Effects of Fermented Puffed Feather Meal on Growth Performance,Serum Biochemical Indices,Meat Quality,and Intestinal Microbiota in Broilers

This study aimed to investigate the effects of fermented puffed feather meal(FPFM)on growth performance,serum biochemical indices,meat quality,and intestinal microbiota in Arbor Acres(AA)broilers.A single-factor design was adopted,and four treatments were administered with five replicates to 240 one-day-old AA broilers.The control group(group A)received a basal diet,while the experimental groups received a basal diet plus 33%(group B),67%(group C)and 100%(group D)FPFM,respectively.Compared with group A,(1)the average daily gain(ADG)in group C decreased(P<0.05),and the feed conversion ratio(FCR)in group D increased(P<0.05);(2)the level of serum urea nitrogen in treatment groups decreased(P<0.05),and the levels of triglyceride,high density lipoprotein,low density lipoprotein,cholesterol,and glucose contents in group D increased(P<0.05)at day 21;(3)the serum immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G in group B and the immunoglobulin A in group C increased(P<0.05)at day 21,and the serum immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G in group D decreased(P<0.05)at day 42;(4)the share force of breast muscle and thigh muscle in group D increased(P<0.05);(5)the villus height to crypt depth ratio in the jejunum of group B increased(P<0.05)at day 21,and the villus height in group C and D increased(P<0.05)at day 42;(6)the proteobacteria counts in the cecum digesta in treatment groups decreased(P<0.05)at day 21.The basal diet supplemented with 33%FPFM promoted protein metabolism,enhanced immunity and improved meat quality,promoted the digestion and absorption of nutrients,increased intestinal microbial diversity,and improved the content of beneficial bacteria without affecting the growth performance,it was possible to be used as a good substitute for fish meal.

Comparative effects of soy protein concentrate,enzyme‑treated soybean meal,and fermented soybean meal replacing animal protein supplements in feeds on growth performance and intestinal health of nursery pigs

Background Soy protein supplements,with high crude protein and less antinutritional factors,are produced from soybean meal by different processes.This study evaluated the comparative effects of various soy protein supplements replacing animal protein supplements in feeds on the intestinal immune status,intestinal oxidative stress,mucosaassociated microbiota,and growth performance of nursery pigs.Methods Sixty nursery pigs(6.6±0.5 kg BW)were allotted to five treatments in a randomized complete block design with initial BW and sex as blocks.Pigs were fed for 39 d in 3 phases(P1,P2,and P3).Treatments were:Control(CON),basal diet with fish meal 4%,2%,and 1%,poultry meal 10%,8%,and 4%,and blood plasma 4%,2%,and 1%for P1,P2,and P3,respectively;basal diet with soy protein concentrate(SPC),enzyme-treated soybean meal(ESB),fermented soybean meal with Lactobacillus(FSBL),and fermented soybean meal with Bacillus(FSBB),replacing 1/3,2/3,and 3/3 of animal protein supplements for P1,P2,and P3,respectively.Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure in SAS 9.4.Results The SPC did not affect the BW,ADG,and G:F,whereas it tended to reduce(P=0.094)the ADFI and tended to increase(P=0.091)crypt cell proliferation.The ESM did not affect BW,ADG,ADFI,and G:F,whereas tended to decrease(P=0.098)protein carbonyl in jejunal mucosa.The FSBL decreased(P<0.05)BW and ADG,increased(P<0.05)TNF-α,and Klebsiella and tended to increase MDA(P=0.065)and IgG(P=0.089)in jejunal mucosa.The FSBB tended to increase(P=0.073)TNF-α,increased(P<0.05)Clostridium and decreased(P<0.05)Achromobacter and alpha diversity of microbiota in jejunal mucosa.Conclusions Soy protein concentrate,enzyme-treated soybean meal,and fermented soybean meal with Bacillus could reduce the use of animal protein supplements up to 33%until 7 kg body weight,up to 67%from 7 to 11 kg body weight,and entirely from 11 kg body weight without affecting the intestinal health and the growth performance of nursery pigs.Fermented soybean meal with Lactobacillus,however,increased the immune reaction and oxidative stress in the intestine consequently reducing the growth performance.

