Effects of dietary tributyrin and physterol ester supplementation on growth performance, intestinal morphology, microbiota and metabolites in weaned piglets.

AIM: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary tributyrin (TB) and physterol ester (PSE) supplementation on the growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ninety-six piglets were randomly allocated to one of four groups, including a control group (basal diet), TB group (basal diet + 1500 g t-1  TB), PSE group (basal diet + 300 g t-1 PSE) and TB + PSE group (basal diet + 1500 g t-1  TB + 300 g t-1 PSE). All groups had eight replicates with three piglets per replicate. The experiment lasted for 28 days. The results showed that dietary TB supplementation increased (p < 0.05) average daily feed intake and average daily gain, as well as the acetate and butyrate concentration in ileum, and dietary PSE supplementation decreased (p < 0.05) the ratio of feed to gain (F/G) on days 1-14 of the trial. Dietary TB or PSE alone supplementation improved the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (VH/CD) and the expression level of Occludin in ileum. The linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis identified eight biomarkers in the control group, 18 in the TB + PSE group, two in the PSE group in ileum respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the relative abundances of Enterococcus, and Streptococcus were positively correlated (p < 0.05) with propionate concentration, while the relative abundance of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 was negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with acetate concentration in ileum. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that dietary TB or PSE alone supplementation could alter the growth performance, intestinal morphology, microbiota community and metabolites of weaned piglets. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Weaning stress is a major cause of slow growth and increased diarrhoea in piglets. This study demonstrated that dietary TB and PSE presented a beneficial role in growth performance and gut health via regulating intestinal morphology, microbiota composition and metabolites.

Maternal Supplementary Tapioca Polysaccharide Iron Improves the Growth Performance of Piglets by Regulating the Active Components of Colostrum and Cord Blood.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of maternal supplementation with TpFe (tapioca polysaccharide iron) on reproductive performance, colostrum composition, cord blood active components of sows, and growth performance of their nursing piglets. Sixty healthy Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire sows were randomly assigned to three groups at day 85 of gestation. The experimental diets included a basal diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg FeSO4·H2O (CON group), the basal diet supplemented with 50 mg/kg TpFe (TpFe50 group), and the basal diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg TpFe (TpFe100 group), as calculated by Fe content. The experiment lasted from day 85 of gestation to the end of weaning (day 21 of lactation). Results showed that maternal supplementation with 100 mg/kg TpFe improved (p < 0.05) feed intake during lactation, live births, and birth weight of the litter (alive) and increased (p < 0.05) colostrum IgM (immunoglobulin m), IgA (immunoglobulin A), as well as the IgG levels, while it decreased (p < 0.05) the urea nitrogen and somatic cell count of sows. Moreover, sows in the TpFe100 group had higher (p < 0.05) serum iron levels and IgG. Additionally, maternal supplementation with 100 mg/kg TpFe increased (p < 0.05) iron level, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px), catalase (CAT), IgG, red blood cells (RBC), and hemoglobin (Hb) of cord blood, similar with the iron content, T-AOC, GSH-px, IgG, RBC, Hb, hematocrit (HCT), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of weaned piglet blood. The diarrhea and mortality rates among the nursing piglets were decreased (p < 0.05), while the average weight at day 21 of age was increased (p < 0.05) in the TpFe100 group. Serum PRL (prolactin) levels of sows exhibited a positive correlation (p < 0.05) with live births. Suckling piglet diarrhea was positively correlated with colostrum urea nitrogen level but negatively correlated with colostrum IgM, IgG, and cord blood Hb content (p < 0.05). The mortality of suckling piglets was negatively correlated with serum iron content and IgM in colostrum, GSH-px, and IgG in cord serum of sows (p < 0.05). The average weight of weaning piglets was positively (p < 0.05) related to colostrum IgM and IgG levels, as well as cord serum RBC counts of sows on day 21. In conclusion, maternal supplementation with TpFe can improve the active components of colostrum and umbilical cord blood and improve the growth performance of suckling piglets.

