Comparison between linseed expeller and canola expeller on concentrate intake,and circulating inflammatory mediators in Holstein calves

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of linseed and canola expeller on average daily weight gain(ADG),concentrate intakes,incidence of diarrhea,serum haptoglobin,interleukin(IL)-1,and resolvin-E1 in female Holstein calves from birth to weaning.A sample size of 20 calves per group was calculated and were randomly allocated at the time of birth.Linseed group(LIN)was fed a starter with linseed expeller,while canola group(CAN)received a similar concentrate,but with canola expeller.Both expellers were included at a rate of 25%dry matter(DM)basis of the starter.Pasteurized waste milk was fed twice a day until weaning.Calves were weighed at birth,30,and 60 d of age.Starter intake was evaluated daily from 5 to 60 d.A blood sample was obtained at birth,14,28,35,and 49 d of age,and bovine serum resolvin-El,haptoglobin,and IL-1 were assayed by commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)kits.Incidence of diarrhea and the duration of the events were also recorded.The effect of the interaction group by time on body weight(BW)and starter intake was not significant(P>0.05).Average daily gains(ADG)from 0 to 60 d for CAN and LIN groups were 0.680 and 0.675 kg/d(P>0.05),respectively.Incidences of diarrhea were 25%and 45%for CAN and LIN groups,respectively(P=0.18).LIN group had greater concentrations of IL-1 at d 21,haptoglobin at d 7,and resolving-El at d 14 and 49 than CAN group,respectively.It is concluded that BW at weaning,ADG,and concentrate intakes were not different between groups fed starters containing linseed or canola expeller(25%inclusion).The concentrations of cytokines and haptoglobin were the greatest in LIN group.

Nutritional value of high fiber co-products from the copra,palm kernel,and rice industries in diets fed to pigs

High fiber co-products from the copra and palm kernel industries are by-products of the production of coconut oil and palm kernel oil. The co-products include copra meal, copra expellers, palm kernel meal, and palm kernel expellers. All 4 ingredients are very high in fiber and the energy value is relatively low when fed to pigs. The protein concentration is between 14 and 22 % and the protein has a low biological value and a very high Arg：Lys ratio. Digestibility of most amino acids is less than in soybean meal but close to that in corn. However, the digestibility of Lys is sometimes low due to Maillard reactions that are initiated due to overheating during drying.Copra and palm kernel ingredients contain 0.5 to 0.6 % P. Most of the P in palm kernel meal and palm kernel expellers is bound to phytate, but in copra products less than one third of the P is bound to phytate. The digestibility of P is, therefore, greater in copra meal and copra expellers than in palm kernel ingredients. Inclusion of copra meal should be less than 15 % in diets fed to weanling pigs and less than 25 % in diets for growing-finishing pigs. Palm kernel meal may be included by 15 % in diets for weanling pigs and 25 % in diets for growing and finishing pigs.Rice bran contains the pericarp and aleurone layers of brown rice that is removed before polished rice is produced.Rice bran contains approximately 25 % neutral detergent fiber and 25 to 30 % starch. Rice bran has a greater concentration of P than most other plant ingredients, but 75 to 90 % of the P is bound in phytate. Inclusion of microbial phytase in the diets is, therefore, necessary if rice bran is used. Rice bran may contain 15 to 24 % fat, but it may also have been defatted in which case the fat concentration is less than 5 %. Concentrations of digestible energy（DE） and metabolizable energy（ME） are slightly less in full fat rice bran than in corn, but defatted rice bran contains less than 75 % of the DE and ME in corn. The concentration of crude protein is 15 to 18 % in rice bran and the protein has a high biological value and most amino acids are well digested by pigs. Inclusion of rice bran in diets fed to pigs has yielded variable results and based on current research it is recommended that inclusion levels are less than 25 to 30 % in diets for growing-finishing pigs, and less than 20 % in diets for weanling pigs.However, there is a need for additional research to determine the inclusion rates that may be used for both full fat and defatted rice bran.

Serum trimethylamine-N-oxide and gut microbiome alterations are associated with cholesterol deposition in the liver of laying hens fed with rapeseed meal

Sinapine derived from cruciferous plants could be converted into trimethylamine by intestinal microbiota.Its metabolite,trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO),is closely linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and fat deposition in mammals.Hens fed with rapeseed meal(RSM)suffered from fatty liver hemorrhage syndrome(FLHS).This study was conducted to investigate whether RSM-induced fatty liver is due to TMAO via altering microbiota composition and diversity.At 33 weeks of age,600 laying hens were randomly divided into 5 treatment groups,namely control and 14%RSM treatment groups(DY5,with 16.2% erucic acid [EA]and 74.66% glucosinolate[Gl]contents;MB1,with 3.50% EA and 43.23 %Gl contents;DY6,with 6.7% EA and 22.67% Gl contents;XH3,with 44.60% EA and 132.83% Gl contents)for 8 weeks.Results revealed that 3 hens died due to liver hemorrhage after ingesting 14% RSM diet.The 14% RSM decreased serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)content(P<0.01)while tended to increase serum TMAO content compared to the control group(P=0.08).The 14% RSM diet increased red oil O optical density(P<0.01),and increased total cholesterol(TC)and LDL-C content in the liver(P<0.01,and P<0.01,respectively).The 14%RSM decreased liver total bile acid(TBA)content compared to the control(P<0.01).The DY6 had a higher TBA content in the liver than the XH3(P<0.01).The 14%RSM decreased mRNA abundance of liver X receptors alpha(LXR-α,P=0.01),and increased mRNA abundance of sterol response element binding protein 2(SREBP-2,P=0.04).Results revealed that the in-feed RSM could alter richness and diversity of cecal microbiota compared to the control(P<0.05).Liver TC content and serum TMAO showed a negative relationship with Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria(P=0.04).In conclusion,14%RSM increased liver TC and induced high liver score of FLHS,which was possibly associated with the altered cecal microbiota composition,increased serum TMAO levels and LXR-αand SREBP-2 expressions.

Is It Fair to Expel ‘Overdue’ Students?

On August 30, the Graduate School of Huazhong University of Science and Technology announced it would expel students who were taking too long to complete advanced degrees. The relevant regulations say completing a master’s degree shouldn’t take longer than four years and a doctor’s degree eight.