Effects of yeast-enriched functionalized canola meal supplementation on apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility and fecal characteristics, fecal microbiota, and immune function of healthy adult dogs.

Brewer's dried yeast has a high nutritional value and has long been utilized by the animal feed industry as a source of protein, B-complex vitamins, and minerals. Brewer's dried yeast is also rich in bioactive compounds and may thereby be used as a functional ingredient, providing benefits beyond that of its nutrient content. Canola meal is a high-fiber ingredient that also has unique properties, especially when it is wetted and dried using a proprietary drying system that creates a "functionalized" canola meal. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of a yeast-enriched functionalized canola meal (FCM) on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and the fecal quality, metabolite concentrations, and microbiota populations, and immune function of healthy adult dogs. Twelve adult female beagles (body weight [BW] = 7.6 ±â€…0.7 kg; age = 5.8 ±â€…1.3) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 28-d periods. Each experimental period consisted of a 22-d adaptation phase, 5 d of total and fresh fecal collection, and blood collection on the last day. To start, all dogs were fed a basal diet to maintain BW for 14 d. Following fecal and blood collections at baseline (-1 d) to confirm health status, experimental periods began testing the following dietary treatments using a Latin square design experiment: 1) FCM only (no yeast inclusion), 2) FCM + low yeast dose, 3) FCM + medium yeast dose, and 4) FCM + high yeast dose. All treatments were top-dressed onto the basal diet at a rate estimated to be 1% of daily intake (as-is basis). Statistical analysis was performed using the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS with the main effect of treatment and the random effect of dog. Significance was declared at P ≤ 0.05, and trends reported if 0.05 < P ≤ 0.10. Supplementation with yeast-enriched FCM had no significant effect on the ATTD of macronutrients or energy or the fecal characteristics, metabolite concentrations, and microbiota populations of dogs. Additionally, no significant differences were observed in circulating immune cell counts or response to Toll-like receptor agonists among treatments. Our results suggest that the yeast-enriched FCM could be included in canine diets without negatively affecting stool quality, fecal metabolite concentrations, or ATTD. Further research is necessary to determine the effective dose of yeast-enriched FCM, potential mechanisms of action, and other potential implications it has on canine health.

Brewer's dried yeast has a high nutritional value and has long been utilized by the animal feed industry as a source of protein, B-complex vitamins, and minerals. Because yeast is rich in polyphenols, mannanoligosaccharides, and ß-glucans, it may also be used as a functional ingredient, providing benefits beyond that of its nutrient content. Canola meal is a high-fiber ingredient that also has unique properties, especially when it is wetted and dried using a proprietary drying system that creates a "functionalized" canola meal. In this experiment, functionalized canola meal was enriched with different levels of brewer's dried yeast, then fed to dogs to evaluate its effects on nutrient digestibility, stool characteristics, microbiota populations, and immunity. The results showed that the yeast-enriched functionalized canola meal had no impact on nutrient digestibility or fecal characteristics. Additionally, no differences were observed in immune cell counts or immune cell activation after challenge. In conclusion, yeast-enriched functionalized canola meal may be supplemented in canine diets without negatively affecting stool quality, fecal metabolite concentrations, or digestibility. Further research is necessary to determine the effective dose of yeast-enriched functionalized canola meal, potential mechanisms of action, and other potential implications it has on canine health.

Effect of live yeast supplementation on energy partitioning and ruminal fermentation characteristics of steers fed a grower-type diet in heat-stress conditions.

The objective of this trial was to determine the influence of live yeast supplementation (LY), environmental condition (ENV), and their interaction (TRT) on energy partitioning, nitrogen metabolism, and ruminal fermentation dynamics of steers receiving a grower-type diet. The effects of LY and ENV were investigated using a 2 × 2 crossover design that spanned five periods. Eight Angus-crossbred steers were randomly split into pairs and housed in four outdoor pens outfitted with an individualized feeding system. Animals were limit-fed a grower diet (DIET) at 1.2% shrunk body weight (SBW) with no live yeast supplementation (NOY) or a grower diet top-dressed with 10 g LY/d for 14 d (1.2 × 1012 CFU/d). On days 13 and 14, animals were subjected to one of two ENV conditions, thermoneutral (TN; 18.4 ± 1.1 °C, 57.6 ± 2.8% relative humidity [RH]) or heat stress (HS; 33.8 ± 0.6 °C, 55.7 ± 2.7% RH), in two side-by-side, single-stall open-circuit, indirect respiration calorimetry chambers. Data were analyzed using a random coefficients model. Carryover effects were examined and removed from the model if not significant. Gross (GE), digestible, metabolizable, heat, and retained energies were not influenced by DIET, ENV, or TRT (P ≥ 0.202). Gaseous energy, as a percentage of GE, tended to increase during HS (P = 0.097). The only carryover effect in the study was for oxygen consumption (P = 0.031), which could be attributed to the tendency of NOY (P = 0.068) to have greater oxygen consumption. DIET, ENV, or TRT (P ≥ 0.154) had no effects on total animal methane or carbon dioxide emissions. Similarly, DIET, ENV, or TRT (P ≥ 0.157) did not affect ruminal pH, redox, protozoa enumeration, ruminal ammonia concentrations, and acetate-to-propionate ratio. Propionate concentrations were the greatest in animals in TN conditions receiving LY (P = 0.034) compared to the other TRT. This effect is mirrored by TN-LY tending to have greater acetate concentrations (P = 0.076) and total VFA concentrations (P = 0.065). Butyrate concentrations tended to be greater for animals fed LY (P = 0.09). There was a tendency for LY to have elevated numbers of Fusobacterium necrophorum (P = 0.053). Although this study lacked effects of LY on energy partitioning, nitrogen metabolism, and some ruminal parameters during HS, further research should be completed to understand if LY is a plausible mitigation technique to enhance beef animals' performance in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.

