Effect of different doses of camelina cake inclusion as a substitute of dietary soyabean meal on growth performance and gut health of weaned pigs.

Camelina cake (CAM) is a co-product proposed as an alternative protein source; however, piglet data are still limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different doses of CAM in substitution of soyabean meal on the growth, health and gut health of weaned pigs. At 14 d post-weaning (d0), sixty-four piglets were assigned either to a standard diet or to a diet with 4 %, 8 % or 12 % of CAM. Piglets were weighed weekly. At d7 and d28, faeces were collected for microbiota and polyamine and blood for reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and thyroxine analysis. At d28, pigs were slaughtered, organs were weighed, pH was recorded on gut, colon was analysed for volatile fatty acids (VFA) and jejunum was used for morphological and gene expression analysis. Data analysis was carried out using a mixed model including diet, pen and litter as factors; linear and quadratic contrasts were tested. CAM linearly reduced the average daily gain from d0-d7, d0-d14, d0-d21 and d0-d28 (P ≤ 0·01). From d0-d7 increasing CAM linearly decreased feed intake (P = 0·04) and increased linearly the feed to gain (P = 0·004). CAM increased linearly the liver weight (P < 0·0001) and affected the cadaverine (P < 0·001). The diet did not affect the ROM, thyroxine, intestinal pH, VFA and morphology. All doses of CAM increased the α diversity indices at d28 (P < 0·05). CAM at 4 % promoted the abundance of Butyricicoccaceae_UCG-008. Feeding with CAM enhanced resilience in the gut microbiome and can be evaluated as a potential alternative protein source with dose-dependent limitations on piglet growth performance.

Evaluation of the performance of the IFN-γ release assay in bovine tuberculosis free herds from five European countries.

The diagnostic methods for granting and maintenance of the official tuberculosis-free (OTF) status and for intra-Community movement of cattle are the tuberculin skin tests (single or comparative) and the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) release assay (IGRA). However, until now, IGRAs have been primarily applied in infected farms in parallel to the skin test to maximize the number of infected animals detected. Therefore, an evaluation of the performance of IGRAs in OTF herds to assess whether if their specificity is equal to or higher than that of the skin tests is needed. For this, a panel of 4365 plasma samples coming from 84 OTF herds in six European regions (five countries) was assembled and analysed using two IGRA kits, the ID Screen® Ruminant IFN-g (IDvet) and the Bovigam™ TB Kit (Bovigam). Results were evaluated using different cut-offs, and the impact of herd and animal-level factors on the probability of positivity was assessed using hierarchical Bayesian multivariable logistic regression models. The percentage of reactors ranged from 1.7 to 21.0% (IDvet: S/P ≥ 35%), and 2.1-26.3% (Bovigam: ODbovis-ODPBS ≥ 0.1 and ODbovis-ODavium ≥ 0.1) depending on the region, with Bovigam disclosing more reactors in all regions. The results suggest that specificity of IGRAs can be influenced by the production type, age and region of origin of the animals. Changes in the cut-offs could lead to specificity values above 98-99% in certain OTF populations, but no single cut-off yielding a sufficiently high specificity (equal or higher than that of skin tests) in all populations was identified. Therefore, an exploratory analysis of the baseline IFN-γ reactivity in OTF populations could help to assess the usefulness of this technique when applied for the purpose of maintaining OTF status.

Comparison of Female Verzaschese and Camosciata delle Alpi Goats' Hematological Parameters in The Context of Adaptation to Local Environmental Conditions in Semi-Extensive Systems in Italy.

Local livestock breeds are pivotal to ensure sustainable agriculture and represent a real genetic resource in the context of genetic variability reduction. This study aimed at broadening the knowledge about hematological values in female Verzaschese and Camosciata delle Alpi goats (an Italian local and a cosmopolitan goat breed, respectively) and investigating factors affecting them (i.e., breed, age, season). Blood samples were collected monthly from 34 Verzaschese and 37 Camosciata delle Alpi female goats kept under the same semi-extensive farming system for a whole year. The main hematological parameters were evaluated, and descriptive as well as inferential statistical analyses were performed. Reference intervals for complete blood cell count were established and several inter-breed differences were found. In particular, most of the red blood cell parameters were higher in Verzaschese than Camosciata delle Alpi (p < 0.05) suggesting a greater gastrointestinal parasites' resilience of the local breed. The age effect (p < 0.05) was consistent with the literature while the season effect (p < 0.05) could be explained by the melatonin immunostimulant action and gastrointestinal parasitism influence. Overall, differences in blood values could be attributed to physiological changes and adaptive strategies developed through centuries highlighting the remarkable rusticity and adaptation to the environment and farming system of the local breed.

