Pub Date : 2023-06-29DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2023.1101957
D. Broom
The absence of poor welfare is important for welfare to be good, but measures of good welfare are of great value in welfare assessment. Assessors of the welfare of individuals need to know the overall balance of good and poor. Direct behavioural measures and measures of physiology, such as oxytocin concentration, together with experimental studies of motivation, help in evaluating whether positive or negative components of welfare are prevailing in a given situation. Studies of humans and other animal species are described. While there are few detailed comprehensive studies measuring positive and negative welfare in the same individuals, examples are given of overall measurements of consequences when there could be positive and negative effects. Measures of net welfare, when positive and negative components have been resolved, are described. It is concluded that good welfare can often counterbalance poor welfare but does not do so in all circumstances.
{"title":"Can positive welfare counterbalance negative and can net welfare be assessed?","authors":"D. Broom","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1101957","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1101957","url":null,"abstract":"The absence of poor welfare is important for welfare to be good, but measures of good welfare are of great value in welfare assessment. Assessors of the welfare of individuals need to know the overall balance of good and poor. Direct behavioural measures and measures of physiology, such as oxytocin concentration, together with experimental studies of motivation, help in evaluating whether positive or negative components of welfare are prevailing in a given situation. Studies of humans and other animal species are described. While there are few detailed comprehensive studies measuring positive and negative welfare in the same individuals, examples are given of overall measurements of consequences when there could be positive and negative effects. Measures of net welfare, when positive and negative components have been resolved, are described. It is concluded that good welfare can often counterbalance poor welfare but does not do so in all circumstances.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41896318","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-28DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2023.1179773
N. F. Huntley, M. M. de Souza, M. D. Schulte, H. Beiki, A. O. de Lima, Abigail E. Jantzi, S. Lonergan, E. Huff-Lonergan, J. Patience, J. Koltes
Xylose is a primary component of arabinoxylan in swine diets. As arabinoxylan is a significant component of fiber, and fiber is generally rising in practical pig diets globally, the study of arabinoxylan and xylose is of increasing interest. However, the mechanisms by which free xylose may be absorbed and the pathways impacted by xylose have yet to be elucidated in pigs. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of xylose supplementation on gene expression and protein abundance in jejunum, kidney, liver, and muscle tissues which have previously been identified as possible sites of xylose absorption or metabolism. This study aimed to expand the preliminary understanding of dietary xylose metabolism and utilization in pigs. One study, replicated twice with 24 crossbred gilts, was used to assess two dietary treatments: a xylose-free (0%) control and 8% D-xylose. The impact of xylose on growth was monitored by measuring initial and final body weight, serum IGF-1, and liver glycogen concentrations. The rate and efficiency of weight gain were reduced on the xylose diet but not to a level that would occur if xylose was not used at all; the detection of xylose systemically further supports this conclusion. This study confirmed that pigs can utilize dietary xylose. To determine the impact of xylose on tissue metabolism, samples were collected from all four tissues for gene expression analysis by RNA-sequencing, and kidney and liver samples were subjected to proteomic analysis using 2D-DIGE and mass spectrometry. The majority of differentially expressed (DE) genes were identified in the kidney samples (n = 157), with a few identified in the jejunum (n = 16), liver (n = 1), and muscle (n = 20) samples. The DE genes in the kidney were mainly identified as being involved in lipid biosynthesis and fatty acid metabolism. Proteomic results corroborated these findings. Although the inclusion of xylose in a diet at practical levels is shown to impact energy metabolic processes, it has been confirmed that this five-carbon sugar can support levels of growth only slightly below those of glucose, a six-carbon sugar that is more commonly utilized as an energy source in pig diets.
