Rationally designing electrolyte additives for highly improving cyclability of LiNi_(0.5)Mn_(1.5)O_(4)/Graphite cells

High voltage is necessary for high energy lithium-ion batteries but difficult to achieve because of the highly deteriorated cyclability of the batteries.A novel strategy is developed to extend cyclability of a high voltage lithium-ion battery,LiNi_(0.5)Mn_(1.5)O_(4)/Graphite(LNMO/Graphite)cell,which emphasizes a rational design of an electrolyte additive that can effectively construct protective interphases on anode and cathode and highly eliminate the effect of hydrogen fluoride(HF).5-Trifluoromethylpyridine-trime thyl lithium borate(LTFMP-TMB),is synthesized,featuring with multi-functionalities.Its anion TFMPTMB-tends to be enriched on cathode and can be preferentially oxidized yielding TMB and radical TFMP-.Both TMB and radical TFMP can combine HF and thus eliminate the detrimental effect of HF on cathode,while the TMB dragged on cathode thus takes a preferential oxidation and constructs a protective cathode interphase.On the other hand,LTFMP-TMB is preferentially reduced on anode and constructs a protective anode interphase.Consequently,a small amount of LTFMP-TMB(0.2%)in 1.0 M LiPF6in EC/DEC/EMC(3/2/5,wt%)results in a highly improved cyclability of LNMO/Graphite cell,with the capacity retention enhanced from 52%to 80%after 150 cycles at 0.5 C between 3.5 and 4.8 V.The as-developed strategy provides a model of designing electrolyte additives for improving cyclability of high voltage batteries.

Dual Additives for Stabilizing Li Deposition and SEI Formation in Anode-Free Li-Metal Batteries

Anode-free Li-metal batteries are of significant interest to energy storage industries due to their intrinsically high energy.However,the accumulative Li dendrites and dead Li continuously consume active Li during cycling.That results in a short lifetime and low Coulombic efficiency of anode-free Li-metal batteries.Introducing effective electrolyte additives can improve the Li deposition homogeneity and solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)stability for anode-free Li-metal batteries.Herein,we reveal that introducing dual additives,composed of LiAsF6 and fluoroethylene carbonate,into a low-cost commercial carbonate electrolyte will boost the cycle life and average Coulombic efficiency of NMC‖Cu anode-free Li-metal batteries.The NMC‖Cu anode-free Li-metal batteries with the dual additives exhibit a capacity retention of about 75%after 50 cycles,much higher than those with bare electrolytes(35%).The average Coulombic efficiency of the NMC‖Cu anode-free Li-metal batteries with additives can maintain 98.3%over 100 cycles.In contrast,the average Coulombic efficiency without additives rapidly decline to 97%after only 50 cycles.In situ Raman measurements reveal that the prepared dual additives facilitate denser and smoother Li morphology during Li deposition.The dual additives significantly suppress the Li dendrite growth,enabling stable SEI formation on anode and cathode surfaces.Our results provide a broad view of developing low-cost and high-effective functional electrolytes for high-energy and long-life anode-free Li-metal batteries.

A review of ultra-high temperature heat-resistant energetic materials

Heat-resistant energetic materials refer to a type of energetic materials that possess a high melting point,high stability and operational safety. By studying the structures of these energetic materials has showed that the thermal stability can be enhanced by introducing amino groups to form intra/inter-molecular hydrogen bonds, constructing conjugate systems and designing symmetrical structures. This article aims to review the physical and chemical properties of ultra-high temperature heat-resistant energetic compounds and provide valuable theoretical insights for the preparation of ultra-high temperature heatresistant energetic materials. We also analyze the selected 20 heat-resistant energetic materials with decomposition temperatures higher than 350℃, serving as templates for the synthesis of various highperformance heat-resistant energetic materials.

