Different Physiochemical Properties of Novel Fibre Sources in the Diet of Weaned Pigs Influence Animal Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Caecal Fermentation.

The effect of including micronised fibre sources (FS) differing in fermentability and hydration capacity (HC) on growth performance, faecal digestibility, and caecal fermentation was investigated in piglets. There were four dietary treatments: a control diet (CON) and three treatments differing in the HC and fermentability of FS added at 1.5% to prestarter (28-42 d) and starter (42-61 d) diets. These were: LHC (low-HC by-product-based insoluble fibre (IF) with a prebiotic fraction (PF) from chicory root); MHC (medium-HC by-product-based IF with a PF); and HHC (high-HC non-fermentable wood-based IF with no PF). There were eight replicates per treatment. Over the entire period, LHC and MHC piglets showed a 10% increase in daily growth and feed intake (p ≤ 0.019) and tended to have a reduced feed conversion ratio (p = 0.087) compared to HHC piglets. At 42 d, faecal protein digestibility increased by 5% in the LHC and MHC groups compared with the HHC group (p = 0.035) and did not differ from the CON group. Both LHC and MHC fibres were more fermented in vitro with caecal inocula from 61 d old piglets than HHC fibre (p ≤ 0.003). These results suggest that balanced soluble and insoluble fibre concentrates can improve piglet performance.

Interactive Effects of Dietary Fiber and Lipid Types Modulate the Predicted Production and Absorption of Cecal and Colorectal Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Growing Pigs.

BACKGROUND: High-fiber diets are supplemented with lipids to meet the required energy content, but data on the interactions between dietary fiber (DF) and lipid types on gastrointestinal fermentation in pigs are scant. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to use a combination of in vivo and in vitro fermentation methodologies to determine the interactive effects of DF and lipid types on short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production and absorption and organic matter (OM) fermentability in the cecum and colorectal tract of pigs. METHODS: Eight ileal- and cecal-cannulated Yorkshire barrows were fed either pectin- or cellulose-containing diets that were supplemented with either corn oil or beef tallow in 2 independent Youden squares with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (n = 6). Ileal and cecal digesta were collected, freeze-dried, and fermented using inoculum from fresh cecal digesta and feces, respectively, to determine individual SCFA production and absorption and fermentability of OM. RESULTS: Interactions (P < 0.001) between DF and lipid types were observed in which the addition of beef tallow decreased the quantity of cecal and colorectal acetic acid production and cecal acetic absorption, cecal butyric production, predicted cecal OM fermentability, and predicted colorectal propionic acid in pectin diets, but the effects were not observed for cellulose diets. The addition of beef tallow increased (P < 0.001) the production of cecal butyric and propionic acids during in vitro fermentation in cellulose diets and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of OM in pectin diets. CONCLUSIONS: The interactions between DF and lipids on gastrointestinal fermentation largely depend on the degree of saturation of fatty acids in dietary lipids. The addition of beef tallow selectively decreased the production and absorption of individual SCFAs in pectin and cellulose diets but increased cecal butyric and propionic acid production in cellulose diets and the ATTD of OM in pectin diets.

In Vitro Fermentation Characteristics of Fungal Polysaccharides Derived from Wolfiporia cocos and Their Effect on Human Fecal Microbiota.

Gut microbiota has been described as a new 'organ' that interferes with host physiology by its metabolites produced from the utilization and biotransformation of undigested food components. Fu Ling (FL), the sclerotia of fungi Wolfiporia cocos, contains ß-glucan, which is a known natural polysaccharide with strong medicinal efficacy. This study endeavors to evaluate the fermentability of FL and polysaccharides extracted from its sclerotia. An in vitro fermentation of structurally characterized FL and its ß-glucan by human fecal microbiota was conducted. Total bacterial count, pH change, short-chain fatty acid profile and microbiota profile were assessed post-fermentation. FL containing over 70% of ß-(1 → 3) and (1 → 6)-glucans with a low degree of branching of 0.24 could enhance acetic acid (a major microbial metabolite) production. Both FL and its extracted ß-glucan had similar modulation on microbial composition. They enriched Phascolarctobacterium faecium, Bacteroides dorei and Parabacteroides distasonis, all of which are shown to possess anti-inflammatory effects. FL polysaccharide can be utilized as a natural whole food for its potential health benefits to human gut bacteria.

Cashew By-Product as a Functional Substrate for the Development of Probiotic Fermented Milk.

