Dietary eubiotics of microbial muramidase and glycan improve intestinal villi,ileum microbiota composition and production trait of broiler

Background Optimal gut health is important to maximize growth performance and feed efficiency in broiler chickens.A total of 1,365 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly divided into 5 treatments groups with 21 replicates,13 birds per replicate.The present research investigated effects of microbial muramidase or a precision glycan alone or in combination on growth performance,apparent total tract digestibility,total blood carotenoid content,intestinal villus length,meat quality and gut microbiota in broiler chickens.Treatments included:NC:negative control(basal diet group);PC:positive control(basal diet+0.02%probiotics);MR:basal diet+0.035%microbial muramidase;PG:basal diet+0.1%precision glycan;and MRPG:basal diet+0.025%MR+0.1%PG,respectively.Results MRPG group increased the body weight gain and feed intake(P<0.05)compared with NC group.Moreover,it significantly increased total serum carotenoid(P<0.05)and MRPG altered the microbial diversity in ileum contents.The MRPG treatment group increased the abundance of the phylum Firmicutes,and family Lachnospiraceae,Ruminococcaceae,Oscillospiraceae,Lactobacillaceae,Peptostreptococcaceae and decreased the abundance of the phylum Campilobacterota,Bacteroidota and family Bacteroidaceae.Compared with the NC group,the chickens fed MRPG showed significantly increased in duodenum villus length at end the trial.Conclusion In this study,overall results showed that the synergetic effects of MR and PG showed enhancing growth performance,total serum carotenoid level and altering gut microbiota composition of broilers.The current research indicates that co-supplementation of MR and PG in broiler diets enhances intestinal health,consequently leading to an increased broiler production.

Maintenance of gut microbiome stability for optimum intestinal health in pigs——a review

Pigs are exposed to various challenges such as weaning,environmental stressors,unhealthy diet,diseases and infections during their lifetime which adversely affects the gut microbiome.The inability of the pig microbiome to return to the pre-challenge baseline may lead to dysbiosis resulting in the outbreak of diseases.Therefore,the maintenance of gut microbiome diversity,robustness and stability has been influential for optimum intestinal health after perturbations.Nowadays human and animal researches have focused on more holistic approaches to obtain a robust gut microbiota that provides protection against pathogens and improves the digestive physiology and the immune system.In this review,we present an overview of the swine gut microbiota,factors affecting the gut microbiome and the importance of microbial stability in promoting optimal intestinal health.Additionally,we discussed the current understanding of nutritional interventions using fibers and pre/probiotics supplementation as non-antibiotic alternatives to maintain microbiota resilience to replace diminished species.

Effects of dietary coenzyme Q10 supplementation during gestation on the embryonic survival and reproductive performance of high‑parity sows

Background Fertility declines in high-parity sows.This study investigated whether parity-dependent declines in embryonic survival and reproductive performance could be restored by dietary coenzyme Q10(CoQ10)supplementation.Methods Two experiments were performed.In Exp.1,30 young sows that had completed their 2nd parity and 30 high-parity sows that had completed their 10^(th)parity,were fed either a control diet(CON)or a CON diet supple-mented with 1 g/kg CoQ10(+CoQ10)from mating until slaughter at day 28 of gestation.In Exp.2,a total of 314 post-weaning sows with two to nine parities were fed the CON or+CoQ10 diets from mating throughout gestation.Results In Exp.1,both young and high-parity sows had a similar number of corpora lutea,but high-parity sows had lower plasma CoQ10 concentrations,down-regulated genes involved with de novo CoQ10 synthesis in the endome-trium tissues,and greater levels of oxidative stress markers in plasma and endometrium tissues.High-parity sows had fewer total embryos and alive embryos,lower embryonic survival,and greater embryo mortality than young sows.Dietary CoQ10 supplementation increased the number of live embryos and the embryonic survival rate to levels simi-lar to those of young sows,as well as lowering the levels of oxidative stress markers.In Exp.2,sows showed a parity-dependent decline in plasma CoQ10 levels,and sows with more than four parities showed a progressive decline in the number of total births,live births,and piglets born effective.Dietary supplementation with CoQ10 increased the number of total births,live births,and born effective,and decreased the intra-litter covariation coefficients and the percentage of sows requiring farrowing assistance during parturition.Conclusions Dietary CoQ10 supplementation can improve the embryonic survival and reproductive performance of gestating sows with high parity,probably by improving the development of uterine function.

