Animal Feed Science and Technology最新文献

This study investigated the effect of preserving wheat and barley grains with an organic acid liquid surfactant mould inhibitor compared to conventional artificial drying and assessed its effects on the health and performance of pigs post-weaning (PW). A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was conducted to investigate the interaction between grain preservation method (dried vs. preserved) and zinc oxide (ZnO) inclusion (yes vs. no) on growth performance, diarrhoea scores and incidence, and total tract nutrient digestibility. One hundred and ninety-two pigs (3 pigs/pen; 16 replicates/treatment) were assigned to one of four experimental diets for 35 days: (1) dried grain diet, (2) preserved grain diet, (3) dried grain diet with ZnO and (4) preserved grain diet with ZnO. Diets were formulated to contain similar levels of net energy and standardised ileal digestible lysine. On day 35 PW, 24 pigs (12 replicates/treatment) from the non-ZnO supplemented groups were euthanised and digesta was collected for coefficient of apparent ileal digestibility (CAID), gut microbial population and volatile fatty acid analysis. Stomach tissue was also collected for gene expression analysis, as well as small intestine samples for gut morphology. Notable improvements in grain quality were observed in the preserved grain, including a reduction in grain pH, mould presence, and contamination by mycotoxins, specifically deoxynivalenol in wheat and barley, and ochratoxin A and HT-2 toxin in barley. The preserved grain diet improved average daily gain (ADG; P < 0.01) and body weight (BW; P < 0.01) compared to the dried grain diet. The incorporation of ZnO increased average daily feed intake (ADFI; P < 0.01) and BW (P < 0.05) in the dried grain diet, however, ZnO did not affect ADFI (P > 0.05), and reduced ADG and BW in the preserved grain diet (P < 0.05). Pigs offered the preserved grain diet had reduced faecal scores and diarrhoea incidence compared to those offered the dried grain diet (P < 0.05). Supplementation of ZnO reduced faecal scores and diarrhoea incidence compared to non-supplemented pigs (P < 0.001). On day 35 PW, the preserved grain diet had improved CAID of nitrogen and gross energy (P < 0.05), lower levels of colonic branched-chain volatile fatty acids (P < 0.05), and beneficial shifts in gut microbial populations. Specifically, there was a reduction in ileal Streptococcus (P < 0.001) and an increased abundance of colonic Faecalibacterium (P < 0.05). In conclusion, organic acid preservation improved grain quality, benefiting post-weaned pigs through improved nutrient digestibility and gut health, thus enhancing overall growth performance PW.

Flaxseed meal is a highly nutritious feed resource rich in protein and unsaturated fatty acids. However, the presence of antinutritional factors such as cyanogenic glycoside limits its practical use. Fermentation has been demonstrated to degrade these antinutritional factors. However, little research has been conducted to investigate the effects of fermented flaxseed meal (FFSM) on the growth performance of growing pigs. This study thus aims to examine the effects of supplementing with 10 %, 15 %, and 20 % FFSM on the growth performance, immune function, and intestinal microbiota in growing pigs. Utilizing a completely randomized design, ninety-six growing pigs, each averaging 39.57 ± 0.63 kg, were allocated into four dietary groups with eight replicates per group and three pigs per replicate. The dietary treatments included: a control group (corn-soybean meal-based diet without FFSM) and basal diets supplemented with 10 %, 15 %, and 20 % FFSM. The trial lasted for 30 days. Results showed that including FFSM at 10 %, 15 %, and 20 % did not affect the average daily gain and average daily feed intake of pigs. However, the gain-to-feed ratio exhibited a linear decrease as the level of FFSM increased. Furthermore, FFSM supplementation linear increases neutral detergent fiber (inclusive of residual ash) and acid detergent fiber digestibility (P < 0.05). Investigating immune parameters and metabolites revealed a linear increase in immunoglobulins (IgA and IgM) and total bile acid in serum with increasing levels of FFSM supplementation (P < 0.05). Delving deeper into the gut microbiota’s complex ecosystem reveals that the quadratic response in Lactobacillus abundance and linear increase in Bacillus abundance (P < 0.05), while a linear and quadratic decrease in Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 abundance with increasing FFSM addition (P < 0.05). Additionally, the concentrations of butyric acid and total short-chain fatty acids in feces changed quadratically with increasing proportions of FFSM (P < 0.05). The collective findings underscore the valuable role of microbial fermentation in enhancing the nutritional profile and utilization of flaxseed meal in the diets of growing pigs. Incorporation of FFSM not only augments the immune functionality of pigs but also ameliorates the balance of the intestinal microecology.