Effects of Brown Fish Meal Replacement with Fermented Soybean Meal on Growth Performance, Feed Efficiency and Enzyme Activities of Chinese Soft-shelled Turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis

A 120-day feeding experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of partial replacement of brown fish meal (BFM) by fermented soybean meal (FSBM) in diets of Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis). The turtles (initial mean body weight, (115.52 ± 1.05) g) were fed with three experimental diets, in which 0%, 4.72% and 9.44% BFM protein was replaced by 0%, 3% and 6% FSBM, respectively. Results showed that the feeding rate (FR), specific growth rate (SGR) and feed efficiency ratio (FER) of turtles fed with the diet containing 3% FSBM were not significantly different from the control group (0% FSBM) (P > 0.05). However, FR, SGR and FER of turtles fed with the diet containing 6% FSBM were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the activities of serum glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase and glutamicpyruvic transaminase among dietary treatments (P > 0.05). However, the uric acid concentration in turtles fed with the diet containing 3% or 6% FSBM was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the activities of lysozyme, alkaline phosphatase and total superoxide dismutase among dietary treatments (P > 0.05). The results suggested that FSBM could replace 4.72% BFM protein in turtle diets without exerting adverse effects on turtle growth, feed utilization and measured immune parameters.

Effects of soybean meal replacement with fermented alfalfa meal on the growth performance,serum antioxidant functions,digestive enzyme activities,and cecal microflora of geese

Fermented forages are important feedstuffs. Bacillus subtilis inoculants are often used to improve the value of forage legume fermentation. The present work was conducted to study the effects of replacing soybean meal with solid-state fermented alfalfa meal（FAM） with B. subtilis ACCC 01746 on growth performance, serum antioxidant and digestive enzyme activities, and cecal microflora in goose. 300 healthy geese with similar body weights were randomly assigned to six treatment groups with five replicates of 10 geese（five males and five females） each. Geese were fed ad libitum for 35 days. Results showed that the geese fed with 4 and 8% FAM exhibited no significant effects on their final body weights（FBW） and average day gain（ADG）（P〉0.05）, whereas 12% or higher FAM caused poor growth of the geese compared with control diet（linear（L）： P〈0.05）. The average daily feed intake（ADFI）（quadratic（Q）： P〈0.05） and feed conversion ratio（FCR）（L： P〈0.05） with 8% or higher supplementation level were higher than those of the control group. The activities of antioxidant enzyme in serum increased, and the level of malondialdehyde（MDA） significantly decreased with increasing dietary FAM level（L： P〈0.05）. However, no significant differences were observed at 8% or lower supplementation level for glutathione peroxidase（GSH-Px） and superoxide dismutase（SOD）（P〉0.05） and at 4% for catalase（CAT） supplementation level compared with the control group. All diets containing FAM increased digestive enzyme activities in geese. However, geese fed diets with 12% FAM supplementation showed the highest trypsin activities in pancreas（Q： P〈0.05）. Supplementation with 12% or higher FAM significantly increased amylase activities in pancreas（L： P〈0.05） and duodenum（L： P〈0.05） compared with the control group. Significant differences were not observed in total anaerobic bacteria between geese fed with FAM and control diets on day 35（P〉0.05）. The numbers of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the cecum of geese fed with FAM significantly increased（L： P〈0.05）, but no significant effects were found with 4 and 8% FAM supplementation levels compared with the control（P〉0.05）. By contrast, the coliform counts of cecum decreased with increasing inclusion of FAM, but these counts were significantly reduced in geese fed diets with 12% or higher FAM supplementation level（L： P〈0.05）. Collectively, our results indicated that supplementation of the basal geese diet with 8% FAM had no apparent adverse effects on growth performance, serum antioxidant enzyme activities, and digestive parameters and beneficial microbiota.

The Effect of Soybean Meal Fermented by Aspergillus usami on Phosphor Metabolism in Growing Pigs

[Objective] The experiment aimed to check the pigs＇ digestive utilization of phosphor and other nutrient components in fermented soy- bean meal. [ Method] 15 8-week old two-way cross growing pigs （average weight was 23.6 kg） were selected and divided randomly into 3 groups, 5 pigs per group. The method of total feces collection was adopted to compare the digestibility of phosphor and other nutrient components in growing pigs fed respectively by fermented soybean meal by Aspergillus usami and normal soybean meal. The experimental design were normal soybean group （NS group, P： 0.087%）, fermented soybean meal group （FS group, P： 0.089%）, normal soybean ＋ fermented soybean meal mixing group （ MS group, P： 0.089% ）. [ Result] The results indicated that the digestibility of growing pigs in FS group was significantly higher than that of NS group. Meanwhile, the digestibility of crude protein was significantly improved. [ Conclusion] The above results indicated that Feeding with soybean meal fermented by Aspergillus usami not only could increase the digestibility of phosphor and protein, but also decrease the excretion of phosphor and nitrogen.

