Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition最新文献

The objective of present study was to evaluate whether a diet supplemented with alginate oligosaccharides (AOS) could alleviate intestinal barrier dysfunction in piglets induced by soybean meal. Eighteen crossbred piglets were housed individually and randomly assigned to one of three groups: the negative control (NC) group (using casein, skimmed milk powder and fish meal as protein sources), the positive control (PC) group (using soybean meal as the main protein source) and AOS group (with 0.5% AOS substituted for 0.5% zeolite powder based on the PC group). Results showed that soybean meal impaired growth performance, intestinal morphology and barrier function, and increased the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells. Compared with PC group, the piglets in AOS group had higher average daily gain, lower feed/gain ratio (p < 0.05), higher levels of superoxide dismutase in the serum and total antioxidant capacity in the jejunum (p < 0.05), greater villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio in the duodenum and ileum (p < 0.05), and higher mRNA expression of Occludin in jejunum (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, AOS supplementation decreased the diarrhea incidence (p < 0.05), the level of diamine oxidase in the serum (p < 0.05) and the mRNA expression of Bax and Caspase-3 (p < 0.05) in piglets. There was no difference in concentrations of short chain fatty acids among the three groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the relative abundances of the phylum Spirochaetota and the genus Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 was decreased in the AOS group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary AOS supplementation efficiently alleviated soybean meal- induced intestinal barrier dysfunction by increasing the antioxidant capacity, improving intestinal morphology and microbiome and regulating cell apoptosis in piglets.

Walking requires energy that cannot be used to produce milk. This aspect is especially important in grazing systems, where the cow must travel daily from the pasture to the milking parlour, which leads to a reduction in productive efficiency. Twenty-four indoor-fed Holstein cows were used to quantify the energy cost of walking and to evaluate the impact of walking activity on milk production and the energy partitioning. Twelve cows were subjected to a daily walking regimen of 8 km, divided into two sessions of 4 km (WALK), while another group of 12 cows remained in the barn without access to feed during these walking periods (NO_WALK). Heat production (HP) was measured using the oxygen pulse—heart rate technique, while retained energy in milk and tissue were calculated based on milk yield and composition and body weight change, respectively. Moreover, residual HP was calculated by the difference between the measured HP and the predicted HP. Walking 8 km/day did not affect feed intake, milk production or composition and therefore feed-to-milk conversion efficiency was similar between treatments. However, NO_WALK cows exhibited 12% greater energy efficiency than WALK cows when retained energy in tissue was considered. In contrast, the energy cost of walking—estimated either as the difference in HP between traetments during walking periods or by residual HP—was 0.98 or 1.92 kJ/kg per km, respectively. The results of this experiment demonstrate that walking activity have a negative impact on energy efficiency, although this is not necessarily reflected in a short-term decrease in milk production.

This study evaluated the effects of enzyme supplementation and microbial fermentation of guar meal (GM) on broiler performance, nutrient digestibility, bone characteristics, blood biochemistry, and gut health. A total of 900 1-day-old male Hubbard broiler chicks were randomly assigned to nine finisher-phase dietary treatments in a 3 × 3 factorial design, including untreated (UG), enzyme-treated (EG), and fermented (FG) GM at 3%, 6% and 9% inclusion levels. Results revealed that fermentation significantly high feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR), with the FG3 group showing the best performance. Apparent ileal digestibility of crude protein, fibre, calcium, and phosphorus was significantly enhanced in EG and FG groups, especially at 3% inclusion, compared to untreated diets. Bone weight and tibio-tarsal index improved with processing, indicating enhanced skeletal development, while robusticity index was highest in the 9% UG group, suggesting altered bone remodelling under anti-nutritional stress. Serum HDL levels increased and LDL levels decreased significantly in birds fed processed GM, indicating higher lipid metabolism. Furthermore, processed GM diets enhanced apparent metabolisable energy and reduced intestinal viscosity. Overall, dietary inclusion of 3% fermented or enzyme-treated guar meal improved broiler growth, nutrient utilisation, and health parameters, offering a promising strategy to optimise alternative protein use in poultry nutrition.

This study investigated the effects of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) in powdered and pelleted forms at varying levels in ruminant diets on in vitro gas production kinetics, rumen–abomasum degradability, and fermentation characteristics using the Ankom DaisyII incubator. A 2 × 4 + 1 factorial arrangement within a completely randomised design was used, comprising two physical forms of BSFL (powdered and pelleted) and four levels of SBM replacement in the concentrate (25%, 50%, 75% and 100%), in addition to a control group without BSFL. Compared to BSFL, SBM exhibited higher in vitro dry matter degradability and rumen degradable protein, but lower rumen undegradable protein, than either BSFL form. Gas kinetics and cumulative gas volume after 96 h were significantly influenced (p < 0.01), with the highest gas production from the immediately soluble fraction observed at 100% pelleted BSFL. At 25%–50% replacement with pelleted BSFL, gas production potential and total gas volume were reduced compared to the control. Ammonia-nitrogen concentrations peaked at 18.7 and 24.4 mg/dL after 24 and 48 h, respectively, with 100% pelleted BSFL. In vitro dry matter degradability was lowest with 75% powdered BSFL (35.0% dry matter) and 100% pelleted BSFL after 48 h. The highest abomasal degradability occurred at 25% BSFL inclusion. Both forms of BSFL significantly reduced acetic acid and increased propionic acid concentrations (p < 0.01). The greatest reductions in methane production were observed with 50% powdered BSFL and 75%–100% pelleted BSFL inclusion levels. In conclusion, replacing SBM with BSFL in ruminant diets enhanced fermentation efficiency and reduced methane production, with the pelleted form offering more favourable results across key parameters.

