.04% added group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05) . 2) The ac⁃ tivity of diamine oxidase (DAO) in serum of 0.01% and 0.02% added groups was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the content of D⁃lactic acid (D⁃LA) in serum among all groups (P>0.05). 3) There were no significant differences in the pH of jejunum, ileum and cecum among all groups (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and total volatile fatty acid and the ratios of acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid in cecum among all groups (P>0.05). 4) Compared with the control group, the Simpson index of 0.02% and 0.04% added groups showed an increasing trend (0.05≤P<0.10). At the phylum level, the rela⁃ tive abundance of Verrucomicrobia showed a trend of decreasing first and then increasing with the combined yeast and Bacillus coagulans fermentation culture increasing (0.05≤P<0.10); the relative abundance of Te⁃ nericutes in the 0.02% added group was significantly higher than that in the 0.01% and 0.04% added groups (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the added groups and the control group (P>0.05). At the genus level, the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae_UCG⁃014, Akkermansia, dgA⁃11_gut_group, Paramuribaculum and Subdoligranulum showed a trend of change with the combined yeast and Bacillus coagu⁃ lans fermentation culture increasing (0.05≤P<0.10). In summary, dietary supplemented with combined yeast and Bacillus coagulans fermentation culture can improve the intestinal morphology and reduce intestinal perme⁃ ability, but has no significant effects on the pH of jejunum, ileum and cecum and cecum fermentation, and can improve the microbial diversity of cecum of Rex rabbits. The recommended addition level is 0.02% to 0.04% based on the previous results of growth performance. © 2023 Chinese Journal of Clinical Research. All rights reserved.     

Effects of feeding untreated,pasteurized and acidified waste milk and bunk tank milk on the performance,serum metabolic profiles,immunity,and intestinal development in Holstein calves

Background: The present experiment was performed to assess the effects of different sources of milk on the growth performance, serum metabolism, immunity, and intestinal development of calves. Eighty-four Holstein male neonatal calves were assigned to one of the following four treatment groups: those that received bunk tank milk(BTM), untreated waste milk(UWM), pasteurized waste milk(PWM), and acidified waste milk(AWM) for 21 d.Results: Calves in the BTM and AWM groups consumed more starter(P 0.05) than those in the UWM group.Average daily gain in the UWM group was the highest(P 0.05). Calves exhibited the highest(P 0.05) serum total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, triglycerides, growth hormone, immunoglobulin(Ig) A and Ig M concentrations in the UWM group, highest malondialdehyde and tumor necrosis factor-α in the PWM group(P 0.05), and highest glutathione peroxidase and Ig G in the BTM group(P 0.05). The jejunum and ileum of the calves in all treatments presented a slight inflammatory response. The jejunal inflammation scores were higher(P 0.05) in the UWM and AWM groups than the BTM group; the ileal inflammation scores increased more(P 0.05) in the AWM group than the BTM group. Jejunal immunohistochemical scores(IHS) were higher(P 0.05) in the PWM and AWM groups than the BTM group. Compared to the other three groups, calves feeding on BTM had lower(P 0.05) ileal IHS. Jejunal interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-8, and IL-10 mRNA expression in the UWM group was the highest(P 0.05). Calves fed AWM increased(P 0.05) mRNA expression of IL-8 and toll like receptor 4(TLR-4) in the jejunum and IL-8, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 in the mesenteric lymph nodes.Conclusions: Overall, bunk tank milk is the best choice for calf raising compared to waste milk. The efficiency of feeding pasteurized and acidified waste milk are comparable, and the acidification of waste milk is an acceptable labor-saving and diarrhea-preventing feed for young calves.     

Jugular arginine supplementation increases lactation performance and nitrogen utilization efficiency in lactating dairy cows

Background: Enhancing the post-ruminal supply of arginine(Arg), a semi-essential amino acid(AA), elicits positive effects on milk production. Our objective was to determine the effects of Arg infusion on milk production parameters and aspects of nitrogen(N) absorption and utilization in lactating dairy cows. Six lactating Chinese Holstein cows of similar body weight(508 ± 14 kg), body condition score(3.0 ± 0), parity(4.0 ± 0), milk yield(30.6 ±1.8 kg) and days in milk(20 ± 2 d) were randomly assigned to 3 treatments in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 21 d for each period(1 week for infusion and 2 weeks for washout). Treatments were 1) Control: saline; 2) Arg group: saline + 9.42 g/L L-Arg; 3) Alanine(Ala) group: saline + 19.31 g/L L-Ala(iso-nitrogenous to the Arg group). Milk production and composition, dry matter intake, apparent absorption of N, profiles of amino acids(AA) in blood,urea N in urine, milk, and blood, and gene expression of AA transporters were determined.Results: Compared with the Control or Ala group, the infusion of Arg led to greater expression of AA transporters(SLC7 A2 and SLC7 A8) and apparent uptake of free AA in the mammary gland, and was accompanied by greater milk yield, milk protein yield and milk efficiency(calculated by dividing milk yield over feed intake), together with lower concentration of urea N [regarded as an indicator of N utilization efficiency(NUE)] in blood and milk. Furthermore, in the cows infused with Arg, the NUE was higher and the concentration of urea N in urine was lower than those in the Ala group, although no differences were detected in NUE and urea N in urine between the Control and Arg group.The infusion of Ala had no effect on those indices compared with the Control.Conclusions: Overall, enhancing the post-ruminal supply of Arg via the jugular vein had a positive effect on the synthesis of milk protein at least in part by increasing gene expression of some AA transporters and uptake of free AA by mammary gland.     