Application Effects of Amino Acid Powder,Fermented Rapeseed Meal and Fermented Cottonseed Meal in Feeds for Allogynogenetic Crucian Carp

[Objective] To investigate the effects of amino acid powder, fermented rapeseed meal and fermented cottonseed meal on the growth performance, amino acid absorption, body composition and liver function of allogynogentic crucian carp. [ Method] The allogynogentic crucian carps with the average initial weight of 17.3 g were divided into control group and six experimental groups randomly. The allogynogentic crucian carps in the control group and experimental groups were fed a basal diet and the basal diets supplemented by amino acid powder, fermented rapeseed meal and fermented cottonseed meal, respectively. The growth rate and specific growth rate of allogynogentic crucian carps, the content of amino acids in serum and feeds, the composition indicators of body, muscle and liver, as well as the activities of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase （GPT） and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase （GOT） in liver and serum were determined, respectively. [ Result] The growth rate and specific growth rate （SGR） of allogynogentic crucian carps in the 3% amino acid powder group and the 6% fermented cottonseed meal group were increased greatly （ P 〈 0.05）, and no significant difference was found between experimental group and control group. The serum lysine content of the 3% amino acid powder group and the 6% fermented cottonseed meal group was higher than that of the control group. In the experimental groups, the absorption of four essential amino acids was up to a peak at 4 h after feeding, which was consistent with the control group. The body composition and liver function of allogynogentic crucian carps had no significant difference between the experimental groups and the control group. [ Conclusion] The 3% amino acid powder, 6% fermented cottonseed meal and 6% fermented rapeseed meal can substitute fish meal, cottonseed meal and rapeseed meal to improve the clrowth performance, amino acid absorption of the allogynogentic crucian carps.

Fermented soybean meal improved laying performance and egg quality of laying hens by modulating cecal microbiota,nutrient digestibility,intestinal health,antioxidant and immunological functions

Antinutritional factors in feedstuffs may limit their utilization in livestock production,but fermentation process can be used to improve feed quality;however,studies on fermented soybeans for laying hens remain limited.We investigated the effect of fermented soybean meal(FSBM)at various inclusion levels as a partial replacement for soybean meal(SBM)on egg production,egg quality,amino acid digestibility,gut morphology and microbiota,antioxidant capacity and immune response of young laying hens.A total of 360 Hy-line Brown laying hens aged 18 weeks were selected and divided into 5 groups of 6 replicates each and 12 birds per replicate.The control group received a basal diet while the trial group received the basal diet with FSBM included at 2.5%,5.0%,7.5%and 10.0%,respectively,for 12 weeks.Our findings revealed that the nutritional value of FSBM was higher compared to that of SBM in terms of reduced content of trypsin inhibitors and increased contents of crude protein,amino acids and minerals.FSBM enhanced egg production(P<0.05),feed-to-egg ratio(P<0.05),and albumen quality(albumen height and Haugh unit)(P<0.05).Furthermore,FSBM improved apparent fecal amino acid digestibility(P<0.05),gut morphology(increased villus height,villus width,villus height-to-crypt depth ratio and decreased crypt depth)(P<0.05),antioxidant capacity(reduced malondialdehyde and increased catalase,total superoxide dismutase,glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidant capacity)(P<0.05)and immune function(increased concentrations of IgG,IgA,and IgM;increased levels of transforming growth factor beta and Toll-like receptor 2;and reduced levels of interleukin 1βand tumor necrosis factor alpha)(P<0.05).Further analysis showed that FSBM altered the composition of the gut microbiota favoring beneficial microbes.These findings suggest that probiotic fermentation improved the nutritional value of SBM.The inclusion of FSBM in the diets of laying hens at 2.5%or 5.0%improved amino acid digestibility,gut health,immune function,egg production and egg quality.

Effect of fermented rapeseed meal on growth performance,nutrient digestibility,and intestinal health in growing pigs

