Apparent Retention Research Articles

Effects of dietary Bacillus subtilis supplementation and calcium levels on performance and eggshell quality of laying hens in the late phase of production

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary Bacillus subtilis supplementation and calcium (Ca) levels on performance, eggshell quality, intestinal morphology, and relative calbindin-D28k (CALB1) mRNA level of laying hens in the late phase of production. An experiment employing a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of 3 levels of Ca (3.5, 4.0, and 4.5%) and the absence or presence of B. subtilis was carried out with a total of 576 Hy-Line Brown laying hens aged 72 to 79 wk. Every group had 8 replicates of 12 birds each. The results showed that 4.0 and 4.5% Ca levels improved (P < 0.05) apparent retention and serum Ca content of aged laying hens. Compared with the 3.5% Ca level, the 4.0% Ca level in diets increased (P < 0.05) thickness, eggshell weight, shell ratio, and eggshell Ca content of aged laying hens. Moreover, breaking strength, thickness, eggshell weight, shell ratio, eggshell Ca content, apparent retention of Ca in g/day, apparent retention of Ca in percent, villus height, villus height/crypt depth, serum Ca level, and relative CALB1 mRNA level of aged laying hens were all increased (P < 0.05) by B. subtilis supplementation in diets. The supplemental B. subtilis decreased feed conversion ratio (P = 0.001) significantly. In addition, there was an interaction effect between increased Ca levels from 3.5 to 4.5% and B. subtilis supplementation on crypt depth in the duodenum (P < 0.05). In conclusion, we found that both the increase in dietary Ca level from 3.5 to 4.5% and B. subtilis supplementation could enhance intestinal Ca absorption and improve eggshell quality of laying hens in the late phase of production (72–79 wk of age). Dietary supplementation of B. subtilis accompanying the 4.0% Ca level was appropriate in enhancement of eggshell quality.

Dietary sodium chloride effect in Nile tilapia fed with fish meal-free diets

Aim of study: To evaluate the effect of the dietary NaCl level for Nile tilapia fingerlings.Area of study: Palotina sector of Federal University of Paraná, in southern Brazil.Material and methods: An experiment was carried using 750 Nile tilapia fingerlings (4.61 ± 0.09 g) distributed in 30 1,000-L circular tanks in a completely randomized design with six treatments and five replicates. NaCl was added to extruded fish meal-free diets at 0.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 12.5 (g/kg). After the experimental period, fish were submitted to a 24 h-fast and weighed. All data were submitted to an analysis of variance and Tukey’s test followed by Levene’s test and regression test, using the Statistica 7.0® software package.Main results: Fish fed the NaCl-free diet presented better growth performance (p&lt;0.05) compared to the other diets. Linear decrease effects on final weight (y = 50.1754 – 0.1672x, r2 = 0.6984), specific growth rate (y = 45.5418 – 0.1688x, r² = 0.6966), weight gain (y = 4.9465 – 0.008x; r² = 0.6886) and apparent feed conversion (y = 0.7113 + 0.0043x; r² = 0.7655) were noted. Efficiency and apparent protein retention were better in the NaCl-free diet (p&lt;0.05). Significant differences (p&lt;0.05) were observed for fillet fat and crude protein content. Increasing NaCl levels led to significant decreases (p&lt;0.05) in Nile tilapia fingerling protein efficiency rates (y = 3.7804 - 0.0116x; r² = 0.6549).Research highlights: Thus, NaCl should not be included in fish meal-free diets for Nile tilapia fingerlings.

Growth performance and nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens fed wood ashbased diets

This study was conducted to determine the growth performance and nutrient digestibility ofbroiler chickens fed wood-ash based diet. A total of 120 broiler chickens were randomlyallocated to four treatments in the completely randomized design. Treatment 1 was thecontrol while Treatments 2, 3, and 4 were Neem ash (NTA), Shea butter ash (SBA) and Locustbean ash (LBA), respectively. Each treatment has three replicates and ten birds per replicate.Data on growth rate, live weight, feed intake and mortality were collected while feedconversion ratio was calculated. Apparent dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, etherextract and nitrogen free extract retention were also determined. All data collected wereanalyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Starter phase results shows that birds on SBA ash had the highest final weight (366.00 g), body weight gain (173.71 g) and feed intake (546.03 g) and were significantly higher (p&lt;0.05) than the control. At the finisher phase, all ash treatment had higher (p&lt;0.05) final, daily weight gain and better (p&lt;0.05) feed conversion than the control dietary. The digestibility results indicated birds on LBA diet had the highest crude fibre and ash content. The study showed that wood ash influenced growth performance and nutrient retention of broiler chickens. Chickens on ash-based diets performed better that the control at the finisher phase.

