Comparison between Organic and Inorganic Zinc Forms and Their Combinations with Various Dietary Fibers in Respect of the Effects on Electrolyte Concentrations and Mucosa in the Large Intestine of Pigs.

This study aimed to determine the effects of Zn sources, used with potato fiber (PF) or lignocellulose (LC), on electrolyte concentration and the mucus layer in the large intestine of pigs. The experiment involved 24 barrows with an initial body weight of 10.8 ± 0.82 kg, divided into four groups fed the following diets: LC and ZnSO4, LC and Zn glycinate (ZnGly), PF and ZnSO4, or PF and ZnGly. Fiber supplements provided 10 g crude fiber/kg diet, while Zn additives introduced 120 mg Zn/kg diet. After four weeks of feeding, the pigs were sacrificed and digesta and tissue samples were taken from the cecum and colon. PF increased the water content and decreased the phosphorus concentration in the large intestine in comparison with LC. PF also increased calcium, iron, and chloride concentrations in the descending colon. Mucus layer thickness and histological parameters of the large intestine were not affected. ZnGly diets increased MUC12 expression in the cecum as compared to the LC-ZnSO4 group. In the ascending colon, the PF-ZnGly diet increased MUC5AC expression, while both PF groups had greater MUC20 expression in comparison with the LC-ZnSO4 group. In the transverse colon, the LC-ZnGly group and both PF groups had higher MUC5AC expression in comparison with the LC-ZnSO4 group, and both ZnGly groups had higher MUC20 expression than ZnSO4 groups. PF and ZnGly increased MUC4 and MUC5AC expression in the descending colon. PF and ZnGly may exert a beneficial effect on colon health in pigs by upregulating the expression of the MUC5AC and MUC20 genes and are more effective than LC and ZnSO4.

Growth Performance, Biochemical Blood Indices, and Large Intestine Physiology of Rats Fed Diets with Alfalfa Protein-Xanthophyll Concentrate.

The effect of dietary levels of alfalfa protein-xanthophyll concentrate (PXC) was determined in growing rats. Three groups of eight four-week-old male Wistar rats, with an average initial body weight of 61 g, were fed for 28 days either natural-ingredient diets without PXC or supplemented with 1.5% or 3% PXC. Growth performance, blood biochemistry, caecal fermentation, morphology of the large intestine, and mucin gene expression were evaluated. PXC did not affect growth performance but tended to decrease relative liver weight. Among biochemical blood parameters, only bilirubin decreased and uric acid increased in response to 1.5% and 3% PXC, respectively. Caecal fermentation was not affected, with the exception of isovaleric acid concentration, which tended to be higher in rats fed the diet containing 3% PXC. Colonic crypts tended to be deeper in rats fed the 3% PXC diet and the thickness of the colonic mucus layer was reduced by both PXC levels. In conclusion, PXC did not affect growth performance or caecal fermentation but decreased thickness of the protective mucus layer in the colon.

The Effect of a Diet Containing Extruded Faba Bean Seeds on Growth Performance and Selected Microbial Activity Indices in the Large Intestine of Piglets.

The study investigated the effect of replacing soybean meal with extruded faba bean seeds on piglet growth performance and selected microbial activity indices in the large intestine. In total, 24, 35-day-old, healthy, castrated piglets of similar body weight were divided into four groups with six replicates. Animals in the control group (C) were fed with soybean meal without extruded faba bean seeds. In other experimental groups, pigs were fed diets with the addition of 20 (FB20), 25 (FB25) or 30% (FB30) extruded faba bean seeds instead of soybean meal and wheat starch. Growth performance, histology of the large intestine, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and ammonia concentration, as well as the activity of bacterial enzymes in digesta samples, were analyzed. The intake of the FB25 diet resulted in an increased feed:gain ratio in comparison to the FB30 group. Feeding the FB30 diet increased tunica muscularis thickness in the caecum as compared to other groups. Moreover, dietary inclusion of extruded faba bean seeds had no effect on SCFA and ammonia concentration. In addition, feeding diets with a different level of extruded faba bean seeds did not affect the activity of bacterial enzymes in the colon.

Dose-dependent effects of two inulin types differing in chain length on the small intestinal morphology, contractility and proinflammatory cytokine gene expression in piglets.