To explore the effects of fermented rapeseed meal(FRSM)on growth performance and intestinal health,a total of 30 growing pigs were randomly allotted to three treatments consisting of corn-soybean meal diet(CSD),rapeseed meal diet(RSD),and fermented rapeseed meal diet(FRSD).Results showed that compared with RSD,FRSD feeding increased the average daily gain and final body weight in pigs(P<0.01).Compared with RSD feeding,FRSD feeding elevated the apparent digestibility of crude protein,acid detergent fiber,and ether extract in pigs(P<0.01).Moreover,the FRSD group exhibited greater apparent ileal digestibility of His,Thr,Lys,and Ser than the RSD group(P<0.01).The digestible energy,metabolic energy,and nitrogen utilization were higher in the FRSD and CSD groups than in the RSD group(P<0.01).As compared to the RSD,FRSD feeding decreased the serum concentration of leptin but significantly increased the concentrations of immunoglobulin(Ig)A,IgG,ghrelin,and enzyme activities of amylase,lipase,and trypsin in the pancreas(P<0.05).Interestingly,the villus height,the ratio of villus height to crypt depth,and the activities of brush border enzymes(e.g.,maltase and sucrase)in the small intestine were higher in the CSD and FRSD groups than in the RSD group(P<0.05).As compared to the RSD,the FRSD feeding not only increased the expression level of the occludin in the small intestinal epithelium(P<0.05)but also elevated the expression levels of claudin-1,MUC1,and PepT1 genes in the duodenum,and elevated the expression levels of SGLT1 and CAT1 genes in the jejunum(P<0.05).Importantly,FRSD feeding significantly decreased the abundance of Escherichia coli,but increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and the content of butyrate in the cecum and colon(P<0.05).These results indicated that compared with rapeseed meal,fermented rapeseed meal exhibited a positive effect on improving the growth performance and intestinal health in growing pigs,and the results may also help develop novel protein sources for animal nutrition and the feed industry.

Fermented soybean meal improves the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and microbial flora in piglets

In order to increase nutritive values of soybean meal(SBM), 3 species of microbes were used to ferment SBM. Through a 3 x 3 orthogonal design and parameter measurements of soybean peptide and antinutritional factor contents in the fermented soybean meal(FSBM), it was estimated that the best microbial proportion of Bacillus subtilis, Hansenula anomala and Lactobacillus casei was 2:1:2 for SBM fermentation(P < 0.05). The further piglet feeding experiment showed that 10% FSBM substitute for SBM had no significant effect on growth performance of suckling piglets(d 7-28)(P> 0.05). However, newlyweaned piglets(d 28-38) fed 10% FSBM and different levels of plasma protein obtained higher average daily gain(ADG) and feed conversion ratio(FCR), compared with those without FSBM but with 6% plasma protein(P < 0.05). Piglets(d 38-68) fed diets supplemented with FSBM and soybean protein concentrate(SBPC) at 3.75% and 7.5% respectively increased nutrient digestibility,fecal enzyme activity and lactic acid bacteria counts, and decreased fecal Escherichia coli counts(P < 0.05), compared with the control. These data indicated that FSBM had positive effects on nutrient digestibility and fecal microflora for piglets.

Effects of dietary fresh fermented soybean meal on growth performance, ammonia and particulate matter emissions, and nitrogen excretion in nursery piglets

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of fresh fermented soybean meal（FSM） on the growth performance of nursery piglets, nitrogen excretion in feces, and the concentrations of ammonia（NH3） and particulate matter（PM） in the piggery. A total of 472 nursery piglets（Landrace×Yorkshire,（16.3±0.36） kg body weight） were randomly allocated into two treatments with 236 pigs in each treatment. The pigs were fed the basal diet without fresh FSM（control） or diet containing 10%（100 g/kg） fresh FSM（FSM group）, and the crude protein content of the two groups was consistent. The feeding trial lasted for 28 d. The results showed that the pigs fed fresh FSM had increased（P〈0.05） average daily gain（ADG） compared with the control. There was no significant difference（P〈0.05） in feed to gain ratio（F：G） between the two groups. During the whole experiment, the concentration of NH3 in the piggery decreased（P〈0.05） by 19.0%, and the concentrations of PM（PM（10） and PM（2.5）） in the piggery decreased（P〈0.05） by 19.9% and 11.6%, respectively, in the FSM group, compared with the control. The ammonia nitrogen and nitrite content in feces increased（P〈0.05） by 32.9% and 28.4%, respectively, in the FSM group. The fecal p H declined（P〈0.05） significantly in the FSM group compared with the control. At the end of experiment, total protein（TP） concentration was increased（P〈0.05） significantly and blood urea nitrogen（BUN） concentration was decreased（P〈0.05） for pigs fed the diet with fresh FSM. The results indicated that dietary fresh FSM not only improved the growth performance of nursery piglets, but also reduced the NH3 concentration in the piggery due to nitrogen conversion, and decreased the concentrations of PM（10） and PM（2.5） in the piggery.