True ileal calcium digestibility in soybean meal and canola meal, and true ileal phosphorous digestibility in maize-soybean meal and maize-canola meal diets, without and with microbial phytase, for broiler growers and finishers

ABSTRACT 1. Published data on the ileal Ca digestibility in soybean meal (SBM) and canola meal (CM), and the effect of microbial phytase on the Ca digestibility of these ingredients are limited. Therefore, two experiments were conducted, with the primary objective of determining the true ileal digestibility of calcium (Ca) in SBM and CM, without and with microbial phytase, during broiler grower (Experiment 1) and finisher (Experiment 2) periods. A secondary objective was to investigate the influence of microbial phytase on the true ileal digestibility of phosphorus (P), apparent digestibility of nitrogen (N) and minerals, and phytate disappearance in maize-SBM and maize-CM diets. Six experimental diets based on SBM and CM, with three phytase doses (0, 500 and 2000 FTU/kg), were fed to broilers from day 18 to 21 (Experiment 1) or 39 to 42 (Experiment 2) post-hatch. A Ca- and P-free diet, with no added phytase, was also developed to determine the endogenous Ca and P losses. Titanium dioxide was incorporated in all diets as an indigestible indicator. Each experimental diet was randomly allocated to six replicate cages (eight birds per cage). Apparent ileal digestibility was calculated using the indicator method and the true ileal digestibility was calculated by correcting for endogenous losses. Apparent total tract retention (ATTR) of Ca and P was also measured. 2. Ileal endogenous losses of Ca and P were determined to be 236 and 310 mg/kg of dry matter intake (DMI), respectively, in broiler growers and 29 and 130 mg/kg of DMI, respectively, in broiler finishers. True ileal Ca digestibility coefficients of SBM and CM, without added phytase, were determined to be 0.51 and 0.53, respectively, in broiler growers and 0.33 and 0.22, respectively, in broiler finishers. Increasing phytase doses increased (P < 0.05) the true ileal Ca digestibility of CM in both broiler growers and finishers, but Ca digestibility of SBM increased (P < 0.05) only at the superdose (2000 FTU/kg) in broiler finishers. The ATTR of Ca (P < 0.001) in growers was higher in CM than in SBM and was increased in both ingredients by increasing phytase doses. In finishers, the ATTR of Ca was increased (P < 0.001) by both phytase doses in CM, but only by the superdose in SBM, resulting in an ingredient × phytase interaction (P < 0.001). 3. True ileal P digestibility coefficients of maize-SBM and maize-CM diets, without added phytase, were determined to be 0.89 and 0.66, respectively, in broiler growers and 0.82 and 0.57, respectively, in broiler finishers. Supplemental phytase increased (P < 0.05) the true ileal P digestibility of the maize-CM diet in both broiler growers and finishers. However, the P digestibility of the maize-SBM diet was increased (P < 0.05) in broiler finishers only at the superdose (2000 FTU/kg). The ATTR of P was higher (P < 0.001) in the maize-SBM diet during both periods. 4. The apparent ileal digestibility of N, Mg, K and Mn was higher (P < 0.001) in the maize-SBM diet for broiler growers and finishers. Phytase addition had no effect (P > 0.05) on the apparent digestibility of N and minerals in growers and finishers. 5. Increasing phytase doses increased IP6 disappearance in the maize-CM diet, but not in the maize-SBM diet, resulting in an ingredient × phytase interaction (P < 0.001) for growers and finishers. 6. In conclusion, true ileal Ca digestibility coefficients of SBM and CM for broilers were determined in this study. The findings confirmed the influence of broiler age of Ca digestibility. Superdosing of phytase increased the digestibility and ATTR of Ca in CM and SBM by two-fold compared to the normal phytase dose.

Effects of Oat Hay Content in Diets on Nutrient Metabolism and the Rumen Microflora in Sheep.