Effects of Additives on the Microstructure and Tribology Performance of Ta-12W Alloy Micro-Arc Oxidation Coating

Oxide ceramic coatings were fabricated on tantalum alloys by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) to improve their hardness and tribological properties. The MAO coatings were manufactured in a mixed silicatephosphate electrolyte containing NaF and/or EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid). The surface morphology,cross-sectional view, chemical composition, hardness, and wear performance of the coatings were analysed. As revealed by the scanning electron microscopy, silica-rich nodules appear on the MAO coating obtained in the silicate-phosphate electrolyte, but the formation of nodules is inhibited with NaF and/or EDTA in the electrolyte.Also, they reduce the roughness and improve the compactness of the coatings, which are composed of Ta_(2)O_(5),(Ta, O), and TaO. A thick and hard coating is obtained in the NaF-containing electrolyte, and the tribology performance is effectively improved. With additives, the nodule structure is detached from the coating surface and dissolved in the electrolyte. By using NaF as an electrolyte additive, the abrasion performance of the MAO coating is enhanced by decreasing the nodule structure, increasing the size of micropores, and improving the coating hardness.

Manipulating Crystal Growth and Secondary Phase PbI_(2)to Enable Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells with Natural Additives

In perovskite solar cells(PSCs),the inherent defects of perovskite film and the random distribution of excess lead iodide(PbI_(2))prevent the improvement of efficiency and stability.Herein,natural cellulose is used as the raw material to design a series of cellulose derivatives for perovskite crystallization engineering.The cationic cellulose derivative C-Im-CN with cyano-imidazolium(Im-CN)cation and chloride anion prominently promotes the crystallization process,grain growth,and directional orientation of perovskite.Meanwhile,excess PbI_(2)is transferred to the surface of perovskite grains or formed plate-like crystallites in local domains.These effects result in suppressing defect formation,decreasing grain boundaries,enhancing carrier extraction,inhibiting non-radiative recombination,and dramatically prolonging carrier lifetimes.Thus,the PSCs exhibit a high power conversion efficiency of 24.71%.Moreover,C-Im-CN has multiple interaction sites and polymer skeleton,so the unencapsulated PSCs maintain above 91.3%of their initial efficiencies after 3000 h of continuous operation in a conventional air atmosphere and have good stability under high humidity conditions.The utilization of biopolymers with excellent structure-designability to manage the perovskite opens a state-of-the-art avenue for manufacturing and improving PSCs.

Interactions between maternal parity and feed additives drive the composition of pig gut microbiomes in the post‑weaning period

Background Nursery pigs undergo stressors in the post-weaning period that result in production and welfare chal-lenges.These challenges disproportionately impact the offspring of primiparous sows compared to those of mul-tiparous counterparts.Little is known regarding potential interactions between parity and feed additives in the post-weaning period and their effects on nursery pig microbiomes.Therefore,the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal parity on sow and offspring microbiomes and the influence of sow parity on pig fecal microbi-ome and performance in response to a prebiotic post-weaning.At weaning,piglets were allotted into three treat-ment groups:a standard nursery diet including pharmacological doses of Zn and Cu(Con),a group fed a commercial prebiotic only(Preb)based on an Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract,and a group fed the same prebiotic plus Zn and Cu(Preb+ZnCu).Results Although there were no differences in vaginal microbiome composition between primiparous and mul-tiparous sows,fecal microbiome composition was different(R^(2)=0.02,P=0.03).The fecal microbiomes of primiparous offspring displayed significantly higher bacterial diversity compared to multiparous offspring at d 0 and d 21 post-weaning(P<0.01),with differences in community composition observed at d 21(R^(2)=0.03,P=0.04).When analyzing the effects of maternal parity within each treatment,only the Preb diet triggered significant microbiome distinc-tions between primiparous and multiparous offspring(d 21:R^(2)=0.13,P=0.01;d 42:R^(2)=0.19,P=0.001).Composi-tional differences in pig fecal microbiomes between treatments were observed only at d 21(R^(2)=0.12,P=0.001).Pigs in the Con group gained significantly more weight throughout the nursery period when compared to those in the Preb+ZnCu group.Conclusions Nursery pig gut microbiome composition was influenced by supplementation with an Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract,with varying effects on performance when combined with pharmacological levels of Zn and Cu or for offspring of different maternal parity groups.These results indicate that the development of nursery pig gut microbiomes is shaped by maternal parity and potential interactions with the effects of dietary feed additives.

