Corn-soybean Meal-based Control Diet Research Articles

Supplementation of Parachlorella sp. in feed promote the gut microbiome colonization and fecal IgA response of broiler in both early and late period

This study evaluated the effects of Parachlorella sp. KSN1 (PA) supplementation on the gut microbiota and intestinal immunity of broilers of different ages. A total of 180 Ross 308 broiler chicks were weighed and divided into early (1 to 10 days post hatch) and late (11 to 28 days post hatch) periods, with six replicates of 10 chicks per cage assigned to two dietary groups. The experimental diets included a corn-soybean meal-based control diet and a treatment diet supplemented with 0.5% PA, replacing corn or corn starch, and fed ad libitum for the assigned experimental period. On days 10 and 28, two broilers from each of the six replicate cages, with 7 broilers per cage in each group, were selected and euthanized, and cecal feces and intestinal tissue samples were collected. PA supplementation did not significantly affect broilers growth performance during both the early and the late periods. However, PA supplementation altered the cecal microbiome, with Clostridiaceae and Clostridium exhibiting prominent and consistent changes. In terms of intestinal immunity, PA supplementation significantly increased the number of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells when administered only during the early period. Cecal IgA levels were significantly increased by PA supplementation during both the early and late periods. A significant positive correlation was observed between IgA, Clostridiaceae and Clostridium during the early and late periods. Gene expression analysis identified 40 upregulated genes, including polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR), and 142 downregulated genes, including marginal zone B and B1 cell specific protein and immunoglobulin lambda-like polypeptide 1 that were associated with the IgA response in PA-treated broilers during the early period. This study demonstrated that PA supplementation promotes gut microbial colonization and intestinal immunity development during the early age of broilers. These findings suggest that the early growth period of broilers is the optimal time for dietary immunomodulation to promote gut health in broilers.

Effects of dietary deoxynivalenol on growth performance and organ accumulation of growing pigs.

The present study aimed to study effects of a chronic feeding of deoxynivalenol (DON) on growth performance, organ weight, organ DON accumulation, and blood parameters in pigs. Forty-eight castrated male pigs with a body weight of 10.4 kg (standard deviation = 1.7) were assigned to one of 2 diet groups in a randomized complete block design with 6 blocks of pens per diet and 4 pigs per pen. A corn-soybean meal-based control diet was prepared to contain a low DON concentration of 0.28 mg/kg. Corn distillers dried grains with solubles naturally contaminated with DON were used at 30.0% to prepare a contaminated diet with a high DON concentration of 1.8 mg/kg. During the 56-day experimental period, body weight and feed intake were recorded every 14 days. A pig from each pen was euthanized for the collection of organs and muscle every 14 days. Gain:feed in pigs fed the contaminated diet during days 14 to 28 and days 28 to 42 were less (p<0.05) compared with the control group. As increasing feeding period, the DON concentrations in fresh liver increased during days 14 to 28 and then decreased during the subsequent periods in the DON group, whereas the DON concentrations in fresh liver were constant during the experimental period in the control group (quadratic interaction p = 0.049). The DON concentration in the kidneys in the DON group was greater (p = 0.002) than that in the control group regardless of feeding period. On day 56, the granulocyte count in the DON group was less (p = 0.035) than the control group. A chronic feeding of DON for 14 to 42 days decreased gain:feed in pigs, and dietary DON naturally contaminated in corn distillers dried grains with solubles accumulated in the liver during days 14 to 28.

