Mechanisms of hepatic steatosis in chickens: integrated analysis of the host genome, molecular phenomics and gut microbiome.

Hepatic steatosis is the initial manifestation of abnormal liver functions and often leads to liver diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in humans and fatty liver syndrome in animals. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of a large chicken population consisting of 705 adult hens by combining host genome resequencing; liver transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome analysis; and microbial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing of each gut segment. The results showed the heritability (h2 = 0.25) and duodenal microbiability (m2 = 0.26) of hepatic steatosis were relatively high, indicating a large effect of host genetics and duodenal microbiota on chicken hepatic steatosis. Individuals with hepatic steatosis had low microbiota diversity and a decreased genetic potential to process triglyceride output from hepatocytes, fatty acid ß-oxidation activity, and resistance to fatty acid peroxidation. Furthermore, we revealed a molecular network linking host genomic variants (GGA6: 5.59-5.69 Mb), hepatic gene/protein expression (PEMT, phosphatidyl-ethanolamine N-methyltransferase), metabolite abundances (folate, S-adenosylmethionine, homocysteine, phosphatidyl-ethanolamine, and phosphatidylcholine), and duodenal microbes (genus Lactobacillus) to hepatic steatosis, which could provide new insights into the regulatory mechanism of fatty liver development.

Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics Reveals Dynamic Metabolite Changes during Early Postmortem Aging of Donkey Meat.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic changes in donkey meat during the early postmortem period have not been previously reported. METHODS: The LC-MS-based metabolomics technique was conducted to understand the metabolic profiles and identify the key metabolites of donkey meat in the first 48 h postmortem. RESULTS: The pH values showed a decreasing trend followed by an increasing trend. Shear force was the lowest at 4 h and the highest at 24 h (p < 0.05). For the metabolome, some candidate biomarker metabolites were identified, such as adenine, inosine, n-acetylhistidine, citric acid, isocitrate, and malic acid. Predominant metabolic pathways, such as citrate cycle (TCA cycle), alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and purine metabolism, were affected by aging time. Overabundant n-acetylhistidine was identified in LT, declined at 12 h postmortem aging, and then increased. This may explain the significantly lower pH at 12 h postmortem. Adenine was higher at 4 h postmortem, then declined. Decreased ADP may indicate a fast consumption of ATP and subsequent purine metabolism in donkey meat. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provided new insights into early postmortem aging of donkey meat quality.

Pleurotus eryngii polysaccharides alleviate aflatoxin B1-induced liver inflammation in ducks involving in remodeling gut microbiota and regulating SCFAs transport via the gut-liver axis.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most widespread contaminants in agricultural commodities. Pleurotus eryngii (PE) is widely used as a feed additive for its anti-inflammatory properties, and its major active substance is believed to be polysaccharides. This study aims to explore the underlying mechanism of dietary PE polysaccharides alleviating AFB1-induced toxicity in ducks. The major monosaccharide components of PE polysaccharides were identified as glucose, mannose, galactose, glucuronic acid, and fucose. The results showed that dietary PE polysaccharides could alleviate liver inflammation, alleviate intestinal barrier dysfunction, and change the imbalanced gut microbiota induced by AFB1 in ducks. However, PE polysaccharides failed to exert protective roles on the liver and intestine injury induced by AFB1 in antibiotic-treated ducks. The PE + AFB1-originated microbiota showed a positive effect on intestinal barrier and inflammation, the SCFAs transport via the gut-liver axis, and liver inflammation compared with the AFB1-originated microbiota in ducks. These findings provided a possible mechanism that PE polysaccharides alleviated AFB1-induced liver inflammation in ducks by remodeling gut microbiota, regulating microbiota-derived SCFAs transport via the gut-liver axis, and inhibiting inflammatory gene expressions in the liver, which may provide new insight for therapeutic methods against AFB1 exposure in animals.

Pharmacokinetics of Enrofloxacin in Plasma, Urine, and Feces of Donkey (Equus asinus) after a Single Intragastric Administration.

Enrofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, but the study of its pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PKs/PDs) in donkeys is rarely reported. The present study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin administered intragastrically, and to study the pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin in plasma, urine, and feces, and the PK/PD parameters were investigated to provide a rationale for enrofloxacin treatment in donkeys. A total of five healthy donkeys were selected for intragastric administration of 7.5 mg·kg-1 BW of enrofloxacin by gavage, and blood, urine, and fecal samples were collected. The results showed that the elimination half-life of plasma enrofloxacin was 11.40 ± 6.40 h, Tmax was 0.55 ± 0.12 h, Cmax was 2.46 ± 0.14 mg·L-1, AUC0-∞ was 10.30 ± 3.37 mg·L-1·h, and mean residence time (MRT) was 7.88 ± 1.26 h. The Tmax of plasma ciprofloxacin was 0.52 ± 0.08 h, Cmax was 0.14 ± 0.03 mg·L-1, and AUC0-∞ was 0.24 ± 0.16 mg·L-1·h. Urinary Cmax was 38.18 ± 8.56 mg·L-1 for enrofloxacin and 15.94 ± 4.15 mg·L-1 for ciprofloxacin. The total enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin recovered amount in urine was 7.09 ± 2.55% of the dose for 144 h after dosing. The total enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin recovered amount in feces was 25.73 ± 10.34% of the dose for 144 h after dosing. PK/PD parameters were also examined in this study, based on published MICs. In conclusion, 7.5 mg/kg BW of enrofloxacin administered intragastrically to donkeys was rapidly absorbed, widely distributed, and slowly eliminated in their bodies, and was predicted to be effective against bacteria with MICs < 0.25 mg·L-1.

Pharmacokinetics of tilmicosin in plasma, urine and feces after a single intragastric administration in donkey (Equus asinus).

Tilmicosin, a macrolide antibiotic, has the potential to treat bacterial infections in donkeys. However, the pharmacokinetics of tilmicosin in donkeys have not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of tilmicosin in donkey plasma, urine, and feces after a single intragastric administration to determine the suitability of tilmicosin for donkeys. A total of 5 healthy male donkeys with similar body weights were selected. The donkeys were administered a single dose of 10 mg · kg-1 body weight (BW) tilmicosin by gavage. The concentrations of tilmicosin in plasma, urine, and feces were determined. The results showed that after a single intragastric administration of 10 mg · kg-1 body weight, tilmicosin in donkey plasma reached a maximum concentration of 11.23 ± 5.37 mg · L-1 at 0.80 ± 0.10 h, with a half-life of 14.49 ± 7.13 h, a mean residence time of 28.05 ± 3.05 h, a Cl/F of 0.48 ± 0.18 L · kg-1 · h-1, and a Vd/F of 9.28 ± 2.63 Lkg-1. The percentage of tilmicosin excreted through the urine of donkeys is 2.47%, and the percentage excreted through the feces is 66.43%. Our study provides data to inform the use of tilmicosin in donkeys.

A NADPH-Dependent Aldo/Keto Reductase Is Responsible for Detoxifying 3-Keto-Deoxynivalenol to 3-epi-Deoxynivalenol in Pelagibacterium halotolerans ANSP101.

Deoxynivalenol (DON), primarily generated by Fusarium species, often exists in agricultural products. It can be transformed to 3-epi-deoxynivalenol (3-epi-DON), with a relatively low toxicity, via two steps. DDH in Pelagibacterium halotolerans ANSP101 was proved to convert DON to 3-keto-deoxynivalenol (3-keto-DON). In the present research, AKR4, a NADPH-dependent aldo/keto reductase from P. halotolerans ANSP101, was identified to be capable of converting 3-keto-DON into 3-epi-DON. Our results demonstrated that AKR4 is clearly a NADPH-dependent enzyme, for its utilization of NADPH is higher than that of NADH. AKR4 functions at a range of pH 5-10 and temperatures of 20-60 °C. AKR4 is able to degrade 89% of 3-keto-DON in 90 min at pH 7 and 50 °C with NADPH as the cofactor. The discovery of AKR4, serving as an enzyme involved in the final step in DON degradation, might provide an option for the final detoxification of DON in food and feed.

The Toxicokinetics, Excretion Patterns, and Milk Transmission of Ochratoxin A in Lactating Sows.