Research Progress of Additives to Improve Hydration Resistance of Magnesia-calcium Materials

Magnesia-calcium materials have stable hot performance,good resistance to the erosion and corrosion of liquid steel and steel slag,and a special role in purifying liquid steel,so they are widely used in iron and steel industry.However,hydration of magnesia-calcium materials seriously restricts their use,so researches have been done to improve their hydration resistance,obtaining a series of achievements.In this paper,the improvements on the hydration resistance of magnesia-calcium materials by additives in recent 20 years were presented,and their mechanisms were summarized.

Identification of Lubricating Oil Additives Using XGBoost and Ant Colony Optimization Algorithms

To address the problem of identifying multiple types of additives in lubricating oil,a method based on midinfrared spectral band selection using the eXtreme Gradient Boosting(XGBoost)algorithm combined with the ant colony optimization(ACO)algorithm is proposed.The XGBoost algorithm was used to train and test three additives,T534(alkyl diphenylamine),T308(isooctyl acid thiophospholipid octadecylamine),and T306(trimethylphenol phosphate),separately,in order to screen for the optimal combination of spectral bands for each additive.The ACO algorithm was used to optimize the parameters of the XGBoost algorithm to improve the identification accuracy.During this process,the support vector machine(SVM)and hybrid bat algorithms(HBA)were included as a comparison,generating four models:ACO-XGBoost,ACO-SVM,HBA-XGboost,and HBA-SVM.The results showed that all four models could identify the three additives efficiently,with the ACO-XGBoost model achieving 100%recognition of all three additives.In addition,the generalizability of the ACO-XGBoost model was further demonstrated by predicting a lubricating oil containing the three additives prepared in our laboratory and a collected sample of commercial oil currently in use。

Selection of Negative Charged Acidic Polar Additives to Regulate Electric Double Layer for Stable Zinc Ion Battery

Zinc-ion batteries are promising for large-scale electrochemical energy storage systems,which still suffer from interfacial issues,e.g.,hydrogen evolution side reaction(HER),self-corrosion,and uncontrollable dendritic Zn electrodeposition.Although the regulation of electric double layer(EDL)has been verified for interfacial issues,the principle to select the additive as the regulator is still misted.Here,several typical amino acids with different characteristics were examined to reveal the interfacial behaviors in regulated EDL on the Zn anode.Negative charged acidic polarity(NCAP)has been unveiled as the guideline for selecting additive to reconstruct EDL with an inner zincophilic H_(2)O-poor layer and to replace H_(2)O molecules of hydrated Zn^(2+)with NCAP glutamate.Taking the synergistic effects of EDL regulation,the uncontrollable interface is significantly stabilized from the suppressed HER and anti-self-corrosion with uniform electrodeposition.Consequently,by adding NCAP glutamate,a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.83%of Zn metal is achieved in Zn|Cu asymmetrical cell for over 2000 cycles,and NH4V4O10|Zn full cell exhibits a high-capacity retention of 82.1%after 3000 cycles at 2 A g^(-1).Recapitulating,the NCAP principle posted here can quicken the design of trailblazing electrolyte additives for aqueous Zn-based electrochemical energy storage systems.