{"title":"Dietary intake of xylose impacts the transcriptome and proteome of tissues involved in xylose metabolism in swine","authors":"N. F. Huntley, M. M. de Souza, M. D. Schulte, H. Beiki, A. O. de Lima, Abigail E. Jantzi, S. Lonergan, E. Huff-Lonergan, J. Patience, J. Koltes","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1179773","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1179773","url":null,"abstract":"Xylose is a primary component of arabinoxylan in swine diets. As arabinoxylan is a significant component of fiber, and fiber is generally rising in practical pig diets globally, the study of arabinoxylan and xylose is of increasing interest. However, the mechanisms by which free xylose may be absorbed and the pathways impacted by xylose have yet to be elucidated in pigs. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of xylose supplementation on gene expression and protein abundance in jejunum, kidney, liver, and muscle tissues which have previously been identified as possible sites of xylose absorption or metabolism. This study aimed to expand the preliminary understanding of dietary xylose metabolism and utilization in pigs. One study, replicated twice with 24 crossbred gilts, was used to assess two dietary treatments: a xylose-free (0%) control and 8% D-xylose. The impact of xylose on growth was monitored by measuring initial and final body weight, serum IGF-1, and liver glycogen concentrations. The rate and efficiency of weight gain were reduced on the xylose diet but not to a level that would occur if xylose was not used at all; the detection of xylose systemically further supports this conclusion. This study confirmed that pigs can utilize dietary xylose. To determine the impact of xylose on tissue metabolism, samples were collected from all four tissues for gene expression analysis by RNA-sequencing, and kidney and liver samples were subjected to proteomic analysis using 2D-DIGE and mass spectrometry. The majority of differentially expressed (DE) genes were identified in the kidney samples (n = 157), with a few identified in the jejunum (n = 16), liver (n = 1), and muscle (n = 20) samples. The DE genes in the kidney were mainly identified as being involved in lipid biosynthesis and fatty acid metabolism. Proteomic results corroborated these findings. Although the inclusion of xylose in a diet at practical levels is shown to impact energy metabolic processes, it has been confirmed that this five-carbon sugar can support levels of growth only slightly below those of glucose, a six-carbon sugar that is more commonly utilized as an energy source in pig diets.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44745424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-28DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2023.1134817
Xiaoyu Feng, Ward N. Smith, A. VanderZaag
Technologies that separate manure or digestate into fractions with different solids and nutrient contents present interesting options to mitigate manure storage emissions (by reducing the quantity of carbon stored anaerobically) and to improve nutrient distribution (by reducing the quantity of water transported with nutrients). In this study, the dairy farm model, DairyCrop-Syst, was used to simulate storage emissions of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ammonia (NH3), and to simulate nutrient distribution for a case-study farm in Canada. The farm used several types of manure processing, including: anaerobic digestion (AD), solid-liquid separation (SLS), and nutrient recovery (NR). Simulations were done with combinations of the above technologies, i.e., a baseline with only AD that produced a single (unseparated) effluent, compared to AD+SLS, and AD+SLS+NR that produced two separate fractions. With AD+SLS+NR, the processing system isolated a solid fraction with a high concentration of N and P, and a liquid fraction containing less nutrients. Compared to the baseline system, the addition of solid liquid separation and nutrient recovery (i.e. SLS+NR) reduced CH4 emissions from outdoor liquid digestate storage by 87%, with only a small offset from higher N2O and NH3 emissions from storing the solid fraction. The solid fraction was simulated to be transported to fields at least 30 km away from the dairy barns, while the liquid fraction was transported by dragline to fields adjacent to the barn. The advanced nutrient separation system resulted in much lower transport costs for manure nutrients and the ability to transport N and P to greater distances.
