Effects of A Multi-Enzyme Complex or Probiotic Supplementation on Performance and Nutrient Digestibility of Broiler Chicks

This experiment was conducted to determine whether the performance of broilers fed diets based on corn and soybean meal could be enhanced with enzymes or probiotics.A total of 120 male broilers,three days of age,were assigned to one of four treatments in a completely randomized design,and housed in groups of five with six cages per treatment.The control diet was based on corn and soybean meal while the three experimental diets consisted of the basal diet supplemented with 0.1% of enzyme I,enzyme II,or probiotic.Enzyme I provided α-galactosidase and β-mannanase,while enzyme II provided protease,amylase,α-galactosidase,xylanase,and cellulase.The probiotic was composed of Bacillus coagulance,Bacillus lichenformis,Bacillus subtilis,and Clostridium butyricum.Over the 28 day experiment,the weight gain of birds fed the probiotic treatment was superior(P=0.03)to the control,while gains for the enzyme treatments were intermediate to those of the control and probiotic.Feed intake and feed conversion did not differ among treatments(P0.05).Ammonia production was significantly(P0.01)higher in the control compared with either of the enzyme or probiotic treatments.Compared with the control,supplementation with enzyme II significantly reduced the digestibility of arginine,isoleucine,and lysine(P0.05).In contrast,the digestibility of energy was higher(P0.01)for birds supplemented with enzyme II than the control.Digestibility coefficients did not differ for any other parameter with the exception of energy which was significantly higher for birds fed the probiotic treatment than the control(P0.01).In summary,the performance of broilers was significantly enhanced by the addition of a probiotic to the diet.However,under the conditions of this experiment,supplementation with a multi-enzyme complex containing either α-galactosidase and β-mannanase or the combination of protease,amylase,galactosidase,xylanase,and cellulase failed to improve broiler performance.     

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.     

Impact of dietary supplementation of β-hydroxybutyric acid on performance,nutrient digestibility,organ development and serum stress indicators in early-weaned goat kids

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dietary supplementation of β-hydroxybutyric acid(BHBA) on performance, nutrient digestibility, organ development, and serum composition in earlyweaned goat kids. Sixty-four goat kids at 30 d of age were assigned to 4 treatments in a completely randomized design: 1) control(basal diet); 2) low(basal diet with 3 g/d per animal BHBA); 3) medium(basal diet with 6 g/d per animal BHBA; and 4) high(basal diet with 9 g/d per animal BHBA). Subseq...     

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.     

Response to an Escherichia coli K88 oral challenge and productivity of weanling pigs receiving a dietary nucleotides supplement

Background:Dietary nucleotides,considered as antibiotics alternative,were shown to have positive effects on intestinal hyperaemia,systemic immunity,small-intestinal growth,and hepatic composition in pigs.However,there is no previous research on nucleotide supplementation in weanling pigs under an oral challenged E.coli K88.Therefore,2 experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary nucleotides on weanling pig growth performance,nutrient digestibility,fecal score,and blood profile after being orally challenged with E.coli K88.Methods:In Exp.1,a total of 140 weanling pigs[8.33 ± 0.33 kg of body weight(BW),28-d old]were used in this42-d feeding trial.Pigs were distributed into 1 of 4 treatments,5 pigs/pen(3 barrows and 2 gilts) and 7 pens/treatment.Treatments were a control basal diet(CON) or the CON supplemented with 150(R150),220(R220),or 275(R275) mg/kg to give the three treatment diets.In Exp.2,28 weanling pigs(BW = 8.40 ± 0.22 kg,28-d old) were distributed into 1 of 4treatments to give 1 pig/pen and 7 pens/treatment in a 42-d feeding and challenge trial.Dietary treatments were the same as in Exp.1.On d 14,all those pigs(BW= 13.3 ±0.15 kg,42-d old) were orally dosed with 1.5 mL suspension containing 10~(10) cfu/mL of E.coli K88.Twenty four hours after challenge,blood and excreta samples were collected from each pigs for analysis.Fecal scores were measured on d 7,14,21,and 28 of the study.Results:In Exp.1,overall BW,average daily gain(ADG),gain/feed(G/F) ratio,and nutrient digestibilities were lower(P 0.05) in CON group compared with the nucleotides fed pigs.In Exp.2,after challenge,IgA,IgM,and IGF-I were higher(P 0.05) in the nucleotide groups compared with CON.However,the nucleotide groups had lower(P 0.05) Cortisol and TNF-α compared with CON.Fecal E.coli counts and fecal score for the nucleotide groups were lower(P 0.05) than for CON.Conclusions:In conclusion,dietary nucleotides supplementation could improve growth performance,nutrient digestibility,immune status,microbial balance,reduce diarrhea,and provide protection against enterotoxigenic E.coli K88 infection in weanling pigs.     

