Effects of exogenous enzymes and dietary energy on performance and digestive physiology of broilers

The study was conducted to compare the effects of XG with AG and BM at different metabolizable energy diets on growth performance, digestive physiology and energy utilization of broilers fed with corn-SBM diet. A 2 x 4 factoria design was used with two basal diets （the positive control group, PC; negative control with ME reduction 100 kcal/ kg, NC） and with or without the addition of three exogenous enzymes （0.02% BM; 0.01% AG; 0.05% XG） respectively. 1,200 one-day-old broilers were randomly allocated to 8 treatments with 10 pens of 1_5 broilers. There was no significant difference on BW, BWG, and FI at 0-21d, 21-42d or 0-42d for diet, enzymes or their interactions, but FI at 22-42d and 0-42d were tend to be decreased with the addition of enzymes. The F/G was significantly improved by the addition of enzymes especially in NC diet. The dietary AME and TME in PC or NC diet were significantly increased by XG or AG in NC diet. The villus length and V/C of ileum were significantly increased by the addition of BM or XG. XG improved the activities of trypsin, chymotrypsin and amylase, BM improved the activity of trypsin at 21d, and AG improved the activity of chymotrypsin at 21d. Comparing to PC diet, the addition of enzymes in PC or NC diet decreased feed cost per kg body weight gain especially in NC diet （except AG in PC diet） with the highest profits for XG in NC diet. In conclusion, supplementation of 0.02% BM or 0.01% AG or 0.0.5% XG could improve feed conversion of broilers in corn-soybean meal diet by improving energy utilization and digestive physiology, and also supplementation of 0.05% XG had a preferable efficacy in low energy diet.     

Effects of Source of Inorganic Phosphorus and Phytase Supplementation on Performance, Physiological Parameters and Bone Mineralization in Broilers

The objective of this study was to eval- uate the effects of inorganic phosphorus source and phytase addition on performance, nutrient digestibility and bone mineralization in broiler chickens. In Exp. 1,150 two-day old, male broiler chicks were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet supplemented with phos- phorus provided by dicalcium phosphate, tricalcium phosphate or defluorinated rock phosphate. Five cages containing 10 birds were allotted to each of the three treatments. In Exp. 2,120 three-day old, male broiler chicks were fed the basal diet from Exp. 1 supplemen- ted with 0,250,500 ,or 1,000 P-＇rU phytase per kg of diet. Six cages containing five chicks were allotted to each of the four treatments. In Exp. 1, there was no difference in weight gain, feed intake or feed conver- sion as a result of feeding the different sources of in- organic phosphorus. The digestibility of phosphorus was significantly lower （P =0.01 ） for chicks fed di- ets supplemented with tricalcium phosphate than for chicks fed the other two diets. However, despite the lower digestibility, serum phosphorus levels did not differ among the three treatments. For Exp. 2, feedconversion showed a linear improvement （P = 0.03 ） with increasing levels of phytase inclusion （ days 0 to 33 ）. Phytase supplementation resulted in linear increa- ses in the digestibility of dry matter （P = 0.02 ）, crude protein （ P --- 0.04 ） and energy （ P 〈 0.01 ）. Chicks fed 1,000 FTU/kg phytase had significantly higher bone calcium （ P = 0.05 ） and bone breaking strength （P = 0.04 ） than chicks fed the basal diet on day 33. In conclusion, the results of the current study indicated that the performance of birds fed diets sup- plemented with dicalcium phosphate, tricalcium phos- phate or defluorinated phosphate was similar and therefore production costs could be lowered by choo- sing the cheapest inorganic phosphorus source when formulating diets for poultry. When diets were formu- lated to meet dietary phosphorus requirements, the growth of broilers was not enhanced with phytase sup- plementation. However, increases in feed conversion and bone breaking strength and its potential to impact culling and mortality in broiler operations may be suf- ficient justification for the routine inclusion of phytase in diets fed to broilers.     

