Application In Animal Production Research Articles

Regulation of the growth performance and the gastrointestinal microbiota community by the addition of defective pear fermentation to feed of small-tailed Han sheep.

This study investigated the effects of defective pear fermentation (DPF) diets on growth performance and gastrointestinal microbial communities in 60 healthy male small-tailed Han sheep, aged 90 days. The sheep were randomly divided into four groups, each consisting of three replicates with five sheep per replicate. Initially, all groups received a basal diet for seven days during the adaptation stage. Subsequently, for 60 days, group C (control) was fed a basal diet, group X received a basal diet with 2% DPF, group Y had a basal diet with 4% DPF, and group Z was fed a basal diet with 6% DPF. The results indicated that group Y experienced a significant increase in average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI). The addition of DPF significantly elevated the levels of GSH-Px and notably reduced MDA content compared to group C. Analysis of gastrointestinal microbiota showed that groups receiving DPF had increased relative abundances of Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group, norank_f p-2534-18B5_gut_group, Acetitomaculum, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota and Ruminococcus_gauvreauii_group, and decreased abundances of Proteobacteria, Prevotella, Staphylococcus, and Psychrobacter compared to group C. Group X exhibited the highest relative abundance of Olsenella, while group Y showed a significant increase in unclassified_f Lachnospiraceae compared to the other groups. Bacterial function prediction indicated that pathways related to energy metabolism were more prevalent in group X and Y. This study preliminarily confirms the feasibility of using DPF as feed additives, providing a foundation for further research and evaluation of DPF's application in animal production.

Physicochemical properties, mechanism of action of lycopene and its application in poultry and ruminant production.

Lycopene is a kind of natural carotenoid that could achieve antioxidant, anti-cancer, lipid-lowering and immune-improving effects by up-regulating or down-regulating genes related to antioxidant, anti-cancer, lipid-lowering and immunity. Furthermore, lycopene is natural, pollution-free, and has no toxic side effects. The application of lycopene in animal production has shown that it could improve livestock production performance, slaughter performance, immunity, antioxidant capacity, intestinal health, and meat quality. Therefore, lycopene as a new type of feed additive, has broader application prospects in many antibiotic-forbidden environments. This article serves as a reference for the use of lycopene as a health feed additive in animal production by going over its physical and chemical characteristics, antioxidant, lipid-lowering, anti-cancer, and application in animal production.

The Probiotic Potential and Metabolite Characterization of Bioprotective Bacillus and Streptomyces for Applications in Animal Production

Probiotics are increasingly recognized for their potential in managing bacterial challenges in animal production. This study aimed to evaluate the probiotic potential of Bacillus and Streptomyces strains, specifically their bioprotective ability against Salmonella. In agar inhibition assays, these bacteria supported Salmonella-inhibition zones, ranging from 2.5 ± 0.5 to 6.3 ± 2.0 mm. Analyses of antimicrobial metabolites revealed their capacity to produce compounds with anti-Salmonella properties, except for Bacillus subtilis MLB2. When Salmonella was exposed to lyophilized metabolites, inhibition occurred in both liquid (at concentrations between 250 and 500 g/L) and solid cultures (at 500 g/L). To confirm their probiotic potential, the S. griseus and Bacillus strains underwent evaluations for antimicrobial resistance, bile salt tolerance, auto- and co-aggregation, pH resistance, and their ability to adhere to and inhibit Salmonella in Caco-2 cells. These assessments confirmed their probiotic potential. The probiotic strains were further encapsulated and subjected to simulated swine and poultry digestion. They demonstrated survival potential through the gastrointestinal tract and significantly reduced the Salmonella population. Thus, these strains exhibit considerable promise for producing biotechnological products aimed at controlling Salmonella in animal production. This approach ensures the health and hygiene of farming facilities, mitigates the spread of zoonotic bacteria, and contributes positively to public health.

Los productos bióticos, definición y modo de acción

The gut microbiota has been referred to as the hidden metabolic “organ” due to its enormous impact on host metabolism, physiology, nutrition, and immune system. The relationship between the gut microbiota and the animal host is complex, changing, and generally mutually beneficial. As this relationship is complex, strategies have been studied to help modulate the microbiota to result in greater health and performance. Feed supplementation with biotic products is one of these strategies. These supplements have indirect effects via the manipulation of the quality of the microbiota and an improvement in the intestinal epithelial barrier. In addition to these functions, a stimulation of the host's immune system, a decrease in the colonization of pathogens and relief from stress have also been reported. Therefore, these supplements are presented as a safe alternative to the use of antibiotic growth promoters. The objective of this review is to know what biotic products are and how they work, as well as their application in animal production.