{"title":"Dairy manure nutrient recovery reduces greenhouse gas emissions and transportation cost in a modeling study","authors":"Xiaoyu Feng, Ward N. Smith, A. VanderZaag","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1134817","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1134817","url":null,"abstract":"Technologies that separate manure or digestate into fractions with different solids and nutrient contents present interesting options to mitigate manure storage emissions (by reducing the quantity of carbon stored anaerobically) and to improve nutrient distribution (by reducing the quantity of water transported with nutrients). In this study, the dairy farm model, DairyCrop-Syst, was used to simulate storage emissions of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ammonia (NH3), and to simulate nutrient distribution for a case-study farm in Canada. The farm used several types of manure processing, including: anaerobic digestion (AD), solid-liquid separation (SLS), and nutrient recovery (NR). Simulations were done with combinations of the above technologies, i.e., a baseline with only AD that produced a single (unseparated) effluent, compared to AD+SLS, and AD+SLS+NR that produced two separate fractions. With AD+SLS+NR, the processing system isolated a solid fraction with a high concentration of N and P, and a liquid fraction containing less nutrients. Compared to the baseline system, the addition of solid liquid separation and nutrient recovery (i.e. SLS+NR) reduced CH4 emissions from outdoor liquid digestate storage by 87%, with only a small offset from higher N2O and NH3 emissions from storing the solid fraction. The solid fraction was simulated to be transported to fields at least 30 km away from the dairy barns, while the liquid fraction was transported by dragline to fields adjacent to the barn. The advanced nutrient separation system resulted in much lower transport costs for manure nutrients and the ability to transport N and P to greater distances.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49056876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-23DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2023.1188874
J. Eberly, S. Wyffels, T. Carlisle, T. DelCurto
Introduction Limited forage quantity and quality are challenges faced in livestock production systems in semi-arid rangelands of the western United States, particularly when livestock face stressors such as cold weather or have increased nutritional requirements such as during pregnancy and lactation. To meet livestock nutrient requirements, producers frequently provide supplemental nutrition, however there is limited knowledge regarding the effects of these practices on the rumen microbiome in these environments. Methods A study was conducted to evaluate changes in the rumen microbiome in response to high- and low- quality forage with sustained release mineral boluses. The study consisted of 16 ruminally-cannulated 2–3-year-old black angus cows fed high quality grass alfalfa hay or low-quality grass hay with a 90 or 180 day sustained release mineral bolus. Rumen samples were collected pre-feeding and 8 hours post feeding and bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons were sequenced from the rumen fluid. Results Alpha diversity as measured by Shannon’s diversity index decreased significantly over time (p<0.01) and averaged 5.6 pre-feeding and 5.4 post- feeding and was not significantly different between high- and low-quality forages or between mineral bolus types (p>0.05). Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) of the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrix showed distinct grouping by feed quality and time but not by mineral bolus type. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in all treatments and significant increases (p<0.05) in the relative abundance of the family Lachnospiraceae and the genus Prevotella were observed in high quality forage diets. Rumen VFA and NH3-N concentrations were also strongly associated with the high-quality forage diet. Predictive functional profiling indicated that functions associated with methanogenesis were negatively correlated with feed quality. Discussion The results of this study suggest that mineral bolus type is unlikely to affect rumen bacterial community structure or function while forage quality can significantly alter community structure and predicted functions associated with methanogenesis and VFA production.