Effects of L-lysine·H_2SO_4 product on the intestinal morphology and liver pathology using broiler model

Background: Lysine is used widely in livestock production due to the shortage of feed protein resources. Llysine·H_2SO_4 contains L-lysine sulphate as well as fermentation co-products which contain other amino acids and phosphorus. However, there are few articles about L-lysine·H_2SO_4 product regarding intestinal morphology and liver pathology of broiler chickens. In this article, we focus on the absorption and metabolism of L-lysine·H_2SO_4 revealed in the variation of intestinal morphology and liver pathology to determine the tolerance of chicks for L-lysine·H_2SO_4.Methods: To evaluate the tolerance of broilers for L-lysine·H_2SO_4, 240 one day old broilers were allocated randomly to one of five dietary treatments which included corn-soybean diets containing 0, 1%, 4%, 7% or 10% L-lysine·H_2SO_4(L-lysine content = 55%).Results: Supplementation of 1% L-lysine·H_2SO_4 in the diet had no negative effects. However, 4%, 7% or 10% Llysine·H_2SO_4 supplementation produced negative responses on broiler performance, carcass characteristics, blood biochemistry, and particularly on intestinal morphology and liver pathology compared with broilers fed the control diet.Conclusion: Our results show that supplementation with 1% L-lysine·H_2SO_4 had no negative effects on performance, carcass characteristics, blood biochemistry, intestinal morphology and liver pathology in broilers, but supplementation with 4%, 7% or 10% L-lysine·H_2SO_4 produced a negative response, particularly with respect to intestinal morphology and liver pathology.     

Effect of dietary defatted diatom biomass on egg production and quality of laying hens

Background： This study was to determine if feeding laying hens with defatted diatom microalgal biomass （DFA） from biofuel production affected their egg production and health status. Methods： Five replicates of 5 individually caged ISA Babcock White leghorn hens were fed 4 diets, including a corn-soybean meal control diet, a diet containing 7.5% DFA substituting for soybean meal, and diets containing 7.5% or 15% DFA substituting for corn and soybean meal. Body weights, feed intake, feed conversion ratio （FCR）, rate of egg production, egg size, egg mass, and several characteristics of eggs were determined at 4 and 8 wk. Venous blood was sampled at 4 and 8 wk for measurement of 5 biomarkers of health. Results： The15% DFA diet decreased （P 〈 0.05） feed intake, egg production, and plasma uric acid concentrations as compared with the control diet, but increased （P 〈 0.05） egg albumen weight and height compared with the 7.5% DFA diets. The two levels of DFA produced dose-dependent （P 〈 0.05） changes in three color measures of egg yolk, without affecting four hen plasma biochemical indicators of health. Conclusions： Feeding laying hens with 7.5% DFA in the corn-soybean meal diet for 8 wk had no adverse effect on their health, egg production, or egg quality, but 15% inclusion reduced feed intake, egg production, and efficiency of feed utilization.     

The Effect of Dietary Sulphate Copper Supplementation on Growth Performance,Intestinal Digestive Enzymes and Absorptive Transporters in Weanling Pigs1

The experiment was conducted to as- sess the effects of dietary supplementation of Cu on the growth performance, digestive enzymes, tissue minerals and absorptive transporters in small intestinal mucosa of weanling pigs. One hundred crossbred pigs weaned at 28 ＋ 2 d of age were assigned randomly to one of the following diets with 5 replicates：corn-soy- bean basal diet with 10,100,175,250 mg/kg of Cu as CuSO4·5H20. The results showed that 250 mg/kg Cu had a positive effect （ P 〈 0.05） on average daily gain, daily feed intake and ratio of gain/feed. Com- pared to 10 mg/kg Cu, higher Cu had significant effect on the apparent digestibility of protein and fat （P 〈 0.05 ）. The supplementing of Cu improved am- ylase and lipase activity in jejunum content and lipase in pancreas （ P 〈 0.05） and had no effect on intestinalmorphology. The liver Cu elevated approximately 4- fold in pigs fed diet with 250 mg/kg Cu compared with pigs fed diet with 10 mg/kg Cu, no increases were observed in pigs receiving the lower level of Cu （100 and 175 mg/kg）. Both Fe and Zn contents in kidney and liver were not affected by Cu supplemen- tation. There was no positive effect （ P 〉0.05） of Cu supplementation on PepT1 （peptide transporter 1 ） and SGLT1 （sodium/glucose cotransporter） mRNA abundance in intestinal mucosa. However, higher sup- plementing level （250 mg/kg） significantly elevated the DMT1 （divalent metal transporter） mRNA abun- dance in duodenum mucosa. These results suggested that dietary supplementation with 250 mg/kg Cu could improve growth performance, nutrient digestibil- ity and intestinal enzyme activities of weanling pigs.     

