Effects of Moringa oleifera silage on milk yield,nutrient digestibility and serum biochemical indexes of lactating dairy cows

This study investigated the effects of Moringa oleifera (MO) as a partial substitute of alfalfa hay on milk yield, nutrient apparent digestibility and serum biochemical indexes of dairy cows. MO was harvested at 120 days post‐seeding. Fresh MO was cut, mixed with chopped oat hay (425:575 on a DM basis), ensiled and stored for 60 days. Sixty healthy Holstein dairy cows were allocated to one of three groups: NM (no MO or control), LM (low MO; 25% alfalfa hay and 50% maize silage were replaced by MO silage) or HM (high MO; 50% alfalfa hay and 100% maize silage were replaced by MO silage). The feeding trial lasted 35 days. The LM and HM diets did not affect dry matter (DM) intake, milk yield or milk composition (lactose, milk fat, milk protein and somatic cell count). The apparent digestibility of DM and NDF was lower for HM group than NM group. Additionally, there were no significant differences in serum biochemical indexes between the LM and NM groups. The HM group had lower serum concentrations of total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher serum concentrations of urea than the NM group. The partial replacement of alfalfa hay (≤50%) and maize silage with MO silage had no negative effects on milk yield, in vivo nutrient apparent digestibility or serum biochemical indexes of lactating cows.     

野榆钱菠菜三种异型种子幼苗的生长特性

野榆钱菠菜是新疆重要的荒漠野生牧草资源,具有褐色(非休眠类型)、黑色大、黑色小(休眠类型)3种异型种子。以种子异型性植物野榆钱菠菜为材料,对3种异型种子在自然条件下进行培育,对比观察研究3种异型种子的萌发物候及幼苗的生长特性。结果表明:1) 异型种子萌发物候不同步,萌发策略不同,褐色种子集中萌发,出苗率为74.30%,萌发期为3 d;两种黑色种子萌发期长,分散萌发,出苗率分别为6.58%(黑色大种子)和1.55%(黑色小种子),萌发期分别为21和17 d。2) 异型种子子叶存留时间长,但存留时间有差异,种子越小子叶存留时间越短。3) 褐色种子幼苗在初期其子叶长宽、根长、地上地下生物量均显著大于黑色种子幼苗,但随着幼苗的生长,3种异型种子幼苗在这些指标方面的差异逐渐缩小。4) 异型种子幼苗具有不同的生物量分配策略,褐色种子幼苗主要将养分输送到地上部分,两种黑色种子幼苗主要将养分输送到地下部分,这种不同的生物量分配策略能够使种子异型性植物在面对荒漠异质环境时具有不同的应对方式,是种子异型性植物能够长期适应荒漠异质环境的重要生态适应机制。研究结果为揭示种子异型性植物长期适应荒漠异质环境提供新的科学依据,也为“两头下注”对策理论提供新的理论基础。     

Polyphenols in Eucalyptus leaves improved the egg and meat qualities and protected against ethanol‐induced oxidative damage in laying hens

Polyphenols in Eucalyptus leaves (PE) were value resources due to various pharmacological activities, but data on the effect on laying hens are very scare. This study was conducted to determine the effect of PE on the laying performance, egg traits, meat quality, antioxidant status and liver tissues of laying hens. One hundred and twenty 256‐day‐old Yueqinhuang laying hens were randomly assigned to four treatment groups (different levels of PE at 0, 0.5, 0.8 and 1.2 g/kg diet) for 63 days with 15 replicates per group. Addition of 0.8 g/kg PE not only improved the egg trait by increasing the eggshell thickness and decreasing MDA production and cholesterol content in the egg yolk, but also significantly enhanced meat quality of hens, as suggested by the increase pH_45 min (p < .01) and a* value, and decrease drip loss rate (p < .01). Meanwhile, under acute ethanol‐induced oxidative damage condition, supplementation of 0.8 g/kg PE enhanced the serum antioxidant status by increasing enzymatic activities (GSH‐PX, T‐SOD, T‐AOC), inhibited oxidative damage and provided protective effect to liver tissue. In conclusion, addition of 0.8 g/kg PE not only improved the egg traits and meat quality without obvious adverse effects, but also increased the serum antioxidant status of the hens and protected their liver tissue from ethanol‐induced oxidative damage. This study indicated that PE could be utilized as an effective feed additive for laying hens to improve health performance and egg traits.     

Modulation of broilers’ caecal microflora and metabolites in response to a potential probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

Studies have found that a dietary supplement of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens improved the growth performance, increased the nutrient digestibility of hosts and modulated the intestinal microflora. A total of 360 1‐day‐old Ross broilers were randomly divided into three treatments: a control group with a basal diet, an antibiotic group with a basal diet and added colistin sulphate, and a probiotics group with a basal diet and added Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The HiSeq high‐throughput sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA was used to investigate the differences in birds’ caecal microflora, and metabolomics was used to analyse changes in caecal metabolites. Results showed that the supplementation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens significantly improved the BW and ADG compared with the control birds. Results of sequencing indicated that (i) 645, 670, 596 unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found in birds supplemented with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on day 7, 21 and 42, separately, (ii) due to the diversity and relative abundance of the birds’ caecal microflora, the OTUs of the caecal microflora clustered according to age and treatment, except on day 42, (iii) among the six predominate families (Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, Lactobacillaceae and Rikenellaceae), the supplementation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens significantly increased Enterobacteriaceae on day 42, (iv) Bacillus amyloliquefaciens increased the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus on day 21, increased the Faecalibacterium and Blautia and decreased the Ruminococcus on day 42. The metabolomics of caecal metabolites showed that the dietary Bacillus amyloliquefaciens changed the caecal metabolites involved of amino acid metabolism and glyceride metabolism, and the antibiotics changed the caecal metabolites that were related to carbohydrates and amino acid metabolism on day 21.     