Investigation of Early Supplementation of Nucleotides on the Intestinal Maturation of Weaned Piglets.

Nucleotides are essential for the development of the gastrointestinal tract and immune function, but their intake with milk by piglets could be insufficient. The effect of nucleotides on growth and health was tested on 98 piglets divided into two groups: NU, orally administrated with 4 mL of a nucleotide-based product (SwineMOD®) at 10, 15, 18, 21, 27 days, or not (CO). Blood and feces were sampled at weaning (26 d, T1), and at 38 d (T2). Per each group and time-point, eight piglets were slaughtered and jejunal Peyer's patches (JPPs) were collected. NU increased hemoglobin content and hematocrit, but not growth. At weaning, the NU fecal microbiota was characterized by the abundance of Campylobacteraceae, more typical of the growing phase, compared to CO, with a greater abundance of Streptococcaceae. For the blood transcriptome, an initial greater inflammatory activation was seen in CO, while at T2, NU enriched gene sets related to erythropoiesis. The activation of gene groups ranging from epigenetic response to transcriptional regulation evidenced an intense proliferative activity in NU JPPs. NU supplementation did not influence the growth performance of piglets but could have expressed a positive effect on pig microbiota anticipating its maturation at weaning. This immunostimulant activity in the JPPs could moderate the inflammation in the immediate pre-weaning.

Field Evaluation of the Interferon Gamma Assay for Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Comparing Four Interpretative Criteria.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a worldwide zoonosis that affects many species of domestic and wild animals. Mycobaterium bovis is the main cause of infection in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and bovines and is of great concern for human health and for buffalo producers in Italy. The bTB eradication programme is based on slaughterhouse surveillance and intradermal skin tests. Other in vivo diagnostic methods such as the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) assay have been developed and are widely used in cattle to accelerate the elimination of bTB positive animals. The present study is the first to assess the use and performance of IFN-γ assays, which is used as an ancillary test for bTB diagnosis in water buffalo, and presents the results of a field-evaluation of the assay from 2012 to 2019 during the buffalo bTB eradication programme in Italy. The study involved 489 buffaloes with a positive result to the single intradermal tuberculin test (SITT). The IFN-γ assays and single intradermal comparative tuberculin test were used as confirmation tests. Then, a total of 458 buffaloes, reared on officially tuberculosis-free (OTF) herds, that were confirmed bTB-free for at least the last 6 years were subjected to IFN-γ testing. Furthermore, to evaluate the IFN-γ test in an OTF herd with Paratuberculosis (PTB) infection, 103 buffaloes were subjected to SITT and IFN-γ test simultaneously. Four interpretative criteria were used, and the IFN-γ test showed high levels of accuracy, with sensitivity levels between 75.3% (CI 95% 71.2-79.0%) and 98.4% (CI 95% 96.7-99.4%) and specificity levels between 94.3% (CI 95% 91.2-96.50%) and 98.5% (CI 95% 96.9-99.4%), depending on the criterion used. Finally, in the OTF herd with PTB infection, in buffalo, the IFN-γ test displayed high specificity values according to all 4 interpretative criteria, with specificity levels between 96.7% (CI 95% 88.4-99.5%) and 100% (CI 95% 96.2-100%), while SITT specificity proved unsatisfactory, with a level of 45.3% (CI 95% 35.0-55.7%). Our results showed that the IFN-γ test in the buffalo species could reach high Sensitivity and Specificity values, and that the level of Sensitivity and Specificity could be chosen based on the interpretative criterion and the antigens used depending on the health status of the herd and the epidemiological context of the territory. The IFN-γ test and the use of different interpretative criteria proved to be useful to implement bTB diagnostic strategies in buffalo herds, with the possibility of a flexible use of the assay.

In ovo Injection of a Galacto-Oligosaccharide Prebiotic in Broiler Chickens Submitted to Heat-Stress: Impact on Transcriptomic Profile and Plasma Immune Parameters.

This study investigated the effects of a galactooligosaccharide (GOS) prebiotic in ovo injected on intestinal transcriptome and plasma immune parameters of broiler chickens kept under thermoneutral (TN) or heat stress (HS) conditions. Fertilized Ross 308 eggs were injected in ovo with 0.2 mL physiological saline without (control, CON) or with 3.5 mg of GOS (GOS). Three-hundred male chicks/injection treatment (25 birds/pen) were kept in TN or HS (30 °C) conditions during the last growing phase, in a 2 × 2 factorial design. At slaughter, from 20 birds/injection group (half from TN and half from HS), jejunum and cecum were collected for transcriptome analysis, and plasma was collected. No differences in plasma parameters (IgA and IgG, serum amyloid) and no interaction between injection treatment and environment condition were found. GOS-enriched gene sets related to energetic metabolism in jejunum, and to lipid metabolism in cecum, were involved in gut barrier maintenance. A homogeneous reaction to heat stress was determined along the gut, which showed downregulation of the genes related to energy and immunity, irrespective of in ovo treatment. GOS efficacy in counteracting heat stress was scarce after ten days of environmental treatment, but the in ovo supplementation modulates group of genes in jejunum and cecum of broiler chickens.