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) processing generates a by-product (CB) with potential for health benefits and that could be a favorable ingredient to be added to a probiotic food matrix. This study aimed to assess the functional attributes of CB in fermented milk with a probiotic and a starter culture using in vitro gastrointestinal conditions. Two formulations were tested, without CB (Control Formulation-CF) and with CB (Test Formulation-TF), and the two strains most adapted to CB, the probiotic Lacticaseibacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei F19® and the starter Streptococcus thermophilus ST-M6®, were chosen to be fermented in the CF and the TF. During a 28-day period of refrigeration (4 °C), both strains used in the CF and TF maintained a population above 8.0 log CFU/mL. Strains cultured in the TF had a significant increase in total phenolic compounds and greater antioxidant potential during their shelf life, along with improved survival of F19® after in vitro-simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Our study revealed the promising potential of CB in the probiotic beverage. The CB-containing formulation (TF) also exhibited higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Furthermore, it acted as a protector for bacteria during gastrointestinal simulation, highlighting its potential as a healthy and sustainable product.

Lactation performance, milk fat output, and nutrient digestibility responses to the addition of liquid molasses or yeast culture in dairy cows fed super-conditioned corn.

Increased diet fermentability may decrease ruminal pH and fiber digestibility, and increase the flow of trans fatty acids (FA) to the lower tract ultimately leading to milk fat depression. We recently showed that feeding super-conditioned corn, a new method of corn processing (95°C for 6 min in super-conditioner) for ruminants has potential to the reduction in milk fat yield caused by changes in ruminal pH and increased trans FA in milk fat. Supplementing yeast culture (YC) and replacing starch with sugar sources in diet can counteract the negative effects of high fermentable diets by improving ruminal pH and milk fat output. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding beet liquid molasses (LM) and YC on intake and total-tract digestibility of nutrients, milk yield and composition, ruminal fermentation, milk FA profile, and plasma concentrations of glucose, nonesterified FA, ß-hydroxybutyric acid, and urea N in early-lactation dairy cows fed high-starch diets containing super-conditioned corn. Twelve primiparous and 18 multiparous Holstein cows (mean ± SD; 67 ± 12 d in milk and 42 ± 2.1 kg of milk at the beginning of the experiment) were blocked by parity, pre-experimental milk yield, and DIM. Cows were used in a randomized complete block design experiment with 14 d as covariate period and 37 d for the experimental period. The following dietary treatments were fed as total mixed rations: (1) control diet (CTRL = no YC or LM supplementation), (2) LM supplementation at 5% of the diet dry matter (MOL diet), and (3) CTRL supplemented with 10 g/d of YC (YST diet). Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isoenergetic. Intake of nutrients and apparent total-tract digestibility of crude protein and starch did not change across treatments. In contrast, cows fed the YST diet had the greatest apparent total-tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and neutral detergent fiber. Compared with the CTRL diet, yield of 4% FCM increased by 2.4 and 1.8 kg in cows fed MOL or YST, respectively. The ruminal molar proportions of acetate and butyrate increased in cows fed the YST or MOL diets, respectively, but the proportion of ruminal propionate was not affected by treatments. Milk fat concentration increased by supplementing both LM and YC and the milk yield of total trans-18:1 dropped by 45% and 18% relative to CTRL with MOL or YST diets, respectively. While the MOL diet increased the milk proportion and yield of de novo FA, no treatment effects were observed for the proportion and yield of preformed FA in the milk fat. Apart from ß-hydroxybutyric acid concentration in plasma, which was greatest in cows fed MOL, remaining blood metabolites were not affected by treatments. Overall, MOL and YST diets increased 4% FCM and milk fat concentration and reduced the proportion of total trans-18:1 FA in milk fat in cows fed a concentrate based on super-conditioned corn. These responses were associated with increased ruminal pH and the molar proportions of acetate and butyrate with feeding the MOL and YST diets.

The feasibility of sodium hydroxide pretreatment of rice straw for solid substrate preparation to enhance laccase production by solid state fermentation.

