Archives of Animal Nutrition最新文献

The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth performance, gastrointestinal function and health status of turkeys fed diets supplemented with synbiotic preparations, as compared with commercial probiotic feed additives. The experiment lasted for 15 weeks. The research material comprised 600 female BIG 6 turkeys (6 treatments, 5 replicates, 20 birds per replicate). The turkeys from the control group (I) received a diet without additives. Groups II and III received a basal diet with the addition of probiotic BioPlus 2B or Cylactin at 0.4 g/kg diet, respectively. In groups IV, V and VI turkeys were fed diets with synbiotic preparations S1 (L. reuteri, L. plantarum, L. pentosus, S. cerevisiae + inulin), S2 (L. reuteri, L. plantarum, L. pentosus, S. cerevisiae, L. rhamnosus + inulin) and S3 (L. reuteri, L. plantarum, L. pentosus, S. cerevisiae, L. rhamnosus, L. paracasei + inulin) at 0.5 g/kg diet, respectively. The following parameters were monitored: growth performance, carcass quality, the chemical composition of meat, the structure (length, weight, villus height, crypt depth) and functional parameters (pH, viscosity) of selected segments of the gastrointestinal tract, and the health status of birds (lysozyme, gamma-globulins, ceruloplasmin and total protein). Dietary supplementation with probiotics and synbiotics contributed to an increase in the final body weights of turkeys, a decrease in the feed conversion ratio and an increase in values of the European Production Efficiency Factor (p ≤ 0.05). Synbiotics improved the immune status of birds by increasing serum gamma-globulin levels and decreasing ceruloplasmin activity at 8^th week of age (p ≤ 0.05). Synbiotics and probiotics also contributed to a decrease in crop and caecal pH (p ≤ 0.05). The analysed additives had no effect on carcass dressing percentage, carcass quality characteristics or the chemical composition of breast muscles. The tested synbiotics as well as commercial probiotics can be valuable feed additives, improving the growth performance and immune status of turkeys.

One of the main causes of death in newborn piglets is the low level of energy reserves to maintain their body temperature, which can lead to hypothermia and, subsequently, death. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of soybean oil supplementation to sows in the first three days after farrowing to save piglet fat reserves through the higher nutritional intake of sow milk. In total, 604.5, 750, 1000, 1250 and 1500 g of soybean oil were provided for each sow during the three days of supplementation. A total of 60 sows were evaluated per treatment, distributed in a random block design, supplemented in the first three days after farrowing with soybean oil added on top of the feed at the time of feeding. Performance and reproductive data and milk samples were collected from the sows to determine fat levels. Piglets were evaluated for fall-back rate and survival. There was no significant effect of soybean oil supplementation on any of the parameters evaluated for both sows and their milk. Therefore, soybean oil supplementation for sows in the first three days after farrowing does not influence performance parameters, reproduction and milk fat of the sows and mortality and fall-back rate of the piglets.

The objective of this study was to estimate the amount of post-rumen crude protein (prCP), a precursor to metabolisable protein for ruminants, of feeds and feed mixtures using an in situ and in vitro method, and to contrast the results of both approaches. For this, 34 samples were examined: 9 feeds, 13 feed mixtures made thereof and 12 feed mixtures provided by commercial dairy farms. As a minor aspect, additivity of protein values from feeds was evaluated by comparing measured and calculated values of feed mixtures. Effective prCP was calculated for assumed rumen passage rates (k) of 0.05 h^-1 (prCP₅) and 0.08 h^-1 (prCP₈) by in situ measurements of rumen undegraded CP and fermented organic matter (FOM) assuming an efficiency of 181 g microbial CP/kg FOM. Additionally, effective prCP in vitro was estimated using the modified Hohenheim gas test (modHGT) through incubation in rumen-fluid buffer solution for 8 and 24 h followed by ammonia distillation. In vitro estimations were highly correlated with in situ values for both passage rates (k = 0.05 h^-1: p < 0.001, R² = 0.68; k = 0.08 h^-1: p < 0.001, R² = 0.76). The in vitro method yielded higher values for effective prCP than the in situ approach with 29 g/kg OM (k = 0.05 h^-1) and 37 g/kg OM (k = 0.08 h^-1) on average for all samples. Small positive associative effects - reflecting non-additivity - were found, averaging at 2.2 g prCP₈/kg OM (p < 0.05) for the in situ and 10.7 g prCP₈/kg OM (p < 0.001) for the in vitro approach. Due to the need of an assumption of a certain value for microbial efficiency in situ, effective prCP might be more accurately estimated in vitro, accounting for nutrient-specific efficiencies as well as interactions between carbohydrate and protein degradation by rumen microbes. Furthermore, the modHGT highlighted associative effects more pronounced and seems suitable as a routine method due to the comparably low effort and high sample throughput. The potential of the modHGT to determine the protein value of feeds could be demonstrated by our study.

