Protein hydrolysates in animal nutrition：Industrial production, bioactive peptides,and functional significance

Recent years have witnessed growing interest in the role of peptides in animal nutrition. Chemical, enzymatic, or microbial hydrolysis of proteins in animal by-products or plant-source feedstuffs before feeding is an attractive means of generating high-quality small or large peptides that have both nutritional and physiological or regulatory functions in livestock, poultry and fish. These peptides may also be formed from ingested proteins in the gastrointestinal tract, but the types of resultant peptides can vary greatly with the physiological conditions of the animals and the composition of the diets. In the small intestine, large peptides are hydrolyzed to small peptides,which are absorbed into enterocytes faster than free amino acids（AAs） to provide a more balanced pattern of AAs in the blood circulation. Some peptides of plant or animal sources also have antimicrobial, antioxidant,antihypertensive, and immunomodulatory activities. Those peptides which confer biological functions beyond their nutritional value are called bioactive peptides. They are usually 2–20 AA residues in length but may consist of 〉20AA residues. Inclusion of some（e.g. 2–8%） animal-protein hydrolysates（e.g., porcine intestine, porcine mucosa,salmon viscera, or poultry tissue hydrolysates） or soybean protein hydrolysates in practical corn-and soybean mealbased diets can ensure desirable rates of growth performance and feed efficiency in weanling pigs, young calves,post-hatching poultry, and fish. Thus, protein hydrolysates hold promise in optimizing the nutrition of domestic and companion animals, as well as their health（particularly gut health） and well-being.

Fatty acids, inflammation and intestinal health in pigs

The intestine is not only critical for nutrient digestion and absorption, but also is the largest immune organ in the body.However, in pig production, inflammation induced by numerous factors, such as pathogen infection and stresses（e.g.,weaning）, results in intestinal mucosal injury and dysfunction, and consequently results in poor growth of pigs. Dietary fatty acids not only play critical roles in energy homeostasis and cel ular membrane composition, but also exert potent effects on intestinal development, immune function, and inflammatory response. Recent studies support potential therapeutic roles for specific fatty acids（short chain and medium chain fatty acids and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids） in intestinal inflammation of pigs. Results of these new lines of work indicate trophic and cytoprotective effects of fatty acids on intestinal integrity in pigs. In this article, we review the effect of inflammation on intestinal structure and function, and the role of specific fatty acids on intestinal health of pigs, especial y under inflammatory conditions.

Intrauterine growth restriction alters nutrient metabolism in the intestine of porcine offspring

Background:Intrauterine growth restriction(IUGR)has negative impacts on the postnatal survival,growth and development of humans and animals,with not only on newborns but also adulthood.However,the characteristics for nutrient digestion and absorption in IUGR offspring are still largely unknown.Therefore,the normal birth weight(NBW)and IUGR growing pigs were used in this study to investigate their differences in nutrient utilization,with an expectition for further nutritional optimization of the IUGR offspring during their later life.Methods:Twelve IUGR and 12 NBW growing pigs were fitted with catheters in their portal vein to measure blood flow rate as well as nutrients and metabolites in plasma.The digestibilities of nutrients in different intestinal segments,and bacterial fermentation in the large intestine were examined to reveal the characteristics of nutrients utilization in IUGR versus NBW pigs.Results:The rate of portal venous blood flow did not differ beween IUGR and NBW pigs.Plasma concentrations of total cholesterol,triglycerides and glucose were much lower but those of urea were higher in the portal vein of IUGR pigs,compared with the NBW pigs.The ileal digestibility of dry matter,gross energy and starch were lower in IUGR pigs than in NBW pigs.IUGR increased hindgut microbial diversity and bacterial fermentation activity in the caecum.In vitro cross-fermentation of ileal digesta by caecal microbes of NBW and IUGR pigs showed that gas production was much higher for IUGR ileal digesta regardless of the source of caecal inocula.Conclusion:IUGR impairs the nutrient digestion and absorption in small intestine,reduces caecal microbial diversity and promotes bacterial fermentation in the large intestine during the growing phase.These findings aid in our understanding of nutrient metabolism in IUGR pigs and provide the basis for future nutritional interventions.

Description of two new species of Pseudoaliinostoc(Nostocales,Cyanobacteria)from China based on the polyphasic approach

Two cyanobacterial strains CHAB5870 and CHAB5871 morphologically identifi ed as Nostoc-like species were isolated from different habitats in China,and they were phylogenetically and taxonomically characterized based on a polyphasic approach combining morphological,ecological,and molecular data.In the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny inferred using maximum likelihood,maximum-parismony,and bayesian inference methods,these two strains clustered within the Pseudoaliinostoc clade.The 16S rRNA gene sequences of these two strains displayed≥95.5%and≤98%similarity to Pseudoaliinostoc species,which indicated them to represent new species of the genus Pseudoaliinostoc.Furthermore,the unique pattern of D1-D1′and Box-B helix of the 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer(ITS)secondary structure also revealed that two strains represented novel species.These results supported the establishment of two new Pseudoaliinostoc species with the name P.jiangxiense sp.nov.and P.yunnanense sp.nov.