Simple SummaryProviding high-quality forage for the animal husbandry to improve the quality of animal husbandry products and meet the needs of the public is one of the focuses of the current animal husbandry development. Oats have high nutritional value, and the planting area in our country is increasing year by year. It has become the new favorite of the breeding industry, and its development prospects are very broad. At present, there are few domestic research reports on the best addition of oat hay in ruminant diets, ruminant digestion and metabolism, and ruminant flora. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to add different proportions of oat hay to sheep feed to study its effect on sheep digestion and metabolism and rumen microflora. The experimentally obtained data showed that, with the increase in the content of oat hay in the diet, the appearance of sheep dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility, as well as the diversity and abundance of rumen microbes, showed an upward trend. All presented data provide a theoretical basis for the scientific application of oat hay in sheep breeding.Oats have the characteristics of drought tolerance, cold resistance, strong adaptability, high forage yield, and high nutritional value. However, there are few reports on the most appropriate amount of oat hay in ruminant diets, the digestion and metabolism of ruminants, and the rumen microflora. To study the effects of oat hay content in diets on nutrient digestion and metabolism and the rumen microflora in sheep, 9 German Merino and Mongolian crossbred rams of similar body condition and weight with permanent fistulas were selected. The 3 × 3 Latin square design was used to randomly divide the rams into 3 groups, with 3 animals in each group. The three groups were fed different kinds of roughage: whole-plant corn silage only (corn silage group, CSG), oat hay mixed with whole-plant corn silage (1:1) (mixed group, MG), and oat hay only (oat hay group, OHG). The nutrient digestion and metabolism of each group were measured, and the pH and rumen microflora were examined after feeding for different durations. Dynamic changes in microbial communities were detected. The nutrient digestion and metabolism results showed that, with an increase in the content of oat hay in the diet, the intake and apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) showed an increasing trend, and the intake, digestion, and stability of acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) increased in the OHG. The apparent digestibility, dietary nitrogen, deposited nitrogen, and nitrogen retention rate in this group were significantly higher than those in the CSG (p < 0.05). The rumen pH and sequencing results showed that the rumen fluid pH of the CSG was significantly lower than that of the OHG at 1 and 5 h (p < 0.05). The main microbial in the rumen of the three groups of sheep were Bacteroides, Sclerotium, and Proteus. The dominant taxon in the CSG was Prevotella, followed by Vibrio syringae, and the dominant taxon in the MG and OHG was Prevotella, followed by Rikenellaceae. Redundancy analysis showed that ADF and NDF in the feed had an effect on the abundance of Fibrobacteres, Ruminococcaceae, and Prevotella. Our findings indicate that the use of oat hay roughage in the diet significantly improves the apparent digestibility of NDF and ADF and helps maintain the stable state of the sheep’s rumen internal environment and the growth of rumen microorganisms.

288 Dietary calcium decreases digestibility of phosphorus in late gestating sows, but blood biomarkers may be used to predict bone formation and resorption

Abstract The objective was to test the hypothesis that Ca levels in diets fed to late gestating sows affect apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and retention of Ca and P, blood Ca and P, and serum concentrations of hormones and blood biomarkers. Thirty-six sows (parity = 2.8) were divided in 3 blocks, housed individually in metabolism crates from d 91 to 105 of gestation and randomly allotted to 4 experimental diets containing 25, 50, 75, or 100% of the requirement for Ca with a constant P concentration. Fecal and urine samples were collected for 4 d after 5 d of adaptation. At the conclusion of the experiment, a blood sample from all sows was collected. The statistical model included diet as fixed effect and parity, block, and replicate within block as random effects. Values for the ATTD and retention of Ca increased quadratically (P &amp;lt; 0.05) as dietary Ca increased. Fecal P output increased linearly (P &amp;lt; 0.001) as dietary Ca increased, which resulted in a linear decrease (P &amp;lt; 0.001) in the ATTD of P. Urine P output decreased linearly (P &amp;lt; 0.001) as dietary Ca increased with a linear increase (P &amp;lt; 0.05) in P retention. Serum Ca and P and estrogen, calcitonin, and parathyroid hormone were not affected by dietary Ca. Carboxyterminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I) in serum decreased linearly (P = 0.033) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase tended to decrease linearly (P = 0.091) as Ca in diets increased. Osteocalcin in serum was not affected by Ca levels, but the ratio between osteocalcin and CTX-I tended to increase (P = 0.055) as dietary Ca increased. In conclusion, P digestibility decreases, but retention of P increases, as dietary Ca increases and blood biomarkers may be useful to predict bone formation and resorption by late gestating sows.

Evaluation of a novel hybrid 6-phytase using an updated phosphorus deficiency model in broiler chickens

One-day-old broiler chicks were used to investigate the optimal age to start feeding phosphorus (P)-deficient (PD) diets with two non-phytate P (nPP) concentrations in experiment 1, and 7-d-old broiler chicks were used to determine P equivalency of a hybrid 6-phytase to inorganic P in monocalcium phosphate (MCP) in experiment 2. In experiment 1, six treatments were prepared with 5, 6, or 7-d-old birds to start feeding PD diets with 1.3 or 1.5 g·kg−1 nPP. Age of birds to start feeding P-deficient diets tended to decrease (P = 0.052) mortality of birds during 14 d of feeding P-deficient diets. In experiment 2, twelve treatments including one basal diet, five diets supplied with 0.5, 0.9, 1.3, 1.7, or 2.1 g·kg−1 inorganic P, and six diets supplied with 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1500, or 2000 FTU·kg−1 phytase were fed to chickens from days 7 to 21 post hatching. Increasing phytase activity quadratically increased (P &lt; 0.01) body weight gain, feed intake, and tibia ash of birds and apparent ileal digestibility and total tract retention of P. In conclusion, age of birds to start feeding PD diet affected their performance, and hybrid 6-phytase may partly replace MCP in a PD diet for broiler chickens.