Inulin is a linear fructose polymer which may affect small intestinal physiology. The effects of dietary level of two inulin types on morphology, contractility and proinflammatory cytokine gene expression in the small intestine of piglets were investigated. Fifty six piglets were divided into seven groups fed diets without inulin addition or with 1%, 2% or 3% of inulin with an average degree of polymerisation of 10 (IN10) or 23 (IN23). All diets were offered from day 10 of life for 40 d. Feeding IN10 diets did not affect villous height to crypt depth ratio in the duodenum, while in the jejunum the 2% IN10 diet increased it as compared to other groups. Jejunal muscle contractions induced by electrical field stimulation were impaired by the 2% and 3% IN10 diets. The ileal expression of interleukin-12p40 was decreased by the 2% IN10 diet. There was no effect of IN23 level on villous height to crypt depth ratio in any segment of the small intestine as well as on jejunal motility. The 2% and 3% IN23 diets decreased the jejunal expression of tumour necrosis factor-α. In conclusion, IN10 is more active in the small intestine than IN23. At the 2% dietary level, it increases absorptive area in the jejunum, but may slightly impair smooth muscle contractions.

Proteome changes in renal cortex and medulla induced by dietary supplementation with inulin-type fructans in growing pigs.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of dietary supplementation with inulin extract from chicory root and dried chicory root on the protein profile of the renal cortex and medulla of growing pigs. The experiment was carried out on renal cortex and medulla tissue collected from 24 50-day-old PIC x Penarlan P76 crossbred piglets (males). Animals were divided into three dietary groups (n = 8) and fed with a control diet, diet supplemented with 2% inulin extract from chicory root and a diet supplemented with 4% dried chicory root. Kidney samples were collected after 40 days of feeding, and renal cortex and medulla proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Protein identification was performed using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The diet supplemented with 2% chicory inulin induced significant expression changes of 20 and 26 protein spots in the renal cortex and medulla respectively. Supplementation with 4% dried chicory root triggered changes in the expression of 44 and 24 proteins in the renal cortex and medulla respectively. Both forms of chicory inulin-type fructans effectively affected the expression of proteins involved in energy metabolism, heat shock proteins and other chaperones, cytoskeletal and cytoskeleton-related proteins, as well as other proteins. Additionally, changes in transferrin abundance in both experimental groups suggested the significance of chicory fructan supplementation for iron absorption and bioavailability. In conclusion, 2% inulin extract from chicory root and 4% dried chicory root exerted a similar effect on changes in renal protein expression; however, more pronounced alterations were induced by dried chicory root. Nevertheless, further studies are needed for better understanding the mechanism underlying the effect of chicory inulin-type fructans and their fermentation end products on the kidneys of growing pigs.

The effect of dietary level of two inulin types differing in chain length on biogenic amine concentration, oxidant-antioxidant balance and DNA repair in the colon of piglets.

The effect of dietary level of two types of inulin on amine concentration, redox status and DNA glycosylase activity in the colon of piglets was investigated. Seven groups of piglets were fed diets without inulin addition (control) or with 1%, 2% or 3% inulin with an average degree of polymerisation of 10 (IN10) or 23 (IN23) for 40 days. The 2% and 3% IN10 diets increased tryptamine concentration in the proximal colon, while methylamine concentration in the distal colon was increased by the 1% and 3% IN10 diets. The 1% and 2% IN23 diets increased phenylethylamine and methylamine concentration in the proximal colon, respectively, while 1,7-diaminoheptane content was increased by both diets. Its concentration in the middle and distal colon was increased by the 1% and 2% IN23 diet, respectively. There was no improvement in the oxidant-antioxidant balance in colonic digesta of piglets fed IN10 and IN23 diets. Piglets fed IN10 diets had lower 1,N6-etheno-2'-deoxyadenosine excision activity in each colon segment, as compared with the control group. It was also reduced by the 2% and 3% IN23 diets in the proximal colon, while in the middle and distal colon by all IN23 diets. Feeding all IN10 and IN23 diets reduced 3,N4-etheno-2'-deoxycytidine and 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine excision activities in each colon segment. Feeding IN10 and IN23 diets neither decreased amine concentrations nor improved the oxidant-antioxidant balance in colonic digesta of piglets. However, both types of inulin efficiently reduced the activity of DNA repair enzymes.

Effects of dietary level of tannic acid and protein on internal organ weights and biochemical blood parameters of rats.

Tannic acid (TA) is a polyphenolic compound with a health-promoting potential for humans. It is hypothesised that TA effects on the relative weight of internal organs and biochemical blood indices are modified by dietary protein level in rats. The study involved 72 rats divided into 12 groups fed diets with 10 or 18% of crude protein (CP) and supplemented with 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5 or 2% of TA. After 3 weeks of feeding, the relative weight of the caecum was greater in rats fed TA diets, while feeding diets with 10% of CP increased the relative weight of the stomach, small intestine and caecum, but decreased that of kidneys and spleen. Albumin concentration was higher in rats fed 0.25% and 0.5% TA diets than in rats given the 2% TA diets. The 2% TA diets reduced creatine kinase (CK) activity compared to non-supplemented diets and those with 0.5, 1 and 1.5% of TA. Rats fed the 10% CP diets had a higher activity of alkaline phosphatase, amylase, and γ-glutamyltransferase as well as the concentration of iron and cholesterol, but lower that of urea and uric acid. The interaction affected only cholinesterase activity. In conclusion, TA induced caecal hypertrophy and could act as a cardioprotective agent, as demonstrated by reduced CK activity, but these effects were not modified by dietary protein level.