The dynamics of the piglet gut microbiome during the weaning transition in association with health and nutrition

Background: Understanding the composition of the microbial community and its functional capacity during weaning is important for pig production as bacteria play important roles in the pig’s health and growth performance. However,limited information is available regarding the composition and function of the gut microbiome of piglets in early-life.Therefore, we performed 16 S rRNA gene and whole metagenome shotgun sequencing of DNA from fecal samples from healthy piglets during weaning to measure microbiome shifts, and to identify the potential contribution of the early-life microbiota in shaping piglet health with a focus on microbial stress responses, carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism.Results: The analysis of 16 S rR NA genes and whole metagenome shotgun sequencing revealed significant compositional and functional differences between the fecal microbiome in nursing and weaned piglets. The fecal microbiome of the nursing piglets showed higher relative abundance of bacteria in the genus Bacteroides with abundant gene families related to the utilization of lactose and galactose. Prevotel a and Lactobacil us were enriched in weaned piglets with an enrichment for the gene families associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. In addition, an analysis of the functional capacity of the fecal microbiome showed higher abundances of genes associated with heat shock and oxidative stress in the metagenome of weaned piglets compared to nursing piglets.Conclusions: Overal, our data show that microbial shifts and changes in functional capacities of the piglet fecal microbiome resulted in potential reductions in the effects of stress, including dietary changes that occur during weaning.These results provide us with new insights into the piglet gut microbiome that contributes to the growth of the animal.

Response to an Escherichia coli K88 oral challenge and productivity of weanling pigs receiving a dietary nucleotides supplement

Background： Dietary nucleotides, considered as antibiotics alternative, were shown to have positive effects on intestinal hyperaemia, systemic immunity, small-intestinal growth, and hepatic composition in pigs. However, there is no previous research on nucleotide supplementation in weanling pigs under an oral challenged E. coil K88. Therefore, 2 experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary nucleotides on weanling pig growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal score, and blood profile after being orally challenged with E. coli K88. Methods： In Exp. 1, a total of 140 weanling pigs [8.33 ± 0.33 kg of body weight （BW）, 28-d old] were used in this 42-d feeding trial. Pigs were distributed into 1 of 4 treatments, 5 pigs/pen （3 barrows and 2 gilts） and 7 pens/treatment. Treatments were a control basal diet （CON） or the CON supplemented with 150 （R150）, 220 （R220）, or 275 （R275） mg/kg to give the three treatment diets. In Exp. 2, 28 weanling pigs （BW = 8.40 ± 0.22 kg, 28-d old） were distributed into 1 of 4 treatments to give 1 pig/pen and 7 pens/treatment in a 42-d feeding and challenge trial. Dietary treatments were the same as in Exp. 1. 0n d 14, all those pigs （BW= 13.3±0.15 kg, 42-d old） were orally dosed with 1.5 mL suspension containing 10 cfu/mL of E. coli K88. Twenty four hours after challenge, blood and excreta samples were collected from each pigs for analysis. Fecal scores were measured on d 7, 14, 21, and 28 of the study. Results： In Exp. 1, overall BW, average daily gain （ADG）, gain/feed （G/F） ratio, and nutrient digestibilities were lower （P 〈 0.05） in CON group compared with the nucleotides fed pigs. In Exp. 2, after challenge, IgA, IgM, and IGF-I were higher （P〈 0.05） in the nucleotide groups compared with CON. However, the nucleotide groups had lower （P 〈 0.05） cortisol and TNF-o compared with CON. Fecal E. coil counts and fecal score for the nucleotide groups were lower （P 〈 0.05） than for CON. Conclusions： In conclusion, dietary nucleotides supplementation could improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, immune status, microbial balance, reduce diarrhea, and provide protection against enterotoxigenic E. coli K88 infection in weanling pigs.