Bacillus sp. probiotic supplementation diminish the Escherichia coli F4ac infection in susceptible weaned pigs by influencing the intestinal immune response, intestinal microbiota and blood metabolomics.

BACKGROUND: Probiosis is considered a potential strategy to reduce antibiotics use and prevent post-weaning diarrhea (PWD). This study investigated the effect of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DSM25840 or Bacillus subtilis DSM25841 supplementation on growth, health, immunity, intestinal functionality and microbial profile of post-weaning pigs after enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) F4 challenge. METHODS: Sixty-four post-weaning piglets (7748 g ± 643 g) were randomly allocated to four groups: control basal diet (CO); CO + 1.28 × 106 CFU/g of B. amyloliquefaciens (BAA); CO + 1.28 × 106 CFU/g feed of B. subtilis (BAS); CO + 1 g colistin/kg of feed (AB). At day (d) 7, animals were challenged with 105 CFU/mL of ETEC F4ac O149 and then followed for fecal score and performance until d 21. Blood was collected at d 6, d 12 and d 21 for immunoglobulins, at d 8 for acute phase proteins, at d 8 and d 21 for metabolomics analysis. Jejunum was sampled for morphometry, quantification of apoptosis, cell proliferation, neutral and acid mucine and IgA secretory cells, and microarray analysis at d 21. Jejunum and cecum contents were collected for microbiota at d 21. RESULTS: AB and BAS reduced the fecal score impairment compared to CO (P < 0.05) at d 14. Body weight (BW), average daily weight gain (ADWG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and gain to feed ratio (G:F) did not differ between Bacillus groups and CO. AB improved BW at d 7, d 14 and d 21, ADWG ADFI and G:F from d 0 to d 7 (P < 0.05). At d 8, CO had higher plasma arginine, lysine, ornithine, glycine, serine and threonine than other groups, and higher haptoglobin than AB (P < 0.05). At d 21, CO had lower blood glycine, glutamine and IgA than BAS. Morphology, cells apoptosis and mucins did not differ. BAS and AB increased the villus mitotic index. Transcriptome profile of BAS and AB were more similar than CO. Gene sets related to adaptive immune response were enriched in BAA, BAS and AB. CO had enriched gene set for nuclear structure and RNA processing. CO had a trend of higher Enterobacteriaceae in cecum than the other groups (P = 0.06). CONCLUSION: Bacillus subtilis DSM25841 treatment may reduce ETEC F4ac infection in weaned piglets, decreasing diarrhea and influencing mucosal transcriptomic profile.

7-Hydroxymatairesinol improves body weight, fat and sugar metabolism in C57BJ/6 mice on a high-fat diet.

7-Hydroxymatairesinol (7-HMR) is a plant lignan abundant in various concentrations in plant foods. The objective of this study was to test HMRLignan™, a purified form of 7-HMR, and the corresponding Picea abies extract (total extract P. abies; TEP) as dietary supplements on a background of a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic syndrome in mice and in the 3T3-L1 adipogenesis model. Mice, 3 weeks old, were fed a HFD for 60 d. Subgroups were treated with 3 mg/kg body weight 7-HMR (HMRLignan™) or 10 mg/kg body weight TEP by oral administration. 7-HMR and TEP limited the increase in body weight (-11 and -13 %) and fat mass (-11 and -18 %) in the HFD-fed mice. Epididymal adipocytes were 19 and -12 % smaller and the liver was less steatotic (-62 and -65 %). Serum lipids decreased in TEP-treated mice (-11 % cholesterol, -23 % LDL and -15 % TAG) and sugar metabolism was ameliorated by both lignan preparations, as shown by a more than 70 % decrease in insulin secretion and insulin resistance. The expression of several metabolic genes was modulated by the HFD with an effect that was reversed by lignan. In 3T3-L1 cells, the 7-HMR metabolites enterolactone (ENL) and enterodiol (END) showed a 40 % inhibition of cell differentiation accompanied by the inhibited expression of the adipogenic genes PPARγ, C/EBPα and aP2. Furthermore, END and ENL caused a 10 % reduction in TAG uptake in HEPA 1-6 hepatoma cells. In conclusion, 7-HMR and TEP reduce metabolic imbalances typical of the metabolic syndrome and obesity in male mice, whereas their metabolites inhibit adipogenesis and lipid uptake in vitro.