BACKGROUND: Currently, broad industrial application of laccases is commonly restricted by the high-cost related production. Solid state fermentation (SSF) using agricultural waste is an attractively economic strategy for laccase production, yet its efficiency is low. Pretreatment of cellulosic substrate might be a vital breakpoint to solve the problem in solid state fermentation (SSF). In this study, sodium hydroxide pretreatment was involved to prepare solid substrates from rice straw. Fermentability of solid substrates in terms of carbon resource supply, accessibility and water retention value, and their influence on performance of SSF were analyzed. RESULTS: The results showed that sodium hydroxide pretreatment provided desirable solid substrates with higher enzymatic digestibility and optimal water retention value, which further facilitated the homogeneity of mycelium growth, laccase distribution and nutrition utilization during SSF. The pretreated rice straw (1 h) with diameter less than 0.085 cm gave the maximum laccase production of 2912.34 U/g, which was 7.72 times higher than the control. CONCLUSION: Hence, we proposed that enough balance between nutrition accessibility and structure support was a must for rational design and preparation of solid substrate. Additionally, sodium hydroxide pretreatment of lignocellulosic waste might be an ideal step to enhance the efficiency and lower the production cost in SSF.

Effects of starch sources varying in particle sizes on ruminal fermentation, nutrient flow, starch digestibility, and lactation performance of dairy cows.

Cereal grains are the predominant starch source (SS) for dairy cows; however, starch digestibility varies greatly depending on source, grain processing, and potentially interactions between these factors. The objective was to study the effects of the interactions between SS, and particle sizes (PS) on ruminal fermentation, nutrient flow, starch digestibility, and lactation performance of dairy cows. Four ruminally cannulated multiparous Holstein cows were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Two SS (corn or sorghum) used in this study were either finely or coarsely ground (using a 1- or 4-mm screen sieve). Digesta flow was quantified using the reticular sampling technique, applying the triple-marker method. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS version 9.3 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). For ruminal pH, data were analysed with time as repeated measure. There were no interactions between SS and PS on production or intake, flow, and digestibility of nutrients. Dry matter intake was greater for the corn diet compared to the sorghum diet (25.15 vs. 21.98 kg/d), which consequently affected nutrient intake, however, PS did not affect intake. Milk yield was not affected by SS; however, it was greater for cows fed fine grains than cows fed coarser grains (25.32 vs. 23.16 kg/d). Milk fat and milk protein were not affected by SS or PS. Interactions (SS × PS) were observed for ruminal pH, reticular pH, and volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentrations but not for ruminal NH3-N concentration. Ruminal and reticular pH were greater for sorghum when coarsely ground and the total VFA concentration was decreased, compared to coarse corn and fine sorghum; however, coarsely grinding corn did not affect ruminal or reticular pH nor VFA concentration. Acetate concentration was lower for corn when finely ground; however, finely grinding sorghum did not affect acetate. Decreasing PS increased ruminal digestibility of starch (87.18% vs. 83.43%), reduced the flow of starch to the reticulum (0.79 vs. 0.96 kg/d) but decreased neutral detergent fiber digestibility in the rumen (30.23% vs. 34.88%). Although SS were differently affected by processing, the effects of PS on production, intake, flow, and digestibility of nutrients were observed regardless of the SS. Furthermore, the effects of decreasing PS on pH and VFA concentrations were more pronounced in sorghum compared to corn.

Starch digestibility varies greatly depending on starch source (SS), grain processing, and potentially interactions between these factors. Four ruminally cannulated lactating Holstein cows were fed a total mixed ration that varied in SS and particle sizes (PS) to evaluate the interactions between SS and PS on ruminal fermentation, nutrient flow, starch digestibility, and lactation performance of dairy cows. There were no interactions between SS, and PS on production, intake, flow, and digestibility of nutrients; however, interactions were observed for ruminal pH, reticular pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentrations, and in some VFA molar proportions.

Comparative assessment of physicochemical, structural and functional properties of dietary fiber extracted from mango (Mangifera indica L.) and soursop (Annona muricata) peels.

The potential of soursop, a less well-known tropical fruit, was assessed as a source of dietary fiber (DF) and compared to mango. After optimizing the conditions to maximize the extraction yield of soluble and insoluble DF, their structural, physicochemical, and functional properties were evaluated. The results showed that soursop excelled in total and insoluble DF content (50 % higher than mango). The antioxidant response and reducing sugar content obtained for soursop were significantly higher than in mango. Yet, the insoluble fraction in both fruits was characterized by higher antioxidant activity and phenolic content. The chemical composition of both fruits revealed that glucose and potassium were the main sugar and mineral, respectively. Lactic, formic, and acetic acids were the main short-chain fatty acids produced after in vitro colonic fermentation with Lacticaseibacillus casei and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, and negligible amounts of butyric, propionic, and valeric acids were detected after 48-h-fermentation, independent of the fruit. Soursop is a promising rich source of DF that can be used together with mango to develop and enhance foods' textural and nutritional characteristics.