Identification of Antioxidant Additives in Food Products Sold in Dakar Markets

The use of food additives in industrial production has the advantage of improving sensory properties, technological quality and extending the shelf life of foods. Among the most widely used additives are antioxidants, which prevent oxidation, browning and rancidity reactions in foods. However, the strong presence of these additives on the market is not without risks for human health, and should be controlled to guarantee food safety. Analysis of the risks associated with consumption of foods containing these additives requires, among other things, information on the frequency of use of these additives in various consumer products. The aim of this study is therefore to identify the antioxidants present in industrial food products distributed in Dakar. The methodology adopted consists of a qualitative analysis based on the identification of additives from food labels. Investigations were carried out in 9 stores, 4 superettes and 2 supermarkets located in different districts of Dakar. The results revealed the presence of 12 antioxidant additives, dominated by citric acid (53%) and ascorbic acid (29%). These studies have also highlighted the simultaneous use of several antioxidants in the same food product. Moreover, for some artificial antioxidants identified antioxydant such as BHA and BHT, health risks are associated with their consumption. The results of this study open up prospects for the development of information databases on food additives.

Consumers’ Perception and Knowledge of Food Additives in Senegal: A Pilot Study

Food safety has become a major concern for consumers, as well as a priority for regulatory authorities. Faced with the growing industrial and domestic use of food additives, many questions are being asked and concerns are being felt by consumers around the world. Consumer perception defines the acceptability or rejection of food products, and has an impact on consumption patterns and behavior. To assess the level of knowledge and perception of food additives, a pilot study was carried out on a sample of 200 people in Dakar and Saint-Louis. A questionnaire was used to assess the acceptance or rejection, use and impact of food additives by consumers in Senegal. The results revealed several aspects. On the whole, the people surveyed expressed great mistrust and even rejection of these substances added to food products. This consumer perception is shared throughout the world, as indicated in numerous surveys. It also emerges from this study that, although most consumers are aware of the existence of these additives and their uses in the home, they feel that the use of these substances in industrial production is too excessive. What’s more, consumers associate food additives with numerous pathologies such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke and even sexual impotence. For some of these indexed pathologies, scientific studies have reached the same conclusions, although controversy still persists. On the other hand, for some of the other adverse effects mentioned, no cause-and-effect relationship has been scientifically demonstrated. In these latter cases, it seems that negative communication, misinformation and misconceptions have a major influence on consumer perception of food additives.

Research on Detection of Food additives Based on Terahertz Spectroscopy and Analytic Hierarchy Process

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy is a kind of far-infrared spectroscopy technology,and its spectrum reflects the internal properties of substances with rich physical and chemical information,so the use of terahertz waves can be used to qualitatively identify food additives containing nitrogen elements.Analytic hierarchy process(AHP)was originally used to solve evaluation-type problems,and this paper introduces it into the field of terahertz spectral qualitative analysis,proposes a terahertz time-domain spectral qualitative identification method combined with analytic hierarchy process,and verifies the feasibility of the method by taking four common food additives(xylitol,L-alanine,sorbic acid,and benzoic acid)and two illegal additives(melamine,and Sudan Red No.I)as the objects of study.Firstly,the collected terahertz time-domain spectral data were pre-processed and transformed into a data set consisting of peaks,peak positions,peak numbers and overall trends;then,the data were divided into comparison and test sets,and a qualitative additive identification model incorporating analytic hierarchy process was constructed and parameter optimisation was performed.The results showed that the qualitative identification accuracies of additives based on single factors,i.e.,overall trend,peak value,peak position,and peak number,were 80.23%,70.93%,67.44%,and 40.70%,respectively,whereas the identification accuracy of the analytic hierarchy process qualitative identification method based on multi-factors could be improved to 92.44%.In addition,the fuzzy characterisation of the absorption spectrum data was binarised in the data pre-processing stage and used as the base data for the overall trend,and the recognition accuracy was improved to 94.19%by combining the fuzzy characterisation method of such data with the hierarchical analysis qualitative recognition model.The results show that it is feasible to use terahertz technology to identify different varieties of additives,and this paper constructs a hierarchical analytical qualitative model with better effect,which provides a new means for food additives detection,and the method is simple in steps,with a small demand for samples,which is suitable for the rapid detection of small samples.

