Dietary fibers with low hydration properties exacerbate diarrhea and impair intestinal health and nutrient digestibility in weaned piglets

Background:This study aimed to investigate the hydration properties of different-source fibrous materials by com-paring their water-binding capacity(WBC),water swelling capacity(WSC),viscosity,and in vivo effects of selected samples on growth performance,nutrient digestibility,diarrhea,and intestinal health in weaned piglets.Methods:A total of 13 commercially available fibrous materials were first compared in chemical composition and in vitro hydration property.Subsequently,40 weaned piglets were randomized to five experimental dietary groups(8 piglets per group):control diet(a basal diet without dietary fiber,CON),basal diet supplemented with 5%microcrys-talline cellulose(MCC),5%wheat bran(WB),5%Moringa oleifera leaf powder(MOLP),or 5%sugar beet pulp(SBP),fol-lowed by analyzing their growth performance and diarrhea rate in a 28-d experiment.After the feeding experiment,anaesthetized piglets were killed,and their intestinal and colon content or plasma samples were analyzed in nutrient digestibility,intestinal morphology,intestinal barrier,short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs),and bacterial population.Results:In vitro studies showed low hydration properties for WB and MCC,while medium hydration properties for MOLP and SBP.In vivo studies indicated that compared with medium hydration property groups,low hydration prop-erty groups showed(1)exacerbated diarrhea,impaired intestinal health,and reduced apparent fecal digestibility of dry matter,gross energy,acid detergent fiber,and neutral detergent fiber;(2)decreased SCFAs concentration and rela-tive levels of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium,but increased levels of Escherichia coli and Brachyspira hyodysenteriae in colon contents.Additionally,SBP showed optimal performance in reducing diarrhea and increasing SCFAs produc-tion.Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation of fiber hydration properties with in vitro SCFAs production,and diarrhea index and nutrient digestibility were negatively and positively correlated with SCFAs levels in the colon contents of weaned piglets,respectively.Conclusions:Different-source dietary fibers varied in their hydration properties and impacts on diarrhea,microbial composition and SCFAs production in weaned piglets.WB and MCC could exacerbate diarrhea and impair nutrient digestibility,probably because their low hydration properties were detrimental to gut microbial homeostasis and fermentation.Our findings provide new ideas for rational use of fiber resources in weaned piglets.

Enhanced efficiency of the Sb_(2)Se_(3)thin-film solar cell by the anode passivation using an organic small molecular of TCTA

Antimony selenide(Sb_(2)Se_(3))is an emerging solar cell material.Here,we demonstrate that an organic small molecule of 4,4',4''-tris(carbazol-9-yl)-triphenylamine(TCTA)can efficiently passivate the anode interface of the Sb_(2)Se_(3)solar cell.We fabricated the device by the vacuum thermal evaporation,and took ITO/TCTA(3.0 nm)/Sb_(2)Se_(3)(50 nm)/C60(5.0 nm)/Alq3(3.0 nm)/Al as the device architecture,where Alq3 is the tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato)aluminum.By introducing a TCTA layer,the open-circuit voltage is raised from 0.36 to 0.42 V,and the power conversion efficiency is significantly improved from 3.2%to 4.3%.The TCTA layer not only inhibits the chemical reaction between the ITO and Sb_(2)Se_(3)during the annealing process but it also blocks the electron diffusion from Sb_(2)Se_(3)to ITO anode.The enhanced performance is mainly attributed to the suppression of the charge recombination at the anode interface.

Photoluminescence Characterization of NASICON Material

Besides gas sensitivity,NASICON (Na super ion conductor) material has luminescence characterization.In this paper,the photoluminescence properties of NASICON and doped-NASICON material are investigated.The NASICON material was synthesized by conventional sol-gel process,and doped with Er_2O_3,Tm_2O_3,Dy_2O_3,CsCl by 1%,3%,5% (mass ratio),respectively.The ultraviolet light (325 nm,He-Cd laser) excited luminescent emissions of the resulted powders are recorded vs.wavelength in the 330 nm to 650 nm range.The main peak of the pure NASICON is found at the wavelength of 474 nm (blue light),the transition energy is 2.616 eV.The luminescent intensity is weakened obviously after doping with Er_2O_3 and Tm_2O_3,but is increased after doping with Dy_2O_3 and 3% CsCl.

Inclusion of wheat aleurone in gestation diets improves postprandial satiety,stress status and stillbirth rate of sows

This study investigated the effects of different amounts of wheat aleurone(WA)(0,15%,30%)inclusion in gestation diets on the reproductive performance,postprandial satiety,stress status and stereotypic be-haviors of sows.A total of 84 Landrace×Yorkshire sows(parity 4.87±1.32)at breeding were randomly allotted to one of the three isoenergetic and isonitrogenous dietary treatments based on parity and body weight.The results showed that,compared with the control(0),sows fed the WA diet had a higher serum concentration of peptide YY(PYY)(P<0.05)and glucagon like peptide-1(GLP-1)(P<0.05)and a lower concentration of saliva cortisol(P<0.01).Importantly,compared with the control group,only the 15%WA group had a higher concentration of the total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC)(P<0.05),lower pro-portions of sitting(P=0.05)and stillbirth rates(P<0.01).Accordingly,the production cost per piglet born alive($6.9 vs.$7.6)or per piglet born healthy($7.4 vs.$7.9)declined in the 15%WA group versus the control group.Overall,15%WA inclusion in gestation diets contributed to enhancing postprandial satiety,alleviating stress status and decreasing stillbirth rate of sows.This study provides a reference for the application of WA as a partial substitute for conventional feed ingredients to improve sows'repro-ductive performance.