Evaluation of Megasphaera elsdenii supplementation on rumen fermentation, production performance, carcass traits and health of ruminants: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the use of Megasphaera elsdenii (M. elsdenii) as a probiotic on rumen fermentation, production performance, carcass traits and health of ruminants by integrating data from various related studies using meta-analysis. METHODS: A total of 32 studies (consisted of 136 data points) were obtained and integrated into a database. The parameters integrated were fermentation products, rumen microbes, production performance, carcass quality, animal health, blood and urine metabolites. Statistical analysis of the compiled database used a mixed model methodology. Different studies were considered random effects, while M. elsdenii supplementation doses were considered fixed effects. p-values and the Akaike information criterion were employed as model statistics. The model was deemed significant at p<0.05 or had a tendency to be significant when p-value between 0.05〈p〈0.10. RESULTS: Supplementation with M. elsdenii increased (p<0.05) some proportion of fermented rumen products such as propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, and valerate, and significantly reduced (p<0.05) lactic acid concentration, acetate proportion, total bacterial population and methane emission. Furthermore, the probiotic supplementation enhanced (p<0.05) livestock production performance, especially in the average daily gain and body condition score. Regarding the carcass quality, hot carcass weight and carcass gain were elevated (p<0.05) due to the M. elsdenii supplementation. Animal health also showed improvement as indicated by the lower (p<0.05) diarrhoea and bloat incidences as well as the liver abscess. However, M. elsdenii supplementation had negligible effects on blood and urine metabolites of ruminants. CONCLUSION: Supplementation of M. elsdenii is capable of decreasing ruminal lactic acid concentration, enhancing rumen health, elevating some favourable rumen fermentation products, and in turn, increasing production performance of ruminants.

Evaluation of Soybean Ingredients in Pet Foods Applications: Systematic Review.

Soybean use has been low in pet foods, even though they are an excellent source of protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and gut fermentable fibers. The purpose of this evaluation was to conduct a systematic review of the public literature to explore how soybeans have been researched for pet food applications since 2000 and to provide strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for soybeans in the pet food industry. The review covered a total of 44 articles related to soybean ingredients and their potential value in the pet food arena. The articles were categorized by their research contents and narratively summarized to demonstrate useful information to both the pet and soybean industries. When soybean-based products have been adequately processed to reduce the antinutritive factors, they are comparable to processed animal proteins in nutritional value, palatability, and functionality in pet food processing. We conclude that various food processing technologies and the versatility of soybean ingredients allow soybean to have considerable inclusion potential in pet foods. More research on dietary soybean ingredients regarding pet food processing, fermentation benefits on health, and consumer acceptance will be needed to understand soybean's position in the future pet food industry.

Metagenomic insights into the rumen epithelial integrity responses to the vitamin B1 supplement under high-concentrate diets treatments.

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) becomes the most common nutritional metabolic disease in high-yielding dairy cows and later fatting beef cattle because of the increasing consumption of high-concentrate diets in modern feeding patterns. Our previous research found a certain piece of evidence that adding 180 mg thiamine/kg DMI could increase the rumen pH and regulate the structure of the rumen microbial community in vivo. However, there is still limited experimental data on the effects of SARA on thiamine status, the damage to the structure of rumen epithelial cells, and the underlying mechanism of the epithelium alterations. For this purpose, a total of 18 Angus bulls (average 22.0-months-old) with an average live weight of 567.6 ± 27.4 kg were randomly allocated into a control treatment (CON), a high-concentrate diet treatment (HC), and a high-concentrate diet with the vitamin B1 supplement treatment (HCB). All bulls were conducted with a 7-day adjustment period followed by a 60-day-long main feeding procedure. Results indicated that ADFI and ADG significantly decreased in the HC treatment compared with CON (P < 0.05), while significantly increased after the VB1 supplement (P < 0.05). Besides, ruminal acetate content was significantly downregulated while propionate was significantly upregulated under the HC treatment compared with CON (P < 0.05); however, these alterations showed a completely inverse regulatory effect on the VB1 supplement compared with HC (P < 0.05). These changes causatively induced a significant decrease in the A/P ratio in the HC treatment compared with CON and HCB treatments (P < 0.05). Bacterial communities in the HC treatment could be separated from those in CON through PCoA axes 1 and 2. Meanwhile, the VB1 supplement significantly altered the bacterial communities compared with the HC treatment, except for HCB-3. Furthermore, the HC treatment significantly upregulated the expression of JNK, Bax, Caspase-8, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, and Cyt-C compared with CON, while significantly downregulated the expression of Bcl-2. The VB1 supplement showed a complete converse gene expression compared with HC. In conclusion, the VB1 supplement could effectively attenuate the alterations that occurred when exposed to high-concentrate diets, and help promote production performance through increased fermentability.