24 Effects of reducing dietary net energy on growth performance and carcass characteristics of grow-finish pigs

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary NE on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and removal and mortality rates of grow-finish pigs. A total of 1,927 pigs [initial body weight (BW) 23.3 ± 0.23 kg] were used in a 125-d study. Pens of pigs were blocked by BW and randomly allotted to dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design with 23 to 26 pigs/pen and 15 replications/treatment. Pens received 1 of 5 diets with decreasing NE based on Eq. 1-8 NRC (2012) using proximate analysis of the major ingredients. A corn-soybean meal-based control diet was blended with a low energy diet that contained 8% less NE through inclusion of 25% wheat middlings and 15% DDGS (6% oil) to achieve intermediate NE levels. Thus, dietary NE fed through 5 dietary phases were: phase 1 (2,432, 2,383, 2,335, 2,286, and 2,237 kcal/kg); phase 2 (2,463, 2,413, 2,363, 2,315, and 2,266 kcal/kg); phase 3 (2,495, 2,445, 2,395, 2,345, and 2,295); phase 4 (2,518, 2,468, 2,417, 2,367, and 2,317 kcal/kg); and phase 5 (2,537, 2,486, 2,435, 2,384, 2,334 kcal/kg). Dietary phases were fed from approximately 23-40, 40-60, 60-80, 80-105, and 105-133 kg BW, respectively. Overall, reducing NE decreased (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.001) average daily gain (ADG) and final BW and increased (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.001) average daily feed intake (ADFI), resulting in decreased (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.001) gain to feed ratio (G:F; Table). Decreasing NE also tended to increase (linear, P = 0.073) the percentage of removals, with no evidence of difference (P &amp;gt; 0.10) in mortality. Reducing NE worsened (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.001) caloric efficiency (CE) based on NRC nutrient loading values, but improved (linear, P ≤ 0.003) CE based on INRA (2008) or Brazilian Tables for Poultry and Swine (2017) nutrient loading values. When formulating diets using CVB (2021) nutrient loading values, decreasing NE did not influence CE (P &amp;gt; 0.10). For carcass characteristics, decreasing NE decreased (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.001) HCW, backfat depth, and carcass yield. However, decreasing NE increased (linear, P ≤ 0.024) loin depth and percentage lean. When considering CE on a carcass gain basis, decreasing NE worsened (linear, P ≤ 0.004) CE based on NRC or CVB nutrient loading values, but improved (linear, P &amp;lt; 0.001) CE based on INRA nutrient loading values. Decreasing NE resulted in no differences (P &amp;gt; 0.010) in CE based on Brazilian Tables nutrient loading values. These results suggest that the NRC database overestimates NE contributions of fibrous ingredients, such as wheat middlings and corn DDGS, while the INRA database underestimates their contributions to NE, whether CE is calculated based on live or carcass gain. Meanwhile, NE values in the CVB database appear to assess nutrient values more accurately for NE based on live gain but underestimate their value on a carcass basis. The Brazilian tables appear to underestimate the contributions of fibrous ingredients to dietary NE on a live basis, but more accurately value their contributions on a carcass basis.

Effects of direct-fed microbials on productive performance, qualitative traits of eggs, blood biochemicals and ileal microflora of laying hens fed wheat-soybean-based diet

In this study, effects of direct-fed microbial on qualitative traits of eggs and productive performance, ileal and cecal microflora and pH of hens fed wheat-based diets were investigated from 60 to 68 wk of age. The total number of 240 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens were randomly distributed between 40 cages, and the five experimental diets including (A) corn-soybean meal-based control diet, (B) wheat-based diet with no microbial additive, (C) wheat-based diet supplemented with Bacillus velezensis, (D) wheat-based diet supplemented with S. cerevisiae and (E) wheat-based diet supplemented with B. velezensis + S. cerevisiae were assigned to hens with 8 replicate cages per diet and 6 hens per each replicate. Increased egg weight and production (EP), feed intake (FI), improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) and decreased pH of ileum and caecum were observed in layers fed the diet included B. velezensis + S. cerevisiae (P&lt;0.05). Improved intestinal morphology characteristics were observed in hens fed the microbe-added diets (P&lt;0.05). Increased plasma protein, albumen and HDL in hens fed microbe-added diets (P&lt;0.05). Adding B. velezensis + S. cerevisiae to diet, modulated the ileal and caecal microflora composition by decreasing the numbers of Salmonella and increasing the numbers of Lactobacilli. Based on the results of the current study, it can be concluded that adding B. velezensis + S. cerevisiae to the wheat-based diet improve performance and intestinal morphology characteristics of laying hens, decrease plasma levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL and the intestinal pH and number of Salmonella.