About 70% of global beef production is located in tropical and sub-tropical regions. With elevated temperatures and significant humidity, these regions impose heat stress on beef animals. Heat stress is the main antagonist to ruminant production as it decreases dry matter intake and digestion and increases energy expenditure due to the animal's need for thermoregulation. Supplementation of live yeast products has proven efficacious at improving ruminal fermentation dynamics. This study sets out to determine if live yeast supplementation to animals in heat stress conditions can positively affect energy partitioning, nitrogen metabolism, and ruminal parameters. Additionally, this study models the ruminal performance after exposure to heat stress or live yeast supplementation. This study identified several interesting in vitro dynamics of previously stressed- or supplemented rumen fluid. Although there were a lack of effects for live yeast supplementation on energy partitioning, nitrogen metabolism, and some ruminal parameters during heat stress, further research should be completed in order to understand if live yeast supplementation is a plausible mitigation technique to enhance the performance of beef animals reared in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.

Fish Oil, Se Yeast, and Micronutrient-Enriched Nutrition as Adjuvant Treatment during Target Therapy in a Murine Model of Lung Cancer.

Despite the effectiveness of primary treatment modalities for cancer, the side effects of treatments, medication resistance, and the deterioration of cachexia after disease progression lead to poor prognosis. A supportive treatment modality to overcome these limitations would be considered a major breakthrough. Here, we used two different target drugs to demonstrate whether a nutraceutical formula (fish oil, Se yeast, and micronutrient-enriched nutrition; NuF) can interfere with cancer cachexia and improve drug efficacy. After Lewis lung cancer (LLC) tumor injection, the C57BL/6 mice were orally administered targeted therapy drugs Iressa and Sutent alone or combined with NuF for 27 days. Sutent administration effectively inhibited tumor size but increased the number of lung metastases in the long term. Sutent combined with NuF had no significant difference in tumor weight and metastasis compare with Sutent alone. However, NuF slightly attenuated metastases number in lung may via mesenchymal marker N-cadherin suppression. NuF otherwise increased epithelial-like marker E-cadherin expression and induce NO-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway in tumor cells, thereby strengthening the ability of the targeted therapy drug Iressa for inhibiting tumor progression. Our results demonstrate that NuF can promote the anticancer effect of lung cancer to targeted therapy, especially in Iressa, by inhibiting HIF-1α and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inducing the apoptosis of lung cancer cells. Furthermore, NuF attenuates cancer-related cachectic symptoms by inhibiting systemic oxidative stress.

Evaluation of a Yeast Hydrolysate from a Novel Strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Mycotoxin Mitigation using In Vitro and In Vivo Models.

Mycotoxicoses in animals are caused by exposure to mycotoxin-contaminated feeds. Disease risk is managed using dietary adsorbing agents which reduce oral bioavailability. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of three selected yeast products as mycotoxin binders using in vitro and in vivo models. Their capacity to adsorb deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA), and ochratoxin A (OTA) was evaluated using an in vitro model designed to simulate the pH conditions during gastric passage in a monogastric animal. Results showed that only one product, an enzymatic yeast hydrolysate (YHY) of a novel strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae, adsorbed about 45% of DON in solution. Next, we determined the effect of YHY on oral absorption of a DON, ZEA, and OTA mixture using a toxicokinetic model in swine. Toxicokinetic modeling of the plasma concentration-time profiles of DON, OTA, and zearalenone-glucuronide (ZEA-GlcA) showed that YHY tended to reduce the maximal plasma concentration of OTA by 17%. YHY did not reduce oral bioavailability of OTA, DON, and ZEA-GlcA. Within the context of this experiment, and despite some positive indications from both the in vitro and in vivo models employed, we conclude that the YHY prototype was not an effective agent for multiple mycotoxin adsorption.

Effect of active dry yeast on lactation performance, methane production, and ruminal fermentation patterns in early-lactating Holstein cows.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of active dry yeast (ADY) supplementation on lactation performance, ruminal fermentation patterns, and CH4 emissions and to determine an optimal ADY dose. Sixty Holstein dairy cows in early lactation (52 ± 1.2 DIM) were used in a randomized complete design. Cows were blocked by parity (2.1 ± 0.2), milk production (35 ± 4.6 kg/d), and body weight (642 ± 53 kg) and assigned to 1 of 4 treatments. Cows were fed ADY at doses of 0, 10, 20, or 30 g/d per head for 91 d, with 84 d for adaptation and 7 d for sampling. Although dry matter intake was not affected by ADY supplementation, the yield of actual milk, 4% fat-corrected milk, milk fat yield, and feed efficiency increased quadratically with increasing ADY supplementation. Yields of milk protein and lactose increased linearly with increasing ADY doses, whereas milk urea nitrogen concentration and somatic cell count decreased quadratically. Ruminal pH and ammonia concentration were not affected by ADY supplementation, whereas ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acid increased quadratically. Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, nonfiber carbohydrate, and crude protein increased quadratically with increasing ADY supplementation. Supplementation of ADY did not affect blood concentration of total protein, triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase, whereas blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, and nonesterified fatty acid concentrations decreased quadratically with increasing ADY supplementation. Methane production was not affected by ADY supplementation when expressed as grams per day or per kilogram of actual milk yield, dry matter intake, digested organic matter, and digested nonfiber carbohydrate, whereas a trend of linear and quadratic decrease of CH4 production was observed when expressed as grams per kilogram of fat-corrected milk and digested neutral detergent fiber. In conclusion, feeding ADY to early-lactating cows improved lactation performance by increasing nutrient digestibility. The optimal ADY dose should be 20 g/d per head.