This study aimed to produce dog food containing natural antioxidants (blend of essential oils and vitamin E) to replace synthetic antioxidants and determine the effects on food conservation and animal health sequentially. The foods were produced in a commercial factory, and the antioxidants were added at the oil bath stage. Ten adult beagle dogs were used, divided into two treatments; control treatment (CON; synthetic antioxidant feed [butylhydroxytoluene]) and test treatment (NAT; natural antioxidant feed; blend of essential oils from clove, rosemary, oregano, and vitamin E). The dogs were weighed at the beginning and end of each experimental period, and there were no treatment effects for body weight. In both treatments, food conservation efficiency was observed, demonstrating the feasibility of using natural sources as antioxidants in dog food because chemical and oxidative variables did not differ regardless of the antioxidant used during production. The animals' metabolic and haematological variables were not influenced by the treatments; however, a reduction in the number of lymphocytes was observed over time only in the dogs of the NAT group. There was also a day effect for total leukocyte, neutrophil and erythrocyte counts only in NAT animals, which means a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in the variables on d 28. There was an effect of the treatment and an interaction treatment x day for the total bacterial count, whereas a decrease in the bacterial count (p < 0.05) was observed in NAT dogs' faeces on day 28. Dogs fed the NAT diet had lower reactive oxygen species (ROS) (p ≤ 0.05) to minimise oxidative stress. In group NAT, the NPSH and glutathione S-transferase levels were increased, which may explain the decrease in ROS levels. It was concluded that natural antioxidants in dog feed, in addition to promoting feed conservation, stimulate levels of systemic antioxidants and minimise the impacts caused by free radicals in the dogs' blood.

This research aimed to determine the effect of dietary supplementation of pomegranate peels powder and waste soybean cooking oil on the performance and meat quality of male Ross 308 broiler chickens. Before start of the experiment, the metabolisable energy of pomegranate peels and other nutritive and chemical contents of pomegranate peels were measured. Also, peroxidation indices and fatty acids profiles of experimental oils were analysed. The experiment was designed as a 3 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments including i) pomegranate peels (0, 4 and 8%), ii) waste soybean cooking oil (0, 2 and 4%) and iii) vitamin E (0 and 200 mg/kg diet). Supplementation of 8% pomegranate peels significantly decreased growth performance of broiler chickens (p < 0.05). The supplementation of 4% waste cooking oil significantly reduced body weight gain during the grower and whole experimental period (p < 0.05). Pomegranate peels supplementation decreased peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and increased pH of meat (p < 0.05). Supplementation of 4% waste cooking oil increased PV and TBA and reduced crude protein, water holding capacity (WHC), and pH of meat (p < 0.05). Vitamin E supplementation significantly decreased TBA and increased WHC of meat (p < 0.05). Supplementation of pomegranate peels decreased saturated fatty acids (SFA) and increased polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of meat (p < 0.05). Broilers fed diets with 4% waste cooking oil showed higher SFA and lower PUFA contents in meat (p < 0.05). So it can be concluded that 4% pomegranate peels could be used as an alternative feed ingredient and a source of antioxidants in broiler diets, and also 2% waste soybean cooking oil can be included as feed ingredient in broiler diets without adversely affecting performance.

It is useful to predict metabolisable energy (ME) concentration based on crude nutrients which can be determined on a laboratory scale to formulate compound feeds for pigs based on ME concentration and to control the declared concentration. In 2008 such an equation was derived premised on 290 balance experiments showing strong associations between ME predicted by digestible crude nutrients and by crude nutrients themselves. Since the suitability of a regression-based prediction equation might be strongly influenced by the number of observations, the current study aimed at 1) checking the suitability of the existing prediction equation by including more datasets and 2) deriving a revised prediction equation.The equations were evaluated by correlation and regression analyses using the energy content calculated on the basis of crude nutrients according to the previously used (ME_S) and the newly derived (ME_Snew) equations as well as the energy content calculated on the basis of digestible nutrients (ME_D). ME_D was correlated with ME_S (r_s = 0.784; p < 0.001) and ME_Snew (r_s = 0.802; p < 0.001). The root mean square error or the adjusted r²was 0.332 MJ/kg DM or 0.830 for the regression of ME_S on ME_D, and 0.323 MJ/kg DM or 0.839 for the regression of ME_Snew on ME_D. Although the regressive evaluation for the prediction of ME revealed satisfying results, the remaining residual variation not explainable by the regression model should be considered. The minimum span of the prediction interval of the regression of ME_S or ME_Snew on ME_D covered a range of 0.65 and 0.64 MJ/kg DM, suggesting the variability of ME estimations to be expected when based on crude nutrients. The quality parameters for the newly derived equation were minimally better and the correlation coefficient between ME_D and both, ME_Snew and ME_S, was strong. Since there is also a non-negligible inaccuracy in the estimation of ME content using the newly derived equation and as the quality parameters were only slightly better, there is at this point no need to introduce the new equation. In future studies, alternative analytical methods for determining the concentration of ME in compound feeds should be considered to improve the accuracy of estimation equations.

