Animal Nutrition最新文献

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2021.05.002.].

Purslane is a common plant with medicinal and edible homology that displays potential as a dietary supplement. In this study, this experiment aimed to investigate the effects of purslane on the health and milk quality of dairy goats in peak-lactation period. Twenty primiparous goats with similar days in milk (90 ± 10 d) and milk yield (1.54 ± 0.10 kg/d) were randomly divided into two treatments, each consisting of 10 replicates with one goat per replicate. The goats were fed with a basal diet supplemented with or without 2.5% purslane. After eight weeks, milk samples were collected for milk composition and biochemical analysis. Serum samples were obtained to identify serum parameters. Rumen fluid was collected for 16S rRNA sequencing. The metabolome of rumen fluid and serum was analyzed via untargeted metabolomics. The results showed that compared to the control, purslane decreased the relative abundance of harmful bacteria in the rumen, including [Eubacterium]_ruminantium_group and Butyrivibrio (P < 0.05); ruminal concentrations of propionate, isobutyrate, butyrate, isovalerate, and valerate were greater in goats fed with purslane (P < 0.05); purslane markedly enhanced antioxidant capacity, which was evidenced by the increased activities of serum antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (P < 0.05). Also, nontargeted metabolomic analysis revealed that purslane increased serum metabolites involved in glycolipid metabolism, which were associated with the enhanced anti-inflammatory system (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, purslane increased immunoglobulin M (IgM) content and up-regulated beneficial metabolites in milk, such as flindersine, pyruvate, and didymin (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis further revealed that the relative abundance of ruminal Firmicutes, [Eubacterium]_ruminantium_group, and Butyrivibrio had negative relationships with serum SOD, GSH-Px activities and milk IgM content (P < 0.05). More importantly, linalool oxide, a component of purslane, was released into milk, which is considered as a potential anti-inflammatory compound. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that purslane improved antioxidant capacity and milk immunoglobulins in dairy goats, which may be associated with the modulation of ruminal microbiota.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary valine/isoleucine (V/I) ratio and slaughter weight on the profile of pork flavor precursors. Metabolomics and volatilomic profiling were performed on meat harvested from a 2 × 2 factorial feeding study. Thirty-six Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire castrated male pigs with around 75 kg body weight (BW) were randomly allocated to two dietary treatments, involving V/I (1.23 and 2.60 at 75 to 100 kg BW, 1.24 and 2.39 at 100 to 135 kg BW for the normal dietary valine/isoleucine ratio defined N [V/I] and high dietary valine/isoleucine ratio defined H [V/I], respectively) and two slaughter weights (lower weight [LW] 100 kg and higher weight [HW] 130 kg). Each group consisted of six replicates of three pigs per replicate. The trial lasted for 63 d. Dietary V/I significantly affected several metabolic pathways in muscle, including alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, fructose and mannose metabolism, and amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism. On the other hand, contents of acylcarnitine (ACar; P < 0.001) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE; P = 0.036) were significantly higher in the meat of the HW pigs than those of the LW pigs. Among 48 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) identified in pork, the concentrations of seven VOCs were altered by dietary V/I, that of 17 VOCs by slaughter weight, and acetoin and 1-heptanol by both factors (P < 0.05). In addition, increased dietary V/I altered 53 hydrophilic compounds and 10 VOCs in LW pigs, and altered 39 hydrophilic compounds and six VOCs in HW pigs (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the increased dietary V/I significantly altered flavor precursors of pork, but this effect decreased as the slaughter weight increased.