Evaluation of antioxidant capacity and immunomodulatory effects of yeast hydrolysates for hepatocytes of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala).

An in-vitro study was carried out to examine the effects of yeast hydrolysate (YH) on antioxidant capacity and innate immunity of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) hepatocytes. Fish primary hepatocytes were seeded at a density of 3 × 105 cells mL-1 in 6-well tissue culture plates and treated with two different media including: 1) DMEM/F12 medium (control), and 2) YH medium [DMEM/F12 + 0.1 g L-1 YH]. After incubation for 24 h, the culture medium and primary hepatocytes were collected for subsequent analyses. The results showed no significant (P > 0.05) effect of YH on aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities and urea nitrogen (UN) concentration in the conditioned medium. However, significantly (P < 0.05) higher ALT and AST activities were found in YH treated hepatocytes compared to control. Moreover, YH supplementation led to significant enhancement of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), alternative complement pathway (ACH50) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities and reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the conditioned medium. Furthermore, YH application upregulated the expression of SOD, CAT and NOX2 genes and downregulated mRNA levels of Keap1, Nrf2 and Bach1 in hepatocytes. Also, markedly higher lysozyme activity and albumin concentration were found in the conditioned medium of YH group compared to the control. Additionally, expression of immune-related genes such as antimicrobial peptides 1 (Leap 1) and Leap 2 were significantly upregulated by YH application. Down-regulated expression of NADPH oxidase-2 (NOX2), Kelch-like-ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and BTB and CNC homolog 1 (Bach1) were observed in YH treated hepatocytes. To conclude, YH supplementation improved antioxidant capacity and innate immunity of blunt snout bream hepatocytes.

Fecal bacterial community of finishing beef steers fed ruminally protected and non-protected active dried yeast.

Our previous study suggested that supplementation of high-grain diets with ruminally protected and non-protected active dried yeast (ADY) may potentially reduce manure pathogen excretion by feedlot cattle. We hypothesized that feeding ruminally protected ADY might change the fecal bacterial community of finishing cattle. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding ruminally protected and non-protected ADY to finishing beef steers on their fecal bacterial community. Fresh fecal samples were collected on day 56 from 50 steers fed one of five treatments: 1) control (no monensin, tylosin, or ADY), 2) antibiotics (ANT, 330 mg monensin + 110 mg tylosin·steer-1d-1), 3) ADY (1.5 g·steer-1d-1), 4) encapsulated ADY (EDY; 3 g·steer-1d-1), and 5) a mixture of ADY and EDY (MDY; 1.5 g ADY + 3 g EDY·steer-1d-1). Bacterial DNA was extracted from fecal samples and sequenced using a MiSeq high-throughput sequencing platform. A total number of 2,128,772 high-quality V4 16S rRNA sequences from 50 fecal samples were analyzed, and 1,424 operational taxonomic units (OTU) were detected based on 97% nucleotide sequence identity among reads, with 769 OTU shared across the five treatments. Alpha diversity indices, including species observed, Chao estimate, abundance-based coverage estimator, Shannon, Simpson, and coverage, did not differ among treatments, and principal coordinate analysis revealed a high similarity among treatments without independent distribution. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were dominant phyla in the fecal bacterial community for all treatments, with a tendency (P < 0.10) for greater relative abundance of Bacteroidetes but lesser Firmicutes with ANT, EDY, and MDY compared with control steers. Prevotella was the dominant genus in all treatments and steers supplemented with ANT, EDY, and MDY had greater (P < 0.05) relative abundance of Prevotella than control steers, but lesser (P < 0.03) relative abundance of Oscillospira. No differences between ADY and control were observed for the aforementioned variables. Fecal starch contents were not different among treatments, but the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, as well as Prevotella at genera level, tended (P < 0.06) to be positively correlated to fecal starch content. We conclude that supplementing ruminally protected or non-protected ADY or ANT had no effect on diversity and richness of fecal bacteria of finishing beef cattle, whereas feeding protected ADY or ANT to finishing beef steers altered the dominant fecal bacteria at phylum and genus levels. Therefore, supplementation of ruminally protected ADY may potentially improve intestinal health by stimulating the relative abundance of Prevotella.

Selenium-enriched yeast reduces caecal pathological injuries and intervenes changes of the diversity of caecal microbiota caused by Ochratoxin-A in broilers.

