Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 as a Therapeutic Target in Oxidative Stress-Related Diseases: Post-Translational Modifications Deserve More Attention.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) has both dehydrogenase and esterase activity; its dehydrogenase activity is closely related to the metabolism of aldehydes produced under oxidative stress (OS). In this review, we recapitulate the enzyme activity of ALDH2 in combination with its protein structure, summarize and show the main mechanisms of ALDH2 participating in metabolism of aldehydes in vivo as comprehensively as possible; we also integrate the key regulatory mechanisms of ALDH2 participating in a variety of physiological and pathological processes related to OS, including tissue and organ fibrosis, apoptosis, aging, and nerve injury-related diseases. On this basis, the regulatory effects and application prospects of activators, inhibitors, and protein post-translational modifications (PTMs, such as phosphorylation, acetylation, S-nitrosylation, nitration, ubiquitination, and glycosylation) on ALDH2 are discussed and prospected. Herein, we aimed to lay a foundation for further research into the mechanism of ALDH2 in oxidative stress-related disease and provide a basis for better use of the ALDH2 function in research and the clinic.

Effects of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 on growth performance, serum parameters, fecal microbiota, and metabolites in weaned piglets fed diets with low calcium and phosphorus.

BACKGROUND: With the development of intensive farming, long-term exposure of pigs to poor light conditions is not conducive to the production of vitamin D3 , and vitamin D3 deficiency could affect absorption and metabolism of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P). 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3 ) has higher bioactivity than regular vitamin D3 . This study investigated the effects of 25OHD3 on performance, serum parameters, fecal microbiota, and metabolites in weaned piglets fed with low Ca-P diet. RESULTS: It was found that a low Ca-P diet supplemented with 50 µg/kg 25OHD3 (NC + 25-D) improved (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) in phase 2 and in the overall period of the experiment, and increased (P < 0.05) the immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA), catalase (CAT), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP), and osteocalcin (OC) serum content on day 28 compared with a low Ca-P diet (NC), but no differences were observed between a normal Ca-P diet (PC) and the NC + 25-D diet. Compared with NC, the abundance of Firmicutes was higher (P < 0.05) in PC and NC + 25-D. NC + 25-D decreased (P < 0.05) the abundance of Streptococcaceae compared with PC and NC, and increased (P < 0.05) the abundance of Lachnospiraceae compared with NC. Serum 25OHD3 was negatively correlated with the abundance of fecal Streptococcaceae (P < 0.05), and positively correlated with the abundance of fecal Lachnospiraceae (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Supplementation of 25OHD3 in a low Ca-P diet improved serum immunity, bone biochemical parameters, and fecal microbiota such as decreased Streptococcaceae abundance and increased Lachnospiraceae abundance, which could subsequently promote growth of piglets. The effects were similar to that of a normal Ca-P diet. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dietary live yeast supplementation alleviates transport-stress-impaired meat quality of broilers through maintaining muscle energy metabolism and antioxidant status.