Potential Mechanism and Effects of Different Selenium Sources and Different Effective Microorganism Supplementation Levels on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Muscle Fiber Characteristics of Three-Yellow Chickens.

A trial was conducted to investigate the effects of different Se sources, including sodium selenite (S-Se) and selenium yeast (Y-Se) and different effective microorganism (EM) addition levels on growth performance, meat quality, and muscle fiber characteristics of three-yellow chickens and its potential mechanism. A total of 400 birds were randomly distributed into 4 groups (S-Se, S-Se + EM, Y-Se, and Y-Se + EM groups) consisting of a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The main factors were the source of Se (ISe = inorganic Se: 0.2 mg/kg S-Se; OSe = organic Se: 0.2 mg/kg Y-Se) and the level of EM (HEMB = high EM: 0.5% EM; ZEMB = low EM: 0% EM). Each treatment had 5 replicates and each replicate consisted of 20 broiler chickens. The trial lasted for 70 days. The results showed that, in breast muscle, the broiler chickens fed OSe source decreased the pH24h, drip loss, shear force, perimeter, cross-sectional area, and diameter, but increased the a 24 h * and density compared with the broiler chickens fed ISe source (p < 0.05); broiler chickens supplied with HEMB level decreased the cross-sectional area and diameter, but increased the pH24h, a 24 h , * and density compared with the broiler chickens supplied with ZEMB level (p < 0.05). In thigh muscle, OSe source and HEMB level also could improve the meat quality and change muscle fiber characteristics of broiler chickens (p < 0.05). Meat quality was correlated with the muscle fiber characteristics (p < 0.05). OSe source and HEMB level could regulate the expression levels of muscle fiber-relative genes in the breast and thigh muscles (p < 0.05). In conclusion, OSe source and HEMB level could improve the meat quality of the breast and thigh muscles of three-yellow chickens by changing the muscle fiber characteristics, and they changed the muscle fiber characteristics by regulating the expression levels of muscle fiber-relative genes.

Productive Performance, Serum Antioxidant Status, Tissue Selenium Deposition, and Gut Health Analysis of Broiler Chickens Supplemented with Selenium and Probiotics-A Pilot Study.

The effect and interaction of dietary selenium (Se) and probiotics on three yellow chicken growth performance, tissue Se content, antioxidant capacity, and gut health were studied from 0 to 70 days of age. A total of 400 one-day-old broilers were distributed into four groups (I-Se, O-Se, I-Se + pros, and O-Se + pros groups) consisting of a 2 × 2 factorial design. The main factors were the source of Se (I-Se = inorganic Se: 0.2 mg/kg sodium selenite; O-Se = organic Se: 0.2 mg/kg Selenium yeast) and the level of probiotics (0.5% EM or 0% EM, the component of EM mainly includes Lactobacillus and Yeast at the dose of 2 × 108 cfu/kg and 3 × 107 cfu/kg, respectively). Each treatment had 5 duplicates consisting of 20 broilers. The results showed that the I-Se group had a greater (p < 0.05) ratio of feed: weight gain (F/G) of broilers at Starter (0−35 d) than the other treatments. Compared to the I-Se group, the O-Se group increased (p < 0.05) Se concentrations in the liver, pancreas, breast muscles, thigh muscle, and the activity of total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) in serum, as well as the relative abundance of Barnesiella and Lactobacillus in cecum. Meanwhile, probiotics enhanced (p < 0.05) Se concentrations in the pancreas, thigh muscle, serum, and the activity of T-AOC and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), the duodenum's ratio of villi height to crypt depth (V/C), the jejunum villus height and V/C, and the ileum's villus height. Furthermore, the significant interactions (p < 0.05) between Se sources and the level of probiotics were observed in Se concentrations in the pancreas, thigh muscle, serum, crypt depth of duodenum, and villus height of jejunum of birds, and Barnesiella abundance in the cecal. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the combination of O-Se + pros can improve broiler early growth performance, tissue Se content in the pancreas, thigh muscle, and serum, promote intestinal development, and regulate the composition of intestinal flora, suggesting a better combination. These findings provide an effective method of nutrient combination addition to improving the performance of three yellow chickens.