We investigated the protective effect and mechanism of selenium-enriched yeast (SY) on caecal injury induced by ochratoxin A (OTA) in broilers. Eighty broiler chickens of 1-day-old with similar weight were randomly assigned to Control group, OTA group, SY group and OTA + SY group, and were intragastricaly administered with OTA and SY for 21 consecutive days. The results showed that SY could reduce the caecal pathological injuries and could inhibit oxidative stress caused by OTA exposure. The OTA + SY group showed a statistically significant (p < 0.01) reduction in the level of MDA, IL-1ß, IL-6 and IFN-γ, whereas the levels of GSH, SOD activity and IL-10 were significantly increased (p < 0.01). By regulating TLR4/MYD88 signaling pathway, SY inhibited the expression of NF-κB, increased the expression of tight junction-related genes Claudin-1, Occludin and ZO-1, and antagonized the intestinal barrier injury caused by OTA exposure. Moreover, the microbial diversity analyses indicated that SY could intervene changes in the diversity of gut microbiota and the imbalance of gut microbiota caused by OTA. SY could relieve caecal pathological injuries, alleviate OTA-induced caecal oxidative stress and inflammatory response, increase the gut microbial diversity and protect broiler's intestinal barrier from injury.

Evaluation of different inclusion levels of dry live yeast impacts on various rumen parameters and in situ digestibilities of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber in growing and finishing beef cattle.

This study evaluated the effects of supplementing dry live yeast (LY; Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on in vitro gas production (IVGP) fermentation dynamics, pH, and CH4 concentration at 48 h, and in situ rumen parameters and digestibility of DM (DMD) and NDF (NDFD) of growing cattle during 3 feeding phases: grower (GRW) for 17 d (38% steamed-flaked corn; SFC), transition (TRANS) for 15 d (55.5% SFC: 1.2 Mcal/kg NEg), and finisher (FIN) for 13 d (73% SFC: 1.23 Mcal/kg NEg). Twenty British-crossbred, ruminally cannulated steers (183 kg ± 44 kg) 6 mo of age were blocked by weight into 5 pens containing Calan gate feeders and received a control (CON) diet (17.2% CP, 35.8% NDF, 86.7% DM) without LY on days -12 to 0. After that, animals were randomly assigned to treatments (TRT), 5 animals per TRT: CON or LY at inclusion rates of 5 g/d (LY1), 10 g/d (LY2), or 15 g/d (LY3) top dressed every morning at 0800 for 45 d. The DMD and NDFD were assessed during 7 separate collection days using in situ nylon bags containing 5 g of GRW, TRANS, or FIN diets, incubated at 1200 for 48 h. Protozoa counts (PC) were determined during 5 collection periods. Data were analyzed as a repeated measure within a randomized complete block design, assuming a random effect of the pen. For GRW, TRT altered the total gas production of the nonfiber carbohydrate (NFC; P = 0.045) and the fractional rate of degradation (kd) of the fiber carbohydrate (FC) pool (P = 0.001) in a cubic pattern (P ≤ 0.05): LY2 had the most gas production and fastest kd. TRT also influenced DMD (P = 0.035) and NDFD (P = 0.012) with LY2 providing the greatest digestibility. For TRANS, TRT tended to affect the NFC kd (P = 0.078) and influenced pH (P = 0.04) and DMD (P < 0.001) in which LY2 yielded the fastest kd, highest pH, and greatest DMD. For FIN, there was an effect of TRT on total gas production (P < 0.001) and kd (P = 0.004) of the NFC pool, FC kd (P = 0.012), in vitro CH4 concentration (P < 0.001), PC (P < 0.001), DMD (P = 0.039), and NDFD (P = 0.008). LY1 had the highest PC and provided the greatest DMD and NDFD. LY2 had the fastest kd of both the NFC and FC pools and had the least CH4 concentration. LY3 had the greatest NFC gas production. No specific dose-response pattern was observed, but 10 g/d provided the most beneficial result for all diets. We concluded that supplementation with LY affected IVGP as well as ruminal parameters and digestibilities.

Effect of live yeast supplementation to gestating sows and nursery piglets on postweaning growth performance and nutrient digestibility.

The objectives of the present study were to determine the effects of live yeast (LY) supplementation of sows during gestation and lactation and to determine the effects of supplementation of their offspring after weaning on growth performance and nutrient digestibility. A total of 40 sows were assigned to 2 dietary treatments (control vs. LY) based on parity and expected farrowing date. Birth weight, weaning weight, litter size, and mortality were measured. After weaning, 128 mixed-sex piglets (64 from each sow treatment) were selected based on their source litter and initial BW, and randomly assigned to 2 treatments (control or LY) at 4 pigs per pen (total of 32 pigs per treatment) for a 6-wk growth performance study. At the end of the growth performance trial, 2 barrows from each pen were moved to metabolism crates for total fecal collection for a digestibility trial. Addition of LY to the sow diets had no effects on birth weight, weaning weight, litter size at birth, and mortality. Piglets had greater BW on days 21 and 42 post-weaning when sows were fed diets supplemented with LY, and overall ADG was greater in piglets from sows that received LY (P < 0.05). There was no effect of sow and nursery diets on overall ADFI and G:F intake. Supplementing diets with LY during the nursery phase increased apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of DM, GE, and phosphorus (P) during this phase. The ATTD of GE was also greater in piglets from sows that received LY. In conclusion, LY supplementation of diets during gestation and lactation and during the nursery phase could increase ADG and ATTD of DM, GE, and P in the offspring, and this may lead to a greater lifetime growth performance in the offspring.