BACKGROUND: This experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary live yeast (LY, 1 × 1010 CFU g-1 ) supplementation on serum metabolic parameters, meat quality as well as antioxidant enzyme activity of transported broilers. A total of 192 one-day-old broilers were randomly assigned to four treatments with six replicates and eight chicks per replicate: a basal diet without transportation (CON), a basal diet containing 0 (T), 500 (T + LY500 ) and 1000 mg kg-1 (T + LY1000 ) LY with 3 h of transportation after feeding for 42 days, respectively. The serum and muscle samples of broilers were collected immediately after 3 h of transportation. RESULTS: A higher (P < 0.05) final body weight and average daily weight gain were observed in T + LY1000 group compared with CON and T groups. The T + LY1000 group reduced (P < 0.05) the serum lactate contents and improved (P < 0.05) the pH24h and decreased (P < 0.05) the drip loss in muscles of transported-broilers. Also, the T + LY1000 group enhanced (P < 0.05) the total-antioxidant capacity and reduced (P < 0.05) the malondialdehyde in serum and muscles. Besides, the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of avian uncoupling protein (avUCP) in muscles was down-regulated (P < 0.05) of T + LY1000 group compared with T group. CONCLUSION: Dietary LY supplementation alleviates transport-stress-impaired meat quality of broilers through maintaining muscle energy metabolism and antioxidant status. Therefore, LY may serve as a potential protector for broilers under transport stress in the future. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Restoring mitochondrial function and normalizing ROS-JNK/MAPK pathway exert key roles in glutamine ameliorating bisphenol A-induced intestinal injury.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is toxic to the reproductive and nervous system, even carcinogenetic in humans and animals. However, few studies focused on effects of BPA on the intestinal tract. Here, we detected BPA-induced injuries on intestinal mucosa and explored a reliable approach to counteract BPA effects. C57BL/6J mice were gavage BPA or BPA accompanied with ingestion of 4% (w/w) of glutamine for 4-wks. In vitro, IEC-6 cells were treated with 0.4 mmol/L BPA for 6 hours mimicking acute injury and 0.2 mmol/L BPA for 12 hours followed with or without the inclusion of 4 mmol/L glutamine for 12 hours to determine cell renewal, mitochondrial function and ROS-JNK/MAPK pathway upon moderate BPA exposure. As results, BPA exposure caused severe intestinal injury, and disturbed intestinal epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis, accompanied with mitochondrial malfunction and activated JNK/MAPK pathway as well. Notably, glutathione metabolism was implicated in BPA-induce injury. Glutamine could well rescue cell renewal and mitochondrial function from BPA exposure-induced injuries. In conclusion, we demonstrated impaired effect of BPA exposure on intestinal functions, which could be well counteracted by glutamine partly via restoring mitochondrial function and normalizing ROS-JNK/MAPK pathway. Thereby, we provided a novel application of glutamine to rescue intestinal injury.

Dietary 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation improves performance, immunity, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology, and bone quality in weaned piglets.

BACKGROUND: 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3 ) is a new feed additive, which is a potential alternative to vitamin D3 in swine nutrition. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different doses of 25OHD3 supplementation on performance, immunity, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology and bone quality in piglets. RESULTS: As dietary 25OHD3 supplementation increased, the average daily gain (ADG) improved (P < 0.05) quadratically during days 1-14, and tended to increase (P = 0.06) quadratically during the overall period of the experiment. Increasing 25OHD3 supplementation increased (linear effect, P < 0.05) the serum 25OHD3 level and serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. On day 14, serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) was increased (linear and quadratic effects, P < 0.05) as dietary 25OHD3 supplementation increased. On day 28, serum IgA level was higher (P < 0.05) linearly and the complement 3 (C3) level was reduced (P < 0.05) linearly as dietary supplementation of 25OHD3 increased. The mucosal GSH-Px activity of the small intestine was higher (quadratic effect, P < 0.05) with increasing 25OHD3 supplementation. Jejunal villus height (P = 0.06) and villus height to crypt depth ratio (P = 0.07) tended to increase quadratically, and the villus height to crypt-depth ratio of the ileum increased (P < 0.05) linearly and quadratically with increasing 25OHD3 supplementation. Dietary supplementation with an increasing level of 25OHD3 increased breaking strength of tibias and femurs (quadratic effect, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Increasing dietary 25OHD3 supplementation partly improved performance, immunity, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology, and bone properties of weaned piglets. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of dietary supplementation of compound enzymes on performance, nutrient digestibility, serum antioxidant status, immunoglobulins, intestinal morphology and microbiota community in weaned pigs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of compound enzymes (CE) (containing per g 375 U amylase, 2500 U protease, 4000 U xylanase and 150 U ß-glucanase) on performance, nutrient digestibility, serum antioxidant status, immunoglobulins, intestinal morphology, volatile fatty acids contents and microbiota community in weaned pigs. Seventy-two pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, weaned at d 28) with an average body weight of 8.49 ± 0.87 kg were allotted into two treatments with six replicate pens per treatment (three barrows and three gilts per pen) according to sex and body weight in a randomised complete block design. The treatments contained a corn-soybean meal-barley basal diet (CON) or a basal diet supplemented with 1000 mg CE/kg (CE). The study was divided into phase 1 (d 1 to 14) and 2 (d 15 to 35). The average daily gain was increased (p < 0.05) in pigs fed CE in phase 2 and overall (d 1 to 35) compared with CON. These pigs had greater (p ≤ 0.05) serum IgA, IgG, superoxide dismutase and catalase contents, as well as tended to increase serum IgM content and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of organic matter in phase 1 compared with CON. In phase 2, pigs supplemented with CE showed greater (p < 0.01) ATTD of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and gross energy compared with CON. These pigs also had increased (p < 0.05) IgA, IgG, IgM, superoxide dismutase contents, and decreased (p < 0.05) malondialdehyde content in serum compared with CON. Moreover, pigs fed CE had higher (p < 0.05) villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio in ileum, and tended to increased acetic acid content in colon compared with CON. Furthermore, pigs fed CE had increased (p < 0.05) relative abundance of Firmicutes at phylum level, Lactobacillales at order level, Lactobacillaceae at family level, Bacilli at class level, Lactobacillus at genus level in caecum and colon, as well as lower (p < 0.05) relative abundance of Bacteroidetes at phylum level, Bacteroidales at the order level, Bacteroidia at class level, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_6 at genus level in colon compared with CON. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of compound enzymes could effectively improve nutrient digestibility, serum antioxidant status, immunoglobulin, gut morphology, microbiota community, and therefore improve performance in weaned pigs.