The present experiment investigated the effects of soybean protein concentrated hydrolysate (SPCH) replacing fishmeal (FM) on the growth performance, intestinal health, flesh quality, and nutrient metabolism of mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi). Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were designed with different levels of dietary fishmeal substituted with SPCH at 0 (FM55), 18.70% (FM45), 37.16% (FM35), 55.40% (FM25), and 73.41% (FM15), respectively. Each diet was fed to three replicate groups of mandarin fish (a total of 450 fish, 37.18 ± 0.01 g) twice daily for 8 consecutive weeks, with 30 individuals per tank. The results showed that when the replacement level of SPCH did not exceed 37.16%, no significant effects on the growth of mandarin fish were observed (P > 0.05). Histological examination showed significantly enhanced hepatic lipid accumulation, while the mid-intestinal villus length and muscularis thickness reached their maximum in the FM35 group (P < 0.05). At the molecular level, SPCH modulated amino acid transport, as evidenced by upregulated expression of key transporter genes (lat1 and snat2) (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, SPCH substitution influenced the tor pathway in muscle tissue, as evidenced by the upregulation of related genes (akt1, tor, s6k, and s6) (P < 0.05). However, SPCH supplementation linearly upregulated hepatic lipogenic genes (srebp1, dgat1, acc1, acc2, and fas) while downregulating lipid catabolism genes (pparα, aco, and atgl) in a linear manner (P < 0.05). Additionally, when SPCH replacement exceeded 37.16%, mid-intestinal expression of inflammation-related genes (rela, mapk13, mapk14, and 5lox) was significantly upregulated (P < 0.05). Furthermore, as the replacement level of SPCH increased, muscle hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, chewiness, resilience, and shear force linearly decreased (P < 0.05), while gumminess linearly increased (P < 0.001). In summary, the study demonstrated that the inclusion of SPCH could effectively reduce the dietary fishmeal content from 55% to 35% without significantly compromising the growth performance, intestinal health, or overall quality of mandarin fish.

The beneficial effects of folic acid (FA) on intestinal barrier function are well recognized, however the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary FA on intestinal epithelial function in grass carp, and to reveal the potential molecular mechanism. The total of 450 healthy grass carp (686.83 ± 1.31 g) were randomly divided into 6 groups (18 barrels, 25 fish per barrel), and fed diets containing levels of FA (0.57, 1.11, 1.53, 2.08, 2.64, and 3.15 mg/kg diet) for 8 weeks. The results showed that, compared with the control group, a dietary FA level of 1.11 mg/kg significantly significantly increased FBW, PWG, WG, SGR and FI, as well as FA and methionine cycling in grass carp (P < 0.05). Dietary FA also promoted the intestinal barrier function and proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells (P < 0.05). Further, dietary FA increased the protein levels of the DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) family and the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)-p38 signaling pathway was significantly activated in fish fed the 1.11 mg/kg FA diet (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary FA improved intestinal epithelial function in grass carp by modulating the expression of DNMTs and activating the PP2A-p38 signaling pathway. Based on percent weight gain, the optimal requirement of FA for sub-adult grass carp (686.8-1264.7 g) was estimated to be 1.03 mg/kg.

Functional native herbage (FNH), rich in bioactive components and secondary metabolites, holds potential for enhancing the productivity of grazing livestock and mitigating methane (CH₄) emissions. The processing of Lycium barbarum yields byproducts rich in flavonoids, polysaccharides, betaine, and other bioactive compounds, which may serve as effective livestock feed additives. This study aimed to assess the effects of L. barbarum byproducts on digestion, metabolism, and CH₄ emissions in sheep grazing on sown pastures in northwest China. Twenty-four 6-month-old male sheep with similar body conditions were selected and randomly assigned to four groups (n = 6) based on dietary treatments: an unsupplemented control group (CON), a 2.5% L. barbarum seed (LBS)-supplemented group, a 7.5% L. barbarum residue (LBR)-supplemented group, and a 2.5% L. barbarum twigs (LBT)-supplemented group. The experiment lasted for a total of 75 d. Digestive metabolism experiments and respiratory gas measurement tests were conducted. Compared to the CON group, supplementation with 2.5% L. barbarum seed or 7.5% L. barbarum residue increased (P< 0.001) dry matter intake, ether extract intake, gross energy intake, and improved (P< 0.001) energy utilization efficiency, including digestible energy, metabolizable energy, and net energy. Compared to the CON group, the LBS group, live weight gain increased by 44.44% (P = 0.018), accompanied by 27.37% and 30.56% reductions in net energy requirements for maintenance and metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance, respectively. Additionally, daily CH₄ emissions and CH₄ emissions per unit grass area were reduced (P < 0.05) by 20.34% and 20.43%, respectively. In the LBR group, live weight gain increased by 33.33% (P = 0.018), accompanied by 46.03% and 30.56% reductions in net energy requirements for maintenance and metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance, respectively. Daily CH₄ emissions and CH₄ emissions per unit grass area were reduced (P < 0.05) by 22.75% and 22.78%, respectively. Compared to the CON group, the live weight gain in the LBT group remained largely unchanged (P > 0.05), while daily CH₄ emissions and CH₄ emissions per unit of grass area were reduced by 17.05% (P < 0.05) each. The judicious application of L. barbarum byproducts in livestock production can enhance the productivity of grazing sheep, optimize resource utilization, reduce CH₄ emissions, ameliorate the ecological environment, and foster the sustainable development of animal husbandry.