Supplementation with live yeast increases rate and extent of in vitro fermentation of nondigested feed ingredients by fecal microbiota.

Two studies were conducted to investigate the effect of live yeast (LY) on the in vitro fermentation characteristics of wheat, barley, corn, soybean meal (SBM), canola meal, and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). In Study 1, LY yeast was added directly to in vitro fermentations inoculated with feces from lactating sows, whereas as in study 2, feces collected from lactating sows fed LY as a daily supplement was used. Selected feedstuffs were digested and the residue added to separate replicated (n = 3) fermentation reactions. Study 1 was conducted in two blocks, whereas study 2 was conducted using feces collected after a period of 3 (Exp. 1) or 4 wk (Exp. 2) of LY supplementation. Accumulated gas produced over 72 h was modeled for each substrate and the kinetics parameters compared between LY and control groups. The molar ratio of the volatile fatty acids (VFAs) produced in vitro were also compared at 12 and 72 h of incubation. In study 1, in vitro addition of yeast increased (P < 0.001) the rate of gas production (Rmax). However, a yeast × substrate effect (P < 0.05) observed for total gas accumulated (A), time to half asymptote (B), and time required to reach maximum rate of fermentation (Tmax) suggested that yeast-mediated increases in extent and rate of fermentation varied by substrate. Greater total gas production was observed only for corn and SBM, associated with greater B and Tmax. Supplementation with LY appeared to increase A and Rmax although with variation between experiments and substrates. In Exp. 1, LY decreased (P < 0.05) B and Tmax. However, a yeast × substrate effect (P < 0.05) was observed for only A (for wheat, barley, corn, and corn DDGS) and Rmax (wheat, barley, corn, and wheat DDGS). In Exp. 2, LY increased (P < 0.0001) A and decreased B. However, an interaction (P < 0.05) with substrates was observed for Rmax (except SBM) and Tmax. With exception of the DDGS samples, LY supplementation increased (P < 0.05) VFA production at 12 and 72 h of incubation. Yeast increased (P < 0.05) the molar ratios of acetic acid and branch-chain fatty acids at 12 h of incubation; however, this response was more variable by substrate at 72 h. In conclusion, LY supplementation increased the rate and extent of in vitro fermentation of a variety of substrates prepared from common feedstuffs. Greater effects were observed when LY was fed to sows than added directly in vitro, suggesting effects on fermentation were not mediated directly.

Evaluation of active dried yeast in the diets of feedlot steers. II. Effects on rumen pH and liver health of feedlot steers1.

The objective of this trial was to determine the benefits of supplementing active dried yeast (ADY; 3 × 1010 CFU/d of Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in diets of growing and finishing steers on ruminal pH and liver health, and evaluate the relationship of these variables with performance traits. Growing beef steers (n = 120) were blocked by weight (i.e., heavy and light) and allocated to 1 of 4 pens in an automated feed intake monitoring system. Steers were fed either control (CON; no ADY) or ADY supplemented in 4 sequential diets: grower diet from days 0 to 70, 2 step up diets (STEP1 and STEP2) for 7 d each, and finishing diet from days 85 to 164. Indwelling rumen boli were administered to monitor rumen pH during days 56 to 106 during the dietary transition. An exchange of pen assignment, within block, occurred on day 70 resulting in 4 final treatment (TRT) assignments: steers fed CON before and after the exchange (CC; n = 30), steers fed CON before and ADY after the exchange (CY; n = 30), steers fed ADY before and CON after the exchange (YC; n = 30), and steers fed ADY (YY; n = 30). Ruminal parameters were analyzed as a randomized complete block design with repeated measures of day, diet and TRT as fixed effects, and block as random effects, using 2 approaches: preliminary analysis of the means or drift analysis (DA; units change from basal values over time). Ruminal pH duration (DUR) below 6.0 (P = 0.05) and 5.8 (P = 0.05) was greater for CY steers than CC steers. Acidosis bout prevalence (pH < 5.6 for 180 consecutive minutes; P < 0.01) and bout DUR (P = 0.05) were greater for CY than other TRT groups. The DA indicated that the ruminal pH variables range, variance, and amplitude of steers in the YC group drifted further from basal pH values than CY and YY steers during the dietary transition (P ≤ 0.02), indicating that removing ADY during the dietary transition was not favorable, but including ADY may reduce ruminal fluctuation. Steers with fewer days experiencing bouts (DEB) had numerically greater ADG (P = 0.11) and tended to have greater G:F (P = 0.06). Liver abscess severity negatively affected ADG (P = 0.04). However, liver abscess severity was not affected by DEB (P = 0.90). There is evidence to suggest that the addition of the specific ADY strain in the diets of beef cattle during the dietary transition may aid in ruminal stabilization, but our study did not find evidence that acidosis bouts were related to abscess prevalence or severity.

Evaluation of active dried yeast in the diets of feedlot steers-I: Effects on feeding performance traits, the composition of growth, and carcass characteristics1.