Effects of maternal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol during the last week of gestation and lactation on serum parameters, intestinal morphology and microbiota in suckling piglets.

This study was conducted to test the effects of maternal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3) supplementation on serum parameters, intestinal morphology and microbiota in suckling piglets. The experiment started on day 107 of gestation and lasted until piglets were weaned on day 21 of lactation. Thirty-two sows were allocated randomly to two treatments (ND diet, basal diet with 2000 IU/kg of vitamin D3; 25-D diet, basal diet with 50 µg/kg 25OHD3). Results showed that maternal 25-D treatment increased (p < 0.05) serum 25OHD3 concentration in the umbilical cords, which led to higher (p < 0.05) serum 25OHD3 concentration of suckling piglets from 25-D sows. The GSH-Px activity in colostrum was higher (p < 0.05), as well as SOD and GSH-Px activities in milk, were higher (p < 0.05) in 25-D sows than ND sows. Compared with piglets suckling ND sows, piglets suckling 25-D sows had higher (p < 0.05) serum SOD activity on day 7, 14 and 21 of lactation. On day 21 of lactation, piglets form 25-D sows had greater (p < 0.05) serum levels of GH and IGF-I and lower (p < 0.05) serum DAO activity than those from ND sows. Piglets from 25-D sows had higher (p < 0.05) jejunal villus height than those from ND sows. Feeding 25OHD3 to sows tended to increase (p < 0.10) the species richness in the colonic digesta of suckling piglets, as reflected by the α-diversity index of Chao-1. In the caecal digesta, the α-diversity for bacterial community analysis of Simpson and Shannon was lower (p < 0.05) in 25-D piglets than ND piglets. The relative abundances of colonic Alloprevotella and caecal Lactobacillus were significantly higher, while the population of caecal [Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group was lower (p < 0.05) in 25-D piglets than ND piglets. In conclusion, maternal 25OHD3 supplementation partly improved antioxidant status in sows and suckling piglets and altered gut microbiota in the hindgut of piglets.

