Effects of exogenous enzymes and dietary energy on performance and digestive physiology of broilers

The study was conducted to compare the effects of XG with AG and BM at different metabolizable energy diets on growth performance, digestive physiology and energy utilization of broilers fed with corn-SBM diet. A 2 x 4 factoria design was used with two basal diets （the positive control group, PC; negative control with ME reduction 100 kcal/ kg, NC） and with or without the addition of three exogenous enzymes （0.02% BM; 0.01% AG; 0.05% XG） respectively. 1,200 one-day-old broilers were randomly allocated to 8 treatments with 10 pens of 1_5 broilers. There was no significant difference on BW, BWG, and FI at 0-21d, 21-42d or 0-42d for diet, enzymes or their interactions, but FI at 22-42d and 0-42d were tend to be decreased with the addition of enzymes. The F/G was significantly improved by the addition of enzymes especially in NC diet. The dietary AME and TME in PC or NC diet were significantly increased by XG or AG in NC diet. The villus length and V/C of ileum were significantly increased by the addition of BM or XG. XG improved the activities of trypsin, chymotrypsin and amylase, BM improved the activity of trypsin at 21d, and AG improved the activity of chymotrypsin at 21d. Comparing to PC diet, the addition of enzymes in PC or NC diet decreased feed cost per kg body weight gain especially in NC diet （except AG in PC diet） with the highest profits for XG in NC diet. In conclusion, supplementation of 0.02% BM or 0.01% AG or 0.0.5% XG could improve feed conversion of broilers in corn-soybean meal diet by improving energy utilization and digestive physiology, and also supplementation of 0.05% XG had a preferable efficacy in low energy diet.

Comparison of time-restricted and ad libitum self-feeding on the growth,feeding behavior and daily digestive enzyme profiles of Atlantic salmon

Although it has been hypothesized that a predictable feeding regime in animals allows physiological variables to be adjusted to maximize nutrient utilization and,hence,better growth performance,the assumption has rarely been tested.This study compares the effects of time-restricted versus free access self-feeding on the growth,feeding behavior and daily digestive enzyme rhythms of Atlantic salmon(Salmo salar).In an experiment that lasted 6 weeks,fish(109.9 g) were divided into two groups:group 1 had free access to a self-feeder(FA);group 2 received three meals per day(2 h per meal) at dawn,midday and dusk via a time-restricted self-feeder(TR).At the end of the experiment,the fish were sampled every 3 h over a24-h period.The results showed that the TR fish quickly synchronized their feeding behavior to the feeding window and their blood glucose showed a significant postprandial increase,while FA fish displayed no statistically significant rhythms(P>0.05).Pepsin activity of TR fish also showed a significant daily rhythm(P<0.05) with the acrophase at the second feed and a decrease over the next 12 h.Average daily trypsin,lipase and amylase levels of FA fish were significantly lower than those of TR fish(P<0.01);however,the growth performance of both groups was similar(P>0.05).In conclusion,the study failed to confirm a link between the entrainment of daily digestive enzyme profiles and growth performance,with the TR group showing comparatively poor blood glucose regulation.

Effect of Food on Specific Dynamic Action(SDA) of Green and Red Types of Sea Cucumber(Apostichopus japonicus Selenka)

Specific dynamic action(SDA), the energy expended on all physiological processes that is associated with meal digestion and absorption, is strongly affected by food type. Effects of formulated diet(FMD), macroalgae(ALG) and sea mud(SMD) diets on the postprandial metabolic response of the green type and the red type of sea cucumber(Apostichopus japonicus) were studied in order to understand their feeding physiology. Food offered to A. japonicus was different in protein, lipid content and energy but not in meal mass. SDA of A. japonicus resulted in a 1.3–2.7 folds of increase in oxygen consumption that can persist for up to 4.8–31.7 h after digesting three different diets. In a given type of sea cucumber, the magnitude of SDA was the highest when fed with FMD, medium with ALG, and the lowest with SMD, which is probably due to the differences in diet components and protein contents. The red type sea cucumber showed greater SDA magnitude than the green type with each diet treatment, which might result from the difference in factorial scope between the two types of sea cucumber. However, the smallest magnitude or even no difference was observed between the two types of A. japonicus in SMD group, perhaps owing to the poor nutrition and digestion of sea mud.