{"title":"Rumen microbiome response to sustained release mineral bolus supplement with low- and high-quality forages","authors":"J. Eberly, S. Wyffels, T. Carlisle, T. DelCurto","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1188874","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1188874","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction Limited forage quantity and quality are challenges faced in livestock production systems in semi-arid rangelands of the western United States, particularly when livestock face stressors such as cold weather or have increased nutritional requirements such as during pregnancy and lactation. To meet livestock nutrient requirements, producers frequently provide supplemental nutrition, however there is limited knowledge regarding the effects of these practices on the rumen microbiome in these environments. Methods A study was conducted to evaluate changes in the rumen microbiome in response to high- and low- quality forage with sustained release mineral boluses. The study consisted of 16 ruminally-cannulated 2–3-year-old black angus cows fed high quality grass alfalfa hay or low-quality grass hay with a 90 or 180 day sustained release mineral bolus. Rumen samples were collected pre-feeding and 8 hours post feeding and bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons were sequenced from the rumen fluid. Results Alpha diversity as measured by Shannon’s diversity index decreased significantly over time (p<0.01) and averaged 5.6 pre-feeding and 5.4 post- feeding and was not significantly different between high- and low-quality forages or between mineral bolus types (p>0.05). Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) of the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrix showed distinct grouping by feed quality and time but not by mineral bolus type. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in all treatments and significant increases (p<0.05) in the relative abundance of the family Lachnospiraceae and the genus Prevotella were observed in high quality forage diets. Rumen VFA and NH3-N concentrations were also strongly associated with the high-quality forage diet. Predictive functional profiling indicated that functions associated with methanogenesis were negatively correlated with feed quality. Discussion The results of this study suggest that mineral bolus type is unlikely to affect rumen bacterial community structure or function while forage quality can significantly alter community structure and predicted functions associated with methanogenesis and VFA production.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46438189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-22DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2023.1135429
P. Sikka, Kunwar Pal Singh, I. Singh, D. Mishra, S. S. Paul, A. Balhara, J. Andonissamy, K. K. Chaturvedi, A. Rao, Anil Rai
Functional genome profiling of Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) was performed for milk-production trait by whole blood transcriptome analysis comparing RNA-seq data assembled from high and low milk producing multiparous (5 -6 parity) animals. These buffaloes reflected the genetic merit inherited as daughters born to extremely high- and low-end bulls evaluated under a progeny testing scheme and ranked by the estimated breeding value. The average standard milk yield (SMY) over the 305 d during the parity was recorded as 2909.50L ± 492.63 and 1869.57 ± 189.36L in high- and low-performance buffaloes, respectively. The “reference” assembly data was assembled from transcriptome libraries of a group of buffaloes (n=16), comprising of animals in different physiological states. Replicates selected within each category of the high and low genetic merit animals showed a correlation coefficient of high order (R2=0.98) while comparing with the `reference' assembly. The sequence data of selected buffaloes, mapped over the Mediterranean water buffalo genome, revealed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) distinctly depicted via heat maps and volcano plots obtained for two categories of animals, determining more than 25,000 genes via the Cufflink analysis. DEGs included 83 down-regulating and 142 up-regulating genes (p<0.05, FDR<0.05). Functional classification of the DEGs revealed a fine networking of biological processes, primarily cell signaling, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, RNA splicing, fat metabolism, and inflammasome generation. These processes are regulated by transcription factors and binding proteins covered under the network of TNF alpha signaling, NF-kappa B signaling and MAPK PI3K-AKT signaling pathways/ cascade emerged as main biological pathways. Emerged pathways revealed remarkably intricate tuning of metabolic and cell development processes converging into milk production in buffaloes. Segregated patterns of gene expression obtained for high and low milk producing buffaloes using the non-invasive method of whole blood transcriptome analysis has emerged as a promising resource comprising gene network and protein -protein interactions, primarily involved in lactation. Synergism of transcription factors and binding proteins promoting epigenetic regulation at all development stages of mammary tissue induce mammogenic and lactogenic responses for subsequent milk secretion under optimum feeding management. These findings may help improve breeding strategies to achieve the desired milk yield in Murrah buffaloes.