Wire arc additive manufacturing of a heat-resistant Al-Cu-Ag-Sc alloy:microstructures and high-temperature mechanical properties

With a high energy efficiency,low geometric limitation,and low cracking susceptivity to cracks,wire arc additive manufacturing(WAAM)has become an ideal substitute for casting in the manufacturing of load-bearing high strength aluminum components in aerospace industry.Recently,in scientific researches,the room temperature mechanical performance of additive manufactured high strength aluminum alloys has been continuously broken through,and proves these alloys can achieve comparable or even higher properties than the forged counterpart.Since the aluminum components for aerospace usage experience high-low temperature cycling due to the absence of atmosphere protection,the high temperature performances of additive manufactured high strength aluminum alloys are also important.However,few research focuses on that.A special 2319Ag Sc with 0.4 wt.%Ag and 0.2 wt.%Sc addition designed for high temperature application is deposited successfully via cold metal transfer(CMT)based on WAAM.The microstructures and high temperature tensile properties are investigated.The results show that the as-deposited 2319Ag Sc alloy presents an alternate distribution of columnar grains and equiaxed grains with no significant textures.Main second phases are Al_(2)Cu and Al3Sc,while co-growth of Al_(2)Cu and bulk Al_(3)Sc is found on the grain boundary.During manufacturing,nanoscale Al_(2)Cu can precipitate out from the matrix.Ag and Mg form nano-scaleΩphase on the Al_(2)Cu precipitates.At 260℃,average yield strengths in the horizontal direction and vertical direction are 87 MPa±2 MPa,87 MPa±4 MPa,while average ultimate tensile strengths are 140 MPa±7 MPa,141 MPa±11 MPa,and average elongations are 11.0%±2.5%,13.5%±3.0%.Anisotropy in different directions is weak.

A comprehensive review of pre-lithiation/sodiation additives for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries

Lithium/Sodium-ion batteries(LIB/SIB)have attracted enormous attention as a promising electrochemical energy storage system due to their high energy density and long cycle life.One of the major hurdles is the initial irreversible capacity loss during the first few cycles owing to forming the solid electrolyte interphase layer(SEI).This process consumes a profusion of lithium/sodium,which reduces the overall energy density and cycle life.Thus,a suitable approach to compensate for the irreversible capacity loss must be developed to improve the energy density and cycle life.Pre-lithiation/sodiation is a widely accepted process to compensate for the irreversible capacity loss during the initial cycles.Various strategies such as physical,chemical,and electrochemical pre-lithiation/sodiation have been explored;however,these approaches add an extra step to the current manufacturing process.Alternative to these strategies,pre-lithiation/sodiation additives have attracted enormous attention due to their easy adaptability and compatibility with the current battery manufacturing process.In this review,we consolidate recent developments and emphasize the importance of using pre-lithiation/sodiation additives(anode and cathode)to overcome the irreversible capacity loss during the initial cycles in lithium/sodium-ion batteries.This review also addresses the technical and scientific challenges of using pre-lithiation/sodiation additives and offers the insights to boost the energy density and cycle life with their possible commercial exploration.The most important prerequisites for designing effective pre-lithiation/sodiation additives have been explored and the future directions have been discussed.

Combustion performance of pulverized coal and corresponding kinetics study after adding the additives of Fe_(2)O_(3) and CaO