Multimarker and rare variants genomewide association studies for bone weight in Simmental cattle

Bone weight, defined as the total weight of the bones in all the forequarter and hindquarter joints, can reflect somebody conformation traits and skeletal diseases. To gain a better understanding of the genetic determinants of bone weight, we used a composite strategy including multimarker and rare‐marker association to perform genomewide association studies (GWAS) for that character in Simmental cattle. Our strategy consisted of three models: (i) A traditional linear mixed model (LMM) was applied (Q+K‐LMM); (ii) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with p‐values less than .05 from the LMM were selected to undergo the least absolute shrinkage and selector operator (Lasso) in the second stage (LMM‐Lasso); (iii) genes containing two or more rare SNPs were examined by performing the sequence kernel association test (gene‐based SKAT). A total of 1,225 cattle were genotyped with an Illumina BovineHD BeadChip containing 770,000 SNPs. After the quality‐control procedures, 1,217 individuals with 608,696 common SNPs and 105,787 rare SNPs (with 0.001 < minor allele frequency [MAF] <0.05) remained in the sample for analysis. A traditional LMM successfully mapped three genes associated with bone weight, while LMM‐Lasso identified nine genes, which included all genes found by traditional LMM. Only a single gene, EPHB3, surpassed the significance threshold after Bonferroni correction in gene‐based SKAT. In conclusion, based on functional annotation and results from previous endeavours, we believe that LCORL, RIMS2, LAP3, PRKAR2B, CHSY1, MAP2K6 and EPHB3 are candidate genes for bone weight. In general, such a comprehensive strategy for GWAS may be useful for researchers seeking to probe the full genetic architecture underlying economic traits in livestock.     

紫花苜蓿茎秆组织中木质素的分布与沉积模式

以甘农5号紫花苜蓿(Medicago sativa‘Gannong No.5’)为材料,采用组织化学染色方法研究了茎秆中木质素的发生、分布与沉积规律。结果表明,苜蓿茎秆中木质素的分布与生长部位密切相关,在茎秆顶端初生维管组织中仅木质部有木质素分布,随节间下移,木质素开始在初生韧皮纤维、次生木质部和髓射线中大量沉积;茎秆中存在G、S两种木质素,S木质素的发生迟于G木质素;在维管束之间,两种木质素均以"厚角组织处维管束→厚角组织间维管束"的模式沉积,但在维管束内,木质素沉积表现出异质性,G木质素沉积模式为"初生木质部导管→初生韧皮纤维→次生木质部和髓射线";S木质素沉积模式为"初生韧皮纤维→次生木质部和髓射线→髓薄壁细胞"。分析认为,紫花苜蓿茎秆中木质素特殊的沉积模式可能是其对北温带生长环境的一种适应对策。     

紫茎泽兰对萨能奶山羊血常规及重要脏器病理学的影响

紫茎泽兰(Eupatorium adenophorum)在中国作为入侵物种,可造成食草动物中毒死亡,并给畜牧业带巨大的损失。为研究反刍动物采食紫茎泽兰后的中毒机理,本研究探讨了日粮中添加不同剂量的紫茎泽兰对萨能奶山羊(Saanen goat)血常规及肝、脾、肾的病理学影响。选择16只5~6月龄健康萨能奶山羊,随机分成对照组(日粮中未添加紫茎泽兰)和试验Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组(日粮配比中分别添加紫茎泽兰40%、60%和80%),每组4只。试验Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组分别饲喂含40%、60%和80%紫茎泽兰的混合日粮3个月,每两周检测一次血常规,试验末屠宰奶山羊,并观察其肝、肾、脾的病理学变化。结果表明,与对照组相比,各试验组血液中的白细胞(white blood cell,)和中性粒细胞(neutrophil,NEUT)均显著升高(P0.05),试验后期极显著高于对照组(P0.01);而各试验组血液中淋巴细胞(lymphocyte,LY)与血红蛋白(hemoglobin,HGB)均呈下降趋势,试验后期均极显著低于对照组(P0.01)。肝和脾肿大,肝组织出现淤血,肝细胞发生水泡变性及脂肪变性等,肾组织伴有出血、坏死、颗粒变性及水泡样变性的现象。因此,本研究结果说明紫茎泽兰对萨能奶山羊血液指标有显著影响,且长期摄入紫茎泽兰可引起动物肝、肾、脾等主要实质器官不同程度的损伤。     

近15年新疆伊犁河谷草地退化时空变化特征

以伊犁河谷为研究区,利用MODIS NDVI数据及像元二分模型,反演草地植被覆盖度,以草地植被覆盖度为评价标准,结合数字高程模型(digital elevation model,DEM)数据及Getis-Ord Gi*冷/热点分析方法,对伊犁河谷2001-2015年草地退化的时空特征进行了分析。结果表明,1)受持续过度放牧及气候条件影响,2001-2015年伊犁河谷草地整体持续退化,15年内退化草地比例达46.18%,但退化以轻度为主;2)空间上退化草地的分布范围逐步向高海拔区域扩展,海拔1 500-3 000 m的中山和中高山区退化草地扩张最明显;3)草地生态保护政策的实施减缓了草地退化速度,草地退化与改善的空间差异逐渐明显,以退化为主的单一变化趋势有所改变;4)利用NDVI反演植被覆盖度对草地退化进行评价的方法存在对高植被覆盖区域草地退化敏感性相对较弱的缺陷。