Long-term nitrogen retention and transit time distribution in agricultural catchments in western France

Elevated nitrogen (N) concentrations have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems worldwide, calling for effective management practices. However, catchment-scale annual mass-balance estimates often exhibit N deficits and time lags between the trajectory of net N inputs and that of N riverine export. Here, we analyzed 40-year time series of N surplus and nitrate-N loads in 16 mesoscale catchments (104–10 135 km2) of a temperate agricultural region, with the aim to (1) investigate the fate of the ‘missing N’, either still in transit through the soil—vadose zone—groundwater continuum or removed via denitrification, and (2) estimate the transit time distribution of N by convoluting the input signal with a lognormal model. We found that apparent N retention, the ‘missing N’, ranged from 45%–88% of then N net input, and that topsoil N accumulation alone accounted for ca. two-thirds of this retention. The mode of the nitrate-N transit time distribution ranged from 2–14 years and was negatively correlated with the estimated retention. Apparent retention was controlled primarily by average runoff, while the transit time mode was controlled in part by lithology. We conclude that the fate of the soil ‘biogeochemical legacy’, which represents much of the catchment-scale ‘missing N’, is in our hands, since the N accumulated in soils can still be recycled in agroecosystems.

Molybdenum Exposure in Drinking Water Vs Feed Impacts Apparent Absorption of Copper Differently in Beef Cattle Consuming a High-Forage Diet.

Twelve Angus steers were utilized to investigate the influence of molybdenum (Mo) in drinking water or feed on apparent absorption and retention of copper (Cu) and Mo. Steers were fed a low-quality grass hay diet for 14days. Steers were then housed in individual metabolism stalls and blocked by body weight and dry matter intake (DMI) and randomly assigned within block to one of three treatments. Treatments consisted of (1) control (no supplemental Mo), (2) 5.0mg Mo/kg DM from sodium molybdate dihydrate (Mo-diet), and (3) 1.5mg Mo/L from sodium molybdate dihydrate delivered in the drinking water (Mo-water). Total fecal and urine output were then collected for 5days. Dry matter, Cu and water intake, and DM digestibility were similar across treatments. Molybdenum intake was greater (P < 0.05) in Mo-water and Mo-diet steers when compared to controls but similar between Mo-water and Mo-diet steers. Apparent absorption and retention of Cu were greater (P < 0.05) in controls when compared to Mo-diet supplemented steers. Apparent absorption and retention of Cu in steers in the Mo-water treatment did not differ from controls or those receiving the Mo-diet. Molybdenum-diet and Mo-water supplemented steers had similar apparent absorption and retention of Cu. Apparent absorption and retention of Mo (% of Mo intake) was greater in controls when compared to Mo-supplemented steers. These data indicate that Mo consumed in water may impact Cu absorption and retention to a lesser extent than Mo supplemented in the diet.

Interannual variation in the coastal distribution of a juvenile gadid in the northeast Pacific Ocean: The relevance of wind and effect on recruitment

AbstractDrift of propagules occurs within many populations inhabiting flow fields. This affects the number of propagules that rejoin their source population (recruitment) and plays a role in adaptive spatial redistribution. We focus on the cause and consequence of interannual variation in geographic distribution of population density among five cohorts of young‐of‐the‐year (age‐0) juvenile walleye pollock Gadus chalcogrammus in the western Gulf of Alaska (GOA). The coastal GOA is a wind‐driven advective system. Walleye pollock spawn during spring and their eggs and larvae drift southwestward; by late summer, age‐0 juveniles are variously distributed over the shelf. We found that high population densities of age‐0 juveniles (ca. 6 months old) near the southwestward exit of the Alaska Coastal Current from the GOA corresponded with high abundance of larvae from the major spawning area upstream, but did not translate into high abundance at older ages. Further, offshore and upwelling‐favorable winds were associated with the high downstream abundance and presumed export. In contrast, downwelling‐favorable (northeasterly) wind during and shortly after spawning (April–May) was associated with high recruitment at age 1. Finally, we found that recruitment also increased with apparent retention of age‐0 juveniles in favorable habitat upstream near the main spawning area. We hypothesize that wind‐related retention in superior upstream habitat favors recruitment. Our results argue for including wind‐driven transport in future walleye pollock recruitment models. We encourage more work on the juvenile stage of marine fishes aimed at understanding how transport and species‐specific habitat suitability interact to affect population response to large‐scale forcing.