Insect meal (IM) produced from edible insects, such as Tenebrio molitor, has been recognised as a potentially suitable protein component in feeding rations for monogastric livestock. While several studies with broilers have shown that animal´s health is not negatively affected by IM, less is known with regard to the influence of IM on metabolism of pigs. The present study investigates whether IM from Tenebrio molitor larvae causes oxidative stress and activates oxidative stress-sensitive signalling pathways in key metabolic tissues of pigs. To address this question, male 5-week-old crossbred pigs were randomly assigned to three groups of 10 pigs each and fed nutrient-adequate, isonitrogenous diets either without (CON) or with 5% IM or 10% IM from Tenebrio molitor larvae for 4 weeks. Concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, tocopherols and glutathione in liver, gastrocnemius muscle and/or plasma did not differ between groups. Activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver and of GPX and SOD in gastrocnemius muscle were not different between groups, whereas the activity of CAT in skeletal muscle was increased in the two IM-fed groups compared to group CON (p < 0.05). The mRNA levels of most of the target genes of oxidative stress-sensitive signalling pathways, such as nuclear factor-κB, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced unfolded protein response, in liver and gastrocnemius muscle did not differ between the three groups. The present study shows that feeding a diet containing adequate levels of antioxidants, such as vitamin E and selenium, and Tenebrio molitor larvae meal as a protein component neither causes oxidative stress nor activates oxidative stress-sensitive signalling pathways in key metabolic tissues of growing pigs. Based on these observations, IM from Tenebrio molitor larvae can be regarded as a safe source of protein in growing pigs.

The use of food residues for animal nutrition might imply ecological and economic advantages; however, their effects as a potential ingredient have not yet been evaluated in dogs. In the present study, four diets with 0, 5, 10 and 15% dried food residues (DFR), derived from hotel catering, were fed to 10 healthy adult dogs. At the end of each three-week feeding period, faeces and blood were collected. The apparent nutrient digestibility was calculated by the dietary inclusion of titanium dioxide as an inert marker. The results demonstrated that the apparent crude protein digestibility and ether extract digestibility decreased with increasing amounts of DFR in the diets (p < 0.05). In addition, an increase of the faecal concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, n-butyric acid and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) was observed (p < 0.05). Faecal ammonium and lactate concentrations, as well as plasma phenol and indole concentrations, were not linearly affected by the dietary inclusion of DFR. The relative abundance of Fusobacteria in the faeces of the dogs decreased, and the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes increased with increasing amounts of DFR in the diets (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the DFR seemed to be intensively fermented by the intestinal microbiota of the dogs, as indicated by the increased faecal SCFA concentrations and the shifts in the composition of the faecal microbiota. Dietary inclusion levels of up to 5% can be recommended based on our results, as the observed lower apparent crude protein and ether extract digestibility might limit the use of food residues for dogs at higher amounts.

This experiment was designed to study the effects of a hydroalcoholic fruit extract from Withania coagulans (WC) and α-tocopherol acetate (α-Toc) in diets containing oxidised oil on growth performance, immune response and antioxidant indices of broiler chickens. The experiment was arranged 2 × 3 × 2 factorial comprising the oxidised oil (0% and 2% diet), WC (0, 100 and 200 mg/kg diet) and α-Toc (0 and 200 mg/kg diet). A total of 600 1-day-old male broiler chickens of the Ross strain were randomly allocated to 12 treatments with 5 replicates of 10 birds each. On day 42, one bird from each replicate was sacrified to measure the lymphoid organ weights, intestinal morphometric characteristics, and malondialdehyde content in the thigh meat. Dietary inclusion of oxidised oil significantly reduced the body weight gain in birds receiving no dietary WC (p < 0.05). In contrast, dietary supplementation of WC at 100 mg/kg diet in birds fed with the diets lacking in WC and oxidised oil resulted in significant increase in body weight gain (p < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of WC significantly increased the total anti-sheep red blood cell titre (p < 0.01). The birds fed with the dietary oxidised oil revealed significantly higher values of malondialdehyde and lower glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities (p < 0.05). Feeding diets containing WC resulted in a significant decrease in malondialdehyde content in thigh meat while conversely, increased the glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities (p < 0.05). The findings indicated that the dietary inclusion of WC could be recommended as a potent alternative to synthetic compounds in order to improve broilers performance, immunity and meat quality under oxidative stress conditions.