Advances on immunoregulation effect of astragalus polysaccharides

Astragalus membranaceus (AM) is a traditional chinese medicine (TCM) with active substances such as saponins and polysaccharides, The most abundant active ingredient is astragalus polysaccharides (APS). It is a natural extract with multiple activities such as anti-viral, anti-tumor and the immune-enhancing effects. In recent years, studies on the role of APS in immunomodulatory direction have been increasing, and numerous studies have shown that APS has a better immune enhancing effect. This paper outlines the immunomodulatory effects of APS in terms of immune cells, nonspecific immunity, anti-viral immunity, anti-tumor effects, and applications in animal production, which would provide a base for the further applications of APS. Herein, this current review intends to describe the immunomodulatory effects of APS with underlying mechanisms of therapeutic effects.

Potential Application of Lonicera japonica Extracts in Animal Production: From the Perspective of Intestinal Health.

Lonicera japonica (L. japonica) extract is rich in active substances, such as phenolic acids, essential oils, flavones, saponins, and iridoids, which have a broad spectrum of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial effect. Previous studies have demonstrated that L. japonica has a good regulatory effect on animal intestinal health, which can be used as a potential antibiotic substitute product. However, previous studies about intestinal health regulation mainly focus on experimental animals or cells, like mice, rats, HMC-1 Cells, and RAW 264.7 cells. In this review, the intestinal health benefits including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity, and its potential application in animal production were summarized. Through this review, we can see that the effects and mechanism of L. japonica extract on intestinal health regulation of farm and aquatic animals are still rare and unclear. Further studies could focus on the regulatory mechanism of L. japonica extract on intestinal health especially the protective effects of L. japonica extract on oxidative injury, inflammation, and regulation of intestinal flora in farm animals and aquatic animals, thereby providing references for the rational utilization and application of L. japonica and its extracts in animal production.

The Enzymatic Digestion of Pomaces From Some Fruits for Value-Added Feed Applications in Animal Production

With the noticed steady increase of global demand for animal proteins coupled with the current farming practices falling short in fulfilling the requested quantities, more attention is being paid for means and methods intended to maximize every available agricultural-resource in a highly sustainable fashion to address the above growing gap between production and consumers' demand. Within this regard, considerable efforts are being invested either in identifying new animal feed ingredients or maximizing the utilization of already established ones. The public preference and awareness of the importance of using waste products generated by fruit-dependent industries (juice, jams, spirits, etc.) has improved substantially in recent years where a genuine interest of using the above waste(s) in meaningful applications is solidifying and optimization-efforts are being pursued diligently. While many of the earlier reported usages of fruit pomaces as feedstuffs suggested the possibility of using minimally processed raw materials alone, the availability of exogenous digestive and bio-conversion enzymes is promising to take such applications to new un-matched levels. This review will discuss some efforts and practices using exogenous enzymes to enhance fruit pomaces quality as feed components as well as their nutrients' accessibility for poultry and swine production purposes. The review will also highlight efforts deployed to adopt numerous naturally derived and environmentally friendly catalytic agents for sustainable future feed applications and animal farming-practices.

Is Animal Welfare Promoting Hornless Cattle? Assessing Consumer’s Valuation for Milk from Gene‐edited Cows under Different Information Regimes

AbstractDue to its ability to achieve genetic engineering goals without transgene modifications, gene‐editing is fast becoming a predominant genetic‐engineering breeding technique and a range of food‐related applications have already been developed. Yet, it remains unclear whether consumers would perceive gene‐edited food products differently from so‐called first‐generation genetic engineering or from genetic modification, and how information about its benefits might alter consumer choice. Focusing on a recent gene‐editing application in animal production, the genetic dehorning of dairy cows, this study uses data from a survey of 1,000 US consumers to determine: (i) consumer willingness‐to‐pay for milk from cows that have been gene‐edited to be hornless; and (ii) consumers’ response to information about how the gene‐editing technology works, how it differs from genetic modification, and its benefits for animal welfare. Information treatments utilise videos to maximise respondents’ understanding. Results from parametric and semi‐parametric choice models suggest that: (i) information on animal welfare has the strongest effect on consumer willingness‐to‐pay for milk produced from conventionally and genetically dehorned cows; and (ii) that providing respondents with more information leads to an increasingly wider spread of the preference distributions in the positive and negative domain uncovering a further polarisation of preferences and confirming the heterogeneous impact of information on preferences.