{"title":"Whole blood transcriptome analysis of lactating Murrah buffaloes divergent to contrasting genetic merits for milk yield","authors":"P. Sikka, Kunwar Pal Singh, I. Singh, D. Mishra, S. S. Paul, A. Balhara, J. Andonissamy, K. K. Chaturvedi, A. Rao, Anil Rai","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1135429","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1135429","url":null,"abstract":"Functional genome profiling of Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) was performed for milk-production trait by whole blood transcriptome analysis comparing RNA-seq data assembled from high and low milk producing multiparous (5 -6 parity) animals. These buffaloes reflected the genetic merit inherited as daughters born to extremely high- and low-end bulls evaluated under a progeny testing scheme and ranked by the estimated breeding value. The average standard milk yield (SMY) over the 305 d during the parity was recorded as 2909.50L ± 492.63 and 1869.57 ± 189.36L in high- and low-performance buffaloes, respectively. The “reference” assembly data was assembled from transcriptome libraries of a group of buffaloes (n=16), comprising of animals in different physiological states. Replicates selected within each category of the high and low genetic merit animals showed a correlation coefficient of high order (R2=0.98) while comparing with the `reference' assembly. The sequence data of selected buffaloes, mapped over the Mediterranean water buffalo genome, revealed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) distinctly depicted via heat maps and volcano plots obtained for two categories of animals, determining more than 25,000 genes via the Cufflink analysis. DEGs included 83 down-regulating and 142 up-regulating genes (p<0.05, FDR<0.05). Functional classification of the DEGs revealed a fine networking of biological processes, primarily cell signaling, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, RNA splicing, fat metabolism, and inflammasome generation. These processes are regulated by transcription factors and binding proteins covered under the network of TNF alpha signaling, NF-kappa B signaling and MAPK PI3K-AKT signaling pathways/ cascade emerged as main biological pathways. Emerged pathways revealed remarkably intricate tuning of metabolic and cell development processes converging into milk production in buffaloes. Segregated patterns of gene expression obtained for high and low milk producing buffaloes using the non-invasive method of whole blood transcriptome analysis has emerged as a promising resource comprising gene network and protein -protein interactions, primarily involved in lactation. Synergism of transcription factors and binding proteins promoting epigenetic regulation at all development stages of mammary tissue induce mammogenic and lactogenic responses for subsequent milk secretion under optimum feeding management. These findings may help improve breeding strategies to achieve the desired milk yield in Murrah buffaloes.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44729086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-22DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2023.1197802
Y. Shastak, W. Pelletier
Vitamin A (retinol) is an essential micronutrient with a crucial role in the immune system of non-ruminant animals, such as swine and poultry. It includes three chemical compounds with distinct properties and functions in the body: retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid. In monogastric feed, vitamin A is primarily present in the form of retinyl esters. The metabolism of dietary vitamin A esters involves their conversion to retinol, which is then transported to different tissues and cells for further metabolism into active forms such as retinoic acid. These active forms of vitamin A have been found to play a crucial role in regulating both innate and adaptive immune responses. Specifically, they are involved in the differentiation, proliferation, and function of immune cells such as T and B lymphocytes, as well as dendritic cells. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to impaired cellular immunity, reduced antibody production, and consequently an increased susceptibility to infections. In swine and poultry, hypovitaminosis A can also affect gut-associated lymphoid tissues, leading to gut-related health problems and compromised growth performance. On the other hand, vitamin A supplementation has been shown to have immunomodulatory effects on non-ruminant immune responses. By administering or supplementing retinol, immune cell proliferation, antibody production, and cytokine secretion can be enhanced, which can ultimately result in improved immune function and disease resistance. Therefore, vitamin A has potential applications as an immuno-micronutrient for improving health and preventing diseases in swine and poultry. However, the optimal dosage and timing of vitamin A supplementation need to be carefully determined based on the specific requirements of different non-ruminant species and their production stages. Overall, a better understanding of the role of vitamin A in non-ruminant nutritional immunology could have significant implications for animal health and productivity and could inform the development of effective dietary strategies to optimize immune function and prevent diseases in swine and domestic fowl. This review paper aims to offer valuable insights into the role of vitamin A in the nutritional immunology of non-ruminants while also emphasizing the current gaps in knowledge and potential areas for further research.