Effect of fibre sources on performance, serum parameters, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activities and microbiota in weaned pigs.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of wheat bran (WB) as insoluble fibre source, and sugar beet pulp (SBP) as soluble fibre source, on performance, serum parameters and intestinal health in weaned pigs. A total of 90 weaned pigs (BW: 7.33 ± 1.24 kg) were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments: (1) a control diet (CON) based on corn and soybean meal; (2) CON + 6% WB; (3) CON + 6% SBP. Each treatment had five replicate pens with six pigs per pen. The experimental period was divided into two phases (d 0 to 14 and d 14 to 28). Pigs in group WB tended to have greater avarage daily gain than those in group SBP. Compared with CON, SBP reduced (p < 0.05) the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter, organic matter (OM), gross energy and neutral detergent fibre on d 14 and 28, while WB decreased (p < 0.05) the ATTD of OM on d 28. Pigs in group SBP had higher (p < 0.05) glucagon-like peptide 1 concentration than the other groups on d 14 and 28. The villus height to crypt depth (V:C) ratio of duodenum and jejunum in pigs fed diet WB were greater (p < 0.05) than in group SBP. The WB increased (p < 0.05) the V:C ratio of ileum compared with CON or SBP. Compared with SBP, WB increased (p < 0.05) the sucrase activity in the duodenum. Moreover, pigs in WB had higher (p < 0.05) activities of maltase and sucrase in the jejunum compared with CON or SBP. The abundances of Ruminococcaceae and Prevotellaceae were increased (p < 0.05) in WB, while the Lachnospiraceae abundance was increased (p < 0.05) in SBP. WB increased (p < 0.05) concentrations of acetate, butyrate and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), while SBP increased (p < 0.05) concentrations of acetate and total SCFA when compared with CON. In conclusion, WB was beneficial to performance in weaned pigs by improving morphology, enzyme activities and microbiota when compared with SBP, highlighting that effects of fibre depends on the fibre sources.

Maternal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol during lactation improves intestinal calcium absorption and bone properties in sow-suckling piglet pairs.

Lower maternal vitamin D status during lactation is a common health problem. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of maternal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) supplementation during lactation on maternal and neonatal bone health in a sow model. 32 Large White × Landrace sows were assigned randomly to one of two diets supplemented with 2000 IU/kg vitamin D3 (ND) or 50 µg/kg 25-OH-D3 (25-D). The experiment began on day 107 of gestation and continued until weaning on day 21 of lactation. Maternal 25-OH-D3 supplementation significantly decreased milk n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio, which supported bone formation of piglets. Supplementation with 25-OH-D3 altered bone turnover rate of sows and piglets, as evidenced by higher bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) concentration in serum. 25-D sows had significantly higher bone density and mechanical properties of tibias and femurs than ND sows. Calcium (Ca) absorption rate was higher in 25-D sows than ND sows, which was caused partially by the increased mRNA expressions of renal 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1) and duodenal vitamin D receptor (VDR), transient receptor potential vanilloid 6 (TRPV6), and calcium-binding protein D9k (CaBP-D9k). Maternal 25-OH-D3 supplementation increased tibial and femoral Ca content by up-regulating Ca-related gene expression in kidney (CYP27B1), ileum (VDR and claudin-2), and colon (VDR and CaBP-D9k), thus, activating 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2-D3]-dependent Ca transport in piglets. In conclusion, improved milk fatty acids and higher mRNA expressions of calcitropic genes triggered by maternal 25-OH-D3 supplementation would be the potential mechanism underlying the positive effects of 25-OH-D3 on maternal and neonatal bone health.

The involvement of NF-κB/P38 pathways in Scutellaria baicalensis extracts attenuating of Escherichia coli K88-induced acute intestinal injury in weaned piglets.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of Scutellaria baicalensis extracts (SBE) on intestinal health in terms of morphology, barrier integrity and immune responses in weaned piglets challenged with Escherichia coli K88. A total of seventy-two weaned piglets were assigned into two groups to receive a basal diet without including antibiotic additives or the basal diet supplemented 1000 mg SBE/kg diet for 14 d. On day 15, twelve healthy piglets from each group were selected to expose to oral administration of either 10 ml 1 × 109 colony-forming units of E. coli K88 or the vehicle control. After 48 h of E.coli K88 challenge, blood was sampled, and then all piglets were killed humanely for harvesting jejunal and ileal samples. Dietary supplementation of SBE significantly decreased diarrhoea frequency and improved feed conversion ratio (P < 0·05). SBE supplementation to E.coli K88-challenged piglets improved villous height and villous height/crypt depth (P < 0·05), recovered the protein expression of occludin and zonula occludens-2 in both the jejunum and ileum (P < 0·05), and mitigated the increases in plasma IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, IgA and IgG (P < 0·05). Meanwhile, dietary SBE effectively inhibited the stimulation of NF-κB, P38 and TNF-α as well as IL-1ß in the small intestine of piglets challenged by E. coli K88 and prevented the activation of NF-κB/P38 signalling pathways (P < 0·05). Collectively, SBE supplementation can potently attenuate diarrhoea in weaning piglets and decrease inflammatory cytokine expressions through inhibiting the NF-κB and P38 signalling pathways.