Effects of corn gluten feed inclusion at graded levels in a corn-soybean diet on the ileal and fecal digestibility of growing pigs

Background:This study aimed to determine the effect of the inclusion of com gluten feed(CGF) on the apparent and standardized ileal digestibility of protein and amino acids and the apparent ileal and total tract digestibility of energy in growing pigs.The study was performed using 16 barrows(weight,45.3 ± 4.5 kg) that were fitted with a T cannula at the terminal ileum.There were four treatments:a corn-soybean diet without CGF and three corn-soybean diets containing increasing levels of CGF(65,130,and 195 g/kg).Data were analyzed according to a randomized complete block design,four blocks with four pigs each(one pig per treatment).The trend of the response(linear or quadratic) was determined using orthogonal contrasts,and when a linear effect was determined,a linear equation was obtained.Results:The results showed that the inclusion up to 195 g/kg of CGF in the corn-soybean diet did not diminish the ileal digestibility(apparent and standardized) of protein and amino acids(P 0.05),except that of phenylalanine,cystine,and proline.A linear decrease(P 0.05) per gram of CGF added to the diet in the apparent and standardized ileal digestibility of phenylalanine(0.011 and 0.015 percentage units,respectively),cystine(0.048 and 0.043 percentage units,respectively),and proline(0.045 and 0.047 percentage units,respectively) was noted.Similarly,ileal digestibility of dry matter and energy were adversely affected(reduced by 0.028 and 0.025 percentage units,respectively,per gram of CGF increment in the diet).A significant(P 0.05) linear reduction in total tract digestibility with increase in CGF amount in the diet was observed for energy(0.027 percentage units),dry matter(0.027 percentage units),crude protein(0.020 percentage units),and neutral detergent fiber(0.041 percentage units) per gram of CGF added to the diet.Conclusion:CGF did not affect the ileal digestibility of protein and most amino acids but reduced the ileal and total tract digestibility of energy.     

Effect of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis supplementation in diets with low-and high-protein content on ileal crude protein and amino acid digestibility and intestinal microbiota composition of growing pigs

Background: Bacillus spp. seem to be an alternative to antimicrobial growth promoters for improving animals' health and performance. However, there is little information on the effect of Bacillus spp. in combination with different dietary crude protein(CP) levels on the ileal digestibility and microbiota composition. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of Bacillus spp. supplementation to low-(LP) and high-protein diets(HP) on ileal CP and amino acid(AA) digestibility and intestinal microbiota composition.Methods: Eight ileally cannulated pigs with an initial body weight of 28.5 kg were randomly allocated to a rowcolumn design with 8 pigs and 3 periods of 16 d each. The assay diets were based on wheat-barley-soybean meal with two protein levels: LP(14% CP, as-fed) and HP diet(18% CP, as-fed). The LP and HP diets were supplemented with or without Bacil us spp. at a level of 0.04%(as-fed). The apparent ileal digestibility(AID) and standardized ileal digestibility(SID) of CP and AA was determined. Bacterial community composition from ileal digesta was analyzed by Illumina amplicon sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR. Data were analyzed as a 2 × 2 factorial design using the GLIMMIX procedures of SAS.Results: The supplementation with Bacillus spp. did not affect both AID and SID of CP and AA in growing pigs.Moreover, there was no difference in AID of CP and AA between HP and LP diets, but SID of cystine, glutamic acid,glycine, and proline was lower(P 0.05) in pigs fed the HP diets. The HP diets increased abundance of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp.,(P 0.05) and by amplicon sequencing the latter was identified as predominant genus in microbiota from HP with Bacillus spp., whereas dietary supplementation of Bacillus spp. increased(P 0.05) abundance of Roseburia spp.Conclusions: The HP diet increased abundance of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.. The supplementation of Bacil us spp. resulted in a higher abundance of healthy gut associated bacteria without affecting ileal CP and AA digestibility, whereas LP diet may reduce the flow of undigested protein to the large intestine of pigs.     