Effect of Replacing Soybean Meal by Raw or Extruded Pea Seeds on Growth Performance and Selected Physiological Parameters of the Ileum and Distal Colon of Pigs.

The use of pea seeds is limited due to the content of antinutritional factors that may affect gut physiology. Heat treatment such as extrusion may reduce heat-labile antinutritional factors and improve the nutritional value of pea seeds. This study determined the effect of partial replacement of soybean meal in pig diets by raw or extruded pea seeds on growth performance, nitrogen balance and physiology of the ileum and distal colon. The experiment was carried out in 18 castrated male piglets of initial body weight of 11 kg, divided into three groups. The animals were fed cereal-based diets with soybean meal (C), which was partly replaced by raw (PR) or extruded pea (PE) seeds. Nitrogen balance was measured at about 15 kg body weight. After 26 days of feeding, tissue samples were taken from the ileum and distal colon for histological measurements, and colonic digesta samples for analyses of microbial activity indices. The animals fed the PE diet had a significantly greater average daily gain than those fed the C diet and better apparent protein digestibility than those on the PR diet. Pigs fed the PR diet had a significantly greater butyric acid concentration and lower pH in the colon than pigs fed PE and C diets. There was no significant effect of the diet on other indices of microbial activity or morphological parameters. In conclusion, feeding a diet with extruded pea seeds improved growth performance of pigs, did not affect intestinal morphology and had a negligible effect on microbial activity in the distal colon.

The effect of rumen ciliates on chitinolytic activity, chitin content and the number of fungal zoospores in the rumen fluid of sheep.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of selected protozoa on the degradation and concentration of chitin and the numbers of fungal zoospores in the rumen fluid of sheep. Three adult ewes were fed a hay-concentrate diet, defaunated, then monofaunated with Entodinium caudatum or Diploplastron affine alone and refaunated with natural rumen fauna. The average density of the protozoa population varied from 6.1 · 10(4) (D. affine) to 42.2 · 10(4) cells/ml rumen fluid (natural rumen fauna). The inoculation of protozoa in the rumen of defaunated sheep increased the total activity of chitinolytic enzymes from 2.9 to 3.6 µmol N-acetylglucosamine/g dry matter (DM) of rumen fluid per min, the chitin concentration from 6.3 to 7.2 mg/g DM of rumen fluid and the number of fungal zoospores from 8.1 to 10.9 · 10(5) cells/ml rumen fluid. All examined indices showed diurnal variations. Ciliate population density was highest immediately prior to feeding and lowest at 4 h thereafter. The opposite effects were observed for the numbers of fungal zoospores, the chitin concentration and chitinolytic activity. Furthermore, it was found that chitin from zoospores may account for up to 95% of total microbial chitin in the rumen fluid of sheep. In summary, the examined ciliate species showed the ability of chitin degradation as well as a positive influence on the development of the ruminal fungal population.

The effects of inulin, dried Jerusalem artichoke tuber and a multispecies probiotic preparation on microbiota ecology and immune status of the large intestine in young pigs.

The study aimed at determining the effect of two types of prebiotics and a multispecies probiotic on microbiota activity and composition, as well as mucosal immunity in the large intestine of young pigs. In total 48 piglets were divided into 6 groups (n = 8), which received from day 10 of life probiotic-unsupplemented (PU) or probiotic-supplemented (PS) diets. Probiotics were added at 0.5 g/kg diet and contained: Lactococcus lactis, Carnobacterium divergens, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The PU and PS diets were formulated without prebiotic addition (control) or with addition of 2% of inulin from chicory root (IN) or 4% of dried Jerusalem artichoke tubers (DJA). After 40 days of feeding, digesta and tissue samples were taken from the caecum and three sections of the colon for analyses of microbiota activity and composition, secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL). IN diets decreased the caecal digesta pH and ß-glucosidase activity but increased propionic, valeric and total short chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations compared to control diets. Feeding DJA diets increased caecal valeric acid level, decreased the concentration of isoacids in the colon, reduced ß-glucosidase and ß-glucuronidase activity in the middle colon and increased Bifidobacterium spp. populations in the proximal and distal colon. PS diets increased the caecal acetic acid and total SCFA level, and Clostridium spp. populations in the distal colon. Neither probiotic nor prebiotics affected sIgA level or IEL number in the large intestine. In conclusion, DJA modified the microbiota ecology in the large intestine of young pigs to a greater extent than IN and the applied probiotic did not enhance effects of prebiotics.