Effects of dietary calcium and phosphorus levels and supplementation of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on performance and bone properties of broiler starters.

To investigate effects of dietary calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) levels and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3) supplementation on performance and bone properties of broiler starters, 224 male Arbor Acre broilers were used in a 21-d trial. Broilers were allotted to one of four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement including diets either normal or low in Ca and P, which were further supplemented or not with 69 µg 25OHD3/kg feed. Feeding low Ca and P diets significantly reduced performance of boilers and decreased ash, Ca, P and hydroxyproline contents in tibias and femurs (p < 0.05). Ultimate load, bending moment, stiffness and energy to fail were decreased (p < 0.05) in broilers fed diets deficient in Ca and P. Addition of 25OHD3 did not influence performance but significantly increased serum 25OHD3 levels. Furthermore, the addition of 25OHD3 caused an increased tibial and femoral bone density and femoral hydroxyproline content (p < 0.05), increased bending moment in tibias (p < 0.05), and enhanced ultimate load and bending moment in femurs (p < 0.05). No significant interactions were observed for bone properties. Overall, feeding 25OHD3 at 69 µg/kg feed to broilers had no effect on growth performance but partly improved bone biochemical and biomechanical properties of broiler starters.

Effects of maternal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on nutrient digestibility, milk composition and fatty-acid profile of lactating sows and gut bacterial metabolites in the hindgut of suckling piglets.

To investigate the effects of maternal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3) supplementation during lactation on nutrient digestibility and milk composition of sows and gut bacterial metabolites and their metabolites in the hindgut of suckling piglets, 24 Large White × Landrace sows were assigned randomly to one of two dietary treatments (Diet ND: 2000 IU vitamin D3/kg feed; Diet 25-D: 50 µg 25OHD3/kg feed). The experiment began on d 107 of gestation and continued until weaning on d 21 of lactation. Maternal 25OHD3 supplementation increased (p < 0.05) total litter weight gain during lactation. Milk fat content, immunoglobulin G level on d 21 of lactation and 25OHD3 concentration on d 7, 14, and 21 of lactation were higher (p < 0.05) in sows fed with 25OHD3. Apparent total tract digestibility of dietary calcium was higher (p < 0.05) in 25-D sows than ND sows. With respect to fatty-acid profile, C16:0 and saturated fatty acids in milk were higher (p < 0.05), but C20:4n-6, the ratios of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids were lower (p < 0.05) in 25-D sows than ND sows. 25OHD3 supplementation increased the mRNA expressions of acetyl-CoA carboxylase α and fatty-acid synthase in the mammary gland of lactating sows. For gut bacterial metabolites, concentration of butyrate in the caecal digesta was higher (p < 0.05) in piglets suckling 25-D sows than piglets suckling ND sows. In conclusion, 25OHD3 supplementation in maternal diets changed dietary calcium digestibility, milk composition and milk fatty-acid profile of lactating sows and altered gut bacterial metabolites in the hindgut of suckling piglets.

Metabolizable energy requirement for maintenance estimated by regression analysis of body weight gain or metabolizable energy intake in growing pigs

Objective: Feed energy required for pigs is first prioritized to meet maintenance costs. Additional energy intake in excess of the energy requirement for maintenance is retained as protein and fat in the body, leading to weight gain. The objective of this study was to estimate the ME requirements for maintenance (MEm) by regressing body weight gain against ME intake (MEI) in growing pigs. Methods: Thirty-six growing pigs (26.3 ± 1.7 kg) were allotted to 1 of 6 treatments with 6 replicates per treatment in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were 6 feeding levels which were calculated as 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100% of the estimated ad libitum MEI (2,400 kJ/kg BW0.60·d). All pigs were individually housed in metabolism crates for 30 d and weighed every 5 d. Moreover, each pig from each treatment was placed in the open-circuit respiration chambers to measure heat production (HP) and energy retained as protein (REp) and fat (REf) every 5 d. Serum biochemical parameters of pigs were analyzed at the end of the experiment. Results: The ADG and HP as well as the REp and REf linearly increased with increasing feed intake (p < 0.010). ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentration of serum tended to increase with increasing feed intake (p = 0.080). The regression equations of MEI on ADG were MEI, kJ/kg BW0.60·d = 1.88 × ADG, g/d + 782 (R2=0.86) and MEm was estimated at 782 kJ/kg BW0.60·d. Protein retention of growing pigs would be positive while REf would be negative at this feeding level via regression equations of REp and REf on MEI. Conclusion: The MEm was estimated at 782 kJ/kg BW0.60·d in current experiment. Furthermore, growing pigs will deposit protein and oxidize fat if provided feed at the estimated maintenance level.