Ochratoxin A (OTA), a mycotoxin commonly found in feedstuffs, is known for its detrimental effects on the kidneys and liver, posing significant health risks to animals and humans. This study investigated the toxicokinetics, excretion patterns, and milk transmission of Ochratoxin A (OTA) in lactating sows. The sows were administered a single oral dose of 500 µg/kg BW (body weight), followed by the systematic sampling of plasma, feces, urine, and milk. Plasma samples were collected at 0, 5, 15, and 30 min, and 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48, 72, 88, 96, and 120 h post administration. Feces samples were collected at 6 h intervals for the first 12 h, then at 12 h intervals until 120 h, while urine samples were collected at 6 h intervals up to 120 h. Milk samples were collected at 0, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h. The concentration of OTA and its primary metabolite OTα were quantitatively analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The results revealed that the peak plasma concentrations of OTA (920.25 ± 88.46 µg/L) were observed at 9 h following administration. The terminal elimination half-life was recorded at 78.47 ± 7.68 h, with a volume of distribution of 0.16 ± 0.003 L/kg. Moreover, this study documented the excretion of OTA and OTα across a span of 120 h, revealing that feces and urine accounted for 18.70 ± 0.04% and 8.40 ± 0.002% of the total intake amounts, respectively (calculated based on substance amounts). Furthermore, this experiment detected OTA residues in the milk of lactating sows, with the milk-to-plasma (M/P) ratio initially increasing from 0.06 to 0.46 within the first 24 h following OTA ingestion. These findings offer an exhaustive temporal analysis of OTA's toxicokinetics in lactating sows, emphasizing its pervasive distribution and elimination through various bodily excreta.

Alleviative Effect of Rutin on Zearalenone-Induced Reproductive Toxicity in Male Mice by Preventing Spermatogenic Cell Apoptosis and Modulating Gene Expression in the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin found in many agricultural products and can cause reproductive disorders, mainly affecting spermatogenesis in male animals. Rutin (RUT) is a natural flavonoid compound recognized for its significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and estrogenic properties. The present study aimed to determine the protective role of RUT against ZEN-induced reproductive toxicity in male mice. Twenty-four adult Kunming male mice were divided into four groups: control, RUT (500 mg/kg RUT), ZEN (10 mg/kg ZEN), ZEN + RUT (500 mg/kg RUT + 10 mg/kg ZEN), with six replicates per treatment. The results indicated that RUT mitigated ZEN-induced disruption in spermatogenic cell arrangement, decreased spermatozoa count, and increased sperm mortality in the testes. RUT significantly restored ZEN-induced reduction in T, FSH, LH, and E2 serum levels. Moreover, RUT mitigated ZEN-induced apoptosis by increasing the mRNA expression level of bcl-2, decreasing the mRNA expression level of kiss1-r, and decreasing the protein expression level of caspase 8 in reproductive tissues. These findings indicate the protective role of RUT against ZEN-induced reproductive toxicity in male mice by regulating gonadotropin and testosterone secretions to maintain normal spermatogenesis via the HPG axis, which may provide a new application direction for RUT as a therapeutic agent to mitigate ZEN-induced reproductive toxicity.

Agaro-oligosaccharides mitigate deoxynivalenol-induced intestinal inflammation by regulating gut microbiota and enhancing intestinal barrier function in mice.