Glutamine depletion induces murine neonatal melena with increased apoptosis of the intestinal epithelium

AIM:To investigate the possible biological outcome and effect of glutamine depletion in neonatal mice and rodent intestinal epithelial cells.METHODS:We developed three kinds of artificial milk with different amounts of glutamine;Complete amino acid milk (CAM),which is based on maternal mouse milk,glutamine-depleted milk (GDM),and glutaminerich milk (GRM).GRM contains three-fold more glutamine than CAM.Eighty-seven newborn mice were divided into three groups and were fed with either of CAM,GDM,or GRM via a recently improved nipple-bottle system for seven days.After the feeding period,the mice were subjected to macroscopic and microscopic observations by immunohistochemistry for 5-bromo-2'deoxyuridine (BrdU) and Ki-67 as markers of cell proliferation,and for cleaved-caspase-3 as a marker of apoptosis.Moreover,IEC6 rat intestinal epithelial cells were cultured in different concentrations of glutamine and were subject to a 4-[3-(4-iodophenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)2H-5-tetrazolio]-1,3-benzene disulfonate cell proliferation assay,flow cytometry,and western blotting to examine the biological effect of glutamine on cell growth and apoptosis.RESULTS:During the feeding period,we found colonic hemorrhage in six of 28 GDM-fed mice (21.4%),but not in the GRM-fed mice,with no differences in body weight gain between each group.Microscopic examination showed destruction of microvilli and the disappearance of glycocalyx of the intestinal wall in the colon epithelial tissues taken from GDM-fed mice.Intake of GDM reduced BrdU incorporation (the average percentage of BrdU-positive staining;GRM:13.8%,CAM:10.7%,GDM:1.14%,GRM vs GDM:P < 0.001,CAM vs GDM:P < 0.001) and Ki-67 labeling index (the average percentage of Ki67-positive staining;GRM:24.5%,CAM:22.4% GDM:19.4%,GRM vs GDM:P=0.001,CAM vs GDM:P =0.049),suggesting that glutamine depletion inhibited cell proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells.Glutamine deprivation further caused the deformation of the nuclear membrane and the plasma membrane,accompanied by chromatin degeneration and an absence of fat droplets from the colonic epithelia,indicating that the cells underwent apoptosis.Moreover,immunohistochemical analysis revealed the appearance of cleaved caspase-3 in colonic epithelial cells of GDM-fed mice.Finally,when IEC6 rat intestinal epithelial cells were cultured without glutamine,cell proliferation was significantly suppressed after 24 h (relative cell growth;4 mmol/L:100.0% ± 36.1%,0 mmol/L:25.3% ± 25.0%,P < 0.05),with severe cellular damage.The cells underwent apoptosis,accompanied by increased cell population in sub-G0 phase (4 mmol/L:1.68%,0.4 mmol/L:1.35%,0 mmol/L:5.21%),where dying cells are supposed to accumulate.CONCLUSION:Glutamine is an important alimentary component for the maintenance of intestinal mucosa.Glutamine deprivation can cause instability of the intestinal epithelial alignment by increased apoptosis.

Effects of betaine on etnanol-stimulated secretion of IGF-I and IGFBP-1 in rat primary hepatocytes: involvement of p42/44 MAPK activation

AIM： To evaluate the effects of betaine on the ethanolinduced secretion of IGF-I and IGFBP-1 using radioimrnunoassay and Western blotting, respectively, in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. METHODS： Hepatocytes isolated from male SpragueDawley rats were incubated with various concentrations of ethanol and PD98059 procedures. The hepatocytes were also treated with different doses of betaine （10^-5, 10^-4, and 10^-3 mol/L）. We measured IGF-I and IGFBP-1 using radioimmunoassay and Western blotting, respectively. RESULTS： The ethanol-induced inhibition of IGF-I secretion was attenuated by betaine in a concentration-dependent manner in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. At 10^-3 mol/L, betaine significantly increased IGF-I secretion but decreased IGFBP-1 secretion. In addition, p42/44 rnitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） activity was accelerated significantly from 10 min to 5 h after treatment with 10^-3 mol/L betaine. Furthermore, the changes in IGF-1 and IGFBP-1 secretion resulting from the increased betaine-induced p42/44 MAPK activity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes was blocked by treatment with the MAPK inhibitor PD98059. Betaine treatment blocked the ethanol-induced inhibition of IGF-I secretion and p42/44 MAPK activity, and the ethanol-induced increase in IGFBP-1 secretion.CONCLUSION： Betaine modulates the secretion of IGF-I and IGFBP-1 via the activation of p42144 MAPK in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Betaine also alters the MAPK activations induced by ethanol.