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.     

Intake,digestibility and nitrogen utilization in cattle fed tropical forage and supplemented with protein in the rumen,abomasum,or both

Background: There is little information in the tropics with regard the comparative understanding of how an increased nitrogen supply in the rumen or in the intestines affects efficiency of nitrogen utilization in cattle. This study evaluated the effects of supplementation with nitrogenous compounds in the rumen, abomasum, or both on intake, digestibility and the characteristics of nitrogen utilization in cattle fed tropical forage. Four rumen- and abomasum-fistulated Nellore bulls(227 ± 11 kg) were used. Four treatments were evaluated: control, ruminal supplementation(230 g/d of supplemental protein in the rumen), abomasal supplementation(230 g/d of supplemental protein in the abomasum), and ruminal and abomasal supplementation(115 g/d protein in both the rumen and the abomasum).The basal forage diet consisted of Tifton 85 hay with a crude protein(CP) level of 78.4 g/kg dry matter. Casein was used as a supplement. The experiment was conducted using a 4 × 4 Latin square.Results: There were no differences between the treatments(P 0.10) with regard to forage intake. The intake and total digestibility of CP increased(P 0.01) with supplementation. The nitrogen balance in the body increased(P 0.01) and muscle protein mobilization decreased(P 0.01) with supplementation, regardless of the supplementation site.The efficiency of nitrogen utilization did not differ among the treatments(P 0.10).Conclusions: The supplementation of cattle fed tropical forage with protein in the rumen, abomasum, or both similarly increased the nitrogen accretion in animal, which reflects improvements on nitrogen status in animal body.     

Alterations in nutrient digestibility and performance of heat-stressed dairy cows by dietary L-theanine supplementation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary L-theanine supplementation on apparent nutrient digestibility, milk yield, milk composition, and blood biochemical indices of dairy cows under heat stress. Thirty Chinese Holstein cows(19.84 ± 2.42 kg milk/d, 192.36 ± 40.77 d in milk and2 ± 0.93 parities) were divided into 3 groups of 10 animals each. The control group was fed a basal total mixed ration(TMR) diet, while treatment 1(LTA16) and treatment 2(LTA32) groups were fed a...     

Co-fermented defatted rice bran alters gut microbiota and improves growth performance,antioxidant capacity,immune status and intestinal permeability of finishing pigs

Based on preparation of co-fermented defatted rice bran(DFRB) using Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum and phytase, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of cofermented DFRB on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune status, gut microbiota and permeability in finishing pigs. Ninety finishing pigs(85.30 ± 0.97 kg) were randomly assigned to 3treatments(3 replicates/treatment) with a basal diet(Ctrl), a basal diet supplemented with 10% unfermente...     

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 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.     

Net energy of corn,soybean meal and rapeseed meal in growing pigs

Background: Two experiments were conducted to estimate the net energy(NE) of corn, soybean meal, expel er-pressed rapeseed meal(EP-RSM) and solvent-extracted rapeseed meal(SE-RSM) using indirect calorimetry and to validate the NE of these four ingredients using pig growth performance.Methods: In Exp.1, 24 barrows(initial BW = 36.4 ± 1.6 kg) were allotted to 1 of 4 diets which included a corn basal diet,a corn-soybean meal basal diet and two rapeseed meal diets containing 20% EP-RSM(9.5% ether extract) or SE-RSM(1.1% ether extract) substituted for corn and soybean meal. The design allowed the calculation of NE values of corn,soybean meal and rapeseed meals according to the difference method. In Exp.2, 175 growing pigs(initial BW = 36.0± 5.2 kg) were fed 1 of 5 diets for 28 d, with five pigs per pen and seven replications(pens) per treatment in order to validate the measured energy values. Diets were a corn-soybean meal diet and four diets including 10% or 20% EP-RSM and 10% or 20% SE-RSM.Results: The NE of corn, soybean meal, EP-RSM and SE-RSM were 12.46, 11.34, 11.71 and 8.83 MJ/kg DM, respectively. The NE to ME ratio of corn(78%) was similar to tabular values, however, the NE to ME ratios of soybean meal(70%) and rapeseed meal(76%) were greater than tabular values. The greater NE value in EP-RSM than in SE-RSM is consistent with its higher EE content. Increasing EP-RSM or SE-RSM did not affect the growth performance of pigs and the caloric efficiency of NE was comparable for al diets.Conclusions: The NE of EP-RSM was similar to soybean meal, and both were greater than SE-RSM. The DE, ME and NE values measured in Exp.1 are confirmed by results of Exp. 2 with comparable caloric efficiencies of DE, ME or NE for all diets.     