Oat bran and wheat bran impact net energy by shaping microbial communities and fermentation products in pigs fed diets with or without xylanase

Background: Dietary fiber can be fermented in gut of pigs and the end products of fermentation were short-chain fatty acids(SCFA). The SCFA had positive effects on gut bacteria and host immune system. In addition, SCFA can provide a part of available energy for pigs. However, there were limited reports on the relationship between dietary fiber, gut bacteria, and energy metabolism. Therefore, this study investigated how dietary fiber and enzyme addition impacted energy metabolism by acting on the microbial community and SCFA.Methods: Wheat bran(WB) was added to the corn-soybean meal-based diet at the levels of 12% and 27%, and oat bran(OB) at 15% and 36%. One of each diet was supplemented with or without 5000 U/kg feed of xylanase, so a total of 10 diets were allotted to 60 growing pigs(initial body weight: 27.2 ± 1.2 kg) using a randomized complete block design. The experiment was conducted in 10 consecutive periods using 6 similar open-circuit respiration chambers. Each pig was used for one 20-day period. During each period, six pigs were allowed 14 d to adapt to the diets in metabolic cages followed by 6 d(from d 15 to d 20) in respiration chambers to measure heat production(HP).Results: Pigs fed 36% OB diets had greater(P < 0.05) nutrient digestibility and net energy(NE) values compared to those fed 27% WB diets. Apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter(DM) and crude protein(CP) were lower(P < 0.05) in pigs fed 27% WB diets compared with those fed 12% WB diets. Enzyme addition improved(P < 0.05)the NE values(11.37 vs. 12.43 MJ/kg DM) in diets with 27% WB. Supplementation of xylanase did not affect NE values for basal diets, OB diets and 12%WB diets. Compared with diets with 36% OB, pigs fed 27% WB-based diets excreted more total SCFA, acetate and propionate(expressed as g/kg feed DM) in fecal samples of pigs(P < 0.05).Pigs in the WB diets had greater proportion of phylum Bacteroidetes while phylum Firmicutes were greater in pigs fed OB diets(P < 0.05). Pigs fed WB diets had greater(P < 0.05) abundance of Succinivibrio and Prevotella, which were associated with fiber degradation and SCFA production.Conclusion: Our results indicated diets supplied by high level of OB or WB promote the growth of fiber-degrading bacteria. The differences in fiber composition between WB and OB led to differences in nutrient digestibility and bacterial communities, which were ultimately reflected in energy metabolism. Enzyme supplementation improved nutrient digestibility as well as NE values for 27% WB diets but not for other diets, which indicated that effects of enzyme were related to type and level of dietary fiber in diets.     

Effects of Faba Bean Supplementation on Growth Performance,Intestinal Digestive Enzyme Activities,Intestinal Morphology and Intestinal Flora of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)北大核心CSCD