Abstract P239: Diet Modifies Cardiometabolic Effects Of DOCA-salt In C57BL/6J Mice

The deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt model of hypertension is widely used to investigate the neurohormonal regulation of blood pressure. We investigated the modulatory effect of three common “chow” diets upon cardiometabolic consequences of DOCA-salt treatment in mice. Male C57BL/6J mice (6 wks of age) were randomly assigned to 5L0D (LabDiet 67138, 4.0 g Na/kg), a Soy-free extruded diet (Envigo 2920, 1.5 g Na/kg), or an NIH-31 modified open formula diet (Teklad 7913, 3.1 g Na/kg) and provided with autoclaved deionized water for 3 weeks (n=16/diet). At 9 weeks of age (ie, before DOCA-salt), intake behaviors and energy flux were assessed using metabolic caging and bomb calorimetry. Before DOCA-salt, body mass, digestive efficiency, energy efficiency, total sodium intake, urine volumes, and apparent sodium &amp; potassium retentions (ie, ingested-urine loss) were significantly modified by diet (p&lt;0.05), but calories absorbed per day was not. Mice (n=8/diet) were then implanted with a DOCA pellet (50mg, sc) and provided 0.15 M NaCl as an additional drink option, or underwent sham surgery (n=8/diet). At 12 weeks of age (ie, after DOCA-salt), intake behaviors and energy flux were again assessed before tissue harvest. After DOCA-salt, body mass, energy efficiency, total sodium intake, urine volume, apparent sodium retention, and renal renin mRNA were significantly affected by a diet x DOCA-salt interaction (p&lt;0.05). In contrast, digestive efficiency and apparent potassium retention were modified by diet (p&lt;0.05), and calories absorbed per day, plasma sodium, and plasma potassium were affected by main effects of diet (p&lt;0.05) and DOCA-salt (p&lt;0.05), but these endpoints were not modified by a diet x DOCA-salt interaction. Combined with analyses of tissue masses, expression of various renal electrolyte transporters, blood chemistries, and urinalyses, these many endpoints highlight a multitude of cardiometabolic outcomes of the DOCA-salt model that are sensitive to environmental contexts such as diet. Ongoing work is investigating the modulatory effect of diet upon increases in total body sodium retention and blood pressure induced by DOCA-salt treatment, and roles for varied sodium vs protein contents of the diets in these effects.

In ovo feeding of epidermal growth factor: embryonic expression of intestinal epidermal growth factor receptor and posthatch growth performance and intestinal development in broiler chickens

We investigated efficacy of in ovo application of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on intestinal expression of EGF receptor (EGFR) during embryogenesis (experiment 1) and posthatch growth performance and gastrointestinal development in broiler chickens (experiment 2). In experiment 1, 450 fertile Ross 708 eggs were allocated to 3 groups (150 eggs/group): 1) control, 2) 160 μg EGF/kg of egg, and 3) 640 μg of EGF/kg of egg. Eggs were candled for live embryos on day 16 and injected with the respective treatment solutions on day 17 and sampled for jejunal tissue from day 17 to hatch for EGFR analyses. There was no effect of EGF (P > 0.05) on EGFR expression on day 17 to 20; however, on day 21, EGF increased (P < 0.05) EGFR expression in EGF birds relative to control birds. In experiment 2, 600 fertile Ross 708 eggs were allocated to 5 treatments: 1) intact, no puncture or injection, 2) punched but not injected, 3) control, no EGF, 4) 80 μg of EGF/kg of egg, and 5) 160 μg of EGF/kg of egg. The eggs were incubated and candled for live embryos on D 19, treated, and subsequently transferred to the hatcher. Upon hatching, chicks were weighed, and 90 chicks per treatment placed in cages (15 birds/cage) and allowed free access to a standard antibiotic-free corn-soybean diet for 21 D. Feed intake and body weight were monitored on a weekly basis. Samples of birds were necropsied on D 0, 7, 14, and 21 for measurements of intestinal weight and jejunal histomorphology and excreta samples taken on D 3 to 5 and 17 to 19 for apparent retention of dry matter. There was no EGF effect (P > 0.05) on any posthatch response criteria. In conclusion, in ovo application of EGF increased EGFR expression but had no effect on posthatch growth performance, DM retention, and intestinal development. The lack of EGF effect on posthatch response was surprising but suggested in ovo application of EGF may not be a viable approach.

Growth performance of myostatin knockout red sea bream Pagrus major juveniles produced by genome editing with CRISPR/Cas9

We have reported the production of myostatin (Pm-mstn) complete knockout red sea bream (Pagrus major) using CRISPR/Cas9, and the Pm-mstn mutant exhibited a 17% increase in skeletal muscle. However, important characteristics in aquaculture production, such as the growth rate and the amount of feed required for growth have not been clarified. In this study, we conducted a feeding trial using apparent satiation feeding during the juvenile stage and compared growth performance metrics including; weight gain, feed efficiency, apparent protein and lipid retention rates of the Pm-mstn mutants with wild-type fish (WT). Experimental fish were produced via artificial insemination from single male and female broodfish of heterozygous Pm-mstn mutants and reared in one tank until the start of the trial. Genotypes of 356 full sib fish were identified, and the WT and the homozygous mutant (HM) were used for the trial. Seventeen fish from WT and HM (mean body weight 41.1 ± 0.3 g and 42.7 ± 0.3 g, respectively) were randomly distributed into each of 100 L circular tanks and set in triplicate for each genotype. Fish were fed twice daily to apparent satiation with each respective diet at 08:00 and 13:00 six days per week for 8 weeks. Weight measurement of all experimental fish was conducted bi-weekly. Five fish at day zero from each genotype and 5 fish from each tank at the final day of the trial were sampled for whole-body proximate analysis. At the end of the trial, weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed efficiency were significantly higher in the HM group than that in the WT group, and there was no significant difference in the daily feed intake. The protein efficiency and apparent protein retention were significantly higher in the HM than for the WT. These results suggest that HM fish feed similarly to that of WT fish during the juvenile stage. However, HM fish have a higher ability to convert feed efficiently and accumulate ingested protein, resulting in better overall growth.