Effects of Autoclaving Soy-Free and Soy-Containing Diets for Laboratory Rats on Protein and Energy Values Determined In Vitro and In Vivo.

Autoclaving diminishes the nutritional value of rat diets, depending on the duration and temperature of the process and the type of dietary protein. We evaluated in vivo and in vitro the effects of autoclaving on the protein and energy values of soy-free and soy-containing rat diets. The true digestibility and biological value of the dietary protein were determined in a 10-d experiment involving 28-d-old Wistar Crl:WI(Han) male rats fed casein- or soy-containing diet that was autoclaved for 20 min at 121 °C (T1), 10 min at 134 °C (T2), or not autoclaved (T0). The apparent protein digestibility and metabolizable energy concentration of experimental diets were assayed during an 18-d trial involving 6-wk-old Wistar-Crl:WI(Han) male rats and compared with a commercial diet. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content, amount of protein bound to NDF, protein solubility, and in vitro ileal protein digestibility were determined. Autoclaving decreased protein solubility, with the T2 condition having a greater effect than that of T1, and decreased the protein parameters determined in vivo, except for the apparent digestibility of the standard rat diet. Autoclaving decreased metabolizable energy slightly. The Atwater formula yielded higher values than those determined in rats, in vitro, and calculated according to the pig equation. We conclude that autoclaving diets according to the T1 program was less detrimental to dietary protein than was T2 and that the NDF content and protein solubility may be helpful in assessing the effect of autoclaving. The pig formula and in vitro method appear to be valid for estimating the metabolizable energy of rat diets.

Effect of taurine and gold nanoparticles on the morphological and molecular characteristics of muscle development during chicken embryogenesis.

The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the effects of taurine and Au nanoparticles on the expression of genes related to embryonic muscle development and on the morphological characteristics of muscles. Fertilised chicken eggs (n = 160) were randomly divided into four groups: without injection (Control) and with injection of Au nanoparticles (NanoAu), taurine (Tau) or Au nanoparticles with taurine (NanoAu + Tau). The experimental solutions were given in ovo, on the third day of incubation, by injecting 0.3 ml of the experimental solution into the air sack. The embryos were evaluated on the 20th day of incubation. The methods included gene expression at the mRNA and protein levels, immunohistochemistry, histology and microscopy. In groups NanoAu, Tau and NanoAu + Tau, the muscle structure and the number of muscle cells were affected. Furthermore, taurine increased fibre diameter, the total number of nuclei, the proportion of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells and the total cell number. Also, gene expression of basic fibroblast growth factor-2 and PCNA was downregulated. There were no significant interactions between NanoAu and taurine, indicating that NanoAu did not enhance the effects of taurine. It may be concluded that 20 days after injection, NanoAu affected some parameters of muscle development, but the most profound effects were those of taurine.

Effect of restricted feeding and realimentation periods on compensatory growth performance and physiological characteristics of pigs.

An experiment with 94 growing pigs was conducted to determine the effect of a feed restriction of 25% on performance, carcass quality, organ weight, blood hormone levels and some biochemical parameters. The experiment consisted of four periods of 21 days each. In the different periods animals (initial BW about 31 kg) were fed ad libitum (A) or restrictively (R), resulting at day 84 in Groups AAAA, AARA, RAAA and RARA. During Period I, the daily gain of restrictively fed pigs (Group R) was about 22% lower than from Group A (p < 0.01). During realimentation, compensatory growth was observed in Period II for Group RA, and in Period IV for Group RARA. No compensatory growth was observed for Group AARA, which was fed restrictively in Period III only (day 43 to 63). For the whole experiment (day 1 to 84), BW gain and feed conversion amounted to 830 g/d and 3.03 kg/kg, 798 g/d and 2.99 kg/kg, 813 g/d and 2.86 kg/kg, and 800 g/d and 2.78 kg/kg for Groups AAAA, AARA, RAAA and RARA, respectively. The decrease of liver and kidney weights as a result of restricted feeding was not significant and after three weeks of realimentation these differences almost disappeared. At day 3 after realimentation of restrictively fed pigs (Group RA) the growth hormone level was significantly increased, but at day 14 of realimentation this level turned out to be lower (p < 0.01) than in pigs fed ad libitum (Group AA). This was considered as a further indication of compensatory growth.