Agarose-derived agaro-oligosaccharides (AgaroS) have been extensively studied in terms of structures and bioactivities; they reportedly possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities that maintain intestinal homeostasis and host health. However, the protective effects of AgaroS on deoxynivalenol (DON)-induced intestinal dysfunction remain unclear. We investigated the effects of AgaroS on DON-induced intestinal dysfunction in mice and explored the underlying protective mechanisms. In total, 32 mice were randomly allocated to four treatments (n = 8 each) for 28 days. From day 1 to day 21, the control (CON) and DON groups received oral phosphate-buffered saline (200 µL per day); the AgaroS and AgaroS + DON groups received 200 mg AgaroS per kg body weight once daily by orogastric gavage. Experimental intestinal injury was induced by adding DON (4.8 mg per kg body weight) via gavage from day 21 to day 28. Phosphate-buffered saline was administered once daily by gavage in the CON and AgaroS groups. Herein, AgaroS supplementation led to a higher final body weight and smaller body weight loss and a lower concentration of plasma inflammatory cytokines, compared with the DON group. The DON group showed a significantly reduced ileal villus height and villus height/crypt depth, compared with the CON and AgaroS + DON groups. However, AgaroS supplementation improved DON-induced intestinal injury in mice. Compared with the DON group, ileal and colonic protein expression levels of claudin, occludin, Ki67, and mucin2 were significantly higher in the AgaroS supplementation group. Colonic levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1ß tended to be higher in the DON group than in the AgaroS + DON group. AgaroS altered the gut microbiota composition, accompanied by increased production of short-chain fatty acids in mice. In conclusion, our findings highlight a promising anti-mycotoxin approach whereby AgaroS alleviate DON-induced intestinal inflammation by modulating intestinal barrier functional integrity and gut microbiota in mice.

Effects of dietary methionine supplementation on the growth performance, immune responses, antioxidant capacity, and subsequent development of layer chicks.

Deficiencies or excesses of dietary amino acids, and especially of methionine (Met), in laying hens can lead to abnormal protein anabolism and oxidative stress, which affect methylation and cause cellular dysfunction. This study investigated the effects of dietary methionine (Met) levels on growth performance, metabolism, immune response, antioxidant capacity, and the subsequent development of laying hens. A total of 384 healthy 1-day-old Hyline Grey chicks of similar body weight were randomly allocated to be fed diets containing 0.31%, 0.38%, 0.43% (control group), or 0.54% Met for 6 wk, with 6 replicates of 16 chicks in each. The growth performance of the chicks was then followed until 20 wk old. The results showed dietary supplementation with 0.43% or 0.54% Met significantly increased their mean daily body weight gain, final weight, and Met intake. However, the feed:gain (F/G) decreased linearly with increasing Met supplementation, from 0.31 to 0.54% Met. Met supplementation increased the serum albumin, IgM, and total glutathione concentrations of 14-day-old chicks. In contrast, the serum alkaline phosphatase activity and hydroxyl radical concentration tended to decrease with increasing Met supplementation. In addition, the highest serum concentrations of IL-10, T-SOD, and GSH-PX were in the 0.54% Met-fed group. At 42 d of age, the serum ALB, IL-10, T-SOD, GSH-PX, T-AOC, and T-GSH were correlated with dietary Met levels. Finally, Met supplementation reduced the serum concentrations of ALP, IL-1ß, IgA, IgG, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals. Thus, the inclusion of 0.43% or 0.54% Met in the diet helps chicks achieve superior performance during the brooding period and subsequently. In conclusion, Met doses of 0.43 to 0.54% could enhance the growth performance, protein utilization efficiency, antioxidant capacity, and immune responses of layer chicks, and to promote more desirable subsequent development during the brooding period.

Toxicokinetics of Zearalenone following Oral Administration in Female Dezhou Donkeys.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin produced by various Fusarium strains, that is present in food and feed raw materials worldwide, causing toxicity effects in animals and humans. This research aimed to explore the toxicokinetics of ZEN on female Dezhou donkeys following a single oral exposure dosage of 2 mg/kg BW (body weight). The sample collection of donkeys plasma was carried out at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90 min, 2 h, 2.5 h, 3 h, 3.5 h, 4 h, 4.5 h, 6 h, 9 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h and 120 h via intravenous catheter, and fecal and urinary samples were severally collected at 0 h and every 6 h until 120 h. The concentrations of ZEN, α-zearalenol (α-ZOL), ß-zearalenol (ß-ZOL), α-zearalanol (α-ZAL), ß-zearalanol (ß-ZAL), zearalanone (ZAN) in plasma, urine, and feces were detected by UPLC-MS/MS. Only ZEN was detected in plasma, and the maximum was 15.34 ± 5.12 µg/L occurred at 0.48 h after gavage. The total plasma clearance (Cl) of ZEN was 95.20 ± 8.01 L·kg·BW-1·h-1. In addition, the volume of distribution (Vd) was up to 216.17 ± 58.71 L/kg. The percentage of total ZEN (ZEN plus the main metabolites) excretion in feces and urine was 2.49% and 2.10%, respectively. In summary, ZEN was fast absorbed and relatively slowly excreted in female donkeys during 120 h after a single gavage, indicating a trend of wider tissue distribution and longer tissue persistence.