Mixed organic acids improve nutrients digestibility, volatile fatty acids composition and intestinal microbiota in growing-finishing pigs fed high-fiber diet.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate effects of mixed organic acids (MOA) on nutrient digestibility, volatile fatty acids composition and intestinal microbiota in growing-finishing pigs fed high wheat bran diet. METHODS: Six crossbred barrows (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire), with an average body weight 78.8±4.21 kg, fitted with T-cannulas at the distal ileum, were allotted to a double 3×3 Latin square design with 3 periods and 3 diets. Each period consisted of a 5-d adjustment period followed by a 2-d total collection of feces and then a 2-d collection of ileal digesta. The dietary treatments included a corn-soybean-wheat bran basal diet (CTR), mixed organic acid 1 diet (MOA1; CTR+3,000 mg/kg OA1), mixed organic acid 2 diet (MOA2; CTR+2,000 mg/kg OA2). RESULTS: Pigs fed MOA (MOA1 or MOA2) showed improved (p<0.05) apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of gross energy, dry matter and organic matter, and pigs fed MOA2 had increased (p<0.05) ATTD of neutral detergent fiber compared to CTR. Dietary MOA supplementation decreased (p<0.05) pH value, and improved (p<0.01) concentrations of lactic acid and total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) in ileum compared to CTR. Pigs fed MOA showed higher (p<0.05) concentration of acetic acid, and lower (p<0.05) content of formic acid in feces compared to CTR. Pigs fed MOA1 had increased (p<0.05) concentration of TVFA and butyric acid in feces. Pigs fed MOA1 showed higher concentration of Lactobacillus and lower concentration of Escherichia in feces compared to CTR. CONCLUSION: Dietary supplementation of MOA 1 or 2 could improve nutrients digestibility, TVFA concentration and intestinal flora in growing-finishing pigs fed high fiber diet.

Comparative digestibility of energy and ileal amino acids in yeast extract and spray-dried porcine plasma fed to pigs.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the digestible (DE) and metabolisable energy (ME), apparent (AID) and standardised ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) in yeast extract (YE) and spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP). In Experiment 1, 18 barrows (25.1 ± 1.2 kg body weight [BW]) were randomly allotted to three treatments with six replicates per treatment. The DE and ME of YE was 20.64 and 19.31 MJ/kg, respectively, which were not significantly different with the DE and ME of SDPP (18.74 and 18.05 MJ/kg, respectively). In Experiment 2, six barrows (20.6 ± 2.6 kg BW) fitted with ileal T-cannulas were fed three diets in a repeated 3-period Latin square design. For Met and Glu, the AID tended to be, while the SID was significantly higher (p < 0.05), in YE than in SDPP. The AID of Cys tended to be lower in YE (p = 0.07), while the SID of Phe tended to be higher in YE than in SDPP (p = 0.06). Accordingly, YE could be a potential substitute for SDPP as a superior protein ingredient in diets for pigs in terms of the available energy and AA digestibility.

Effects of dietary supplementation with a combination of plant oils on performance, meat quality and fatty acid deposition of broilers.