Growing concerns about antibiotic resistance and the pursuit for natural alternatives in animal production have driven the search for dietary additives that promote health and sustainability, without adversely affecting the environment or consumer safety. One such alternative could be Andrographis paniculata (AP), a medicinal plant known for its bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral and hepatoprotective properties. This review explores the potential of AP supplementation in improving the health and productivity of monogastric livestock, particularly poultry and swine. Key areas of focus include its beneficial effects on the immune and digestive systems, liver function and metabolism, factors that collectively support improved growth performance and production traits. Notably, the review highlights the efficacy of AP supplementation in mitigating the adverse impacts of environmental and physiological stressors such as heat stress, mycotoxin contamination, and microbial infections. Although the current findings underscore the promising potential of AP as a sustainable feed additive, further investigations, particularly in swine, are crucial to fully elucidate its mechanisms of action and broaden its practical applications in animal production systems.

Low-protein (LP) diets are increasingly recognized as a cost-effective and efficient strategy in the global livestock industry. Although previous studies have demonstrated that increased valine intake during pregnancy can improve reproductive performance and mammary gland development in gilts, the effect of the standardized ileal digestible valine-to-lysine ratio (Val/Lys) in LP diets during lactation is not well understood. A total of 60 lactating sows (Landrace × Large White; 4th parity) were randomized by backfat and weighed into 6 groups (n = 10): a standard protein group (17% crude protein, Val/Lys of 0.87) and 5 LP diet groups (14.3% crude protein, Val/Lys of 0.64, 0.74, 0.84, 0.94 or 1.04). The experiment lasted from day 0 of lactation to day 21 of lactation. The results indicated that LP diets reduced (P < 0.05) weaning weight and average daily gain (ADG) in piglets, as well as sow milk yield; whereas, increasing Val/Lys in LP diets improved (P < 0.05) these parameters. A linear model determined an optimal Val/Lys ratio of 0.94 in LP diets for maximizing piglet ADG. Low-protein diets decreased jejunal trypsin levels in piglets, which increased (P < 0.05) when Val/Lys was increased. Furthermore, LP diets reduced the expression of transporters (solute carrier family 38 member 2, SLC38A2) and metabolic enzymes (branched-chain amino acid transaminase 1 and 2, BCAT1 and BCAT2) in the piglet jejunum; conversely, increasing Val/Lys enhanced these expressions. Levels of L-valine, DL-arginine and L-threonine were found to decrease (P < 0.05) in response to LP diets, as revealed by the results from sow serum metabolites. However, these concentrations rebounded (P < 0.05) when Val/Lys was increased to 0.94. Correlation analysis revealed a positive association between sow serum valine metabolites and jejunal expression of SLC38A2, BCAT1 and BCAT2 in piglets. Low-protein diets also led to a decrease in the protein levels of metabolic enzymes (P < 0.05), which were improved (P < 0.05) by increasing Val/Lys. Finally, correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between sow serum metabolites, jejunal enzyme expression and piglet growth performance. Collectively, growth performance in piglets may be impaired by LP diets for sows due to valine transport and catabolism being disrupted, whereas growth performance may be enhanced by increasing Val/Lys in LP diets via sow milk metabolites, thereby improving piglet digestion and absorption.