The use of active dried yeast (ADY) in the diets of feedlot steers may improve feed efficiency, growth performance, and reduce days on feed. Strategic timing of ADY inclusion in the diet may increase feed conversion or aid in the dietary transition from growing to finishing diets. One hundred twenty steers, blocked by weight, were fed four diets for 164 d: grower (70 d), first transition diet (7 d), second transition diet for (7 d), and finisher (80 d) in a GrowSafe System. Four treatment sequences of ADY inclusion were evaluated in a Balaam's design where steers were fed a control diet before and after the grower phase (CC), control before and ADY after the grower phase (CY), ADY before and control after the grower phase (YC), and ADY before and after the grower phase (YY). A random coefficients model was used to evaluate the following variables of interest: feeding performance and growth traits, including biometric measurements and carcass ultrasound measurements, and carcass characteristics. Treatment was a fixed effect and block was a random effect. Treatment did not affect feeding performance or behavior (P ≥ 0.14). The rate of change of biometric measurements were not different (P ≥ 0.16) across treatment groups except for rib girth circumference, which was greater for the YY and CY groups intermediate for the CC group and least for the YC group (0.828 and 0.809 vs. 0.751 vs. 0.666 cm/d, respectively; P < 0.01). Faster growth rates of rib girth circumference resulted in larger final measurements for steers that were finished on ADY (P < 0.01). Ultrasound measurements (backfat, LM area, intra-muscular fat, and rump fat) were not different across treatments (P ≥ 0.15). However, there was a tendency for the YC group to have a slower rate of back fat deposition than other treatment groups (P = 0.09). Steers' final shrunk BWs did not differ (P = 0.61), but shrink percentage was greater for CC than for YY groups (3.7% vs. 2.7%, respectively; P = 0.05). Carcass characteristics were not different across treatments (P ≥ 0.20). Crude fat, CP, ash and moisture analyses of the 9th to 11th rib section were not different across treatments, and there was no difference in adjusted final shrunk BW (P ≥ 0.45). Feeding the ADY strain used in this study to growing and finishing feedlot steers increased rib girth circumference development rate and reduced shrink loss without affecting feeding behavior, feeding performance, or carcass characteristics.

Effects of Selenium-Enriched Yeast Improved Aflatoxin B1-Induced Changes in Growth Performance, Antioxidation Capacity, IL-2 and IFN-γ Contents, and Gene Expression in Mice.

Sixty Kunming mice were randomly assigned into three groups. Mice in a control group were fed a basal diet, while mice in AFB1 group and AFB1-Se group were fed the basal diet supplemented with 250 µg/kg AFB1 or the basal diet supplemented with 250 µg/kg AFB1 and 0.2 mg/kg selenium as selenium-enriched yeast, respectively. On day 30 of the experiment, growth performance, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in liver, interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) contents in serum, and cytochrome P3a11 (Cyp3a11), IL-2, IFN-γ, and GSH-Px1 mRNA levels in liver were determined. The results showed that final weights, weight gains, T-AOC levels, GSH-Px1, and IFN-γ mRNA levels in AFB1-Se group and control group were higher or significantly higher than those in AFB1 group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), respectively. Body length gains in AFB1 group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between the AFB1-Se and control groups (P > 0.05). IL-2 contents and liver IL-2 mRNA levels in AFB1-Se group were significantly higher than those in the AFB1 group and control group (P < 0.01), and IL-2 contents in the control group were also significantly higher than those in the AFB1 group (P < 0.01). IFN-γ contents in AFB1-Se group and AFB1 group were significantly higher than those in control group (P < 0.01), while IFN-γ contents in AFB1-Se group were significantly lower than those in AFB1 group (P < 0.01). Cyp3a11 mRNA levels in AFB1-Se group and AFB1 group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.01). The results indicated that selenium-enriched yeast could partly reduce the toxicity induced by AFB1 in mice, including improving growth performance, antioxidation capacity, IL-2 and IFN-γ contents, and enhancing IL-2, IFN-γ, and GSH-Px1 mRNA levels.

Immobilizing yeast ß-glucan on zinc-layered hydroxide nanoparticle improves innate immune response in fish leukocytes.

Nanoparticle-based delivery technologies have played a central role in a wide variety of applications, including cell therapy, gene transformation, and cellular delivery of molecular dyes. This work synthesized via ionic exchange a nanoparticle consisting of zinc-layered hydroxychloride coupled with yeast ß-glucan (ZG), whose cellular immune response was evaluated using fish spleen leukocytes. Leukocytes from the marine Pacific red snapper (Lutjanus peru) were stimulated with zinc-layered hydroxychloride (ZHC) coupled with yeast ß-glucan (GLU) and challenged with live Vibrio parahaemolyticus after 24 h. Structural characterization of this yeast glucan by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) indicated structures containing (1-6)-branched (1-3)-ß-D-glucan. The ZHC and ZG were characterized with X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The results of the immunological study showed that ZHC, GLU or ZG were safe for leukocytes because cell viability was higher than 80% compared with DMSO or V. parahaemolyticus exposure. The ZG or GLU treatments enhanced nitric oxide production, superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase activities. Induction of anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-17) genes was more pronounced in ZG or GLU treatments compared to the other groups. Based on the results, ZHC nanoparticles can be used as a delivery carrier of yeast ß-glucan for enhancing immunity in fish and have great potential application in the aquaculture industry.