Effects of Bacillus subtilis CSL2 on the composition and functional diversity of the faecal microbiota of broiler chickens challenged with Salmonella Gallinarum

Background： The chicken gastrointestinal tract contains a diverse microbiota whose composition and structure play important roles in gut functionality. In this study, microbial shifts resulting from feed supplementation with Bacillus subtilis CSL2 were evaluated in broilers challenged and unchallenged with Salmonella Gallinarum. To analyse bacterial community composition and functionality, 454 GS-FLX pyrosequencing of 16 S r RNA gene amplicons was performed.Results： The Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology（QIIME） pipeline was used to analyse changes in the faecal microbiota over a 24-h period. A total of 718,204 sequences from broiler chickens were recorded and analysed. At the phylum level, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were the predominant bacterial taxa. In Salmonellainfected chickens（SC）, Bacteroidetes were more highly abundant compared to control（NC） and Bacillus-treated（BT）chickens. At the genus level, in the NC and BT groups, Lactobacil us was present at high abundance, and the abundance of Turicibacter, unclassified Enterobacteriaceae, and Bacteroides increased in SC broilers. Furthermore, taxon-independent analysis showed that the SC and BT groups were compositional y distinct at the end of the 24-h period. Further analysis of functional properties showed that B. subtilis CSL2 administration increased gut-associated energy supply mechanisms（i.e. carbohydrate transport and metabolism） to maintain a stable microbiota and protect gut integrity.Conclusions： This study demonstrated that S. Gallinarum infection and B. subtilis CSL2 supplementation in the diet of broiler chickens influenced the diversity, composition, and functional diversity of the faecal microbiota. Moreover, the findings offer significant insights to understand potential mechanisms of Salmonel a infection and the mode of action of probiotics in broiler chickens.

Identification and Determination of Phenolic Compounds in Rapeseed Meals (Brassica napus L.)

This study aimed in the identification and quantification of phenolic compounds in different four varieties of rapeseeds (Brassica napus L.) using LC-MS and HPLC. LC-MS analysis guided to identify 12 phenolic compounds including sinapine, sinapine(4-O-8')guaiacyl, feruloyl choline(4-O-8') guaiacyl, kaempferol-3-O-sinapoyl-sophoroside-7-O-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-β-sophoroside, cyclic spermidine-alkaloid, feruloyl choline(5-8')guaiacyl, kaempferol-sinapoyl-trihexoside,1,2-di- O-sinapoyl-gentiobiose, 1,2-di-O-sinapoyl-glucose, feruloyl choline(4-O-8')guaiacyl-di-sinapoyl, and sinapine(4-O-8')guaiacyl-di-sinapoyl, respectively. Total phenolic compounds in rapeseed meals were ranged from 38.50 (2012 “Sunmang”) to 63.95 mg/g dry weight (DW) (2014 Jeju local cultivar). Main phenolic compositions were cyclic spermidine-alkaloid, kaempferol, feruloyl choline, and sinapine. Sinapine was predominant compound among all the samples ranged from 29.74 to 52.24 mg/g DW (mean 79% of total phenolic contents). This study provided the information for the variation of phenolic compounds between the varieties of rapeseeds and the cultivation periods. Furthermore, this information can be developed for bio-energy industry as a reducer of the cost of the bio-energy products.

Effect of composite yogurt enriched with acacia fiber and Bifidobacterium lactis

AIM: To investigate whether composite yogurt with acacia dietary fiber and Bifidobacterium lactis (B. lactis) has additive effects in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS: A total of 130 patients were randomly allocated to consume, twice daily for 8 wk, either the composite yogurt or the control product. The composite yogurt contained acacia dietary fiber and high-dose B. lactis together with two classic yogurt starter cultures. Patients were evaluated using the visual analogscale via a structured questionnaire administered at baseline and after treatment. RESULTS: Improvements in bowel habit satisfaction and overall IBS symptoms from baseline were significantly higher in the test group than in the control group (27.16 vs 15.51, P = 0.010, 64.2 ± 17.0 vs 50.4 ± 20.5, P < 0.001; respectively). In constipation-predominant IBS, improvement in overall IBS symptoms was significantly higher in the test group than in the control group (72.4 ± 18.4 vs 50.0 ± 21.8, P < 0.001). In patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS, improvement in bowel habit satisfaction from baseline was significantly higher in the test group than in the control group (32.90 vs 7.81, P = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that composite yogurt enriched with acacia fiber and B. lactis has greater therapeutic effects in patients with IBS than standard yogurt.