This study evaluated whether the incorporation of condensed tannin (CT) extract from Cistus ladanifer in lamb diets induces the same antioxidant protection as the C. ladanifer plant. How dietary CT can enhance the antioxidant status of animals and the oxidative stability of their products was also explored. Thirty-six lambs were used to evaluate the effect of three levels of C. ladanifer CT (without CT enrichment, medium, and high level of CT) and two ways of CT supply (C. ladanifer plant or C. ladanifer CT extract) on meat lipid and colour stability, and antioxidant status of muscle, rumen, abomasum, and faeces. The presence of CT monomers in muscle and CT content in digestive contents and faeces was evaluated. Cistus ladanifer plant and CT extract did not improve the lipid stability and antioxidant status of meat, but both CT sources enhanced the meat colour stability over storage time. Condensed tannin monomers were not identified in muscle. Intake of α-tocopherol decreased with inclusion of CT sources in diets. However, muscle α-tocopherol content was not affected by diets, suggesting that CT increase the α-tocopherol availability in muscle. Both CT sources increased antioxidant activity in the digestive contents, although, in the abomasum, C. ladanifer plant resulted in higher antioxidant activity than CT extract for the same CT level in the diet. No CT were detected in the faeces and both CT sources had a minor effect on the antioxidant activity, which could indicate the CT transformation in the gastrointestinal tract.

An experiment was conducted to determine coefficients of standardized total tract digestibility (CSTTD) of P in canola meal (CM) fed to gestating and lactating sows without or with a multi-enzyme complex (MC). Eight sows cannulated on day 40 of gestation were assigned at random to the 4 dietary treatments in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. The 4 diets included 2 cornstarch-based diets with 313 g/kg solvent-extracted CM as the only source of P, without or with MC, a casein-cornstarch diet to determine ileal endogenous amino acid losses (amino acid digestibility data reported elsewhere), and a P-free diet to determine the endogenous P losses. All diets contained 3 g/kg titanium dioxide as an indigestible marker. Gestating sows were fed 3.0 kg/day, whereas, during lactation, sows had ad libitum access to diets. Samples were collected over 3 phases; mid-gestation, late-gestation, and lactation. Each phase had 4 experimental periods lasting 8 days. In each period, after 5-day acclimation to the experimental diets, fecal samples were collected by grab sampling via rectal palpation on day 6. Results indicated no differences in total tract digestibility of nutrients between mid-gestation, late-gestation, and lactation. Enzyme supplementation improved (P < 0.05) the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter and P, and CSTTD of P during lactation. The CSTTD of P in CM was 0.445 (without MC) and 0.504 (with MC) in mid-gestation, 0.455 (without MC) and 0.492 (with MC) in late-gestation, and 0.442 (without MC) and 0.489 (with MC) in lactation. In conclusion, the average CSTTD for P in CM fed to sows was 0.447 and MC significantly improved the CSTTD of P in CM during lactation.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) on the residue, metabolism, and biotransformation of deoxynivalenol (DON) in broiler chickens. There were 7 dietary treatments including a control and a factorial design with two factors, DON at 3 and 6 mg/kg and B. subtilis at 0, 10⁶ and 10⁹ CFU/kg of diet. A total of 420 broiler chickens at one day old were randomly distributed to 7 groups with 6 replicates of 10 chickens each. The feeding trial lasted for 21 days. Results showed that DON decreased and B. subtilis increased feed intake, body weight gain, and feed efficiency; and an interaction was found on feed intake. In the liver and ileal digesta, the two dietary factors conversely influenced the contents of DON residue and the metabolites (DON glucuronides and deepoxy-deoxynivalenol) of enzymes and microbe; and there was an interaction on deepoxy-deoxynivalenol. Also, in the liver and ileal mucosa, the activities of detoxifying enzymes (cytochrome P450, glutathione s-transferase α, epoxide hydrolase 1, and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase) and inflammatory factors (interleukin 1β, tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 6, and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist) were conversely changed by the two dietary factors; and there were interactions on epoxide hydrolase 1, interleukin 1β, and tumor necrosis factor α. Additionally, B. subtilis at 10⁹ CFU/kg showed greater effects on deepoxy-deoxynivalenol, epoxide hydrolase 1, and tumor necrosis factor α than that of 10⁶ CFU/kg. It is concluded that the selected probiotics can decrease DON toxicity by microbial transformation and enzymatic metabolism in farm animals.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of partial fishmeal replacement by soybean meal on fish growth, gut histology, oxidative stress, gut microbiota, and gene expression of inflammatory cytokines and tight junction proteins in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated: the FM diet contained 45 % fishmeal (FM diet) and did not contain soybean meal; diets SM25, SM50, and SM75 replaced 25 %, 50 %, and 75 % fishmeal protein in the FM group with soybean meal, respectively. Experimental fish (4.3 ± 0.1 g) were fed to apparent satiation for eight weeks. The results showed that replacing 25 % or more fishmeal decreased villus height, villus width, total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity levels, reduced glutathione contents, and Aurantimicrobium abundance; increased malonaldehyde contents and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) expression; downregulated nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), occludin, and zona occluding-1 (ZO-1), lysozyme (LYS) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression, compared with FM (P < 0.05). Moreover, SBM50 and SBM75 decreased final body weight, weight gain rate, and specific growth rate, and increased the lamina propria width than FM (P < 0.05). Furthermore, SBM25 dramatically reduced Actinobacteriota, Enterococcus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, and Streptococcus abundance (P < 0.05). Compared to SM25, SM75 dramatically increased Brucella abundance (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis indicated that tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and Occludin) and gut microbiota (Aurantimicrobium and Brucella) have a significant association with gut inflammation and fish growth (P < 0.05). These results showed that gut dysbiosis and intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction are major contributors to the soybean meal-induced growth retardation and gut inflammation in fish.