Soil Fungal Community Characteristics and Mycelial Production Across a Disturbance Gradient in Lowland Dipterocarp Rainforest in Borneo

The rainforests of Southeast Asia are a global biodiversity hotspot under increasing pressure from human activity. Selective logging and forest conversion to oil palm plantation has major implications for biogeochemical cycling and carbon storage that are underpinned by plant-soil interactions. Soil fungi are key regulators of carbon and mineral nutrient flows between above- and below-ground organisms, yet understanding of fungal community-productivity relationships in hyper-diverse tropical forests is lacking. Recent studies suggest sensitivity of soil fungal communities to land-use change, although impacts on fungal productivity remain largely unresolved. To address this gap, we installed hyphal in-growth bags for 6 months in old-growth (OG) and selectively logged (SL) forest and oil palm plantation (OP) in Bornean lowland rainforest. Mycelial (actively foraging) fungal communities were characterized by ITS amplicon sequencing, and mycelial production estimated by measurement of fungal hyphae. Mycelial fungal community compositions were similar in OG and SL forest, whereas OP had significantly different communities of saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, and pathogenic fungi. In particular, total mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungal relative abundances, total mycorrhizal richness and mycelial production was reduced. However, due to restricted sampling replication in OP, effects associated with site could not be excluded. In forest plots (OG & SL), we further explored the broader drivers of mycelial fungal communities using tree community, structure and productivity data, and soil and environmental properties. Forest mycelial community dissimilarities were related to soil and vegetation characteristics, while mycelial production was broadly independent of these as well as fungal community attributes. An increase in arbuscular mycorrhizal relative abundance was also found with selective logging, which may have implications for carbon storage capacity in these forests, while an apparent retention of mycorrhizal mycelium in SL forest may act as a reservoir of inoculum that could aid forest restoration. Our results show that conversion of rainforest to oil palm plantation has significant consequences for fungal diversity-productivity relationships with implications for nutrient and carbon dynamics and restoration over large spatial scales.

Rearing cage type and dietary limestone particle size: I, effects on growth, apparent retention of calcium, and long bones attributes in Lohmann selected Leghorn-Lite pullets

Effects of rearing cage type and dietary limestone particle size (LPS) on growth, apparent retention (AR) of nutrients, and bone quality were investigated. The treatments were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial with cage (conventional, CON and furnished, FUR) and LPS (fine, < 0.595 mm, F; medium, 0.595 to < 1.68 mm, M; and 1:1 mixture of F and M wt/wt; FM). A total of 900-day-old Lohmann LSL-Lite chicks were placed in CON (20 chicks/cage) and FUR (30 chicks/cage) based on BW. The diets were formulated according to breeder's nutrient specifications for starter, grower, and developer phases. At the end of 4, 12, and 16 wk of age (woa), 2 pullets/cage were euthanized for samples. At 12 and 16 woa, 1 pullet/cage was transferred to metabolism cages for AR measurements. There was no interaction (P > 0.05) between cage type and LPS on response variables. At 4 woa, body (P = 0.002) and bone (P < 0.05) weight was higher for CON than FUR pullets, but this was reversed (P < 0.01) at 16 woa. Pullets fed M LPS had higher (P < 0.05) AR of Ca, whole body mineral density (BoMD), and whole body mineral content (BoMC) than pullets fed F LPS. However, pullets fed F LPS had higher (P < 0.05) femur bone mineral density (BMD) and tended (P = 0.059) to have higher tibia bone breaking strength (BBS) than pullets fed M LPS at 16 woa. Pullets reared in CON cages had higher (P < 0.05) AR of Ca than FUR pullets. At 4 woa, CON pullets had lower (P < 0.05) femur and tibia BMD but higher tibia (93 vs. 83 N P = 0.012) BBS than FUR pullets. However, at 16 woa, FUR pullets had higher (P < 0.05) BoMD, BoMC, and tibia BBS than CON pullets. In conclusions, cage type and dietary LPS had independent effects on Ca utilization and skeletal development. Despite poor Ca retention, FUR caged pullets showed improved bone quality at 16 woa. Finer LPS improved femur mineral density suggesting coarser LPS had limited effects on pullet bone quality.