Nanotechnology and its Application in Animal Production: A Review

Nanoparticles are small and have a large surface-to-volume ratio, which gives them phenomenal, unique features. It is an emerging, multidisciplinary field that frequently employs new techniques and tools from diverse disciplines, including biology, engineering, chemistry, and medicine. Nanotechnology entities help to improve the solubility, absorbability, bioavailability, and half-life of conventional natural products. Nano-applications are used in poultry and animal production systems using available tools and techniques without affecting animal health and welfare. Nanotechnology is a smart technology in the field of biomedical engineering used for the diagnosis and treatment of different poultry diseases. This technology provides better solutions for various applications and poultry production that can help in reducing costs and improving the final product quality. Even though nanotechnology is one of the main novelties which have already been applied in poultry and other different areas, it is still in the initial stages of its development and it hampers the environment, animal, and people’s health. Therefore, wide hazard assessments should be conducted to ensure the safety of the nanoproducts before making them immediate implementation for poultry/animal/ or human use.

Potential blockchain applications in animal production and health sector

Abstract This paper reviewed the existing and potential blockchain applications of this technology, which are to trade the agricultural wastes including animal wastes, energy, and byproducts among the farmers and entrepreneurs to generate wealth; to manage the animal product supply chains such as dairy products, beef, and chicken to enhance their safety and traceability; and to distribute the funds to refugees and migrants, displaced due to emergencies, to buy various farming inputs including feed. A blockchain is a distributed database of records in the form of encrypted “blocks” (smaller datasets), or a public ledger of all transactions or digital events that have been executed and shared among participating parties and can be verified at any time in the future. The attributes such as integrity, immutability collaboration, organization, identification, credibility, and transparency of blockchain technology make it ideal for a number of applications in animal production and animal health sectors. Some potential applications of the blockchain technology in the livestock sector, not limited to the ones stated here, are to effectively manage various input supply chains, such as animal feed, de-wormers, medicines, and vaccines, among others; integration of feed composition and environmental footprint databases; and sustainability and technology outreach platforms. Current challenges toward increased application of the blockchain technology are also presented. These topics would serve as the starting points for future applications of the blockchain technology in animal farming.

45 Opportunity with functional role of supplemental amino acids

Abstract The technological advancement in production of crystalline amino acids has driven the cost of crystalline amino acids down significantly and facilitated the wide use of crystalline amino acids in food animal production. The primary reason of use of crystalline amino acids in am animal’s diet is to provide dietary essential nutrients for protein synthesis and to balance the diet and reduce dietary cost. Extensive researches with amino acids have greatly enabled such use. As a result, most swine diets today are formulated with 3 or 4 supplemental amino acids. However, the economical return on including beyond 4 supplemental amino acids becomes low and thus discourages the use of more than 4 supplemental amino acids for dietary saving purpose. The use of the functional role of amino acids might bear the new opportunity for amino acids. Tryptophan has unique physiological functions involving synthesize serotonin in the body. Increasing tryptophan intake is shown to elevate serotonin synthesis in the brain of pigs and reduce stress and improve performance of pigs under social stress. Research shows that methionine is used as a precursor of glutathione to protect intestinal mucosa from oxidative damages during weaning stress. Arginine, glutamine, and glutamate are shown to have functions in cell proliferation, potentially improving intestinal and immune function of nursery pigs and preventing loss of lean body mass in the sow. Leucine is a ketogenic amino acid. The carbon skeleton of leucine is converted to acetylCoA, which could be used for fatty acid synthesis in muscle tissue. Research showed that intramuscular fat was increased by feeding high dietary leucine levels. Overall, the different functions of individual AA beyond their roles as the building blocks for proteins give additional opportunities of amino acid application in animal production.

Effects of antibacterial compound of Saccharomyces cerevisiae from koumiss on immune function and caecal microflora of mice challenged with pathogenic Escherichia coli O8

The yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiaefrom koumiss has been shown to have antibacterial effects onEscherichia coli, possibly by producing antibacterial compound in metabolism; however, there is limited knowledge about its application in animal production. We therefore investigated the effects of an antibacterial compound ofS. cerevisiaefrom koumiss on the immune function and caecal microflora of mice challenged with pathogenicEscherichia coliO8. Three groups were formed: negative control (NC), positive control (PC), and the antibacterial compound ofS. cerevisiaeat pH 2.0 (S2). Mice in the NC and PC groups were orally administered phosphate buffer solution (PBS) for 7 d. At 4 d,E. coliO8 was administered intraperitoneally in group PC. Mice in group S2 were first administered orally as mice in group NC, and subsequently intraperitoneally administeredE. coliO8 as mice in group PC. Compared with the NC group, mice in the PC group displayed clinical symptoms and pathological changes in the small intestine. Small intestine villi in the S2 group also developed some histologically pathological changes but not as severe as in the PC group. Moreover, there was less mortality in the S2 group than in the PC group. In PC group, thymus indexes, immunoglobulin A (IgA) in serum andBifidobacteriumin caecum were decreased andE. coliin the caecum was increased. In the S2 group, CD8+ of T lymphocyte subsets in blood andBifidobacteriumin caecum were decreased, while spleen indexes, IgG, IgM in serum, and CD3+ of T lymphocyte subsets in blood were increased. This suggests that S2 can relieve clinical symptoms of mice challenged with pathogenicE. coliO8, enhance their immune function, and influence their caecal microflora. The study will provide a theoretical foundation for utilizing antibacterial compound ofS. cerevisiaefrom koumiss for curative purposes.

Evolution of goat production systems in the Mediterranean basin: Between ecological intensification and ecologically intensive production systems

In Europe and in the Mediterranean basin, goats and especially dairy goats have a peculiar importance and their production systems have been deeply changed during the last 50 years. Although the goats are generally seen as environmental friendly, the goat sector is more and more questioned by the general environmental challenges faced by agriculture and livestock Production. Agro – ecology is the general movement and approach to study the application of ecological principles to the design of sustainable agro – food systems. The several forms of agro – ecology and their application in animal production are reviewed; the concepts of ecological intensification and ecologically bio diversity based animal production are mobilized to introduce the possible types of changes implemented in a diversity of situations. The integration of goat activities in agro – food industry and the social role of goats by small holders in rural areas are the two main drivers to understand what forms of agro – ecology to implement for sustainable goat systems in Europe and in the Mediterranean. After having underlined the importance of agro – ecological transition as a complex process involving environmental, technical, social and societal changes, several methodological approaches based on real situations are proposed to address this transition for goats.The conclusions of this survey insist on the importance of the participatory approach to build collectively solutions adapted to each situation. Consequently, agro – ecology could be a good driver to impulse new dynamics in the goat sectors and especially in Europe and the Mediterranean area. Several pathways could be followed with a diversity of agro – ecological profiles to favor the sustainable development of goat systems.

THE EFFICACY OF PAPAYA LEAF EXTRACT INCLUSION IN DRINKING WATER AS AN IMPROVING OF LAYER QUAIL PRODUCTION

Bacterial resistance to antibiotic has made the reduction in the use of antibiotic a concern in animal production.  The restriction of antibiotic application in animal production can be achieved if the antimicrobial strategy is available.  Papaya leaf extract has some antibacterial properties that make it is potential to be used as a substitute for commercial antibiotic.  This study was aimed at assessing the efficacy and potential of papaya leaf extract inclusion in drinking water in controlling pathogenic bacteria and improving the production efficiency and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of layer quails.  The study was conducted from 24 August to 20 September 2016 at the poultry farm of Department of Animal Husbandry, Djuanda University, Bogor.  One-hundred layer quails were allocated into 4 treatments and 3 replicates in a completely randomized design.  The treatments consisted of five levels of papaya leaf extract inclusions in drinking water , namely drinking water + commercial antibiotic of 0.5 g/liter water (R1), drinking water + papaya leaf extract of 10 ml/liter water (R2), drinking water + papaya leaf extract of 20 ml/liter water (R3), and drinking water + papaya leaf extract of 30 ml/liter water (R4).  Data were subjected to an analysis of variance and a Duncan test.  Results showed that the inclusion of papaya leaf extract in drinking water gave significant effects on egg mass, egg production efficiency, FCR, egg quality index, and egg shell thickness but not on feed intake, egg weight, and mortality rate.  It was concluded that papaya leaf extract produced by a boiling method could be used as a substitute for synthetic antibiotic.  Key words: Papaya leaf extract, production efficiency, feed conversion, layer quail.  

Potential use and perspectives of nitric oxide donors in agriculture.

Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged in the last 30 years as a key molecule involved in many physiological processes in plants, animals and bacteria. Current research has shown that NO can be delivered via donor molecules. In such cases, the NO release rate is dependent on the chemical structure of the donor itself and on the chemical environment. Despite NO's powerful signaling effect in plants and animals, the application of NO donors in agriculture is currently not implemented and research remains mainly at the experimental level. Technological development in the field of NO donors is rapidly expanding in scope to include controlling seed germination, plant development, ripening and increasing shelf-life of produce. Potential applications in animal production have also been identified. This concise review focuses on the use of donors that have shown potential biotechnological applications in agriculture. Insights are provided into (i) the role of donors in plant production, (ii) the potential use of donors in animal production and (iii) future approaches to explore the use and applications of donors for the benefit of agriculture. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Multi-omic data integration and analysis using systems genomics approaches: methods and applications in animal production, health and welfare.

