Nutritional significance of amino acids,vitamins and minerals as nutraceuticals in poultry production and health – a comprehensive review

Nutraceuticals have gained immense importance in poultry science recently considering the nutritional and beneficial health effects of their constituents. Besides providing nutritional requirements to birds, nutraceuticals have beneficial pharmacological effects, for example, they help in establishing normal physiological health status, prevent diseases and thereby improve production performance. Nutraceuticals include amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc. which are important for preventing oxidative stress, regulating the immune response and maintaining normal physiological, biochemical and homeostatic mechanisms. Nutraceuticals help in supplying nutrients in balanced amounts for supporting the optimal growth performance in modern poultry flocks, and as a dietary supplement can reduce the use of antibiotics. The application of antibiotic growth enhancers in poultry leads to the propagation of antibiotic-resistant microbes and drug residues; therefore, they have been restricted in many countries. Thus, there is a demand for natural feed additives that lead to the same growth enhancement without affecting the health. Nutraceuticals substances have an essential role in the development of the animals’ normal physiological functions and in protecting them against infectious diseases. In this review, the uses of amino acids, vitamins and minerals as well as their mode of action in growth promotion and elevation of immune system are discussed.     

施用有机肥对当归药材性状、产量及抗病性的影响

为了探寻有机肥对当归成药栽培的影响,采用黑膜覆盖栽培,基施纯有机肥（O,2000 kg·hm^-2）、纯化肥（C,磷酸二铵,420 kg·hm^-2）、减半量化肥增施有机肥［1/2（O+C）］,以不施肥为对照（CK）,栽培期测定早期抽薹率、发病率、药材产量和性状指标。结果表明,纯有机肥栽培当归早期抽薹率为8.0%,分别较CK、1/2（O+C）和C降低19.4%、15.2%和7.1%。药材产量则相反,O、C和1/2（O+C）栽培当归药材产量相当,鲜产量分别较CK提高105.9%、84.6%和78.2%。纯有机肥栽培当归根最长,侧根最多,单根最重,药材产量最高。化肥对根的增粗作用最大,但含水量高,根病率高,发病重。不同施肥每hm²鲜药材产量与综合评价指数大小顺序一致,依次为O（9220.6 kg,0.926）>C（9038.5 kg,0.610）>1/2（O+C）（8728.4 kg,0.481）>CK（4897.4 kg,0.190）。每hm²干药材产量排序为O（3149.2 kg）>1/2（O+C）（3098.7 kg）>C（2909.2 kg）>CK（1707.0 kg）,与经济收益一致。在岷县道地产区黑膜覆盖栽培,纯施有机肥对当归药材具有显著增效作用,可有效降低早薹率、根病率和发病程度,改善药材性状,提高药材产量和质量,在当归标准化栽培中可推广应用,以改变当归依赖化肥的生产现状,促进绿色有机栽培。     

磷对铝胁迫紫花苜蓿幼苗根系生长和生理特征的影响

为了探究磷对铝胁迫下紫花苜蓿幼苗生长和生理特征的影响,分别用不含和含200 μmol·L^-1磷（P）、100 μmol·L^-1铝（Al）、200 μmol·L^-1 P+100 μmol·L^-1 Al的简易 ［Ca（NO₃）₂］营养液（pH=4.5）处理铝敏感紫花苜蓿品种‘Wl440’幼苗。结果表明,在铝处理中添加磷后,苜蓿幼苗根系和叶片中的铝含量分别比铝处理降低81.53%和61.47%,苜蓿幼苗的根长和根系活力显著提高,叶片电导率和丙二醛（MDA）含量显著下降;光合生理得到明显改善,与铝处理相比,磷添加处理幼苗叶片的叶绿素含量、蒸腾速率、气孔导度和光合速率明显提高,光系统Ⅱ和光系统I的电子传递速率增加;磷添加处理明显提高了铝胁迫苜蓿根系的草酸和苹果酸含量,体内有机酸螯合铝离子的能力增强,光合能力提高。因此,磷能够通过增加根系有机酸含量,改善铝胁迫苜蓿光合系统,从而缓解苜蓿铝毒害。     

发酵豆粕在犊牛饲料中的应用进展

豆粕是一种优质的植物性蛋白来源,含有丰富的氨基酸,但也含有胰蛋白酶抑制因子、抗原蛋白以及大豆凝集素等抗营养因子,容易引起犊牛消化功能紊乱,造成营养性腹泻,限制了其在犊牛上的使用量。微生物发酵可以改善豆粕的营养价值,使抗营养因子得到充分的降解,生成的小肽和有机酸有利于犊牛消化吸收和肠道健康,进而提高犊牛断奶日增重和免疫能力,降低犊牛的腹泻率和断奶应激。本文综述了豆粕经过发酵后带来营养价值的变化,并就发酵豆粕在犊牛上的应用进行概述,为其今后在犊牛中的应用提供参考。     

Soil aggregate formation and stability induced by starch and cellulose

Soil aggregate (SA) can be formed and stabilized when soil organic matter (SOM) is decomposed in the soil. However, the relationships between the SA dynamics and SOM with different decomposition rates have not been clarified. Therefore, this study examined the effects of the addition of polysaccharides to soil on SA formation and stability. A Japanese tropical soil was incubated for 99 d at 30 °C in a dark environment following the addition of 0.5% (w/w) starch or cellulose. The decomposition rates of the amendments, and SA formation and stability were evaluated by measuring soil respiration rates, and distribution fractions of soil aggregate sizes and mean weight diameter (MWD) of SA, respectively. The cumulative soil respirations with all treatments rapidly increased until Day 12 of the incubation. The initial slope of the cumulative soil respiration in the soil with starch was significantly higher than that in the soil with cellulose. In either soil with starch or cellulose, the fractions of macro-aggregates (>1000 μm in diameter) significantly increased, respectively, compared with control soil. However, the fractions of meso-aggregates (250–1000 μm) and nano-aggregate (<20 μm) in the soil with starch significantly decreased, while those fractions in the soil with cellulose fluctuated until Day 6. The MWDs reached the maximum on Day 6, indicating the SA formation in the soils with starch or cellulose. The increasing rate of the SA formation in the starch-amended soil was greatly higher than that in the cellulose-amended soil. After Day 6, the MWDs in the soils with either polysaccharide decreased with similar trends with no significant differences between treatments, indicating similar stability of the SA in both treatments. This study showed that the different decomposability of the organic amendments might influence the SA formation differently, but not the SA stability.     

Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Organic Carbon Stocks in Mediterranean Soils (1956–2007)

During the last few decades, land use changes have largely affected the global warming process through emissions of CO₂. However, C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems could contribute to the decrease of atmospheric CO₂ rates. Although Mediterranean areas show a high potential for C sequestration, only a few studies have been carried out in these systems. In this study, we propose a methodology to assess the impact of land use and land cover change dynamics on soil organic C stocks at different depths. Soil C sequestration rates are provided for different land cover changes and soil types in Andalusia (southern Spain). Our research is based on the analysis of detailed soil databases containing data from 1357 soil profiles, the Soil Map of Andalusia and the Land Use and Land Cover Map of Andalusia. Land use and land cover changes between 1956 and 2007 implied soil organic C losses in all soil groups, resulting in a total loss of 16·8 Tg (approximately 0·33 Tg y⁻¹). Afforestation increased soil organic C mostly in the topsoil, and forest contributed to sequestration of 8·62 Mg ha⁻¹ of soil organic C (25·4 per cent). Deforestation processes implied important C losses, particularly in Cambisols, Luvisols and Vertisols. The information generated in this study will be a useful basis for designing management strategies for stabilizing the increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations by preservation of C stocks and C sequestration. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Formulation challenges of organic poultry diets with readily available ingredients and limited synthetic methionine

Organic agriculture has increased greatly over the past several years as consumer demand for these products has risen. Organic meat production, including poultry, has grown especially quickly, resulting in increasingly stringent guidelines being put in place to ensure safe, uniform, and ideal products for these consumers. Feed formulation and manufacturing for organic poultry in the United States are strictly regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program. Currently, no synthetic amino acids are allowed to be used in organic poultry diets in the United States except for limited quantities of synthetic methionine since it is typically considered the first or second limiting amino acid in corn and soybean meal based poultry diets and it is a critical nutrient for maintaining bird growth and productive performance, especially regarding egg size in laying hens. The aim of the review herein is to discuss the impacts that current organic regulations on synthetic methionine have on diet formulation when using readily available ingredients. High levels of crude protein must be used to meet bird methionine requirements with this restriction in place, which both increases feed costs and can have negative impacts on bird health and on air quality and the surrounding environment due to increased ammonia emissions. Atypical feed formulation strategies have been explored to address this issue, including such methods as feeding alternative ingredients and providing forage materials. Another possibility would be to use an average lifetime maximum inclusion rate for synthetic methionine, which may allow for better flexibility to provide sufficient methionine throughout various phases of growth and production since the requirements of the bird change with age.     

Rearing conditions affected responses of weaned pigs to organic acids showing a positive effect on digestibility,microflora and immunity

Three experiments were conducted to assess the response of weaned pigs to organic acid SF3, which contains 34% calcium formate, 16% calcium lactate, 7% citric acid and 13% medium chain fatty acids. Dietary treatments had no effect on growth performance of piglets (21‐day weaning) fed the commercial prestart diet for 1 week before receiving the experimental diets supplemented with SF3 at 0, 3 or 5 g/kg diet (Exp. 1), whereas diarrhea frequency averaged across a week was decreased by SF3 supplementation (5 g/kg diet) in piglets fed the experimental diets immediately after weaning (Exp. 2). In Exp. 3, piglets (28‐day weaning) were fed the control (containing pure colistin sulfate and enramycin, respectively, at 20 mg/kg diet) for 1 week and then were fed the control or SF3‐supplemented (5 g/kg diet) diet for 2 weeks. The SF3‐fed piglets had greater apparent ileal digestibility of calcium and dry matter, while also demonstrating greater overall gross energy, up‐regulated jejunal expression of sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐1 and transforming growth factor‐β, down‐regulated jejunal expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, higher ileal Lactobacillus, with lower total bacteria content, lower plasma TNF‐α but higher IgG levels than the control‐fed piglets. Collectively, SF3 consumption improved diarrhea resistance of weaned pigs by improving nutrient digestibility, piglet immunity and intestinal bacteria profile. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science     

Herd characteristics influence farmers’ preferences for trait improvements in Danish Red and Danish Jersey cows

The aim of this study was to characterize preferences of farmers for breeding goal traits with Danish Red (DR) or Danish Jersey (DJ) cows. A breed-specific survey was established to characterize farmers’ preferences for improvements in 10 traits, by means of pairwise rankings using the online software 1000Minds. These pairwise rankings were based on equal economic worth of trait improvements. The DR survey was filled in by 87 farmers and the DJ survey by 76 farmers. Both DR and DJ farmers gave the highest preference to improvements in mastitis, and the lowest to calving difficulty. By means of a cluster analysis, three distinct clusters of farmers were identified per breed. Comparisons of herd characteristics between clusters suggest that farmers choose to improve traits that are problematic in their herds. This study shows that heterogeneity exists in farmers’ preferences for trait improvements and that herd characteristics influence these preferences in DR and DJ.