Effect of Feeding Different Levels of Dietary Protein and Addition of Baker＇s Yeast （Saccharomyces cerevisiae） on Productive Parameters of Awassi Lambs

Forty eight individually fed Awassi male lambs were used in factorial experiment to investigate their responses to feeding concentrate diets containing three levels of dietary crude protein （CP）, each was offered without or with baker＇s yeast （SC） at rate of 0.5% （on dry matter （DM） basis）. Concentrates were offered at rate of 3% of live body weight with free choice of barley straw. Results revealed that higher （P 〈 0.05） digestible dry matter （DDM） and digestible organic matter （DOM） intakes were achieved due to feeding medium level of CP and to the addition of SC. Addition of SC improved （P 〈 0.05） gain, lambs fed medium and high levels gained higher （P 〈 0.05） than those fed the low level of dietary CP. Feed conversion ratio （FCR） based on DM and organic matter （OM） intakes was not significantly affected by level of dietary CP or addition of yeast. Even though, less amount of N required per unit of gain was achieved with low and medium as compared to high levels. Higher DM, nitrogen free extract （NFE） and hemicellulose （P 〈 0.05）, OM, CP, crude fiber （CF） and cellulose （P 〈 0.01） digestibilities were achieved in lambs fed the medium level of CP, whereas, no significant effect was observed on ether extract （EE）, neutral detergent fiber （NDF） and acid detergent fiber （ADF） digestibilities. Results also revealed that digestibility of almost all nutrients was improved with different extent due to addition of SC. Effect of interaction between levels of dietary CP and addition of SC referred to the preferability of addition of SC with medium level of dietary protein.

Effect of Different Levels of Flax Seed Powder as a Source of Omega-3 on the Carcass Characteristics of Karadi Lambs

This experiment was conducted at College of Agriculture, University of Sulaimany to study the effect of different levels of Flax seed powder （FP） as a source of omega-3 on the carcass characteristics of Karadi Iambs. It used 20 male Karadi lambs, with an average live-weight of 28 ± 0.398 kg and 4-5 months. They were randomly distributed to 4 treatments. FP was supplemented at the levels of 3%, 6% and 9% compared with the control group for 88 days. At the end of the experiment 12 lambs were slaughtered after overnight fasting of feed. Carcasses were chilled for 24 h at 4 ℃. Then, several measurements of carcass characteristics were taken. The results showed： no significant differences have been shown in relation to daily feed intake, live weight gain and feed conversion ratio. The treatment 9% recorded the highest in hot carcass weight （HCW） and cold carcass weight （CCW）, rib eye area （REA） and the lowest fat thickness of subcutaneous fat as compared to other treatments. While, no significant differences in dressing percentage （DP） were seen between treatments. Generally percentage of tail fat related to carcass weight and subcutaneous fat to intermuscular fat ratio decreased with FP supplementation. About carcass cuts, significant （P 〈 0.05） differences were seen in percentage of major carcass cuts （leg, rack, loin and shoulder） and secondary cuts （neck, foreshank, flank and breast cuts） relative to cold carcass weight. It can be concluded that using Flax seed powder （FP） as a source of omega-3 supplementation improved carcass characteristics and efficiency of meat production.

Evaluation of Physiological Responses to Human Approach Manner in Pet Dogs

We used eye-surface temperature and heart rate as simple, noninvasive physiological indices to evaluate dogs’ responses to an approaching person. Thirteen healthy pet dogs (49.62 ± 31.42 months;19.28 ± 11.46 kg) were recruited as subjects to investigate physiological responses to approach. We set up two types of approach (smiling and expressionless) by familiar or unfamiliar people of either sex, and all tests were recorded by video cameras. Eye temperature was measured with an infrared thermal camera image, and the dog was equipped with a heart-rate monitor during testing. There were temporal changes in heart rate, and response time differed between HR and eye temperature. Although it may be the one which has to control both a background of the dogs or observational environment, and the response time of each parameter needs to be considered, these two parameters should be useful for non-invasive monitoring of physiological states in dogs in various practical animal situations.