Comparative digestion and fermentation characteristics of low-tannin or high-tannin sorghum grain in the porcine gastrointestinal tract.

High-tannin sorghum grain (HTS) has been previously proved to contain lower apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients than low-tannin sorghum grain (LTS) for pigs. This study was conducted to identify in which segments (foregut or hindgut) of the intestinal tract of pigs the digestion of nutrients was mostly influenced, and to compare the digestion and fermentation characteristics of LTS and HTS in the porcine gastrointestinal tract. In experiment 1, HTS and LTS were digested by porcine pepsin and pancreatin to simulate small intestine digestion, and subsequently the undigested residues were incubated with fresh pig cecal digesta as inoculums for 48 h to simulate the porcine large intestine fermentation in vitro. The results revealed that the in vitro digestibility of air-dry matter, gross energy (GE), and crude protein (CP) was lower (P < 0.05) in HTS than that in LTS, regardless of the simulated small intestine digestion or large intestine fermentation. The enzymatically unhydrolyzed residue of HTS decreased the accumulative gas production excluding the first 3 h and the short-chain fatty acid concentration including acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid in the fermented solutions (P < 0.05), although it provided more nutrients as fermentation substrates (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, 12 crossbred barrows (25.5 ± 2.5 kg body weight) with a T-cannula inserted in the distal ileum were randomly allotted to two diets (N = 6) to determine nutrient digestibility in the foregut (AID, apparent ileal digestibility) and in the hindgut of pigs (HGD, hindgut disappearance). The study lasted 10 d, with a 5 d adaption to the diets followed by a 3 d collection of feces and then a 2 d collection of ileal digesta. Diets included 96.6% HTS or LTS as the only source of dietary energy and nitrogen. The AID and ATTD of dry matter, GE, and CP in HTS were lower than those in LTS (P < 0.05). There was no difference in HGD of nutrients between LTS and HTS. Eight out of fifteen amino acids in HTS had lower AID values (P < 0.05). In conclusion, HTS provided lower small intestine digestibility of nutrients and lower large intestine fermentation parameters, implying that condensed tannins in sorghum grain may impede the nutrient digestibility in the foregut and limit the fermentability in the hindgut segment of pigs. Hence, digestion and fermentation characteristics of sorghum grain may vary depending on the condensed tannins.

Sorghum grain is sources of energy and amino acids in pig feeds, but the digestibility of nutrients in pig intestine varies widely among low-tannin and high-tannin sorghum, and their digestion and fermentation characteristics in the pig intestine are unknown. Therefore, the digestion and fermentation characteristics of low-tannin or high-tannin sorghum grain in the porcine gastrointestinal tract were compared in this study. The results revealed that high-tannin sorghum grain had the lower digestibility including the in vitro degradability and apparent ileal digestibility of nutrients in the foregut of pigs, and had the less fermentation characteristics including the accumulative gas production and short-chain fatty acid production in the hindgut segment of pigs, which indicates that condensed taninns in sorghum grain may limit the digestibility in the foregut and fermentability in the hindgut.

Oxidoreduction potential controlling for increasing the fermentability of enzymatically hydrolyzed steam-exploded corn stover for butanol production.