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of faba bean supplementation on the growth performance, intestinal digestive enzyme activities, intestinal morphology and intestinal flora of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). A total of 600 genetic improvement of farmed tilapia with an initial body weight of (500.23± 0.34) g were randomly divided into 4 groups with 3 replicates per group and 50 fish per replicate. Four isonitrogenous and isolipidic experimental diets containing 0 (C0 group, as control), 15% (C15 group), 30% (C30 group) and 60% (C60 group) faba bean were fed to fish during the 100-d feeding trial. Results showed as follows: 1) there were no significant differences in the weight gain rate, specific growth rate, feed coefficient ratio and hepatosomatic index among the groups (P>0.05), the protein efficiency ratio and survival rate in C60 group were significantly higher than those in C0 and C15 groups (P<0.05). 2) There were no significant differences in the activities of amylase, lipase and trypsin among the groups (P>0.05). 3) Compared with the C0 group, the C15, C30 and C60 groups had significantly lower intestinal villus height, villus thickness and muscle thickness (P<0.05). 4) The Simpson index of intestinal flora of tilapia in C15, C30 and C60 groups was lower than that in C0 group, and the difference was significant between C30 and C0 groups (P< 0.05). 5) The intestinal core flora of the four groups of tilapia were mainly Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Fusobacteriota. Compared with the C0 group, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in C15, C30 and C60 groups had a significant reduction (P<0.05), and the relative abundances of Fusobacteriota and Cetobacterium in C15 and C60 groups had a significant reduction (P<0.05). To conclude, under the conditions of isonitrogenous and isolipidic, diets supplemented with 15% to 60% faba bean have no significant effects on the growth performance and intestinal digestive enzyme activities of tilapia, but can significantly reduce the intestinal villi height, villus width and muscle thickness, decrease the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and the diversity of intestinal flora. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Influence of barley inclusion method and protease supplementation on growth performance,nutrient utilisation,and gastrointestinal tract development in broiler starters

The influence of the method of barley inclusion(fine,coarse and whole barley)in a wheat-based diet and protease supplementation(0 and 0.20 g/kg)on growth performance,nutrient utilisation and gastrointestinal tract development of broilers(d 1 to 21)was evaluated in a 3
2 factorial arrangement.Whole barley(WB)grains were ground in a hammer mill to pass through the screen sizes of 2.5 and 8.0 mm to achieve fine(FB)and coarse(CB)barley particle sizes,respectively.A total of 288,one-day-old male broilers were allotted to 36 cages(6 cages/treatment;8 birds/cage).There was no significant(P>0.05)interaction between barley inclusion method and protease for any growth performance or nutrient utilisation parameters.Birds fed diets containing CB and WB showed higher(P<0.05)weight gain,and digestibility of dry matter,nitrogen,calcium,gross energy,and ileal digestible energy compared to those fed FB diets.Compared to the birds fed FB diets,feed per gain was lower(P<0.05)in birds fed diets made of WB.Fat digestibility of the birds fed CB was higher(P<0.05)than those fed FB and WB birds.Compared to FB and CB diets,inclusion of WB resulted in heavier(P<0.05)gizzards but reduced(P<0.05)gizzard pH.Supplemental protease,however,had no effects(P>0.05)on growth performance and nutrient utilisation,most likely due to the well balanced digestible amino acids and high inherent digestibility of protein in the basal diet,and/or the presence of exogenous carbohydrase and phytase.In conclusion,the present results showed that the inclusion of coarsely ground and whole barley in a wheat-based diet can enhance nutrient and energy utilisation and is beneficial to the growth performance of young broilers.     

Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Dietary Fats Differentially Affect Hepatic ACAT Activity and LDL-Cholesterol in Postweanling Pigs Fed Low-Fat Diets1

ABSTRACT：Two separate studies tested the hypoth- esis that plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol LDL-C ） can be decreased by conjugated linoleic acid （CLA） by depressing hepatic acyl-coenzyme A： cholesterol acyltransferase （ACAT） activity. In the first experiment, 3 groups of 6 early-weaned piglets were fed low-fat diets containing either 1.5% CLA, 1.5% corn oil or 1.5% beef tallow;fat provided 8% of the energy intake. In the second experiment, 4 groups of 6 early-weaned piglets were fed high-fat di- ets containing either 15% beef tallow, 12% beef tal- low plus 3% CLA, 15% corn oil, or 12% corn oil plus 3% CLA; fat provided 29% of energy intake. Cholesterol was balanced across diets in both experi-ments. In pigs fed the low-fat diets, all dietary fats in- creased LDL-C and triacylglycerols and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （ HDL-C ） and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （VLDL-C）. LDL-C was the same in pigs fed low-fat tallow or low-fat CLA diets. However, ACAT activity was near- ly 80% higher in pigs fed the low-fat tallow diet than in pigs fed the low-fat CLA diets. All high-fat diets increased LDL-C, HDL-C and triacylglycerols equally with no effect on VLDL-C. There were no unique fat- ty acid effects of the high-fat diets on ACAT activity. We conclude that supplemental fats had differential effects on hepatic ACAT activity and LDL-C, but on- ly in pigs fed low-fat diets.     