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.

Piglet gut microbial shifts early in life:causes and effects

The gut microbiome has long been known to play fundamentally important roles in the animal health and the well-being of its host. As such, the establishment and maintenance of a beneficial gut microbiota early in life is crucial in pigs, since early gut colonizers are pivotal in the establishment of permanent microbial community structures affecting the health and growth performance of pigs later in life. Emphasizing this importance of early gut colonizers, it is critical to understand the factors impacting the establishment of the piglet gut microbiome at weaning. Factors include, among others, diet, in-feed antibiotics, probiotics and prebiotic administration. The impact of these factors on establishment of the gut microbiome of piglets at weaning includes effects on piglet gut microbial diversity, structure, and succession. In this review, we thoroughly reviewed the most recent findings on the piglet gut microbiome shifts as influenced by weaning, and how these microbiome changes brought about by various factors that have been shown to affect the development of microbiota in piglets. This review will provide a general overview of recent studies that can help to facilitate the design of new strategies to modulate the gut microbiome in order to enhance gastrointestinal health, growth performance and well-being of piglets.

Trace metals and animal health: Interplay of the gut microbiota with iron, manganese, zinc, and copper

Metals such as iron,manganese,copper,and zinc are recognized as essential trace elements.These trace metals play critical roles in development,growth,and metabolism,participating in various metabolic processes by acting as cofactors of enzymes or providing structural support to proteins.Deficiency or toxicity of these metals can impact human and animal health,giving rise to a number of metabolic and neurological disorders.Proper breakdown,absorption,and elimination of these trace metals is a tightly regulated process that requires crosstalk between the host and these micronutrients.The gut is a complex system that serves as the interface between these components,but other factors that contribute to this delicate interaction are not well understood.The gut is home to trillions of microorganisms and microbial genes(the gut microbiome)that can regulate the metabolism and transport of micronutrients and contribute to the bioavailability of trace metals through their assimilation from food sources or by competing with the host.Furthermore,deficiency or toxicity of these metals can modulate the gut microenvironment,including microbiota,nutrient availability,stress,and immunity.Thus,understanding the role of the gut microbiota in the metabolism of manganese,iron,copper,and zinc,as well as in heavy metal deficiencies and toxicities,and vice versa,may provide insight into developing improved or alternative therapeutic strategies to address emerging health concerns.This review describes the current understanding of how the gut microbiome and trace metals interact and affect host health,particularly in pigs.

Bacteriophage cocktail supplementation improves growth performance,gut microbiome and production traits in broiler chickens

Background:Effective antibiotic alternatives are urgently needed in the poultry industry to control disease outbreaks.Phage therapy mainly utilizes lytic phages to kill their respective bacterial hosts and can be an attractive solution to combating the emergence of antibiotic resistance in livestock.Methods:Five hundred and four,one-day-old broilers(Ross 308)were allotted to 1 of 4 treatment groups in a completely randomized design.Treatments consisted of CON(basal diet),PC(CON+0.025%Avilamax®),BP 0.05(CON+0.05%bacteriophage),and BP 0.10(CON+0.10%bacteriophage).Results:A significant linear effect on body weight gain(BWG)was observed during days 1–7,days 22–35,and cumulatively in bacteriophage(BP)supplemented groups.The BWG tended to be higher(P=0.08)and the feed intake(FI)was increased(P=0.017)in the PC group over CON group.A greater(P=0.016)BWG and trends in increased FI(P=0.06)were observed in the experiment in birds fed PC than CON diet.At the genus level,the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was decreased in PC(65.28%),while it was similar in BP 0.05 and BP 0.10(90.65%,86.72%)compared to CON(90.19%).At the species level,the relative abundance of Lactobacillus salivarus was higher in BP 0.05(40.15%)and BP 0.10(38.58%)compared to the CON(20.04%)and PC(18.05%).A linear reduction in the weight of bursa of Fabricius(P=0.022)and spleen(P=0.052)was observed in birds fed graded level of BP and an increase(P=0.059)in the weight of gizzard was observed in birds fed PC over BP diets.Linear and quadratic responses were observed in redness of breast muscle color in birds fed graded level of BP.Conclusions:The inclusion of the 0.05%and 0.1%BP cocktail linearly improved broiler weight during the first 7 days,22–35 days and cumulatively,whereas 0.05%BP addition was sufficient for supporting immune organs,bursa and spleen as well as enhancing gut microbiome,indicating the efficacy of 0.05%BP as a substitute antibiotic growth promoter in broiler diets.