Enzymatic characterization and application of soybean hull peroxidase as an efficient and renewable biocatalyst for degradation of zearalenone.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a notorious mycotoxin commonly found in Fusarium-contaminated crops, which causes great loss in livestock farming and serious health problems to humans. In the present work, we found that crude peroxidase extraction from soybean hulls could use H2O2 as a co-substate to oxidize ZEN. Molecular docking and dynamic simulation also supported that ZEN could bind to the active site of soybean hull peroxidase (SHP). Subsequently, SHP extracted from soybean hulls was purified using a combined purification protocol involving ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and size exclusion chromatography. The purified SHP showed wide pH resistance and high thermal stability. This peroxidase could degrade 95 % of ZEN in buffer with stepwise addition of 100 µM H2O2 in 1 h. The two main ZEN degradation products were identified as 13-OH-ZEN and 13-OH-ZEN-quinone. Moreover, SHP-catalyzed ZEN degradation products displayed much less cytotoxicity to human liver cells than ZEN. The application of SHP in various food matrices obtained 54 % to 85 % ZEN degradation. The findings in this study will promote the utilization of SHP as a cheap and renewable biocatalyst for degrading ZEN in food.

Using low-protein diet in egg production for win-win of productivity and environmental benefits should be prudent: Evidence from pilot test.

A shortage of feed protein resources restricts poultry productivity. Key strategies to alleviate this problem include improvements to the structure of the gut microbiota by the appropriate intake of high-quality protein, improvements to the comprehensive protein utilization rate, and reducing the consumption of protein raw materials. In addition, damage to the environment caused by nitrogen emissions needs to be reduced. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of dietary protein levels on laying performance, host metabolism, ovarian health, nitrogen emissions, and the gut microbial structure and function of laying hens. In total, 360 hens at the age of 38 weeks were randomly allotted four treatments. Each of the groups consisted of nine replicates, with 10 birds per replicate, used for 12 weeks of study. Dietary protein levels of the four groups were 13.85 %, 14.41 %, 15.63 %, and 16.30 %. Results revealed that, compared with the 13.85 % crude protein (CP) group, the 15.63 % CP group experienced significantly enhanced final body weight, average daily gain, egg production, and egg mass. Compared with the 16.30 % CP group, the other groups' serum concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were significantly reduced. Compared with the 16.30 % CP group, the 13.85 % and 15.63 % groups had increased CP utilization rates but reduced nitrogen emission rate, and daily per egg and per kilogram egg nitrogen emissions rose with increased dietary protein levels. Compared to the 13.85 % and 14.41 % CP groups, the 16.30 % CP group exhibited a significant increase in the expression of genes related to amino acids and carbohydrate metabolic pathways. According to the linear discriminant analysis effect size diagram, the predominant bacteria in the 15.63 % CP group (e.g., Subdoligranulum, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-013) were significantly related to CP utilization. The results of this study emphasize that production performance is significantly reduced when protein levels are too low, whereas too high protein levels lead to gut microbiota imbalance and a reduction in the utilization efficiency of nutrients. Therefore, on the premise of ensuring the health of hens, the structure of the gut microbiota can be improved by appropriately reducing protein levels, which helps to balance the relationships among host health, productivity, resources, and the environment.