Combustion performance of pulverized coal(PC)in blast furnace(BF)process is regarded as a criteria parameter to assess the prop-er injection dosage of PC.In this paper,effects of two kinds of additives,Fe_(2)O_(3) and CaO,on PC combustion were studied using the thermo-gravimetric method.The results demonstrate that both the Fe_(2)O_(3) and CaO can promote combustion performance index of PC including igni-tion index(C_(i)),burnout index(D_(b)),as well as comprehensive combustibility index(S_(n)).The S_(n) increases from 1.37×10^(−6) to 2.16×10^(−6)%2·min^(−2)·℃^(−3) as the Fe_(2)O_(3) proportion increases from 0 to 5.0wt%.Additionally,the combustion kinetics of PC was clarified using the Coats-Redfern method.The results show that the activation energy(E)of PC combustion decreases after adding the above additives.For instance,the E decreases from 56.54 to 35.75 kJ/mol when the Fe_(2)O_(3) proportion increases from 0 to 5.0wt%,which supports the improved combustion per-formance.Moreover,it is uneconomic to utilize pure Fe_(2)O_(3) and CaO in production.Based on economy analysis,we selected the iron-bearing dust(IBD)which contains much Fe_(2)O_(3) and CaO component to investigate,and got the same effects.Therefore,the IBD is a potential option for catalytic PC combustion in BF process.

Trace Amounts of Triple-Functional Additives Enable Reversible Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries from a Comprehensive Perspective

Although their cost-effectiveness and intrinsic safety,aqueous zinc-ion batteries suffer from notorious side reactions including hydrogen evolution reaction,Zn corrosion and passivation,and Zn dendrite formation on the anode.Despite numerous strategies to alleviate these side reactions have been demonstrated,they can only provide limited performance improvement from a single aspect.Herein,a triple-functional additive with trace amounts,ammonium hydroxide,was demonstrated to comprehensively protect zinc anodes.The results show that the shift of electrolyte pH from 4.1 to 5.2 lowers the HER potential and encourages the in situ formation of a uniform ZHS-based solid electrolyte interphase on Zn anodes.Moreover,cationic NH^(4+)can preferentially adsorb on the Zn anode surface to shield the“tip effect”and homogenize the electric field.Benefitting from this comprehensive protection,dendrite-free Zn deposition and highly reversible Zn plating/stripping behaviors were realized.Besides,improved electrochemical performances can also be achieved in Zn//MnO_(2)full cells by taking the advantages of this triple-functional additive.This work provides a new strategy for stabilizing Zn anodes from a comprehensive perspective.

Achieving a high-strength dissimilar joint of T91 heat-resistant steel to 316L stainless steel via friction stir welding

The reliable welding of T91 heat-resistant steel to 316L stainless steel is a considerable issue for ensuring the safety in service of ultrasupercritical power generation unit and nuclear fusion reactor,but the high-quality dissimilar joint of these two steels was difficult to be obtained by traditional fusion welding methods.Here we improved the structure-property synergy in a dissimilar joint of T91 steel to 316L steel via friction stir welding.A defect-free joint with a large bonding interface was produced using a small-sized tool under a relatively high welding speed.The bonding interface was involved in a mixing zone with both mechanical mixing and metallurgical bonding.No obvious material softening was detected in the joint except a negligible hardness decline of only HV~10 in the heat-affected zone of the T91 steel side due to the formation of ferrite phase.The welded joint exhibited an excellent ultimate tensile strength as high as that of the 316L parent metal and a greatly enhanced yield strength on account of the dependable bonding and material renovation in the weld zone.This work recommends a promising technique for producing high-strength weldments of dissimilar nuclear steels.

Highly soluble organic nitrate additives for practical lithium metal batteries

The stability of lithium metal anodes essentially dictates the lifespan of high-energy-density lithium metal batteries.Lithium nitrate(LiNO_(3))is widely recognized as an effective additive to stabilize lithium metal anodes by forming LiN_(x)O_(y)-containing solid electrolyte interphase(SEI).However,its poor solubility in electrolytes,especially ester electrolytes,hinders its applications in lithium metal batteries.Herein,an organic nitrate,isosorbide nitrate(ISDN),is proposed to replace LiNO_(3).ISDNhas a high solubility of 3.3M in ester electrolytes due to the introduction of organic segments in the molecule.The decomposition of ISDN generates LiN_(x)O_(y)-rich SEI,enabling uniform lithium deposition.The lifespan of lithium metal batteries with ISDN significantly increases from 80 to 155 cycles under demanding conditions.Furthermore,a lithium metal pouch cell of 439Whkg^(−1) delivers 50 cycles.This work opens a new avenue to develop additives by molecular modifications for practical lithium metal batteries.