Animal fibre consists of the nitrogen-rich molecules in the non-digestible fraction of body tissues of prey animals, for example, in fur and bones. Animal fibre has a health effect on carnivores and; therefore, its quantification is important for nutrition research in carnivores as well as in omnivores. Traditional fibre analyses were developed to quantify the carbohydrate-based molecules of plant fibre and currently no method exists to quantify animal fibre. This study adapted the filter bag technique of the amylase-treated neutral detergent fibre method by adding a protease step to remove digestible protein from the residue to measure animal fibre. Sodium sulphite was omitted, similar to the neutral detergent residue (NDR) method, as it removes keratinaceous residues of animal origin. The amylase-treated neutral detergent residue including animal fibre (aNDRa) values were compared to the total dietary fibre (TDF) method. Test materials were lignocellulose, beet pulp, pea, barley, beef, horse meat with skin and coat, day-old chicks, rat, hair, cat faeces, faeces from bears fed a fruit-based diet and faeces from bears fed a rabbit-based diet. Several experiments preceded the validation of aNDRa with results as follows: pre-extraction of fat was sufficient when F57 bags, each containing 0.5 g of sample, were placed in a Soxhlet extractor for 1 h; grinding samples over a 2.0 instead of 1.0 mm screen in a centrifugal mill resulted in less sample loss in the F57 bags; pre-extraction of protein was sufficient when refluxed for 90 min with 5 mg protease per 0.5 g sample. The TDF concentration in beef and prey samples showed highly variable results with the TDF concentration in beef being too high showing that the TDF analysis is inaccurate to quantify animal fibre. In contrast, the aNDRa method was capable of quantifying animal fibre and plant fibre in a diverse range of samples.

Manganese (Mn) is an essential trace mineral hat plays a vital role in fish growth, metabolism, and antioxidant defense, yet its precise dietary requirement for Catla catla remains unclear. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the manganese (Mn) requirement and its impacts on the growth and health of Catla catla juveniles. Six experimental diets were formed by supplementing Mn from MnSO₄.H₂O at levels of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mg/kg, and the actual Mn values were analyzed 1.41, 6.35, 11.22, 16.31, 21.15 and 26.12 mg/kg, respectively. Fifteen juveniles (initial weight 13.84 ± 0.02 g) in 70 L capacity tank were fed each diet twice daily upto satiation for 60 days. The growth performance, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and biometric indices were increased significantly (p < 0.05) with Mn level up to 16.31 mg/kg and then plateaued. However, feed intake (FI) increased (p < 0.05) continuously with increasing Mn supplementation in the diet. Fish fed Mn supplemented diets (6.35–16.31 mg/kg) showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) dry matter, protein and fat contents in whole body. Moreover, a linear increase (p < 0.05) in the Mn absorption and Mn contents in vertebrae and whole-body was observed with Mn concentration up to 26.12 mg/kg, whereas the Mn content in the muscles, scales and kidneys peaked at 16.31 mg/kg. Antioxidant enzymes and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities were increased significantly (p < 0.05) with Mn level of 16.31 mg/kg in the diet, followed by stabilization. However, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) decreased continuously (p < 0.05) in response to Mn levels. The optimum Mn level was estimated to be 14.22–16.31 mg/kg for C. catla fingerlings. In conclusion, Mn supplementation improved growth, biometric indices, whole-body proximate composition, Mn absorption, Mn content in tissues, antioxidant enzyme activities and ALP activities in C. catla juveniles.

This study was conducted to investigate the impacts of a low crude protein diet on laying performance, intestinal morphology, and tight junction protein gene expression in laying hens challenged with Salmonella enteritidis (S. enteritidis). A total of 144 56-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly allocated into two groups a nonchallenged group (CON) and an S. enteritidis-challenged chicken group (SE, orally administrated 3 ml/hen, 10⁹ CFU S. enteritidis). After 7 days, the SE-infected chickens were subjected to two dietary treatments. The experimental groups included a nonchallenged group fed a diet based on corn-soybean meal (CON, 16.5% crude protein), an SE group fed a diet based on low crude protein (LCP, 13% crude protein) and an SE group fed a normal crude protein diet (NCP, 16.5% crude protein). The results showed that challenge with SE increased the plasma concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (p < 0.05), decreased the relative mRNA expression of ZO-1 (p < 0.05) in the jejunum. In addition, compared with CON, feeding a low-protein diet significantly increased yolk colour, but there was no significant difference in Laying Performance, Plasma Immunoglobulin Levels, Plasma LPS Concentration and Jejunal Morphology and mRNA Expression of Intestinal Barrier Function. Sequencing data of 16S rDNA indicated that there was a tendency for the reduction of bacteroidetes after SE infection (p = 0.06). Compared with the Con group, the Chao1 (p = 0.08), Observed-OTUs (p = 0.08) and faith_pd (p = 0.07) showed a decreasing trend in the LCP group. These results suggest that S. enteritidis infection of laying hens can cause intestinal mucosal damage, LCP can maintain the normal physiological function of laying hens, as well as the NCP group, which helps to save the use of protein feed raw materials.