Potential of a mixture of eugenol and garlic tincture to improve performance and intestinal health in broilers under necrotic enteritis challenge

Plant extracts(PE)are gaining increased attention as potential alternatives to in-feed antimicrobials(AM)due to their known antimicrobial activities.This study was conducted to examine the potential of PE,a microencapsulated product composed of eugenol and garlic tincture as an alternative to AM-agent on performance and intestinal health in broilers under necrotic enteritis(NE)challenge.A total of 960 dayold mixed-sex Cobb 500 chicks were randomly distributed to 48-floor pens with 6 treatments replicated 8 times with 20 birds each.The 6 treatments were as follows:UC,unchallenged control;CC,challenged control;PE,challenged group plus PE;AM,challenged group plus AM;FAP,challenged group plus a full dose of AM with PE;HAP,challenged group plus a half dose of AM with PE in starter,grower and finisher phases.Birds in the challenged groups were inoculated with Eimeria spp.on d 9 and Clostridium perfringens on d 14.The body weight gain(BWG),feed intake(FI),feed conversion ratio(FCR),and livability of birds were compromised,and intestinal lesions and mortality were increased(P<0.05)by NE challenge,illustrating a successful clinical NE challenge.Birds fed AM had higher BWG and FI,and lower FCR,mortality,and intestinal lesions compared to the CC group(P<0.05).Birds fed PE had improved FCR(P<0.05)and livability(5.8%)in an overall period compared to the CC group.On d 16,PE supplementation reduced ileal lesion scores in only male birds(P<0.05).Birds fed PE had decreased Eimeria maxima and Eimeria acervulina oocyst counts in caecal content(P<0.05).Birds fed PE had decreased Eimeria brunetti and total oocyst counts in caecal content,and E.acervulina oocyst counts in ileal content in only female birds(P<0.05).On d 35,PE supplementation reduced variation of BW in both male and female birds and increased yellowness(b*value,14.4%)in the thigh.These findings suggest the potential of PE supplementation in diets to improve the performance and intestinal health of birds under clinical NE as indicated by improved FCR,livability,uniformity,reduced ileal lesions,oocyst counts and increased skin yellowness.However,the protective effect of PE may not be apparent in the presence of AM in the feed.     

The role of lactose in weanling pig nutrition: a literature and meta-analysis review

Lactose plays a crucial role in the growth performance of pigs at weaning because it is a palatable and easily digestible energy source that eases the transition from milk to solid feed. However, the digestibility of lactose declines after weaning due to a reduction in endogenous lactase activity in piglets. As a result, some lactose may be fermented in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. Fermentation of lactose by intestinal microbiota yields lactic acid and volatile fatty acids, which may positively regulate the intestinal environment and microbiome, resulting in improved gastrointestinal health of weanling pigs. We hypothesize that the prebiotic effect of lactose may play a larger role in weanling pig nutrition as the global feed industry strives to reduce antibiotic usage and pharmacological levels of zinc oxide and supra-nutritional levels of copper. Evidence presented in this review indicates that high dietary lactose improves growth performance of piglets, as well as the growth of beneficial bacteria, particularly Lactobacillus, with the positive effects being more pronounced in the first 2 weeks after weaning. However, the risk of post-weaning diarrhea may increase as pigs get older due to reduced lactase activity,high dietary lactose concentrations, and larger feed intakes, all of which may lead to excessive lactose fermentation in the intestine of the pig. Therefore, dietary lactose levels exert different effects on growth performance and gastrointestinal physiological functions in different feeding phases of weanling pigs. However, no formal recommendation of lactose for weanling pigs has been reported. A meta-analysis approach was used to determine that diets fed to swine should include 20%, 15%, and 0 lactose from d 0–7, d 7–14, and d 14–35 post-weaning,respectively. However, sustainable swine production demands that economics must also be taken into account as lactose and lactose containing ingredients are expensive. Therefore, alternatives to lactose, so called "lactose equivalents" have also been studied in an effort to decrease feed cost while maintaining piglet performance with lower dietary lactose inclusions. In summary, the present review investigated dose-response effects of dietary lactose supplementation to exert positive responses and begin to elucidate its mechanisms of action in postweaning pig diets. The results may help to replace some or all lactose in the diet of weanling pigs, while improving production economics given the high cost of lactose and availability in some swine production markets.     