Improvement of aflatoxin B1 degradation ability by Bacillus licheniformis CotA-laccase Q441A mutant.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination seriously threatens nutritional safety and common health. Bacterial CotA-laccases have great potential to degrade AFB1 without redox mediators. However, CotA-laccases are limited because of the low catalytic activity as the spore-bound nature. The AFB1 degradation ability of CotA-laccase from Bacillus licheniformis ANSB821 has been reported by a previous study in our laboratory. In this study, a Q441A mutant was constructed to enhance the activity of CotA-laccase to degrade AFB1. After the site-directed mutation, the mutant Q441A showed a 1.73-fold higher catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) towards AFB1 than the wild-type CotA-laccase did. The degradation rate of AFB1 by Q441A mutant was higher than that by wild-type CotA-laccase in the pH range from 5.0 to 9.0. In addition, the thermostability was improved after mutation. Based on the structure analysis of CotA-laccase, the higher catalytic efficiency of Q441A for AFB1 may be due to the smaller steric hindrance of Ala441 than Gln441. This is the first research to enhance the degradation efficiency of AFB1 by CotA-laccase with site-directed mutagenesis. In summary, the mutant Q441A will be a suitable candidate for highly effective detoxification of AFB1 in the future.

Chlorogenic Acid Alleviated AFB1-Induced Hepatotoxicity by Regulating Mitochondrial Function, Activating Nrf2/HO-1, and Inhibiting Noncanonical NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a kind of mycotoxin, imposes acute or chronic toxicity on humans and causes great public health concerns. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a natural phenolic substance, shows a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. This study was conducted to investigate the effect and mechanism of CGA on alleviating cytotoxicity induced by AFB1 in L-02 cells. The results showed that CGA (160 µM) significantly recovered cell viability and cell membrane integrity in AFB1-treated (8 µM) cells. Furthermore, it was found that CGA reduced AFB1-induced oxidative injury by neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway. In addition, CGA showed anti-inflammatory effects as it suppressed the expression of inflammation-related genes (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) and AFB1-induced noncanonical nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) activation. Moreover, CGA mitigated AFB1-induced apoptosis by maintaining the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and inhibiting mRNA expressions of Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Bax, and Bax/Bcl-2. These findings revealed a possible mechanism: CGA prevents AFB1-induced cytotoxicity by maintaining mitochondrial membrane potential, activating Nrf2/HO-1, and inhibiting the noncanonical NF-κB signaling pathway, which may provide a new direction for the application of CGA.

Toxicokinetics of Deoxynivalenol in Dezhou Male Donkeys after Oral Administration.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is detected in different types of foods and feeds, inducing toxicity in humans and animals. After entering the organism, DON first appears in the plasma; then, it is rapidly absorbed and distributed in various organs and tends to accumulate in the body to exert its toxic effects. This study was performed to investigate the toxicokinetics of DON on Dezhou male donkeys after a single oral dose of 500 µg/kg·BW (body weight). The plasma of donkeys was collected at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 min, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h after administration, and the feces and urine were collected at 0 h and at 6 h intervals up to 24 h, followed by 4 h intervals up to 120 h. The concentrations of DON in plasma, urine and feces were determined by HPLC. The peak concentration of DON in plasma was 174.30 µg/L, which occurred at 1.07 h after oral gavage. The recovery of unchanged DON in urine and feces amounted to 19.98% and 6.74%, respectively. Overall, DON was rapidly absorbed and slowly eliminated in donkeys within 120 h following a single oral dose, which can lead to DON accumulation in the body if ingested for a long time.

Novel Strategies for the Biodegradation and Detoxification of Mycotoxins in Post-Harvest Grain.

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi belonging, in particular, to the Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium genera [...].

Yeast polysaccharide mitigated oxidative injury in broilers induced by mixed mycotoxins via regulating intestinal mucosal oxidative stress and hepatic metabolic enzymes.