OBJECTIVE: This study was to evaluate effects of mixed plant oils (identified as mixed oil 1 [MO1] and mixed oil 2 [MO2]) on performance, serum composition, viscera percentages, meat quality, and fatty acid deposition of broilers. METHODS: A total of 126 one-day-old Arbor Acres male broiler chicks (weighing 44.91±0.92 g) were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 treatments with 7 replicate pens per treatment (6 broilers per pen). Dietary treatments included a corn-soybean basal diet supplemented with 3% soybean oil (CTR), basal diet with 3% MO1 (a mixture of 15% corn oil, 10% coconut oil, 15% linseed oil, 20% palm oil, 15% peanut oil and 25% soybean oil; MO1), or basal diet with 3% MO2 (a combination of 50% MO1 and 50% extruded corn; MO2). The trial consisted of phase 1 (d 1 to 21) and phase 2 (d 22 to 42). RESULTS: Compared to CTR, broilers fed MO (MO1 or MO2) had greater (p<0.05) average daily gain in phase 1, 2, and overall (d 1 to 42), redness in thigh muscle, concentrations of serum glucose, serum albumin, saturated fatty acids (SFA) and n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratio in breast muscle, while these broilers also showed lower (p≤0.05) drip loss and concentrations of C18:3n-3 and PUFA/SFA ratio in breast muscle. Broilers fed MO2 had higher (p<0.05) liver percentage, while broilers fed MO1 had lower (p≤0.05) feed conversion ratio in phase 1 and increased (p<0.05) contents of C18:2n-6, C20:5n-3, C22:6n-3, and n-3 PUFA in breast muscle compared to CTR. CONCLUSION: Mixed plant oils had positive effects on performance, serum parameters, meat quality, liver percentage and fatty acid deposition in broilers, which indicates they can be used as better dietary energy feedstocks than soybean oil alone.

Determination and prediction of the digestible and metabolisable energy content of barley for growing pigs based on chemical composition.

This experiment was conducted to define the sources of variation determining the energy content of barley and to develop a practical method to predict the digestible energy (DE) and metabolisable energy (ME) content of individual barley samples. The 19 barley samples used in this study were diverse varieties grown in different regions. The feeding experiment used 57 barrows (initial body weight 31.5 ± 3.2 kg) and was conducted over two consecutive periods (n = 6 per treatment) using a completely randomised design. During each period, the pigs were placed in metabolic crates for a 5-d total collection of faeces and urine following a 10-d adaptation to the diets. Among the barley samples, on dry matter (DM) basis the levels of neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre (ADF), crude protein and starch ranged from 16.1% to 38.9%, 3.9% to 9.6%, 10.1% to 16.8% and 43.5% to 57.9%, respectively. The mean determined DE and ME contents amounted to 14.7 and 14.4 MJ/kg DM and varied among the samples by 1.85 MJ (13.6%) and 1.78 MJ (13.3%), respectively. The ADF fraction accounted for 73% and 76% of the total variation in the DE and ME content, respectively. It revealed that for prediction of the DE and ME contents in barley, equations had the best fit when the analysed contents of ADF, neutral detergent fibre and gross energy were used for calculation (R2 = 0.92). On the basis of the developed equations, the DE and ME contents of barley of different origin can be predicted with an acceptable accuracy when used as feed for growing pigs.

Effects of variety and storage duration on the nutrient digestibility and the digestible and metabolisable energy content of maize fed to growing pigs.

The objective of this research was to determine the effects of variety and storage duration on the nutrient digestibility and the digestible (DE) and metabolisable (ME) energy content in maize when fed to growing pigs. Four maize varieties (LS1, LS2, LS3 and LS4) were hand-harvested from the same growing area in China in early October of 2012. The samples were sun dried to about 14% moisture content and then stored in the warehouse of the Fengning Pig Experiment Base at China Agricultural University for 0, 3 or 10 months. Twenty-four barrows of about 33 kg body weight were used and allotted to a completely randomised block design with four diets and six replicate pigs per diet. Pigs were individually housed in metabolic crates. The four experimental diets were formulated by mixing 96.8% of each variety of maize with 3.2% vitamins and minerals. A 5-day collection period followed a 7-day diet acclimation period. The results indicated that the DE and ME contents of maize and the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of organic matter (OM), dry matter, gross energy (GE), neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre (ADF), crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE) were significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by maize variety and storage duration. With an extension of storage duration from 0 to 10 months, the DE and ME of maize and the ATTD of OM, GE, ADF, CP and EE changed in a quadratic manner (p < 0.05), and 3 months of storage exceeded 0 months of storage by 1.84%, 1.43%, 0.31%, 0.32%, 15.37%, 2.11% and 5.02%, respectively. The DE, ME of maize and the ATTD of OM, GE, ADF, CP and EE decreased by 3.67%, 6.00%, 0.97%, 1.40%, 30.54%, 3.92% and 20.93%, respectively, at 10 months of storage compared to 3 months of storage. No interaction was observed between maize variety and storage duration in DE and ME contents in maize. In conclusion, under the conditions of this study, most of the nutrient digestibility and the DE and ME contents of maize increased from 0 to 3 months and decreased from 3 to 10 months.