Determination of the Bioaccessibility of Cadmium in Golden Thread by Physiologically Based Extraction Test Digestion Using the in vitro/Caco2 Cell Model and Subsequent Risk Assessment

Background:The ingestion of golden thread contaminated with heavy metals through the food chain leads to detrimental effects to human health.During digestion,not all of the heavy metals could be released to the gastrointestinal tract and readily to be absorbed by human body.Thus,bioaccessibility is an important issue in health risk assessments.Aims and Objectives:The aims and objectives of this study were to investigate the bioaccessibility of Cd in golden thread and assess the associated health risks based on the exposure to bioaccessible Cd.Materials and Methods:Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS)has been applied to determine the Cd content in golden thread.Physiologically based extraction test(PBET)digestion was performed in the in vitro/Caco2 cell model to investigate the bioaccessibility of Cd in golden thread.Furthermore,the target hazard quotient(THQ)was used to assess the risks of the total and the bioaccessible content of Cd in golden thread.Results:The results revealed that the total Cd content in six batches of golden thread ranged from 3.203 to 5.723 mg/kg.After uptake by Caco2 cells,the bioaccessibility of Cd ranged from 42.36%to 59.73%.The results of the risk assessment indicated that prior to uptake by Caco2 cells,the THQ values of Cd for all batches of golden thread were greater than 1.However,after uptake by Caco2 cells,the THQ values of Cd in all samples were less than 1,thus suggesting that the risks were at a safe level.Conclusion:This study was the first to perform health risk assessment with bioaccessible heavy metals present in traditional Chinese medicine by PBET digestion using an in vitro/Caco2 cell model,thus enabling us to obtain more accurate and objective results while allowing us to avoid unnecessary government intervention and to establish more reasonable limit standards for heavy metals.

Diets enriched with finely ground wheat bran alter digesta passage rate and composition of the gut microbiome in sows

We investigated the effects of finely ground wheat bran on the nutrient digestibility, digesta passage rate,and gut microbiota structure in sows. A 3 × 3 Latin square design with 3 test periods and 3 experimental diets was used. Six non-pregnant sows(parity: 5 to 7) were randomly assigned to 3 experimental diets with 2 replicates per treatment in each period. Each period lasted 19 d(12 d for adaptation and 7 d for experiment). The experimental diets included(a) a basal corn and soybean meal diet(CON),(b) a basal diet with 20% coarse wheat bran(CWB;particle size: 605 μm), and(c) a basal diet with 20% fine wheat bran(FWB;particle size: 438 μm). The results demonstrated that the apparent total tract digestibility of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and energy were reduced(P < 0.05) in the FWB and CWB groups compared with those in the CON group. Viscosity of digesta increased(P < 0.001) in FWB-fed sows. The passage rate of digesta from the mouth to the ileum decreased(P < 0.001) in FWB-fed sows. Peptide YY(PYY) concentration increased(P = 0.01) in FWB-fed sows after 30 min of feeding.In the FWB group, the relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae at the family level increased(P < 0.05) in the ileal digesta. At the class level, the relative abundance of Clostridia in feces decreased(P < 0.05) in FWB-fed sows. FWB enhanced the concentration of butyrate in feces compared with CON and CWB(P = 0.04). These results suggest that dietary supplementation with finely ground wheat bran reduces the passage rate of digesta, increases the abundance of beneficial microorganisms, and elevates the concentration of short-chain fatty acids and PYY in sows. These findings indicate that the addition of finelyground wheat bran to the diets of sows is more effective than using coarse wheat bran for improving their satiety and intestinal microbial composition.

Variations in Patch Use by Ruminant and Non-ruminant Herbivores in a Tropical Wildlife Reserve, Ghana

Food processing and consumption by herbivores are affected differently by the availability of forage quality and quantity per unit of time. This demonstrates the “Allometric response concept”, and it is considered a significant determinant in habitat use for foraging by grazers. The relevance of this approach has comprehensively been applied to herbivores of different body sizes, but little is known about its demonstration to explain patch use in herbivores with different digestive physiology and body size. We explain the use of patches by grazing herbivores of different digestive physiology and body sizes, Hippopotamus amphibius(hippopotamus, mega non-ruminant) and cattle(ruminant), by integrating foraging relationship herbivores. We analysed the significant relationships between species dropping densities and environmental variables across forty-eight 100 m×100 m plots in Bui National Park,Ghana, during the wet and dry seasons. We found that both species utilised areas closer to the river in the wet season, but the H. amphibius foraged further away from the river during the dry season. Sward height also determined patch use by both species, with the H. amphibius utilising shorter swards than the cattle. Considering the quality of food resources, the study revealed that patch selection of ruminants(cattle) was significantly influenced by nitrogen content. In contrast, acidic detergent fibre content was positively related to non-ruminant species(H.amphibius). The high seasonal effect of sward height and food quality on patch use is primarily due to the species digestive physiology and body size of hippopotamus and cattle at the Bui National Park.