Effects of supplemental Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide on growth performance and intestinal health in weaned piglets.

In this study, we investigated the effects of supplemental Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GCP) on growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets. Ninety piglets weaned at 28 days of age were randomly allocated to three groups with five replicates per treatment. Piglets were fed the following diets for 28 days: (1) CON (control group), basal diet; (2) G500, CON + 500 mg/kg GCP; (3) G1000, CON + 1000 mg/kg GCP. The results showed that supplementation with 1000 mg/kg GCP increased the average daily gain (ADG) and decreased the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) (P < 0.05). Serum diamine oxidase (DAO) and D-lactic acid (DL-A) levels were lower in the G1000 group (P < 0.05). Dietary GCP 1000 mg/kg improved mucosal trypsin activity in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum and increased lipase and amylase activity in the jejunum (P < 0.05). Moreover, in the G1000 group, ZO-1, claudin 1 and occludin levels were increased in the jejunum mucosa, whereas interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and IL-6 levels were decreased (P < 0.05). The 16S rRNA gene analysis indicated that dietary 1000 mg/kg GCP altered the jejunal microbial community, with increased relative abundances of beneficial bacteria. In conclusion, dietary GCP 1000 mg/kg can improve growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, intestinal immunity, barrier function and microbial community in weaned piglets.

Effects of dietary Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide supplementation on growth performance, intestinal antioxidants, immunity and microbiota in weaned piglets.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GCP) supplementation on growth performance, intestinal antioxidants, immunity and microbiota in weaned piglets. One hundred and twenty 28-day-old weaned piglets were randomly assigned into five groups (four replicates per group) and fed a basal diet with GCP at 0, 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 mg/kg for four weeks, respectively. Results showed that 1000 mg/kg GCP improved piglets' ADG and ADFI and reduced FCR (p < .05). Thus, the 0 and 1000 mg/kg GCP dose were selected for subsequent experiments. We found that 1000 mg/GCP increased SOD and T-AOC and decreased MDA in the jejunal mucosa (p < .05). Dietary 1000 mg/kg GCP also resulted in high levels of sIgA, IL-10 and TGF-ß, whereas IL-2 dropped dramatically (p < .05). The relative expression levels of ZO-1, CLDN, OCLDN, TLR-4, IL-10, TGF-ß, Nrf-2, SOD1 and CAT increased in the jejunal mucosa, whereas INF-γ decreased (p < .05). 1000 mg/kg GCP treatment altered the diversity and community composition of cecal microbiota in pigs, with increasing relative abundance of Bacteroidota and Lactobacillus at phylum and genus levels (p < .05), respectively. The results suggested that dietary 1000 mg/kg GCP could improve growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets.

Effects of dietary Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide on growth performance, blood parameters and immunity in weaned piglets.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GCP) on growth performance, blood parameters and immunity in weaned piglets. A total of 240 (10.33 ± 0.62 kg body weight) 35-day-old (Duroc × Landrace × White) weaned piglets were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments, with six replicate pens per treatment and 10 piglets per pen (five males and five females). The dietary treatments continued for 21 days and comprised a basal diet supplemented with 0 (control group), 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg GCP. The results showed that the inclusion of 1000 and 2000 mg/kg GCP increased the average daily gain and decreased the feed conversion rate compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The piglets treated with 500 and 1000 mg/kg GCP had a lower diarrhoeal incidence than the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, supplementation with 1000 mg/kg GCP increased the counts of white blood cells, neutrophils, red blood cells, and platelets, and elevated alkaline phosphatase, total protein, globulin, glucose, triglyceride, immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, and total antioxidant capacity levels (p < 0.05), and decreased malondialdehyde content compare with the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, relative to the control group, piglets fed 500 and 1000 mg/kg GCP had significantly lower expression of interleukin-6 mRNA in spleen (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that dietary supplementation with GCP can improve growth performance, blood parameters and immunity in weaned piglets. Our study suggests that adding 1000 mg/kg GCP to the diet had the most beneficial effect.

Effect of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization management on soil properties and leaf traits and yield of Sapindus mukorossi.

Rational fertilization is the main measure to improve crop yield, but there are differences in the optimal effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) rationing exhibited by the same crop species in different regions and soil conditions. In order to determine the optimum fertilization ratio for high yield of Sapindus mukorossi in western Fujian to provide scientific basis. We carried out the experimental design with different ratios of N, P and K to investigate the effects of fertilization on the yield. and leaf physiology of Sapindus mukorossiand soil properties. Results showed that the yield of Sapindus mukorossi reached the highest value (1464.58 kg ha-1) at N2P2K2 treatment, which increased to 1056.25 kg ha-1 compared with the control. There were significant differences in the responses of soil properties and leaf physiological factors to fertilization treatments. Factor analysis showed that the integrated scores of soil factors and leaf physiological characteristic factors of Sapindus mukorossi under N2P2K2 fertilization treatment were the highest, which effectively improved the soil fertility and leaf physiological traits. The yield of Sapindus mukorossi showed a highly significant linear positive correlation with the integrated scores (r=0.70, p<0.01). Passage analysis showed that soil available nitrogen content, organic carbon content, and leaf area index were the key main factors to affect the yield. RDA showed that soil organic carbon and available phosphorus were the most important factors to affect leaf physiological traits. We recommend that the optimum fertilization ratio of Sapindus mukorossi was 0.96Kg N, 0.80Kg P and 0.64Kg K per plant. Reasonable fertilization can improve soil fertility and leaf physiological traits, while excessive fertilization has negative effects on soil fertility, leaf physiology and yield. This study provides theoretical support for scientific cultivation of woody oil seed species.

Alleviating effect of quercetin on cadmium-induced oxidative damage and apoptosis by activating the Nrf2-keap1 pathway in BRL-3A cells.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal extensively used in industrial and agricultural production. Among the main mechanisms of Cd-induced liver damage is oxidative stress. Quercetin (QE) is a natural antioxidant. Herein, the protective effect of QE on Cd-induced hepatocyte injury was investigated. BRL-3A cells were treated with 12.5 µmol/L CdCl2 and/or 5 µmol/L QE for 24 h. The cells and medium supernatant were collected, and the ALT, AST, and LDH contents of the medium supernatant were detected. The activities or contents of SOD, CAT, GSH, and MDA in cells were determined. Intracellular ROS levels were examined by flow cytometry. Apoptosis rate and mitochondrial-membrane potential (ΔΨm) were detected by Hoechst 33,258 and JC-1 methods, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2, NQO1, Keap1, CytC, caspase-9, caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 were determined by real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blot methods. Results showed that Cd exposure injured BRL-3A cells, the activity of antioxidant enzymes decreased and the cell ROS level increased, whereas the ΔΨm decreased, and the expression of apoptotic genes increased. Cd inhibited the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway, decreased Nrf2 and NQO1, or increased Keap1 mRNA and protein expression. Through the combined action of Cd and QE, QE activated the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway. Consequently, antioxidant-enzyme activity decreased, cellular ROS level decreased, ΔΨm increased, Cd-induced BRL-3A cell damage was alleviated, and cell apoptosis was inhibited. After the combined action of QE and Cd, Nrf2 and NQO1 mRNA and protein expression increased, Keap1 mRNA and protein expression decreased. Therefore, QE exerted an antioxidant effect by activating the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway in BRL-3A cells.