Using ruminally protected and nonprotected active dried yeast as alternatives to antibiotics in finishing beef steers: growth performance, carcass traits, blood metabolites, and fecal Escherichia coli.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing the diet of finishing beef steers with active dried yeast (ADY) in ruminally protected and nonprotected forms on growth performance, carcass traits, and immune response. Seventy-five individually-fed Angus steers (initial body weight (BW) ± SD, 448 ± 8.4 kg) were assigned to a randomized complete design with 5 treatments: 1) control (no monensin, tylosin, or ADY), 2) antibiotics (ANT, 330 mg monensin + 110 mg tylosin·steer-1d-1), 3) ADY (1.5 g·steer-1d-1), 4) encapsulated ADY (EDY; 3 g·steer-1d-1), and 5) a mixture of ADY and EDY (MDY; 1.5 g ADY + 3 g EDY·steer-1d-1). Active dried yeast with 1.7 × 1010 cfu/g was encapsulated in equal amounts of ADY and capsule materials (stearic acid and palm oil). Steers were fed a total mixed ration containing 10% barley silage and 90% barley-based concentrate mix (dry matter [DM] basis). The ANT, ADY, and EDY were top-dressed daily to the diet at feeding. Intake of DM, final BW, averaged daily gain (ADG), and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) were unaffected by ADY or EDY. Carcass traits including hot carcass weight (HCW), dressing percentage, marbling score and quality grade did not differ among treatments, although fewer severely abscessed livers were observed (P < 0.05) with ADY and MDY compared with the other treatments. Plasma urea N tended (P < 0.10) to be greater in steers fed ANT, ADY, or EDY on day 56 and 112, while glucose remained stable in all treatments except greater (P < 0.02) plasma glucose occurred in steers fed MDY on day 112. Serum nonestrified fatty acid (NEFA) was unaffected by ADY or EDY, but it was greater (P < 0.03) in steers fed ANT compared with control. Plasma haptoglobin (Hp) and serum amyloid A (SAA) were affected by yeast supplementation on day 112, with greater (P < 0. 01) Hp in steers fed ADY, EDY, or MDY and lesser (P < 0.01) SAA in steers fed EDY and MDY than control. Lipopolysaccharide binding protein concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) in steers fed EDY and MDY on day 56. Supplementing with ADY (protected or nonprotected) or ANT had no effect on fecal IgA contents on day 56 and 112. Steers fed yeast (EDY or MDY) tended (P < 0.10) to have fewer fecal Escherichia coli counts than the control and ANT on day 56 and 112. These results indicate that feeding ADY to feedlot cattle may exhibit antipathogenic activity that conferred health and food safety beneficial effects including reduced liver abscess and potentially pathogen excretion, thus yeast may be an alternative to in-feed antibiotics in natural beef cattle production systems.

Effects of dietary yeast culture on growth performance, immune response and disease resistance of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio CAS â ¢).

A 50-day feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the partial replacement of fishmeal by yeast culture (YC) on growth performance, immune response and resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila in gibel carp CAS Ⅲ (Carassius auratus gibelio). Four isonitrogenous and isoenergetic practical diets including a basal diet (the control diet containing 10% fish meal, D0) and three yeast culture diets (substituting 20%, 40%, 60% of the fishmeal in the basal diet, D20, D40 and D60, respectively) were formulated. Each diet was randomly allocated to quadruplicate fish groups (average initial body weight: 28.70 ±â€¯0.03 g) reared in a recirculating system. After the growth trial, bacterial challenge test was conducted. The results showed that no noteworthy variations in feed intake, growth performance and morphology indices were found among groups (P > 0.05). YC Supplemented diet exerted little significant influence on plasma parameters including triglyceride, glucose, creatinine, total protein and urea nitrogen compared with the control group (P > 0.05). No obvious variations were found in activities of plasma lysozyme, IgM, MPO and SOD before challenge test among dietary treatments (P > 0.05), whereas considerable higher value of the foresaid indicators was discovered in D40 after bacteria challenge (P < 0.05). Transcriptional levels of Toll like receptor 2 (TLR2), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), Toll/IL-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor protein (TIRAP) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) in spleen after challenge were significantly up-regulated in D40 compared with D0 (P < 0.05). Cumulative survival rate in D40 and D60 were significantly higher than those in D0 and D20 (P < 0.05). Taken together, yeast culture could be a suitable fishmeal alternative in diets of gibel carp and dietary inclusion of 4 g YC per 100 g diet enhanced the immunity and disease resistance of gibel carp partly via TLR2 pathway.

Effects of dietary yeast nucleotides supplementation on intestinal barrier function, intestinal microbiota, and humoral immunity in specific pathogen-free chickens.

Yeast nucleotides are a fine functional additive in human and animals. The effects of dietary yeast nucleotides supplementation on intestinal development, expression of intestinal barrier-related genes, intestinal microbiota, and infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) antibody titer of specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were investigated. A total of 60 1-d-old chickens were divided into 4 groups, each of which included 3 replicates of 5 chickens. Group 1 served as a control that was fed a basal diet. Groups 2 to 4 were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.1%, 0.3% and 0.5% yeast nucleotides, respectively. All chickens were inoculated intranasally with inactivated IBV vaccine at day 1 and day 10. At day 17, the intestinal development, expression of intestinal barrier-related genes and microbiota were evaluated. There was a significant increased ileal villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio in group 2 (P < 0.05). Moreover, group 4 exhibited higher expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and Occludin gene in ileum (P < 0.05), whereas groups 2 and 3 exhibited higher expression of Mucin 2 (MUC2) and trefoil factor 2 (TFF2) gene (P < 0.05), group 2 showed lower expression of IFN-α gene (P < 0.05). Dietary yeast nucleotides increased intestinal bacterial diversity (P < 0.05), and the abundance of Lactobacillus (P < 0.05). At day 10, 17, 24, 31, 38, and 45, the serum IBV antibody titers were tested. Group 2 exhibited higher IBV antibody titer at day 17 (P < 0.05), furthermore, groups 2 to 4 reached the effective levels 1 wk earlier than control group. In conclusion, dietary yeast nucleotides supplementation can help birds to mount a faster and stronger antibody response to IBV vaccine. In addition, dietary yeast nucleotides supplementation can also promote the intestinal development and barrier-related genes expression, and diversity and richness of intestinal microbiota.

