Effects of dietary multienzymes on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, nutrient digestibility, excreta noxious gas emission, and nutrient transporter gene expression in white feather broilers.

Adding multienzymes to poultry feed rations is recognized as a nutritional strategy aimed at improving poultry performance and health status. Nonetheless, some literatures present an ongoing debate about the extent of multienzymes beneficial impact on poultry growth performance. This study aimed to explore the impacts of dietary multienzyme supplementation on broilers, focusing specifically on growth performance, carcass characteristics, apparent nutrient digestibility, excreta noxious gas emission, and intestinal nutrient transporter gene expression. A total of 3,200 broilers were randomly assigned to five groups (eight replicates per treatment group) and treated with the following: normal control (CON), CON + 100 g/t multienzyme (ME100), CON + 150 g/t multienzyme (ME150), CON + 200 g/t multienzyme (ME200), and CON + 250 g/t multienzyme (ME250). Supplementing with multienzymes significantly influenced the feed conversion rate (linear, P = 0.007; quadratic, P = 0.024) and the European broiler index (linear, P = 0.004; quadratic, P = 0.016) in broilers. Dietary multienzymes significantly influenced apparent metabolizable energy (quadratic, P = 0.015) and neutral detergent fiber (quadratic, P < 0.001). Moreover, multienzyme supplementation in the diet also decreased the emission of ammonia (linear, P = 0.001; quadratic, P = 0.006) and hydrogen sulfide (quadratic, P = 0.006) in the excreta. In addition, dietary multi-enzyme notably elevated (P < 0.05) the mRNA expression of nutrient transporter genes, including peptide transporter 1 (PePT1), Na-dependent neutral amino acid transporter (B0AT), glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), and fatty acid binding protein1 (FABP1). These findings suggest that dietary supplementation with multienzymes can improve the efficiency of feed utilization, and the digestion and absorption of nutrients and reduce excreta gas emission. Furthermore, this study provides a theoretical basis for advancing the use of multienzymes in broiler production.

Multienzyme additives are increasingly used in animal feed, primarily to enhance growth performance and nutrient digestibility. This study focused on the effects of multienzyme additives (xylanase, mannanase, cellulase, arabinofuranosidase, ferulic acid esterase, amylase, and protease) on various aspects of broilers, including growth performance, carcass characteristics, digestive enzyme activities, apparent nutrient digestibility, excreta noxious gas emission, and intestinal nutrient transporter gene expression. The inclusion of multienzymes in the diet was found to significantly increase the weight of breast muscle in broilers. Additionally, it led to a notable decrease in the viscosity of the fecal and jejunal digesta. Furthermore, the present study revealed an increase in the mRNA expression of key nutrient transporters­peptide transporter 1 (PePT1), Na-dependent neutral amino acid transporter (B0AT), and fatty acid binding protein 1 (FABP1), in the intestine of broilers. These findings indicate that dietary multienzymes enhance the efficiency of feed nutrient digestion and absorption in broilers.

Effect of a novel alkaline protease from Bacillus licheniformis on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal morphology of white feather broilers.

BACKGROUND: The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary novel alkaline protease from Bacillus licheniformis on the growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant status and intestinal morphology of broilers. In total, 4000 broilers were randomly assigned into five groups and treated with normal control, normal control + 100 mg kg-1 protease, normal control + 200 mg kg-1 protease, normal control + 300 mg kg-1 protease and normal control + 400 mg kg-1 protease. RESULTS: Supplementing protease impacted final body weight (linear, P = 0.003; quadratic, P = 0.006) and decreased feed conversion rate (linear, P = 0.036) in broilers. Moreover, dietary protease significantly increased breast muscle rate (linear, P = 0.005; quadratic, P = 0.021) and decreased drip loss (linear, P < 0.001; quadratic, P < 0.001). In addition, dietary protease notably increased protein digestibility (linear, P = 0.001; quadratic, P = 0.006) and trypsin activity (linear, P = 0.002; quadratic, P = 0.009) in jejunum. Light microscopy revealed that the jejunum villi in the 300 mg kg-1 and 400 mg kg-1 groups exhibited greater height and a denser arrangement compared to those in the control group. The addition of protease decreased malondialdehyde content (linear, P < 0.001; quadratic, P < 0.001) and increased total antioxidant capacity (linear, P = 0.001; quadratic, P < 0.001) in pectoral muscles. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggest that dietary novel alkaline protease from B. licheniformis improved growth performance by affecting trypsin activity, protein digestibility, antioxidant capacity and intestinal health. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dietary novel alkaline protease from Bacillus licheniformis improves broiler meat nutritional value and modulates intestinal microbiota and metabolites.