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of yeast polysaccharides (YPS) on growth performance, intestinal health, and aflatoxin metabolism in livers of broilers fed diets naturally contaminated with mixed mycotoxins (MYCO). A total of 480 one-day-old Arbor Acre male broilers were randomly allocated into a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments (8 replicates with 10 birds per replicate) for 6 wk to assess the effects of 3 levels of YPS (0, 1, or 2 g/kg) on the broilers fed diets contaminated with or without MYCO (95 µg/kg aflatoxin B1, 1.5 mg/kg deoxynivalenol, and 490 µg/kg zearalenone). Results showed that mycotoxins contaminated diets led to significant increments in serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels, mRNA expressions of TLR4 and 4EBP1 associated with oxidative stress, mRNA expressions of CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2A6, and CYP3A4 associated with hepatic phase Ⅰ metabolizing enzymes, mRNA expressions of p53 associated with hepatic mitochondrial apoptosis, and AFB1 residues in the liver (P < 0.05); meanwhile dietary MYCO decreased the jejunal villus height (VH), villus height/crypt depth (VH/CD), the activity of serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), mRNA expressions of jejunal HIF-1α, HMOX, and XDH associated with oxidative stress, mRNA expressions of jejunal CLDN1, ZO1, and ZO2, and mRNA expression of GST associated with hepatic phase Ⅱ metabolizing enzymes of broilers (P < 0.05). Notably, the adverse effects induced by MYCO on broilers were mitigated by supplementation with YPS. Dietary YPS supplementation reduced the concentrations of serum MDA and 8-OHdG, jejunal CD, mRNA expression of jejunal TLR2, and 4EBP1, hepatic CYP1A2, and p53, and the AFB1 residues in the liver (P < 0.05), and elevated the serum T-AOC and SOD, jejunal VH, and VH/CD, and mRNA expression of jejunal XDH, hepatic GST of broilers (P < 0.05). There were significant interactions between MYCO and YPS levels on the growth performance (BW, ADFI, ADG, and F/G) at d 1 to 21, d 22 to 42, and d 1 to 42, serum GSH-Px activity, and mRNA expression of jejunal CLDN2 and hepatic ras of broilers (P < 0.05). In contrast with MYCO group, the addition of YPS increased BW, ADFI, and ADG, the serum GSH-Px activity (14.31%-46.92%), mRNA levels of jejunal CLDN2 (94.39%-103.02%), decreased F/G, and mRNA levels of hepatic ras (57.83%-63.62%) of broilers (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplements with YPS protected broilers from mixed mycotoxins toxicities meanwhile keeping normal performance of broilers, presumably via reducing intestinal oxidative stress, protecting intestinal structural integrity, and improving hepatic metabolic enzymes to minimize the AFB1 residue in the liver and enhance the performance of broilers.

Toxicokinetics of a Single Oral Dose of OTA on Dezhou Male Donkeys.

Ochratoxin (OTA) is widely present in a wide range of foods and feeds, causing adverse effects on animals and humans. This study aims to explore the toxicokinetics of OTA-contaminated materials on the Dezhou male donkey. Donkeys received a single orally dose of 2500 µg OTA/kg BW, obtained from Aspergillus ochraceus culture material. The concentrations of OTA in plasma collected at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 min, and at 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h were detected by HPLC. OTA eliminated in urine and feces were quantified at 6-h intervals up to 24 h and then at 4-h intervals up to 120 h. The results suggested that the maximum concentration of OTA in plasma was observed at 12 h after administration, with a mean value of 10.34 µg/mL. The total excretion in both urine and feces was about 10% of the intake until 120 h.

RNA-seq analysis identifies differentially expressed gene in different types of donkey skeletal muscles.

The main component of donkey meat is skeletal muscle, and different muscle fibers have been found to be associated with meat quality. However, RNA-seq technology has yet to be used to profile the transcriptomic changes of different muscles of the donkey. In this study, the characterizations of different muscles on the gene expression profiles of Dezhou donkey were obtained, the aim was to identify the important genes in donkey muscles, and aid in improving donkey meat quality via RNA-seq. In the donkey gluteus (DG) and donkey longissimus dorsi (DL) group, GO enrichment indicated that DEGs were mainly involved in the biological regulation and metabolic process, and KEGG analysis shows that a total of 427 DEGs were mapped to 216 KEGG pathways and 23 KEGG pathways were significantly enriched such as the ribosome, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, glucagon signaling pathway and biosynthesis of amino acids pathways. Meanwhile, 504 DEGs were mapped to 223 KEGG pathways, in which 17 were significantly enriched including cardiac muscle contraction and oxytocin signaling pathway in donkey hamstring muscles (DH) and DL group. In addition, the tenderness in donkey meat might involve muscle fiber type and glucose metabolism, which might profit from the DEGs including MYH1, MYH7, TNNC1, TNNI3, TPM3, ALDOA, ENO3, and PGK1. The genes found in this study will provide some ideas for further understanding the molecular mechanism of donkey meat quality.