{"title":"The role of vitamin A in non-ruminant immunology","authors":"Y. Shastak, W. Pelletier","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1197802","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1197802","url":null,"abstract":"Vitamin A (retinol) is an essential micronutrient with a crucial role in the immune system of non-ruminant animals, such as swine and poultry. It includes three chemical compounds with distinct properties and functions in the body: retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid. In monogastric feed, vitamin A is primarily present in the form of retinyl esters. The metabolism of dietary vitamin A esters involves their conversion to retinol, which is then transported to different tissues and cells for further metabolism into active forms such as retinoic acid. These active forms of vitamin A have been found to play a crucial role in regulating both innate and adaptive immune responses. Specifically, they are involved in the differentiation, proliferation, and function of immune cells such as T and B lymphocytes, as well as dendritic cells. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to impaired cellular immunity, reduced antibody production, and consequently an increased susceptibility to infections. In swine and poultry, hypovitaminosis A can also affect gut-associated lymphoid tissues, leading to gut-related health problems and compromised growth performance. On the other hand, vitamin A supplementation has been shown to have immunomodulatory effects on non-ruminant immune responses. By administering or supplementing retinol, immune cell proliferation, antibody production, and cytokine secretion can be enhanced, which can ultimately result in improved immune function and disease resistance. Therefore, vitamin A has potential applications as an immuno-micronutrient for improving health and preventing diseases in swine and poultry. However, the optimal dosage and timing of vitamin A supplementation need to be carefully determined based on the specific requirements of different non-ruminant species and their production stages. Overall, a better understanding of the role of vitamin A in non-ruminant nutritional immunology could have significant implications for animal health and productivity and could inform the development of effective dietary strategies to optimize immune function and prevent diseases in swine and domestic fowl. This review paper aims to offer valuable insights into the role of vitamin A in the nutritional immunology of non-ruminants while also emphasizing the current gaps in knowledge and potential areas for further research.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48778629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-20DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2023.1191230
Emma L Rients, Remy N. Wyatt, E. Deters, O. Genther-Schroeder, S. Hansen
Zinc is a trace mineral of interest for optimizing growth in feedlot cattle due to its roles in many physiological functions, including growth. Twenty-four Angus-cross steers (467 ± 13 kg) were used to assess the effects of supplemental Zn and ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) on trace mineral concentrations and muscle gene expression. Four GrowSafe-equipped pens were randomly assigned to treatments (1 pen of six steers/treatment): 0 (CON), 60 (LOW), 120 (MED) or 180 (HI) mg supplemental Zn/kg DM (Availa-Zn, Zinpro). Dietary Zn treatments were initiated on d 0 and RAC supplementation (300 mg·steer·-1·d-1; Actogain45, Zoetis) began on d 53. Blood, liver and muscle (longissimus thoracis) samples were collected from all steers on d -4, 48, and 67. The LOW treatment was removed from gene expression analyses due to < 3 steers being represented for 14 of 22 genes. Data were analyzed using ProcMixed of SAS with the fixed effect of treatment and steer as the experimental unit; orthogonal linear and quadratic contrast statements were used to compare treatments. On d 48 and 67, there were linear and quadratic trends for plasma Zn to be greater in Zn-supplemented steers than CON (P ≤ 0.10). On d 48, there was a tendency for a quadratic decrease on the expression of SLC30A4 (P ≤ 0.07) but no other differences due to treatment. On d 67, several genes involved in Zn transport and storage (MTA1, SLC39A7, SLC39A8, SLC39A9, SLC39A10, SLC39A13) were decreased (P ≤ 0.08), suggesting increased growth influences intracellular Zn trafficking and demands.