BACKGROUND: Different types of exogenous protease supplements have a positive impact on animal performance, but their effects on the nutritional value of meat and the gut microbial community of broilers have not been extensively studied. The objective of this investigation was to determine the impact of supplementation with a novel alkaline protease derived from Bacillus licheniformis (at doses of 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 g/t) on the fatty acid and amino acid profiles, inosine monophosphate (IMP) levels, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content found within the breast muscle, as well as the impact on the cecal microbiota and metabolites. RESULTS: Supplementation with 200-400 g/t of the novel protease resulted in a significant elevation in the concentration of essential amino acids (P < 0.001), flavor amino acids (P < 0.001), and total protein (P = 0.013) within the breast muscle. Results derived from the 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics analysis of the cecal content revealed that the novel protease reshaped the cecal microbial and metabolite profiles. In particular, it led to increased relative abundances of Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Alistipes, and Eubacterium, while simultaneously causing a reduction in the metabolites of D-lactic acid and malonic acid. Moreover, correlation analyses unveiled significant relationships between distinct microbes and metabolites with the contents of IMP, fatty acids, and amino acids in the broiler's breast muscle. CONCLUSION: In summary, the novel protease regulated the intestinal microbial community and metabolism, thereby inducing changes in the compositions of fatty acids and amino acids profiles, as well as IMP levels in broiler meat. These alterations significantly contributed to the enhancement of the nutritional value and flavor of the meat.

Melatonin supplementation promotes muscle fiber hypertrophy and regulates lipid metabolism of skeletal muscle in weaned piglets.

Melatonin has been reported to play crucial roles in regulating meat quality, improving reproductive properties, and maintaining intestinal health in animal production, but whether it regulates skeletal muscle development in weaned piglet is rarely studied. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of melatonin on growth performance, skeletal muscle development, and lipid metabolism in animals by intragastric administration of melatonin solution. Twelve 28-d-old DLY (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) weaned piglets with similar body weight were randomly divided into two groups: control group and melatonin group. The results showed that melatonin supplementation for 23 d had no effect on growth performance, but significantly reduced serum glucose content (P < 0.05). Remarkably, melatonin increased longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) weight, eye muscle area and decreased the liver weight in weaned piglets (P < 0.05). In addition, the cross-sectional area of muscle fibers was increased (P < 0.05), while triglyceride levels were decreased in LDM and psoas major muscle by melatonin treatment (P < 0.05). Transcriptome sequencing showed melatonin induced the expression of genes related to skeletal muscle hypertrophy and fatty acid oxidation. Enrichment analysis indicated that melatonin regulated cholesterol metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, and mitophagy signaling pathways in muscle. Gene set enrichment analysis also confirmed the effects of melatonin on skeletal muscle development and mitochondrial structure and function. Moreover, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that melatonin supplementation elevated the gene expression of cell differentiation and muscle fiber development, including paired box 7 (PAX7), myogenin (MYOG), myosin heavy chain (MYHC) IIA and MYHC IIB (P < 0.05), which was accompanied by increased insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 (IGFBP5) expression in LDM (P < 0.05). Additionally, melatonin regulated lipid metabolism and activated mitochondrial function in muscle by increasing the mRNA abundance of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 6A (COX6A), COX5B, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 (CPT2) and decreasing the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) (P < 0.05). Together, our results suggest that melatonin could promote skeletal muscle growth and muscle fiber hypertrophy, improve mitochondrial function and decrease fat deposition in muscle.

Due to its extensive biological functions, melatonin has been widely used in animal production in recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of melatonin on growth performance, muscle development, and lipid metabolism of weaned piglets. Twelve 28-d-old DLY (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) weaned piglets were randomly divided into two groups: control group and melatonin group. The results showed that melatonin supplementation daily had no effect on growth performance, but increased muscle weight, eye muscle area, and decreased the liver weight in weaned piglets. Consistently, the cross-sectional area of myofiber increased, while triglyceride levels decreased in muscle. Melatonin induced the expression of genes related to skeletal muscle hypertrophy and fatty acid oxidation in muscle through transcriptome sequencing. Additionally, melatonin regulated cholesterol metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, and mitophagy signaling pathways in muscle. Gene set enrichment analysis also confirmed the effects of melatonin on skeletal muscle development and mitochondrial function. Moreover, melatonin supplementation elevated the gene expression of cell differentiation and muscle fiber development. Additionally, melatonin inhibited the mRNA expression related to fat synthesis while improved mitochondrial function in muscle. Together, our results suggest melatonin could promote skeletal muscle growth and muscle fiber hypertrophy, enhance mitochondrial function and decrease fat deposition in muscle.