Tissue lipid metabolism and hepatic metabolomic profiling in response to supplementation of fermented cottonseed meal in the diets of broiler chickens

This study investigated the effects of fermented cottonseed meal（FCSM） on lipid metabolites, lipid metabolism-related gene expression in liver tissues and abdominal adipose tissues, and hepatic metabolomic profiling in broiler chickens. One hundred and eighty 21-d-old broiler chickens were randomly divided into three diet groups with six replicates of 10 birds in each group. The three diets consisted of a control diet supplemented with unfermented cottonseed meal, an experimental diet of cottonseed meal fermented by Candida tropicalis, and a second experimental diet of cottonseed meal fermented by C. tropicalis plus Saccharomyces cerevisae. The results showed that FCSM intake significantly decreased the levels of abdominal fat and hepatic triglycerides（P〈0.05 for both）. Dietary FCSM supplementation down-regulated the m RNA expression of fatty acid synthase and acetyl Co A carboxylase in liver tissues and the lipoprotein lipase expression in abdominal fat tissues（P〈0.05 for both）. FCSM intake resulted in significant metabolic changes of multiple pathways in the liver involving the tricarboxylic acid cycle, synthesis of fatty acids, and the metabolism of glycerolipid and amino acids. These findings indicated that FCSM regulated lipid metabolism by increasing or decreasing the expression of the lipid-related gene and by altering multiple endogenous metabolites. Lipid metabolism regulation is a complex process, this discovery provided new essential information about the effects of FCSM diets in broiler chickens and demonstrated the great potential of nutrimetabolomics in researching complex nutrients added to animal diets.

Determination of the available energy,standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids of fermented corn germ meal replacing soybean meal in growing pig diets

Three experiments were conducted to compare the digestible(DE),metabolizable energy(ME),and standardized ileal digestibility(SID)of amino acids(AA)in fermented corn germ meal(FCGM)and soybean meal(SBM),and evaluate the effects of FCGM replacing SBM in growing pig diets.In Exp.1,18 barrows with initial body weight(BW)of 60.2±3.40 kg were randomly allotted to 3 treatments with 6 replicates per treatment.The control diet used corn as the only energy ingredient,and 2 test diets were made by replacing 25.8%of corn with FCGM or SBM.The DE and ME of FCGM were less(P<0.01)than those of SBM.In Exp.2,18 barrows(59.3±2.52 kg BW)with ileal T-cannulas were randomly allotted to 3 treatments with 6 replicates per treatment.The SID of arginine,tryptophan and proline were greater(P<0.05)and the tyrosine was less(P=0.01)in SBM compared with FCGM.In Exp.3,144 growing pigs(56.1±5.22 kg BW)were randomly allotted to 4 treatments with 6 pens per treatment(3 barrows and 3 gilts per pen).Four diets(FCGM0,FCGM10,FCGM20 and FCGM30)were formulated using FCGM to replace 0%,10%,20%and 30%of SBM,respectively.The ME and SID values of AA of SBM and FCGM were determined by Exp.1 and 2.Results showed that increasing FCGM inclusion quadratically(P<0.05)increased the average daily gain(ADG),average daily feed intake,and the levels of serum immunoglobulin G(IgG)and urea nitrogen,and linearly(P<0.05)increased the serum IgM,the propanoic acid,butyric acid,total volatile fatty acid(VFA)and the Shannon index of microbiota in feces.Besides,the relative abundance of genus Streptococcus in FCGM0,Lactobacillus in FCGM10 and Lachnospiraceae in FCGM30 were increased(P<0.05)compared with other treatments.In conclusion,we recommend replacing 11.80%of SBM with FCGM to obtain the optimal ADG of growing pigs.Moreover,as the ratio of FCGM replacing SBM increased in diet,the immunity,intestinal microbiota and total VFA composition of growing pigs were improved.

Application of Protein Feed Processed by Microbial Fermentation to Dairy Cow

Methionine （Met） and lysine （Lys） have been reported as the first two limiting amino acids （AA） for maximum milk yield and milk protein production. Supplying these AA may improve microbial protein synthesis and therefore improve milk production without adding excess N to the environment. This observation utilized fermented soybean meal （SBM）, cottonseed meal （CSM）, rapeseed meal （RSM） and corn by Bacillus subtilis 168 and Leuconostoc mesenteroides as core feedstuffs to produce special biological protein feed for dairy cow. The results showed that the milk production, milk protein percentage, milk fat percentage and milk DM percentage of test groups in trial period were significantly more than those of the control group （P〈0.01）, the results showed that adding fermenting protein feed in dairy cow diets could significantly improve milk yield, milk protein and milk fat content. The economic benefits of actual application were analyzed, the group of 0.5% was the best compared with the other groups.