Autophagy and tight junction proteins in the intestine and intestinal diseases

The intestinal epithelium(IE) forms an indispensible barrier and interface between the intestinal interstitium and the luminal environment. The IE regulates water, ion and nutrient transport while providing a barrier against toxins, pathogens(bacteria, fungi and virus) and antigens. The apical intercellular tight junctions(TJ) are responsible for the paracellular barrier function and regulate transepithelial flux of ions and solutes between adjacent cells. Increased intestinal permeability caused by defects in the IE TJ barrier is considered an important pathogenic factor for the development of intestinal inflammation, diarrhea and malnutrition in humans and animals. In fact, defects in the IE TJ barrier allow increased antigenic penetration, resulting in an amplified inflammatory response in inflammatory bowel disease(IBD), necrotizing enterocolitis and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Conversely, the beneficial enhancement of the intestinal TJ barrier has been shown to resolve intestinal inflammation and apoptosis in both animal models of IBD and human IBD. Autophagy(self-eating mechanism) is an intracellular lysosome-dependent degradation and recycling pathway essential for cell survival and homeostasis.Dysregulated autophagy has been shown to be directly associated with many pathological processes,including IBD. Importantly, the crosstalk between IE TJ and autophagy has been revealed recently. We showed that autophagy enhanced IE TJ barrier function by increasing transepithelial resistance and reducing the paracellular permeability of small solutes and ions, which is, in part, by targeting claudin-2,a cation-selective, pore-forming, transmembrane TJ protein, for lysosome(autophagy)-mediated degradation. Interestingly, previous studies have shown that the inflamed intestinal mucosa in patients with active IBD has increased claudin-2 expression. In addition, inflammatory cytokines(for example,tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, interleukin-13, and interleukin-17) whose levels are increased in IBD patients cause an increase in claudin-2 expression and a claudin-2-dependent increase in TJ permeability. Thus, the role of claudin-2 in intestinal pathological processes has been attributed, in part, to the increase of intestinal TJ permeability. Claudin-2 represents a new therapeutic target in treating IBD,diarrhea and malnutrition in animals and humans.

Dietary modulation of endogenous host defense peptide synthesis as an alternative approach to in-feed antibiotics

Traditionally, antibiotics are included in animal feed at subtherapeutic levels for growth promotion and disease prevention.However, recent links between in-feed antibiotics and a rise in antibiotic-resistant pathogens have led to a ban of all antibiotics in livestock production by the European Union in January 2006 and a removal of medically important antibiotics in animal feeds in the United States in January 2017.An urgent need arises for antibiotic alternatives capable of maintaining animal health and productivity without triggering antimicrobial resistance.Host defense peptides(HDP) are a critical component of the animal innate immune system with direct antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities.While in-feed supplementation of recombinant or synthetic HDP appears to be effective in maintaining animal performance and alleviating clinical symptoms in the context of disease, dietary modulation of the synthesis of endogenous host defense peptides has emerged as a cost-effective,antibiotic-alternative approach to disease control and prevention.Several different classes of smallmolecule compounds have been found capable of promoting HDP synthesis.Among the most efficacious compounds are butyrate and vitamin D.Moreover, butyrate and vitamin D synergize with each other in enhancing HDP synthesis.This review will focus on the regulation of HDP synthesis by butyrate and vitamin D in humans, chickens, pigs, and cattle and argue for potential application of HDP-inducing compounds in antibiotic-free livestock production.

Xylooligosaccharide attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal injury in piglets via suppressing inflammation and modulating cecal microbial communities

Xylooligosaccharide(XOS)has been considered to be an effective prebiotic,but its exact mechanisms remain unknown.This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of XOS on pig intestinal bacterial community and mucosal barrier using a lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-caused gut damage model.Twenty-four weaned pigs were assigned to 4 treatments in a 2×2 factorial design involving diet(with or without XOS)and immunological challenge(saline or LPS).After 21 d of feeding 0%or 0.02%commercial XOS product,piglets were treated with saline or LPS.After that,blood,small intestinal mucosa and cecal digesta were obtained.Dietary XOS enhanced intestinal mucosal integrity demonstrated by higher villus height,villus height-to-crypt depth ratio,disaccharidase activities and claudin-1 protein expression and lower crypt depth.XOS also caused down-regulation of the gene expression of toll-like receptor 4 and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain protein signaling,accompanied with decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and cyclooxygenase 2 contents or mRNA expression and increased heat shock protein 70 mRNA and protein expression.Additionally,increased Bacteroidetes and decreased Firmicutes relative abundance were observed in the piglets fed with XOS.At the genus level,XOS enriched the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria,e.g.,Faecalibacterium,Lactobacillus,and Prevotella.Moreover,XOS enhanced short chain fatty acids contents and inhibited histone deacetylases.The correlation analysis of the combined datasets implied some potential connections between the intestinal microbiota and pro-inflammatory cytokines or cecal metabolites.These results suggest that XOS inhibits inflam-matory response and beneficially modifies microbes and metabolites of the hindgut to protect the in-testine from inflammation-related injury.