Chicory （Cichorium intybus L.） and cereals differently affect gut development in broiler chickens and young pigs

Dietary fiber, resistant to host-mediated digestion in the small intestine due to lack of endogenous enzymes, impacts many facets of animal health and is associated with gut development especially in young monogastrics. Furthermore, it can be used as in-feed antibiotic alternative. Chicory （Cichorium intybus L.） forage with high content of pectin （uronic acids as building blocks） is a novel class of dietary fiber that is chemically different from cereal grains （with high content of arabinoxylans）. In the present study, we investigated effects of dietary inclusion of chicory forage on digestibility, gut morphology and microbiota in broilers and young pigs. In the chicken experiment, 160 1-d old broiler chicks were fed 3 nutritionally balanced diets for 30 d including a cereal-based diet and 2 diets with part of the cereals substituted with 60 and 120 g/k9 chicory forage （CF60 and CF120], whereas in the pig experiment, 18 seven-wk old Yorkshire pigs were fed 3 diets for 18 d including a cereal-based diet and 2 diets with 80 and 160 g/kg chicory forage inclusion （CF80 and CF160）. Our results showed that young pigs were capable to utilize chicory forage well with higher total tract apparent digestibility （TTAD） of all fiber fractions, particularly uronic acid, compared with the control （P 〈 0.01）. In contrast, a decreased TTAD of all fiber fractions was observed in chickens fed on diet CF120 （P 〈 0.05）. Moreover, diet induced changes in gut morphology were observed in the large intestine of chickens. The alteration of cecal mucosal thickness was further positively correlated with TTAD of non-starch polysaccharides （NSP） and its constituent sugars （P 〈 0.05）. In addition, in pigs, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism （T-RFLP） analysis of intestinal microbiota revealed substantial dietary effects （cereal control diet vs. chicory forage inclusion） on the relative abundance of 2 dominant bacterial phylotypes （Prevotella sp. vs. Roseburia sp.） respective     

Effects of Dietary Starch Source on via the Portal Vein Nutrient and Energy Absorption of Growing Pigs

Four crossbred （Duroc x Landrace x Yorkshire） boars, weighing an average of 22.40 ± 1.08 kg and fitted with permanent catheters in their portal and mesenteric veins as well as their carotid artery,were utilized in a 4 × 4 latin square design experiment in order to investigate the effects of different starch sources （maize ,brown rice, sticky rice, and resistant starch） on the absorption of energy sources through the portal vein. Portal blood flow averaged 30.68, 28.40, 29.99, and 30. 12 mL/min per kg BW for pigs fed the maize, brown rice, sticky rice, and resistant starch diets, respectively, and did not dif- fer （P 〉 0.05） between treatments. The absorptions of glucose, plasma ammonia, and total amino acids were significantly lower （P 〈 0.05 ） in pigs fed the resistant starch diet than pigs fed the other starch sources. In contrast, significantly （ P 〈 0.05 ） higher amounts of propionate and total volatile fatty acids were absorbed from the portal vein of pigs fed resistant starch than pigs fed diets based on maize, brown rice, or sticky rice. In addition, significantly （P 〈 0.05） more lactic acid was absorbed from the portal vein by pigs fed the sticky rice diet than pigs fed the other three diets. The energy absorbed from the portal vein in the form of glucose and amino-N as well as the total energy absorbed was significantly （P 〈 0.05） lower in pigs fed the resistant starch diet than pigs fed the other three starch sources. In contrast, the amount of energy absorbed in the form of volatile fatty acids was significantly （P 〈 0.05 ） higher in pigs fed resistance starch than pigs fed the other three starch sources. The total energy absorbed through the portal vein as a percentage of the gross energy and digestible energy consumed in pigs fed maize were 50.8% and 54.6%, respectively, which were significantly （P 〈 0.05 ） higher than the values in pigs fed resistant starch （41.5% and 46.6% respectively）. The results indicate that energy is absorbed in different forms and with different utilization efficiencies in the digestive tract of pigs as a result of feeding different starch sources. Starch sources supplying most of their energy in the form of glucose had higher energy utilization efficiencies, while starch sources supplying most of their energy in the form of volatile fatty acids or lactic acid had lower energy utilization efficiencies.     