Effects of active dry yeast on ruminal pH characteristics and energy partitioning of finishing steers under thermoneutral or heat-stressed environment.

The objective of this trial was to determine the effects of supplementing active dried yeast (ADY) in the diets of finishing steers on energy and nitrogen metabolism and ruminal pH characteristics under thermoneutral (TN) or heat-stressed (HS) conditions. Eight British cross steers received 1 of 2 treatments (TRT) [either a control finishing diet (CON) or supplemented with 3 g/d of ADY] under 1 of 2 temperatures [TEMP: TN = 18 ± 0.55 °C and 20 ± 1.2% relative humidity (RH) or HS = 35 ± 0.55 °C and 42 ± 6.1% RH]. Steers were orally administered an indwelling rumen pH and temperature recording bolus. Data collection occurred for 48 consecutive hours inside 2 calorimetry chambers. Data were analyzed as a 4 × 8 Latin rectangle design with fixed effects of TRT and TEMP and random effects of steer and period. There were no TRT × TEMP interactions for metabolism or calorimetric measurements (P ≥ 0.1510). In vivo DM digestibility (DMD) was greater for ADY-fed steers than for CON-fed steers (77.1% vs. 75.3%, respectively; P = 0.0311). No TRT (P = 0.3032) or TEMP (P = 0.1833) effect was observed for nitrogen retention. Energy partitioning suggested DE and ME (Mcal/kg) were greater for ADY-fed steers than for CON-fed steers (P = 0.0097 and P = 0.0377, respectively). Steers under HS had reduced DMI but greater DMD than TN steers (77.1% vs. 75.3%, respectively; P = 0.0316) and greater CH4 per unit of DM (8.53 vs. 6.47 g/kg, respectively; P = 0.0145). Although DE was greater for HS than TN (3.16 vs. 3.06 Mcal/kg, respectively; P = 0.0123), heat production energy (HE) tended to be greater for HS than TN (18.1 vs. 17.0 Mcal/d, respectively; P = 0.0743), resulting in a less retained energy (0.412 vs. 0.100 Mcal/kg; P = 0.0147). There was a tendency for an interaction of mean ruminal pH (P = 0.1279) where pH of ADY-fed steers was greater than pH of CON-fed steers under TN conditions (5.81 vs. 5.57, respectively), but not under HS conditions (5.37 vs. 5.41, respectively). Duration (DUR) and area under the curve (AUC) for pH > 5.6 had similar tendencies; under TN conditions, the DUR and AUC for pH > 5.6 in ADY-fed steers were greater than in CON-fed steers (P = 0.0726 and P = 0.0954, respectively), but under HS conditions, there was no difference between ADY and CON. We conclude that supplementing ADY in the diets of finishing steers improved DMD, DE, ME, and mean ruminal pH under TN conditions, but not in extreme HS conditions likely due to reduced DMI and greater HE requirements.

Effect of supplemental yeast cell walls on growth performance, gut mucosal glutathione pathway, proteolytic enzymes and transporters in growing broiler chickens.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of supplemental yeast cell walls (YCW) on growth performance, gut mucosal glutathione pathway, proteolytic enzymes, and transporters in broiler chickens from 1 to 21 d of age. One-day-old broiler chickens (n = 480) were randomly allocated to 4 treatments with 6 replicates of 20 chicks each for diets containing YCW at 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g/kg. The results showed that YCW supplementation increased (P < 0.05) ADFI and ADG by 15.3% and 16.0%, respectively, and the 2 higher doses of YCW had greater effects (P < 0.05) than the lower dose. For the glutathione pathway in the duodenal mucosa, the levels of reduced glutathione and glutathione reductase in the YCW treatments were increased (P < 0.05) by 15.6% and 17.4%, respectively, but glutathione S-transferases was not affected. Similarly, the YCW increased (P < 0.05) the mucosal activities of trypsin, dipeptidyl, and leucine aminopeptidase by 12.4%, 5.5%, and 17.3%, respectively, and the mRNA profiles of neutral, cationic, and oligopeptide transporters by 62.5%, 69.1%, and 11.5%, respectively. The YCW also increased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of Thr, Met, Ile, Leu, Lys, Arg, and Tyr in the blood by 8.8% to 39.2%. Additionally, the ADFI, ADG, reduced glutathione, trypsin, dipeptidyl aminopeptidase, leucine aminopeptidase, and cationic amino acid transporter increased linearly and quadratically (P < 0.05) with YCW supplementation. The results suggest that YCW supplementation can beneficially modulate intestinal glutathione pathway, proteolytic enzyme activity, and nutrient transport in growing animals.