Clinical evaluation of [18F] JNJ-64326067, a novel candidate PET tracer for the detection of tau pathology in Alzheimer\u2019s disease

PurposeThe accumulation of misfolded tau is a common feature of several neurodegenerative disorders, with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) being the most common. Earlier we identified JNJ-64326067, a novel isoquinoline derivative with high affinity and selectivity for tau aggregates from human AD brain. We report the dosimetry of [18F] JNJ-64326067 and results of a proof-of-concept study comparing subjects with probable Alzheimer’s disease to age-matched healthy controls.Methods[18F] JNJ-64326067 PET scans were acquired for 90 min and then from 120 to 180 min in 5 participants with [18F]-florbetapir PET amyloid positive probable AD (73 ± 9 years) and 5 [18F]-florbetapir PET amyloid negative healthy controls (71 ± 7 years). Whole-body [18F] JNJ-64326067 PET CT scans were acquired in six healthy subjects for 5.5 h in 3 scanning sessions. Brain PET scans were visually reviewed. Regional quantification included kinetic analysis of distribution volume ration (DVR) estimated by Logan graphical analysis over the entire scan and static analysis of SUVr in late frames. Both methods used ventral cerebellar cortex as a reference region.ResultsOne of the healthy controls had focal areas of PET signal in occipital and parietal cortex underlying the site of a gunshot injury as an adolescent; the other four healthy subjects had no tau brain signal. Four of the 5 AD participants had visually apparent retention of [18F] JNJ-64326067 in relevant cortical regions. One of the AD subjects was visually negative. Cortical signal in visually positive subjects approached steady state by 120 min. Temporal and frontal cortical SUVr/DVR values in visually positive AD subjects ranged from 1.21 to 3.09/1.2 to 2.18 and from 0.92 to 1.28/0.91 to 1.16 in healthy controls. Whole-body effective dose was estimated to be 0.0257 mSv/MBq for females and 0.0254 mSv/MBq for males.Conclusions[18F] JNJ-64326067 could be useful for detection and quantitation of tau aggregates.

Effects of feeding extruded flaxseed on layer performance, total tract nutrient digestibility, and fatty acid concentrations of egg yolk, plasma and liver.

A study was conducted to determine the effects of graded levels of extruded flaxseed (EF) on laying hen performance, apparent total tract nutrient retention (ATTNR) and fatty acid concentrations of egg yolk, blood plasma and liver. Seventy-two White Leghorn layers (58weeks old; three per cage) were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments: 0 (control), 3, 6 and 9% of EF-supplemented diets for 8weeks. Results showed that feed intake, egg production, feed conversion ratio and egg weight were not affected by treatments. The ATTNR of dry matter (p=.001) and gross energy (p=.014) was lower for layers fed 9% EF than those fed the control diet, while ATTNR of organic matter (p=.001) and nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (p=.003) were lower for birds fed 6% and 9% EF compared with those fed the control diet. Relative to the control diet, feeding EF increased (p<.001) egg yolk, plasma and liver n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) concentrations. Birds fed 6% EF produced eggs>300mg of n-3 PUFA after two weeks of feeding, while the highest of n-3 PUFA concentrations were achieved for birds fed 9% EF. It was concluded that feeding EF up to 9% of the diet had no adverse effects on layer performance and increased n-3 PUFA concentrations in blood plasma, liver and egg yolk. However, moderate to high levels of EF (i.e., 6% and 9% of the diet) reduced nutrient ATTNR and nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy. Omega-3-enriched eggs can be achieved by feeding layers EF at 6% of the diet.

The effect of dietary supplementation with globin and spray-dried porcine plasma on performance, digestibility and histomorphological traits in broiler chickens.

This study evaluated the effects of globin and spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) on growth performance, digestibility, nitrogen retention, energy retention efficiency (ERE) and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 336-day-old male broiler chickens were reared from 1 to 40days of age and fed 3 diets (8 replicates/diet, 14 birds/replicate) during 3 feeding phases: starter (1-12days), grower (12-25days) and finisher (25-40days). Isonitrogenous diets were formulated by replacing gluten protein isolate contained in the control diet (C diet) with 2% (starter) or 1% (grower and finisher) spray-dried porcine plasma in the plasma diet (SDPP diet). The globin diet (G diet) was obtained by adding globin on the top of C diet at a dose of 0.08% for the whole rearing period. Total tract apparent digestibility (aD), nitrogen retention and ERE were assessed during the three growing phases. At 12 and 40days of age, one bird per pen was slaughtered to sample gut, liver, spleen and bursa of Fabricius for histomorphological investigations. The SDPP diet increased body weights of chickens at 12 (+60g; p<.001), 25 (+101g; p<.001) and 40days (+130g; p=.018) of age compared to C and G diets. Also SDPP improved crude protein aD (+9.7%) and ERE (+12.3%) during the starter phase (p<.001). Dietary globin and SDPP inclusion did not affect either the gut morphology or the histopathological findings in birds at 12 and 40days of age, despite a numerical (+6.90% and +7.40% respectively) villus height improvement in the SDPP group. Overall, these results confirm that dietary supplementation with SDPP and, to a lesser extent, with globin can improve growth performance and dietary protein and energy utilization in broiler chickens without effect on gut functionality.