Effects of proteinate complex zinc on growth performance, hepatic and splenic trace elements concentrations, antioxidative function and immune functions in weaned piglets.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of proteinate complex zinc (PC-Zn) on growth performance, antioxidative function, trace element concentrations and immune function in weaned piglets. METHODS: Three hundred newly weaned barrows (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire), 28 days of age, were randomly allotted to 3 dietary groups of 5 replicate pens per group for 4 weeks of feeding. Experimental diets were: i) zinc deficient diet (ZnD, 24 mg/kg Zn supplementation from ZnSO4), ii) inorganic Zn diet supplemented with 120 mg/kg of Zn from Zn sulfate (ZnSO4), and iii) organic Zn diet supplemented with 120 mg/kg of Zn from PC-Zn. The body weight of pigs were recorded at the beginning, at the middle and at the end of the experiment, and the amount of feed supplied each day was recorded. Five barrows from each dietary treatment group were selected to be anesthetized and euthanized at the end of the trial to determine the Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn concentrations, the hepatic metallothionein content, the levels of methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA), Mn, and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the spleen, the levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-10, interferon (IFN)-γ, CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T lymphocyte. RESULTS: The accumulation of Zn in the spleen, levels of SOD, GSH-Px, IL-4, IL-10, the proportions of CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocyte, and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocyte were increased by organic Zn supplementation compared to ZnD, while the levels of MDA, IFN-γ, and proportion of CD8+ T lymphocyte were lowered. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that Zn can improve the antioxidant potential and immune functions of weaned piglets.

Evaluation of available energy and total tract digestibility of acid-hydrolyzed ether extract of cottonseed oil for growing pigs by the difference and regression methods.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of inclusion level on the digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), and total tract digestibility of acid-hydrolyzed ether extract (AEE) of cottonseed oil when fed to growing pigs. METHODS: Forty-two barrows (initial body weight = 35.51±2.01 kg) were randomly allotted to a completely randomized design with a corn-soybean meal basal diet, five levels of cottonseed oil (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%) and a 10% soybean oil diet. Each diet was replicated six times with one pig per replicate. The experiment lasted 19 days, 7 d for cage adaptation, 7 d for diets adaptation and last 5 d for feces and urine collection. The energy values and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of cottonseed oil and soybean oil were calculated by the difference method, and regression equations were established to predict the energy values of cottonseed oil. The apparent digested fat of the entire intestinal tract was also regressed against dietary fat intake to determine the true total tract digestibility (TTTD) and endogenous loss of fat for cottonseed oil. RESULTS: The results showed that the DE and ME contents of cottonseed oil were not different as the inclusion level increased. The DE and ME values determined by the regression equation were 36.28 MJ/kg and 34.96 MJ/kg, respectively, and the values were similar to the mean DE and ME values calculated by the difference method (36.18 and 35.56 MJ/kg, respectively). The ATTD of cottonseed oil was also not affected by the inclusion level of cottonseed oil, and the TTTD and EFL determined by the regression method were 92.40% and 13.83 g/kg of dry matter intake for corn-soybean basal diet. The DE, ME, and ATTD of AEE in soybean oil determined by the difference method were 35.70 MJ/kg, 35.20 MJ/kg and 92.31%, respectively. There were no differences in the DE, ME, and ATTD between cottonseed oil and soybean oil, although the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids for soybean oil was higher than for cottonseed oil. CONCLUSION: The DE, ME, and ATTD values of cottonseed oil were not affected by its dietary inclusion level. The energy values of cottonseed oil determined by the difference and regression methods were similar. Furthermore, the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acid for oils was not the decisive factor to influence the energy values and ATTD of oils.