In the past years, there has been a remarkable development of high-throughput omics (HTO) technologies such as genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics across all facets of biology. This has spearheaded the progress of the systems biology era, including applications on animal production and health traits. However, notwithstanding these new HTO technologies, there remains an emerging challenge in data analysis. On the one hand, different HTO technologies judged on their own merit are appropriate for the identification of disease-causing genes, biomarkers for prevention and drug targets for the treatment of diseases and for individualized genomic predictions of performance or disease risks. On the other hand, integration of multi-omic data and joint modelling and analyses are very powerful and accurate to understand the systems biology of healthy and sustainable production of animals. We present an overview of current and emerging HTO technologies each with a focus on their applications in animal and veterinary sciences before introducing an integrative systems genomics framework for analysing and integrating multi-omic data towards improved animal production, health and welfare. We conclude that there are big challenges in multi-omic data integration, modelling and systems-level analyses, particularly with the fast emerging HTO technologies. We highlight existing and emerging systems genomics approaches and discuss how they contribute to our understanding of the biology of complex traits or diseases and holistic improvement of production performance, disease resistance and welfare.

Complete genome sequence of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri ZLR003 isolated from healthy weaned pig

Lactobacillus reuteri ZLR003 was isolated from the caecum mucosa of healthy weaned pigs with displaying probiotic properties in our laboratory. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of L. reuteri ZLR003, which consists of a circular 2,234,097bp chromosome (G+C content of 38.66%). Such information will provide insights into the molecular mechanism of its probiotic activity and facilitate its application in animal production.

Sex determination of ovine embryos by SRY and amelogenin (AMEL) genes using maternal circulating cell free DNA

Simple and precise methods for sex determination in animals are a pre-requisite for a number of applications in animal production and forensics. Some of the existing methods depend only on the detection of Y-chromosome specific sequences. However, the detection of Y and X-chromosome specific sequences is advantageous. In the present study the accuracy of sex determination by SRY (sex-determining region Y) and AMEL (Amelogenin) gene detection was assessed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of DNA extracted from free fetal cells in maternal blood, which is noninvasive for fetus and easier to collect. The PCR amplification of SRY primers produced a single band of 171bp from ewes bearing a male fetus, whereas no band was amplified from the DNA extracted from ewes pregnant to a female fetus. Moreover, two bands of 182 and 242bp in male and a single band of 242 in female fetuses were produced by AMEL gene primers in the PCR reaction. Using this technique 100% of samples were successfully sexed, excluding twins. In conclusion, we demonstrated that sex determination using DNA of free fetal cells in maternal plasma is efficient using both SRY and AMEL gene sequences. It also is evident that this method is not suitable for sex determination of twin pregnancies.

Complete genome sequence of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LFB112 isolated from Chinese herbs, a strain of a broad inhibitory spectrum against domestic animal pathogens

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LFB112, isolated from Chinese herbs, displays a broad inhibitory activity against an array of pathogens involved in domestic animal diseases. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of B. amyloliquefaciens LFB112, providing insights into the genomic basis of its effects and facilitating its application in animal production.

Amelogenin cross‐amplification in the family Bovidae and its application for sex determination

Sex-specific sequence variability of the amelogenin gene had been observed in a variety of mammalian species. In our study, the suitability of the amelogenin gene for sex determination in different species of the family Bovidae was examined. Based on a sequence insertion/deletion characteristic for X- and Y-specific amelogenin (AMELX and AMELY), PCR amplification on male and female genomic DNA from domestic and wild bovine species, sheep and goat, consistently displayed a sex-specific pattern. Thus, the amelogenin amplification by PCR proved to be a reliable method for sex determination not only in domestic and wild species of the tribe Bovini, but also in the related species sheep and goat. Sex determination using the amelogenin-based assay can be performed with at least 40 pg of genomic DNA. The assay enables the investigation of small amounts of DNA from meat, hair, bones, and embryo biopsies to identify species and sex for a number of applications in animal production, forensics, population research, and monitoring within the family Bovidae. Sequence comparison of the amplified amelogenin gene region specific for male and female animals from domestic and wild bovide species revealed further sequence variations within and between sexes as well as between species. Sequence variations in the AMELX gene can be applied to discriminate Bos and Bison individuals from other bovine species, and also from sheep and goat.