Effects of dietary Clostridium butyricum supplementation on growth performance,intestinal development,and immune response of weaned piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide

Background: Weanling pigs, with immature immune system and physiological function, usually experience postweaning diarrhea. This study determined the effects of dietary Clostridium butyricum supplementation on growth performance, diarrhea, and immunity of weaned pigs challenged with lipopolysaccharide(LPS).Methods: In Experiment(Exp.) 1,144 weaned piglets were weaned at 21 d and randomly assigned to six groups,with six replicates per group and four pigs per replicate, receiving a control diet(CON) or diet supplemented with antibiotics(AB) or C. butyricum(CB)(0.1%, 0.2%, 0.4%, or 0.8%), respectively. All diets in Exp. 1 were a highly digestible basal diet, with 3,000 mg/kg zinc oxide supplied in the first 2 wk only. In Exp. 2, 180 piglets were weaned at 21 d and randomly assigned to five groups, with six replicates per group and six pigs per replicate, receiving CON, AB, or CB(0.2%, 0.4%, or 0.6%) diets. The digestibility of diets was lower than those in Exp. 1, and did not include zinc oxide. At 36 d of Exp. 2, 12 piglets were selected from each of the CON and 0.4% CB groups, six piglets were intraperitoneally injected with LPS(50 μg/kg body weight) and the other six piglets with normal saline;animals were killed at 4 h after injection to collect blood, intestine, and digesta samples for biochemical analysis.Results: In Exp. 1, CB and AB diets had no effect on growth performance of piglets. In Exp. 2, 0.4% CB decreased feed-gain ratio(P 0.1), diarrhea score(P 0.05), and increased duodenal, jejunal, and ileal villus height and jejunal villus height/crypt depth(P 0.05). The 0.4% CB decreased the plasma tumor necrosis factor(TNF) α(P 0.05) but increased ileal mucosa IL-10 and TLR2 mRNA expression(P 0.05). Furthermore, 0.4% CB altered the microbial profile, with Bacillus and Ruminococcaceae UGG-003 at genus level and Lactobacillus casei and Parasutterella secunda at species level were higher than CON in colonic content(P 0.05).Conclusions: Dietary C. butyricum supplementation had positive effects on growth of weaned piglets with less digestible diets. There was a tendency to reduce the feed-gain ratio, which could reduce feed costs in pig production. Moreover, C. butyricum decreased post-weaning diarrhea by improving the intestinal morphology,intestinal microflora profile, and immune function.     

Effects of dietary energy density on plasma glucose and lipid profile,morphological aspects and chemical characteristics of adipose tissue in finishing pigs

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) plays a pivotal role in controlling adipogenesis.We hypothesized that changes in dietary energy density might alter fat deposition in finishing pigs via modulation of the expression of PPAR-γ.To test this hypothesis,thirty female finishing pigs were fed diets containing low (LD),medium (MD) or high (HD) energy density.Blood samples were collected on day 53,and then the pigs were sacrificed to collect samples of the dorsal subcutaneous (ST),abdominal (AT) and mesenteric (MT) adipose tissue.Compared with pigs fed the MD diet,malate dehydrogenase activity was increased in the ST and MT of pigs fed the HD diet,while activity was decreased in the MT of pigs fed the LD diet (P0.05).Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was increased in all three fat depots of pigs fed the HD diet (P0.05) in comparison with pigs fed the MD diet.Both HD and LD diets increased the size of the adipocytes in the AT and MT (P0.05).Pigs fed the HD diet had a higher cell proliferation index in the ST compared with pigs fed the other two diets (P0.05).Compared with pigs fed the MD diet,a decreased apoptosis index was seen in the ST of pigs fed the HD diet,and in the AT of pigs fed the LD diet,as well as in the MT of both HD and LD fed pigs (P0.05).PPAR-γ positive percentage was elevated in the ST and MT of HD fed pigs compared with pigs fed the MD and LD diets,while it was decreased in the ST of LD compared with MD fed pigs (P0.05).These results suggest that dietary energy density may regulate fat deposition in finishing pigs.It is possible that feeding a high energy diet may induce fat deposition via up-regulation of PPAR-γ expression.     