{"title":"Zinc supplementation and ractopamine hydrochloride impact gene expression of zinc transporters in finishing beef steers","authors":"Emma L Rients, Remy N. Wyatt, E. Deters, O. Genther-Schroeder, S. Hansen","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1191230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1191230","url":null,"abstract":"Zinc is a trace mineral of interest for optimizing growth in feedlot cattle due to its roles in many physiological functions, including growth. Twenty-four Angus-cross steers (467 ± 13 kg) were used to assess the effects of supplemental Zn and ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) on trace mineral concentrations and muscle gene expression. Four GrowSafe-equipped pens were randomly assigned to treatments (1 pen of six steers/treatment): 0 (CON), 60 (LOW), 120 (MED) or 180 (HI) mg supplemental Zn/kg DM (Availa-Zn, Zinpro). Dietary Zn treatments were initiated on d 0 and RAC supplementation (300 mg·steer·-1·d-1; Actogain45, Zoetis) began on d 53. Blood, liver and muscle (longissimus thoracis) samples were collected from all steers on d -4, 48, and 67. The LOW treatment was removed from gene expression analyses due to < 3 steers being represented for 14 of 22 genes. Data were analyzed using ProcMixed of SAS with the fixed effect of treatment and steer as the experimental unit; orthogonal linear and quadratic contrast statements were used to compare treatments. On d 48 and 67, there were linear and quadratic trends for plasma Zn to be greater in Zn-supplemented steers than CON (P ≤ 0.10). On d 48, there was a tendency for a quadratic decrease on the expression of SLC30A4 (P ≤ 0.07) but no other differences due to treatment. On d 67, several genes involved in Zn transport and storage (MTA1, SLC39A7, SLC39A8, SLC39A9, SLC39A10, SLC39A13) were decreased (P ≤ 0.08), suggesting increased growth influences intracellular Zn trafficking and demands.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49403667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-20DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2023.1181768
S. Terry, T. Coates, R. Gruninger, D. W. Abbott, K. Beauchemin
Supplementing ruminant diets with macroalgae is gaining interest globally because bromoform-containing seaweeds (e.g., Asparagopsis spp.) have been shown to be highly effective enteric methane (CH4) inhibitors. Some alternative seaweeds decrease in vitro CH4 production, but few have been evaluated in animals. This study examined the effects of including the red seaweed Mazzaella japonica in the diet of beef cattle on dry matter intake (DMI), rumen fermentation, digestibility, nitrogen (N) utilization, and enteric CH4 production. Six ruminally cannulated, mature beef heifers (824 ± 47.1 kg) were used in a double 3 × 3 Latin square with 35-d periods. The basal diet consisted of 52% barley silage, 44% barley straw, and 4% vitamin and mineral supplement [dry matter (DM) basis]. The treatments were (DM basis): 0% (control), 1%, and 2% M. japonica. The DMI increased quadratically (P = 0.025) with the inclusion of M. japonica, such that the DMI of heifers consuming 1% was greater (P < 0.05) than that of control heifers. The apparent total-tract digestibility of DM decreased linearly (P = 0.002) with the inclusion of M. japonica, but there were no treatment differences in the digestibility of organic matter, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber, or starch. The level of M. japonica linearly (P < 0.001) increased the N intake of the heifers. Fecal N excretion linearly increased (P = 0.020) with M. japonica, but there were no differences in total urinary N excretion, N fractions (allantoin, uric acid), total purine derivatives, microbial purine derivatives absorbed, microbial N flow, or retained N. There were no treatment effects on rumen pH or total volatile fatty acids (VFAs); however, adding M. japonica to the diet quadratically (P = 0.023) decreased the proportion of acetate, whereas 1% inclusion decreased the acetate proportion. Methane production (g/day) decreased quadratically (P = 0.037), such that the heifers receiving 2% M. japonica produced 9.2% less CH4 than control animals; however, CH4 yield (g/kg DMI) did not differ among treatments. We conclude that supplementing a forage-based diet with up to 2% M. japonica failed to lower the enteric CH4 yield of beef heifers. M. japonica can be used in diets to help meet the CP requirements of cattle, but inclusion rates may be limited by high inorganic matter proportions. When comprising up to 2% of the diet, M. japonica cannot be recommended as a CH4 inhibitor for beef cattle fed on high-forage diets.