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.     

Metabolizable energy,nitrogen balance,and ileal digestibility of amino acids in quality protein maize for pigs

Background：To compare the nutritional value and digestibility of five quality protein maize（QPM） hybrids to that of white and yellow maize,two experiments were carried out in growing pigs.In experiment 1,the energy metabolizability and the nitrogen balance of growing pigs fed one of five QPM hybrid diets were compared against those of pigs fed white or yellow maize.In experiment 2,the apparent and standardized ileal digestibility（AID and SID,respectively） of proteins and amino acids from the five QPM hybrids were compared against those obtained from pigs fed white and yellow maize.In both experiments,the comparisons were conducted using contrasts.Results：The dry matter and nitrogen intakes were higher in the pigs fed the QPM hybrids（P 〈 0.05） than in the pigs fed white or yellow maize.Energy digestibility（P 〈 0.001） and metabolizability（P 〈 0.01） were higher in the pigs fed the white and yellow maize diets than in those fed the QPM diets.The AID of lysine was higher（P〈 0.01） in the QPM diets than in the white and yellow maize.The AIDs of leucine,isoleucine,valine,phenylalanine,and methionine were lower in the QPM diets than those of maize（white and yellow）（all P 〈 0.05）.Maize（white and yellow） had greater SIDs of leucine,isoleucine,valine,phenylalanine,glutamic acid,serine,alanine,tyrosine,and proline（P 〈 0.05）.Conclusions：Based on these results,it was concluded that QPM had a lower metabolizable energy content and a higher amount of digestible lysine than normal maize.     

The effects of tannins-containing ground pine bark diet upon nutrient digestion,nitrogen balance,and mineral retention in meat goats

Background:Pine bark is a rich source of phytochemical compounds including tannins,phenolic acids,anthocyanins,and fatty acids.These phytochemicals have potential to significantly impact on animal health and animal production.The goal of this work is to measure the effects of tannins in ground pine bark as a partial feed replacement on feed intake,dietary apparent digestibility,nitrogen balance,and mineral retention in meat goats.Results:Eighteen Kiko cross goats(initial BW = 31.8 ± 1.49 kg) were randomly assigned to three treatment groups(n = 6).Dietary treatments were tested:control(0%pine bark powder(PB) and 30%wheat straw(WS));15%PB and 15%WS,and 30%PB and 0%WS.Although dry matter(DM) intake and digestibility were not affected(P0.10) by feeding PB,neutral detergent fiber(linear;P = 0.01),acid detergent fiber(linear;P = 0.001) and lignin digestibility(linear;P = 0.01) decreased,and crude protein(CP) digestibility tended to decrease(P = 0.09) as PB increased in the diet,apparent retention of Ca(P=0.09),P(P = 0.03),Mg(P = 0.01),Mn(P = 0.01),Zn(P = 0.01) and Fe(P = 0.09) also increased linearly.Nitrogen intake and fecal N excretion were not affected(P0.05) by addition of PB in the diet,but N balance in the body was quadratically increased(P 0.01) in the 15%PB diet compared to other diets.This may be due to more rumen escape protein and less excreted N in the urine with the 15%PB diet.The study showed that a moderate level of tannin-containing pine bark supplementation could improve gastrointestinal nitrogen balance with the aim of improving animal performance.Conclusion:These results suggest that tannin-containing PB has negative impact on fiber,lignin,and protein digestibility,but positively impacted on N-balance.     