Ecofriendly Hydroxyalkyl Cellulose Additives for Efficient and Stable MAPbI_(3)-Based Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have been demonstrated to be one of the most promising technologies in the field of renewable energy.However,the presence of the defects in the perovskite films greatly limits the efficiency and the stability of the PSCs.The additive engineering is one of the most effective approaches to overcome this problem.Most of the successful additives are extracted from the petroleum-based materials,while the research on the biomass-based additives is still lagging behind.In this paper,two ecofriendly hydroxyalkyl cellulose additives,i.e.,hydroxyethyl cellulose(HEC)and hydroxylpropyl cellulose(HPC),are investigated on the performance of the MAPbl_(3)-based inverted PSCs.Due to the strong interaction between the hydroxyl groups of the cellulose and the divalent cations of the perovskite,these additives enhance the crystal grain orientation and significantly repair the defects of the perovskite films.Working as the additives,these two cellulose derivatives show a strong passivation ability,which significantly reduces the trap density and improves the optoelectronic feature of the PSCs.Compared with the average power conversion efficiency(PCE)of the control device(19.19%),an enhancement of~10%is achieved after the addition of HEC.The optimized device(PCE=21.25%)with a long-term stability(10:80 h,PCE=20.93%)is achieved by the incorporation of the HEC additives into the precursor solution.It is the best performance among the PSCs with the cellulose additives up to now.This research provides a novel choice to develop a cost-effective and renewable additive for the PSCs with high efficiency and excellent long-term stability.

Phytogenic feed additives alleviate pathogenic Escherichia coli-induced intestinal damage through improving barrier integrity and inhibiting inflammation in weaned pigs

Background:This study was conducted to investigate the effects of each phytogenic feed additive(PFA;PFA1,bitter citrus extract;PFA2,a microencapsulated blend of thymol and carvacrol;PFA3,a mixture of bitter citrus extract,thymol,and carvacrol;PFA4,a premixture of grape seed,grape marc extract,green tea,and hops;PFA5,fenugreek seed powder)on the growth performance,nutrient digestibility,intestinal morphology,and immune response in weaned pigs infected with Escherichia coli(E.coli).Results:A total of 634-week-old weaned pigs were placed in individual metabolic cages and assigned to seven treatment groups.The seven treatments were as follows:1)NC;basal diet without E.coli challenge,2)PC;basal diet with E.coli challenge,3)T1;PC+0.04%PFA1,4)T2;PC+0.01%PFA2,5)T3;PC+0.10%PFA3,6)T4;PC+0.04%PFA4,7)T5;PC+0.10%PFA5.The experiments lasted in 21 d,including 7 d before and 14 d after the first E.coli challenge.In the E.coli challenge treatments,all pigs were orally inoculated by dividing a total of 10 mL of E.coli F18 for 3 consecutive days.The PFA-added groups significantly increased(P<0.05)average daily gain and feed efficiency and decreased(P<0.05)the fecal score at d 0 to 14 post-inoculation(PI).Tumor necrosis factorαwas significantly lower(P<0.05)in the PFA-added groups except for T1 in d 14 PI compared to the PC treatment.The T3 had a higher(P<0.05)immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A concentration compared to the PC treatment at d 7 PI.Also,T3 showed significantly higher(P<0.05)villus height:crypt depth and claudin 1 expression in ileal mucosa,and significantly downregulated(P<0.05)the expression of calprotectin compared to the PC treatment.Conclusions:Supplementation of PFA in weaned pigs challenged with E.coli alleviated the negative effects of E.coli and improved growth performance.Among them,the mixed additive of bitter citrus extract,thymol,and carvacrol showed the most effective results,improving immune response,intestinal morphology,and expression of tight junctions.