Clays as dietary supplements for swine:A review

Clays are crystalline, hydrated aluminosilicate molecules composed of alkali and alkaline earth cations along with small amounts of various other elements. The best-known are montmorillonite, smectite, illite, kaolinite, biotite and clinoptilolite. The molecules in these clays are arranged in three-dimensional structures creating internal voids and channels capable of trapping a wide variety of molecules. As a result of this structure, clay minerals are regarded as a simple and effective tool for the prevention of the negative effects of many toxic compounds. Dietary supplementation with clays has been shown to improve weight gain and feed conversion in pigs. Where improvements in performance have been noted, one of the most likely explanations for the improvement is the fact clays increase nutrient digestibility. Clays reduce the speed of passage of feed along the digestive tract which allows more time for digestion. Feeding clays also causes morphological changes in the intestina mucosa such as an increase in villus height and an increase in the villus height to crypt depth ratio. These changes increase the surface area of the gastrointestinal tract thus increasing nutrient digestibility, Several studies have indicated that feeding clay reduces the incidence, severity and duration of diarrhea in pigs. The mechanism for the reduction in diarrhea is likely due to increases in the numbers of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus and decreases in Clostridia and E. coil in the small intestine of pigs fed clays. In addition, the numbers of pigs born alive and weaned, birth weight and weaning weight have been shown to be higher for sows fed clays. Several studies have indicated that clays can help mitigate the effects of mycotoxins. The aim of the present review is to focus on the various clays which have been given attention in recent research and to discuss their potential to improve pig performance.

Two Gnaphosid Spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) New to Korean Spider Fauna

Drassyllus yaginumai Kamura, 1987 and Zelotes tortuosus Kamura, 1987 belonging to Gnaphosidae were captured by pitfall trap in maize and soybean fields during the survey of arthropod fauna of agricultural ecosystem in Korea. Present work describes these 2 species with illustrations of taxonomic characters.

Comparative standardized ileal amino acid digestibility and metabolizable energy contents of main feed ingredients for growing pigs when adding dietary β-mannanase

The present study was conducted to test whether the dietary supplementation of β-mannanase affects amino acids(AA) digestibility,metabolizable energy(ME) contents of corn,wheat,soybean meal,distillers dried grains with solubles,and palm kernel meal(PKM),nutrient digestibility,and growth performance of pigs.In Exp.1,22 cannulated pigs were used for 10 dietary treatments including 5 feed ingredients and 2 β-mannanase concentrations(0 and 0.5 g/kg of the diet) in 6 periods in an incomplete Latin square design to determine the AA and energy digestibility.In Exp.2,200 growing pigs were randomly allotted to 4 treatments with 2 nutrient levels(high and low) and 2 concentrations of β-mannanase(2×2 factorial arrangement) in 2 phases(phase 1,d 0 to 21;and phase 2,d 22 to 42).In Exp.1,β-mannanase increased the mean standardized ileal digestibility(SID) of AA in all feed ingredients.The amount of digestible energy was increased(P <0.05) in β-mannanase-treated PKM.Pigs fed β-mannanase showed a greater(P <0.05) digestibility of gross energy(GE).The feed-to-gain(F:G) ratio was improved(P <0.01) in pigs fed high-nutrient diets.Pigs fed β-mannanase in the diets had greater(P <0.05) average daily gain and F:G.In phase 2,the concentration of fecal ammonia was decreased(P <0.05) in pigs fed β-mannanase.Considering the 2 experiments,it can be concluded that β-mannanase increases the SID of AA,which has to be considered in balancing the rations.