Lipo-nutritional quality of pork: The lipid composition, regulation, and molecular mechanisms of fatty acid deposition.

Pork is one of the main meats consumed by people, and its nutritional value is closely related to human health. The lipid deposition and composition of pork not only affect the sensory quality but also determine the nutritional quality of pork. The lipids in pork include triglycerides (TAG) and a small amount of cholesterol and phospholipids. TAG are the main lipids in skeletal muscle fat, which is divided into intermuscular fat and intramuscular fat (IMF). In addition to TAG, IMF also contains phospholipids, which are important factors affecting pork flavour. There are three types of fatty acids in TAG: saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). PUFA, such as n-3 PUFA, have a beneficial effect on health, including the regulation of whole-body energy metabolism and protection against cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, regulating lipid deposition, especially the fatty acid composition, in pork is important for improving the nutritional quality for human health. Notably, several strategies, such as breeding, environmental control, and the nutritional regulation of lipid composition and deposition in pork, have been studied. More recently, faecal transplantation, molecular design breeding and non-coding RNA have been studied and proven useful for regulating lipid deposition in pigs. In this review, we mainly summarized and discussed the research findings to date on the lipid composition and regulation mechanisms of fatty acid deposition and provide new insights into efficient means of improving the lipid composition and lipo-nutritional quality of pork.

CLA improves the lipo-nutritional quality of pork and regulates the gut microbiota in Heigai pigs.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a potential nutritional strategy to regulate meat quality in pigs and produce high-quality pork. However, the effects of CLA on nutritional quality, lipid dynamics, microbiota, and their metabolites in the gut of pigs remain unclear. Our study explored the effects of CLA on lipo-nutritional quality based on a Heigai pig model and investigated the regulatory mechanism using an integrated analysis of multiple omics. A total of 58 Heigai finishing pigs (body weight: 85.58 ± 10.39 kg) were randomly divided into 2 treatments and fed diets containing 1% soyabean oil and 1% CLA for 40 days. 1% CLA significantly decreased the backfat thickness (P < 0.05) and increased the intramuscular fat (IMF) content (P < 0.05). The expression of lipid metabolism-related genes was significantly changed (P < 0.05) and lipidome analysis showed the alternations of lipid dynamics in the longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM). In addition, based on the microbiome and metabolomic analyses, the relative abundances of Parabacteroides, Bacteroides, and Lachnospiraceae_UCG-010 increased and CLA changed the metabolome profiles and the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) composition in the gut, which were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Additionally, Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that differential microbial genera and SCFAs induced by CLA had tight correlations with the backfat thickness, IMF content and lipids in the LDM. CLA enhances the lipid accumulation and metabolism in muscle and these changes are associated with the production and functions of the differential bacteria and SCFAs in the gut of pigs.

Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Lauric Acid on Lactation Function, Mammary Gland Development, and Serum Lipid Metabolites in Lactating Mice.

Our previous studies demonstrated that lauric acid (LA) stimulated mammary gland development during puberty. However, the roles of LA on lactation in mice remain indeterminate. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary LA supplementation on lactation functioning and to study the potential mechanisms during lactation. in vivo, there was no effect of 1% LA dietary supplementation during lactation on the feed intake or body weight of breast-feeding mice. However, maternal LA supplementation significantly expanded the number of mammary gland alveoli of mice during lactation and the average body weight of the offspring, suggesting that LA supplementation enhanced the development and lactation function of the mammary glands. in vitro, 100 µM of LA significantly increased the content of triglycerides (TG) in the cell supernatant of induced HC11 cells, however, with no effect on the expression of the genes associated with fatty acid synthesis. LA also activated the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway. LA dietary supplementation significantly expanded the serum levels of lipid metabolites, including sphingomyelin and other metabolites with the sn-2 position of C12 and sn-1 position of C18 in the TG of the lactating mice. Taken together, dietary supplementation of LA during lactation could promote the lactation function of mice, which might be related to increasing the development of the mammary glands and alternation of serum lipid metabolites. These findings provided more theoretical and experimental basis for the application of lauric acid in the development of mammary glands and lactation function of lactating animals.