Chemically preserved high-moisture corn in the turkey diet does not compromise performance and maintains the functional status of the gut

An experiment was conducted to investigate the potential inclusion of a wet corn grain preserved with organic acids in a turkey diet. A total of 357 one-day-old Hybrid Converter female turkeys were divided into three groups, each consisting of seven replicates of 17 birds. Throughout the 114-day feeding period, the birds received wheat-soybean meal diets supplemented with the following: heat-dried corn at the level of 150 g/kg diet (T1), a half substitution of heat-dried corn with organic acid-preserved wet corn (T2), or total substitution with organic acid-preserved corn (T3). The final body weight (BW) averaged 11.5 kg, while the feed conversion ratio (FCR) averaged 2.44 kg feed/kg body weight gain (BWG). Compared with the control diet, neither partial nor total inclusion of chemically preserved corn significantly affected turkey performance, carcass characteristics and associated traits or mortality rates. The digestibility coefficients of dry matter (0.668 ± 0.005), crude fiber (0.192 ± 0.011), ash (0.408 ± 0.011), and the apparent total tract nitrogen retention (0.453 ± 0.010) were similar among the groups, while crude fat digestibility was significantly lower in T3 than in the control (0.854 vs. 0.807 ± 0.006). The dietary T2 and T3 applications of chemically preserved corn were associated with significantly lowered relative weight (2.50 and 2.12 g/kg BW, respectively, vs. 3.31 g/kg BW in T1) and lowered pH (6.44 and 6.35, respectively, vs. 6.72 in T1) of the cecal digesta. The T3 treatment significantly increased cecal bacterial activity of α-galactosidase and decreased that of α-arabinofuranosidase (in both cases, vs. T1 and T2). The activity of bacterial β-galactosidase was significantly enhanced in the T2 treatment vs. control, while cecal β-xylosidase activity was decreased in both the T2 and T3 groups vs. T1. Compared with the T1 group, concentrations of total cecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and pool of SCFAs were significantly decreased in T2 and T3 treatments. Feeding chemically preserved corn significantly increased the hemoglobin concentration (10.62 vs. 11.83–11.94 ± 0.23 g/dL), irrespective of the dosage. A significantly decreased peroxide blood concentration was observed following the T3 treatment vs. T1 and T2 treatments. Our findings indicated that organic acid-preserved wet corn at the level up to 150 g/kg diet can be used with no adverse effects on turkey growth performance, gut physiological status, and blood redox status. Therefore, treatment of high-moisture corn with organic acids represents a low-cost alternative to heat-dried corn grain.

Effects of feeding broiler breeder hens a coextruded full-fat flaxseed and pulses mixture without or with multienzyme supplement

The effects of coextruded full-fat flaxseed and pulses (FFF; 1:1 wt/wt) mixture on n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) enrichment in egg yolk, hepatic attributes, apparent retention (AR) of components, and ceca metabolites were evaluated in broiler breeder hens. The diets were as follows: 1) corn–soybean control, 2) control diet plus 18% FFF (FFF−), and 3) FFF plus enzyme supplement (FFF+) containing galactanase, protease, mannanase, glucanase, xylanase, amylase, and cellulase activities. Twenty-six-week-old Cobb 500 broiler breeder hens were allocated to 30 identical cages (2 hens/cage) and given 1-week adaptation period. The 3 diets were assigned to 10 replicate cages based on postadaptation BW and fed based on breeder curve for 30 D. Excreta samples were collected from day 24 to 27 for determination of AR of components, and eggs were collected from day 28 to 30 for yolk polyunsaturated fatty acids analyses. On day 30, birds were weighed, killed via cervical dislocation, liver weighed, and stored for fat analyses. Ceca digesta samples were taken for concentration of short-chain fatty acids. Liver and yolk weights as well as total yolk FA were not influenced by diets (P > 0.05). Control birds had lower yolk concentration of α-linolenic acid than birds fed either FFF− or FFF+ (P < 0.01) corresponding to 7.5, 36.8, and 37.3 mg/g for the control, FFF−, and FFF+, respectively. Control birds also exhibited lower yolk concentration of docosahexaenoic acid (P < 0.01). Control birds had higher hepatic concentration of crude fat and apparent retention of dry matter and crude protein compared with either the FFF− or FFF+ birds (P < 0.05). Birds fed FFF- diet had lower ceca digesta concentration of lactic acid than control and FFF+ (P < 0.05) birds. Results showed broiler breeder hens enriched egg yolk with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids without effects on the liver while the supplemental enzyme did not improve the utilization of FFF.