BACKGROUND: Lignocellulosic biomass is recognized as an effective potential substrate for biobutanol production. Though many pretreatment and detoxification methods have been set up, the fermentability of detoxicated lignocellulosic substrate is still far lower than that of starchy feedstocks. On the other hand, the number of recent efforts on rational metabolic engineering approaches to increase butanol production in Clostridium strains is also quite limited, demonstrating the physiological complexity of solventogenic clostridia. In fact, the strain performance is greatly impacted by process control. developing efficient process control strategies could be a feasible solution to this problem. RESULTS: In this study, oxidoreduction potential (ORP) controlling was applied to increase the fermentability of enzymatically hydrolyzed steam-exploded corn stover (SECS) for butanol production. When ORP of detoxicated SECS was controlled at - 350 mV, the period of fermentation was shortened by 6 h with an increase of 27.5% in the total solvent (to 18.1 g/L) and 34.2% in butanol (to 10.2 g/L) respectively. Silico modeling revealed that the fluxes of NADPH, NADH and ATP strongly differed between the different scenarios. Quantitative analysis showed that intracellular concentrations of ATP, NADPH/NADP+, and NADH/NAD+ were increased by 25.1%, 81.8%, and 62.5%. ORP controlling also resulted in a 2.1-fold increase in butyraldehyde dehydrogenase, a 1.2-fold increase in butanol dehydrogenase and 29% increase in the cell integrity. CONCLUSION: ORP control strategy effectively changed the intracellular metabolic spectrum and significantly improved Clostridium cell growth and butanol production. The working mechanism can be summarized into three aspects: First, Glycolysis and TCA circulation pathways were strengthened through key nodes such as pyruvate carboxylase [EC: 6.4.1.1], which provided sufficient NADH and NADPH for the cell. Second, sufficient ATP was provided to avoid "acid crash". Third, the key enzymes activities regulating butanol biosynthesis and cell membrane integrity were improved.

In vitro digestibility and fermentability profiles of wheat starch modified by chlorogenic acid.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of chlorogenic acid (CA) on starch digestibility and fermentability in vitro. Compared with wheat starch (WS), WS-CA complexes exhibited a looser porous gel matrix, and higher solubility and swelling power with the addition of different proportion of CA. The WS-CA complexes significantly reduced the digestive rate of the gelatinized WS, and increased the proportion of resistant starch (RS) ranging from 31.70 % to 69.63 % much higher than that in the gelatinized WS (26.34 %). The residual WS-CA complexes after 24 h of fermentation with human feces induced the production of short-chain fatty acid, as well as the proliferation of gut microbiota such as genera Megamonas and Parabacteroides positively associated with the improvement of human health. The results suggest that complex of starch and CA could be a promising method for developing starchy foods with lower starch hydrolysis and promoting the growth of probiotics.

Ultra-high Pressure Treatment Controls In Vitro Fecal Fermentation Rate of Insoluble Dietary Fiber from Rosa Roxburghii Tratt Pomace and Induces Butyrogenic Shifts in Microbiota Composition.

Dietary fiber has been considered a key element in shaping the beneficial host-microbe symbiosis. In the present study, we identified Rosa roxburghii Tratt fruits as a promising dietary fiber source. The physicochemical properties and in vitro fermentability by human fecal microbes of R. roxburghii pomace water insoluble dietary fiber (RIDF) obtained from ultrasonic extraction and ultrahigh pressure (90 MPa)-treated RIDF (RIDF-90) were compared to those of R. roxburghii Tratt pomace (R). Ultrahigh pressure modification significantly increased the water holding, oil holding, and swelling capacity of RIDF-90 in comparison to R and RIDF. RIDF-90 displayed the slowest fermentation rate yet yielded the highest butyrate production. The superior butyrogenic properties of both RIDF-90 and, in part, RIDF were reflected by increased Coprococcus and Ruminococcus levels, demonstrating that ultrasonic extraction and/or further ultrahigh pressure treatment of insoluble fibers promotes the prebiotic value of R. roxburghii Tratt.

Determination of in vitro dry matter, protein, and fiber digestibility and fermentability of novel corn coproducts for swine and ruminants.