Solid state fermentation of rapeseed cake with Aspergillus niger for degrading glucosinolates and upgrading nutritional value

Background:Rapeseed cake is a good source of protein for animal feed but its utilization is limited due to the presence of anti-nutritional substances,such as glucosinolates(GIs),phytic acid,tannins etc.In the present study,a solid state fermentation(SSF) using Aspergillus niger was carried out with the purpose of degrading glucosinolates and improving the nutritional quality of rapeseed cake(RSC).The effects of medium composition and incubation conditions on the GIs content in fermented rapeseed cake(FRSC) were investigated,and chemical composition and amino acid in vitro digestibility of RSC substrate fermented under optimal conditions were determined.Results:After 72 h of incubation at 34℃,a 76.89%decrease in GIs of RSC was obtained in solid medium containing 70%RSC,30%wheat bran at optimal moisture content 60%(w/w).Compared to unfermented RSC,trichloroacetic acid soluble protein(TCA-SP),crude protein and ether extract contents of the FRSC were increased(P 0.05) 103.71,23.02 and 23.54%,respectively.As expected,the contents of NDF and phytic acid declined(P 0.05) by 9.12 and 44.60%,respectively.Total amino acids(TAA) and essential amino acids(EAA) contents as well as AA in vitro digestibility of FRSC were improved significantly(P 0.05).Moreover,the enzyme activity of endoglucanase,xylanase,acid protease and phytase were increased(P0.05) during SSF.Conclusions:Our results indicate that the solid state fermentation offers an effective approach to improving the quality of proteins sources such as rapeseed cake.     

Alterations in intestinal microbiota composition coincide with impaired intestinal morphology and dysfunctional ileal immune response in growing-finishing pigs under constant chronic heat stressOA

Background: Previous studies had shown that short-term acute heat stress(HS) affected the host’s metabolism and intestinal microbiota independent of feed intake(FI) reduction, and long-term calorie restriction caused intestinal morphological injuries and gut microbial alterations. However, research on the effects of constant chronic HS on intestinal microbial composition and the roles of FI reduction played in is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 7-day constant chronic HS o...     

Cinnamicaldehyde regulates the expression of tight junction proteins and amino acid transporters in intestinal porcine epithelial cells

Background: Cinnamicaldehyde(CA) is a key flavor compound in cinnamon essential oil possessing various bioactivities. Tight junction(TJ) proteins are vital for the maintenance of intestinal epithelial barrier function,transport, absorption and utilization of dietary amino acids and other nutrients. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that CA may regulate the expression of TJ proteins and amino acid transporters in intestinal porcine epithelial cells(IPEC-1) isolated from neonatal pigs.Results: Compared with the control, cells incubated with 25 μmol/L CA had increased transepithelial electrical resistance(TEER) and decreased paracellular intestinal permeability. The beneficial effect of CA on mucosal barrier function was associated with enhanced protein abundance for claudin-4, zonula occludens(ZO)-1, ZO-2, and ZO-3. Immunofluorescence staining showed that 25 μmol/L CA promoted the localization of claudin-1 and claudin-3 to the plasma membrane without affecting the localization of other TJ proteins, including claudin-4, occludin,ZO-1, ZO-2, and ZO-3, compared with the control cells. Moreover, protein abundances for rBAT, xCT and LAT2 in IPEC-1 cells were enhanced by 25 μmol/L CA, while that for EAAT3 was not affected.Conclusions: CA improves intestinal mucosal barrier function by regulating the distribution of claudin-1 and claudin-3 in enterocytes, as well as enhancing protein abundance for amino acid transporters rBAT, xCT and LAT2 in enterocytes. Supplementation with CA may provide an effective nutritional strategy to improve intestinal integrity and amino acid transport and absorption in piglets.     

Dietary oregano essential oil supplementation improves intestinal functions and alters gut microbiota in latephase laying hensOA

Background: Dietary essential oil(EO) supplementation can exert favorable effects on gut health in broilers. However,it is unknown whether EO could improve intestinal functions, consequently beneficial for egg performance and quality in late-phase laying hens. This study was aimed to investigate the potential effects of EO on production performance,egg quality, intestinal health and ileal microbiota of hens in the late phase of production. A total of 288 60-week-old Hy-line Brown laying hens wer...     

Characterization and mitigation option of greenhouse gas emissions from lactating Holstein dairy cows in East ChinaOA

Background: This study investigated greenhouse gas(GHG) emission characteristics of lactating Holstein dairy cows in East China and provided a basis for formulating GHG emission reduction measures. Green Feed system was used to measure the amount of methane(CH₄) and carbon dioxide(CO₂) emitted by the cows through respiration.Data from a commercial cow farm were used to observe the effects of parity, body weight, milk yield, and milk component yield on CH₄ and CO<...