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Pub Date : 2023-06-09DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2023.1042733
N. Beausoleil, J. Swanson, D. McKeegan, C. Croney, L. Keeling, T. Collins, A. Dalmau, P. Sandøe
For businesses involved in animal production, ensuring high animal welfare standards has become the cornerstone of corporate social responsibility practices. Since animal welfare cannot be verified by consumers at the point of purchase, industry-led audits provide important assurance that animals used to produce food lived an acceptable quality of life and experienced a humane death. The Five Freedoms offer a simple tool to conceptualize the complex, multi-dimensional concept of animal welfare, and they have been widely adopted as a basic operational framework for compliance. However, the Five Freedoms are problematic in that they focus on the absence of negative welfare states, underemphasize the importance of positive experiences, are absolute, and represent a (mostly unattainable) ideal. The Five Domains model represents inter-related aspects of an animal’s welfare state, with four physical/functional domains used to infer likely mental experiences in the fifth domain. This model allows for consideration of both positive and negative affective experiences, recognizes degrees of welfare compromise, acknowledges that animals cannot be free from all negative experiences (and that indeed, some are essential for survival). Thus, the model better reflects current scientific understanding of animal welfare and – that ultimately, we are interested in how animals experience their lives. Nevertheless, caution is needed when inferring mental states, which can never be directly observed or measured, and hence the ultimate outcomes of the model’s application should be qualitative. Operationalization of the Five Domains offers several opportunities to improve the breadth and quality of welfare audits for production animals. The model can incorporate both resource/management- based and animal-based measures of welfare; the former reflect risks to animals’ welfare while the latter often provide direct information on the animal’s welfare state at the time of assessment. Existing welfare indicators may be linked to relevant mental states and evaluated accordingly, and new metrics may be scientifically identified. Importantly, the Five Domains structure demands scrutiny of the affective state consequences to animals of housing, handling, and husbandry procedures, and could improve the effectiveness of animal welfare training for auditors and stockpersons. Adoption of the Five Domains framework could facilitate improved communication about animal welfare in the food chain with customers and consumers.
{"title":"Application of the Five Domains model to food chain management of animal welfare: opportunities and constraints","authors":"N. Beausoleil, J. Swanson, D. McKeegan, C. Croney, L. Keeling, T. Collins, A. Dalmau, P. Sandøe","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1042733","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1042733","url":null,"abstract":"For businesses involved in animal production, ensuring high animal welfare standards has become the cornerstone of corporate social responsibility practices. Since animal welfare cannot be verified by consumers at the point of purchase, industry-led audits provide important assurance that animals used to produce food lived an acceptable quality of life and experienced a humane death. The Five Freedoms offer a simple tool to conceptualize the complex, multi-dimensional concept of animal welfare, and they have been widely adopted as a basic operational framework for compliance. However, the Five Freedoms are problematic in that they focus on the absence of negative welfare states, underemphasize the importance of positive experiences, are absolute, and represent a (mostly unattainable) ideal. The Five Domains model represents inter-related aspects of an animal’s welfare state, with four physical/functional domains used to infer likely mental experiences in the fifth domain. This model allows for consideration of both positive and negative affective experiences, recognizes degrees of welfare compromise, acknowledges that animals cannot be free from all negative experiences (and that indeed, some are essential for survival). Thus, the model better reflects current scientific understanding of animal welfare and – that ultimately, we are interested in how animals experience their lives. Nevertheless, caution is needed when inferring mental states, which can never be directly observed or measured, and hence the ultimate outcomes of the model’s application should be qualitative. Operationalization of the Five Domains offers several opportunities to improve the breadth and quality of welfare audits for production animals. The model can incorporate both resource/management- based and animal-based measures of welfare; the former reflect risks to animals’ welfare while the latter often provide direct information on the animal’s welfare state at the time of assessment. Existing welfare indicators may be linked to relevant mental states and evaluated accordingly, and new metrics may be scientifically identified. Importantly, the Five Domains structure demands scrutiny of the affective state consequences to animals of housing, handling, and husbandry procedures, and could improve the effectiveness of animal welfare training for auditors and stockpersons. Adoption of the Five Domains framework could facilitate improved communication about animal welfare in the food chain with customers and consumers.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":"45 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41293804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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