New processes are being used in some dry-grind ethanol plants in the United States and Brazil to improve ethanol yield and efficiency of production while also providing nutritionally enhanced corn coproducts compared with conventional corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). The objectives of this study were to determine the chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of 5 conventional corn DDGS sources and 10 emerging novel corn coproducts for swine and ruminants, and compare coproducts produced using similar processes in the United States and Brazil. Chemical composition, on a dry matter (DM) basis, among the 15 coproducts ranged from 18.5% to 54.7% for crude protein (CP), 12.3% to 51.4% for neutral detergent fiber (NDF), 1.6% to 8.6% for acid detergent fiber, 4.7% to 12.3% for ether extract, and 1.6% to 8.6% for ash. For swine, in vitro hydrolysis of DM and CP were greater (P < 0.01) for the three U.S. corn DDGS sources compared with the two Brazilian corn DDGS sources, but in vitro fermentability of DM was comparable (P > 0.05) among all sources except one U.S. DDGS source that had less fermentable DM. High-protein and yeast dried distillers grains (Ultramax, UM; StillPro, SP) coproducts also had comparable (P > 0.05) DM fermentability for swine, but UM coproducts had greater (P < 0.01) DM and CP hydrolysis compared with SP. High-protein distillers dried grains (HP-DDG) from Brazil had greater (P < 0.01) DM and CP hydrolysis, but less (P < 0.01) DM fermentability for swine than HP-DDG produced in the United States, using the same process. For ruminants, total DM digestibility was greater (P < 0.01) in conventional DDGS sources from the United States compared with the two DDGS sources from Brazil. Total protein digestibility for ruminants was comparable and above 81% for all coproducts except for a DDGS source from Brazil, a HP-DDG source from the United States, and a UM sample. Interestingly, the corn fiber + solubles coproduct had not only relatively high digestibility of NDF (67.9%), DM (91.6%), and total CP (81.9%) for ruminants, but it also had relatively high total tract digestibility of DM (86.2%) and CP (69.9%) for swine. These results suggest that nutrient digestibility of conventional DDGS sources produced in the United States appear to be greater than corn Brazilian DDGS sources, but new process technologies being implemented in ethanol and coproduct production in both countries can enhance the nutritional value of corn coproducts for both swine and ruminants.

The effects of the ratio of pellets of wheat and barley grains to ground corn grain in the diet on sorting and chewing activities of heat stressed dairy cows.

BACKGROUND: Normal feeding behaviours is one of the criteria of the health condition of dairy cows particularly in the condition of heat stress. OBJECTIVE: The study evaluated the effects of the ratio of pellets of wheat and barley grains to ground corn grain on sorting activity and chewing behaviour of lactating dairy cows managed under ambient conditions including natural heat stress events. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine multiparous cows (650 ± 56 kg Body Weight; mean ± SD) averaging 102 ± 13 days in milk and producing 54 ± 6 kg/d were randomly assigned to a triplicate 3 × 3 Latin square. During each 21-d period, cows received one of three total mixed rations as dietary treatments. The dietary treatments were three ratio of pellets (containing 50% ground wheat and 50% ground barley): ground corn on a dry matter (DM) basis: 1) 33.3:66.6 (low); 2) 66.6:33.3 (medium); and 3) 100:0 (high). During the experiment, the ambient temperature-humidity index was equal or more than 72, indicating that the cows were predisposed to heat stress condition. RESULTS: Increasing the proportion of wheat-barley pellets in the diet had a minimal effect on sorting index of different particles during the first 6 h of the day. However, later in the day (6-18h), sorting against long particles (particles >19 mm) and in favour of fine particles (particles <1.18 mm) linearly increased with increasing the proportion of pellet; as a result overall daily sorting against long particles was increased with increasing the proportion of pellets. Although the average of daily eating and rumination was not affected by the treatments in the day times with high ambient THI, time spent for eating and rumination was low and eating time had more fluctuation for diet contained a high level of pellets. CONCLUSION: Increasing the proportion of pellets of barley and wheat grains in the diet under conditions of heat stress caused more fluctuation in daily eating behaviour and cows were predisposed to sort against long particles.

Fermentation Characteristics and In Vitro Digestibility of Fibers and Fiber-Rich Byproducts Used for the Feeding of Pigs.