Calcium supplementation in low nutrient density diet for meat ducks improves breast meat tenderness associated with myocyte apoptosis and proteolytic changes

To define the relationship between dietary nutrient density, calcium(Ca), and meat quality in meat ducks. A total of 288 male Cherry Valley SM3 medium ducklings were fed a common standard starter diet until d 14. At 15 d of age, ducks were randomly divided into 2 treatment groups and fed either a conventional diet or a low nutrient density(LND) diet. Compared with the conventional diet, the energy was reduced in the LND diet by 8.6% and 16.8% in grower(15 to 35 d) and finisher(36 to 56 d) phases...     

Practical starter pig amino acid requirements in relation to immunity,gut health and growth performance

Immune system activation begins a host of physiological responses. Infectious agents are recognized by monocytes and macrophages which in turn stimulate cytokine production. It is the hormone-like factors called cytokines that orchestrate the immune response. The classic responses observed with immune system activation and cytokine production include： anorexia, fever, lethargy, recruitment of other immune cells, and phagocytosis. While production of immune system components is known to require some amino acids, increases in amino acid requirements are more than offset by the associated decrease in protein accretion and increased muscle protein degradation that also accompanies immune system activation. However, the biggest impact of cytokine production is a decrease in feed intake. Therefore, as feed intake decreases, the energy needed to drive protein synthesis is also decreased. This suggests that diets should still be formulated on a similar calorie：lysine ratio as those formulated for non-immune challenged pigs. The evidence is sparse or equivocal for increasing nutrient requirements during an immune challenge. Nutritionists and swine producers should resist the pressure to alter the diet, limit feed, or add expensive feed additives during an immune challenge. While immune stimulation does not necessitate changes in diet formulation, when pigs are challenged with non-pathogenic diarrhea there are potential advantages on gut health with the increased use of crystalline amino acids rather than intact protein sources （i.e., soybean meal）. This is because reducing crude protein decreases the quantity of fermentable protein entering the large intestine, which lowers post weaning diarrhea. It also lowers the requirement for expensive specialty protein sources or other protein sources such as soybean meal that present immunological challenges to the gut. The objective of this review is two-fold. The first is to discuss immunity by nutrition interactions, or lack thereof, and secondly, to review amino acid re     

Transfer of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate from sows to their offspring and its impact on muscle fiber type transformation and performance in pigs

Background: Previous studies suggested that supplementation of lactating sows with β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate(HMB) could improve the performance of weaning pigs, but there were little information in the muscle fiber type transformation of the offspring and the subsequent performance in pigs from weaning through finishing in response to maternal HMB consumption. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of supplementing lactating sows with HMB on skeletal muscle fiber type transformation and growth of the offspring during d 28 and180 after birth. A total of 20 sows according to their body weight were divided into the control(CON, n = 10) or HMB groups(HMB, n = 10). Sows in the HMB group were supplemented with β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate calcium(HMB-Ca) 2 g/kg feed during d 1 to 27 of lactation. After weaning, 48 mixed sex piglets were blocked by sow treatment and fed standard diets for post-weaning, growing, finishing periods. Growth performance was recorded during d 28 to 180 after birth. Pigs were slaughtered on d 28(n = 6/treatment) and 180(n = 6/treatment) postnatal and the longissimus dorsi(LD) was collected, respectively.Results: The HMB-fed sows during lactation showed increased HMB concentration(P 0.05) in milk and LD of weaning piglets(P 0.05). In addition, offsprings in HMB group had a higher finishing BW and lean percentage than did pigs in CON group(P 0.05), meanwhile, compared with pigs from sows fed the CON diet, pigs from sows fed HMB diet showed higher type Ⅱ muscle fiber cross-sectional area(CSA), elevated myosin heavy chain(MyHC) Ⅱb and Sox6 mRNA, and fast-MyHC protein levels in LD(P 0.05).Conclusions: HMB supplemented to sow diets throughout lactation increases the levels of HMB in maternal milk and skeletal muscle of pigs during d 28 after birth and promotes subsequent performance of pigs between d 28 and 180 of age by enhancing glycolytic muscle fiber transformation.