The Effect of Dietary Sulphate Copper Supplementation on Growth Performance, Intestinal Digestive Enzymes and Absorptive Transporters in Weanling Pigs

The experiment was conducted to assess the effects of dietary supplementation of Cu on the growth performance,digestive enzymes,tissue minerals and absorptive transporters in small intestinal mucosa of weanling pigs.One hundred crossbred pigs weaned at 28±2 d of age were assigned randomly to one of the following diets with 5 replicates:corn-soybean basal diet with 10,100,175,250 mg/kg of Cu as CuSO4·5H2O.The results showed that 250 mg/kg Cu had a positive effect (P0.05) on average daily gain,daily feed intake and ratio of gain/feed.Compared to 10 mg/kg Cu,higher Cu had significant effect on the apparent digestibility of protein and fat (P0.05).The supplementing of Cu improved amylase and lipase activity in jejunum content and lipase in pancreas (P0.05) and had no effect on intestinal morphology.The liver Cu elevated approximately 4-fold in pigs fed diet with 250 mg/kg Cu compared with pigs fed diet with 10 mg/kg Cu,no increases were observed in pigs receiving the lower level of Cu (100 and 175 mg/kg).Both Fe and Zn contents in kidney and liver were not affected by Cu supplementation.There was no positive effect (P0.05) of Cu supplementation on PepT1 (peptide transporter 1) and SGLT1 (sodium/glucose cotransporter) mRNA abundance in intestinal mucosa.However,higher supplementing level (250 mg/kg) significantly elevated the DMT1 (divalent metal transporter) mRNA abundance in duodenum mucosa.These results suggested that dietary supplementation with 250 mg/kg Cu could improve growth performance,nutrient digestibility and intestinal enzyme activities of weanling pigs.     

The Effects of Size-fractionated Fish Hydrolysate in the Diet on Growth,and Feed Utilization of Turbot （Scophthalmus maximus）

Four experimental diets were fed to turbet to examine the effect of fish bydrolyside and ultra filtered fish hydrolysafe on growth performate feed utilization and growth regulation using diets low in dietary fish meal inclusion. Diets A, B contained 3.7%,1.2% fish hydrolysate to replace fish meal respectively and the fish hydrolysate in two diets was ultra filtered to keep low molecular weight compounds. The diets A,     

Use of a post-production fractionation process improves the nutritional value of wheat distillers grains with solubles for young broiler chicks

Background： Post-production fractionation of wheat distillers grains with solubles（DDGS） increases their crude protein content and reduces their fiber content.This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of fractionation of wheat DDGS on apparent total tract digestibility（ATTD） and performance when fed to broiler chicks（0–21 d）.Methods： A total of 150,day-old,male broiler chicks（Ross-308 line;Lilydale Hatchery,Wynyard,Saskatchewan） weighing an average of 49.6 ± 0.8 g were assigned to one of five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design.The control diet was based on wheat and soybean meal and contained 20% regular wheat DDGS.The experimental diets contained 5,10,15 or 20% fractionated wheat DDGS added at the expense of regular wheat DDGS.Results： The ATTD of dry matter and gross energy were linearly increased（P 0.01） as the level of fractionated wheat DDGS in the diet increased.Nitrogen retention was unaffected by level of fractionated wheat DDGS（P 0.05）.Weight gain increased linearly（P = 0.05） as the level of fractionated wheat DDGS in the diet increased.Feed intake,feed conversion and mortality were unaffected by level of fractionated wheat DDGS in the diet（P 0.05）.Conclusions： Post-production fractionation of wheat DDGS improves their nutritional value by lowering their fiber content and increasing their content of crude protein and energy.These changes in chemical composition supported increased weight gain of broilers fed wheat DDGS.     

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.