Dietary fibers may have positive impact on health and wellbeing of pigs. The study examined physicochemical properties of two lignocelluloses (including and excluding bark), powdered cellulose, Aspergillus niger mycelium, lucerne chaff, soybean shells, wheat bran, and sugar beet pulp in relation to fermentability and digestibility using in vitro batch-culture incubation. Maize starch and a purified cellulose were used as standardized substrates for classification of the test substrates. The substrates covered a wide range regarding their physicochemical properties. Swelling capacity (SC) was 9-411%, water binding capacity (WBC) was 4.4-14.3 g/g dry matter (DM), and water holding capacity (WHC) was 4.1-10.6 g/g DM. Gas production and other fermentation parameters-namely post-incubation pH, CH4, NH3, and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) concentrations-revealed a significant fermentation of sugar beet pulp, soybean shells, lucerne chaff, wheat bran, A. niger mycelium, and powdered cellulose, whereas the lignocelluloses were not fermented. Significant correlations were found between the physicochemical properties and the fermentation parameters (p < 0.05). Enzymatic pre-digestion mostly reduced gas, NH3, and SCFA production. In vitro digestibility of DM (IVDMD) and organic matter (IVOMD) was mostly negligible after enzymatic pre-digestion. Fermentation alone led to only 0.10-0.15 IVDMD and 0.14-0.15 IVOMD in lignocelluloses and powdered cellulose, respectively, but 0.44-0.37 IVDMD and 0.46-0.38 IVOMD in the remainder of substrates (p < 0.05). In vitro digestibility was again correlated with the physicochemical properties of the substrates and the fermentation parameters (p < 0.05). The fiber preparations and fiber-rich byproducts were fermented to a relevant extent. In contrast, lignocelluloses were not fermented and can be used rather as bulk material.

Fibre supplementation to pre-weaning piglet diets did not improve the resilience towards a post-weaning enterotoxigenic E. coli challenge.

Dietary fibre (DF) is implicated in gastrointestinal health of weaned piglets, either through its physiochemical properties, through modulation of gut microbiota and (or) improved gut integrity. We aimed to study the effect of DF enriched supplemental diets fed to suckling piglets ('creep feed') on health and performance after weaning when challenged with an enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). Seventy-two piglets originating from 28 litters had been fed four creep diets, that is a low-fibre control (CON); a diet containing 2% long-chain arabinoxylans from wheat (lc-AXOS) or 5% purified cellulose (CELL) or a diet containing the high fermentable and the low-fermentable fibre source (i.e. 2% lc-AXOS and 5% CELL). Upon weaning, piglets were individually housed and all fed the same diet. On days 7, 8 and 9, animals received an oral dose of ETEC (5 ml containing 107 to 108  CFU/ml). Besides growth performance, faecal and skin scores were recorded daily. Gut permeability was assessed by urinary excretion of Co-EDTA prior and post-ETEC challenge. Repeated measures in time were statistically evaluated with generalized linear mixed models. We used a binominal distribution for evaluating the faecal and skin scores. Feed intake and body weight gain did not differ between treatments (p > .05). Piglets on CELL decreased gain:feed ratio in week 2 + 3 week compared to CON (p = .035). Prior to ETEC challenge, gut permeability tended to increase for lc-AXOS (p = .092). Moreover, lc-AXOS as main effect increased intestinal permeability before ETEC challenge (p = .013), whereas the low-fermentable fibre lead to elevated intestinal permeability after ETEC challenge (p = .014). The incidence of diarrhoea was higher for lc-AXOS + CELL compared with lc-AXOS (p = .036), while skin condition was unaffected. In conclusion, neither the high fermentable nor the low-fermentable fibre source improved post-weaning growth or gastrointestinal health of the piglets.

In vitro ileal and caecal fermentation of fibre substrates in the growing pig given a human-type diet.

This study characterised the in vitro ileal fermentability of different substrates in the growing pig, adopted as an animal model for the adult human, and compared in vitro ileal and caecal fermentation in the pig. Substrates (arabinogalactan (AG), cellulose, fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS), inulin, mucin, citrus pectin and resistant starch) were fermented in vitro (ileal 2 h and caecal 24 h) with an ileal or caecal inoculum prepared from ileal or caecal digesta collected from growing pigs (n 5) fed a human-type diet for 15 d. The organic matter (OM) fermentability and production of organic acids were determined. In general, there was considerable in vitro ileal fermentation of fibre, and the substrates differed (P < 0·001) for both in vitro ileal and caecal OM fermentability and for organic acid production. Pectin had the greatest in vitro ileal OM fermentability (26 %) followed by AG, FOS and resistant starch (15 % on average), and cellulose, inulin and mucin (3 % on average). The fermentation of FOS, inulin and mucin was greater for in vitro caecal fermentation compared with the ileal counterpart (P ≤ 0·05). In general, the organic acid production was higher for in vitro caecal fermentation (P ≤ 0·05). For instance, the in vitro ileal acetic acid production represented 4-46 % of in vitro caecal production. Energy from fibre fermentation of 0·6-11 kJ/g substrate fermented could be expected in the ileum of the pig. In conclusion, substrates are fermented in both the ileum and caecum. The degree of fermentation varies among substrates, especially for in vitro ileal fermentation.