Effect of Ramie on the Production Performance of Laying Hens, and the Quality, Nutrient Composition, Antioxidation of the Eggs.

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea), which is rich in protein, fatty acid, vitamins and minerals, has become a potential alternative feed resource for poultry, and has attracted more and more attentions in nutrition research. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of dietary ramie at different concentrations on the production performance of the hens, and the quality, nutrient composition, and antioxidation of the eggs. A total of 432 34-week-old Lohmann commercial laying hens were divided into four groups, that were fed with corn-soybean meal-based control diet, control mixed with ramie at concentrations of 3, 6, or 9% separately for 8 weeks. Results showed that dietary ramie did not affect production performance. And egg yolk color gradually deepened as the inclusion levels of ramie increased. Ramie at tested concentration could significantly reduce the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (p = 0.002) and 3% ramie supplementation significantly increased total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) concentrations in egg yolk compared to the control group (p = 0.033). In addition, dietary supplementation with 6% ramie significantly reduced total cholesterol (T-CHO) content (p < 0.05) compared with controls. For egg nutrient composition, compared with the control group, the addition of 6% ramie significantly increased (p < 0.05) total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFA) and phenylalanine (Phe) in yolk. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of 6% ramie was most effective in improving the color, antioxidative capability, and reducing T-CHO contents of the egg yolks without any negative impacts on the production performance of the hens.

Chitosan nanoparticles attenuate intestinal damage and inflammatory responses in LPS-challenged weaned piglets via prevention of IκB degradation.

Chitosan nanoparticles (CNP), widely applied as oral drug/gene/vaccine carrier, were found to have anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, the effects of CNP on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal damage in weaned piglets and the related mechanisms were investigated. Twenty-four weaned piglets (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire, 21±2day of age, initial mass: 8.58±0.59kg) were randomly assigned into four groups: control, LPS, CNP and CNP+LPS. The control and LPS groups were fed a corn-soybean meal-based control diet, whereas the CNP and CNP+LPS groups were fed a control diet supplemented with 400mg/kg CNP. After 28days of feeding, piglets in LPS and CNP+LPS groups were injected with LPS (100μg/kg); meanwhile, the piglets in control and CNP groups were injected with sterile saline. After 4h from the LPS challenge, pigs were sacrificed to collect the intestinal samples for analysis. The results showed that CNP could attenuate the intestinal damages and inflammatory response stimulated by LPS treatment. LPS induced dramatically higher levels of CD177+ neutrophils invasion in jejunum mucosa (p<0.01), which accompanied by increased secretion of marks of inflammation (p<0.01) compared with the control, whereas CNP administration obviously inhibited LPS-induced CD177+ neutrophils invasion (p<0.01) and secretion of marks of inflammation, such as interleukin-8 (p<0.05), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (p<0.05) secretion in jejunum mucosa compared with LPS group. Moreover, CNP was shown to inhibit IκB-α degradation in cytoplasm, which resulted in reduced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 in LPS-challenged piglets. These findings suggest that CNP attenuates intestinal damage and inflammatory responses in LPS-challenged weaned piglets by impairing the NF-κB signalling pathway.

Effects of feeding diets containing increasing content of purified lignocellulose supplied by sugarcane bagasse to early-weaned pigs on growth performance and intestinal health

A total of 96 weaned piglets, with mean age of 21 days and initial body weight (BW) of 6.67 ± 0.63 kg, were used in a 42-day experiment to evaluate the effects of supplementation of dietary purified lignocellulose (LNC) on growth performance and intestinal health. Piglets were blocked by initial BW and allotted to one of 32 pens, each pen containing three pigs. Dietary treatments consisted of a corn-soybean meal-based control diet with no added LNC and three dietary inclusion rates (10, 20, and 30 g/kg) of LNC. Average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) were determined over 42 days postweaning. On day 14 postweaning, one pig from each pen was euthanized to determine gastrointestinal tract organ weight, small intestinal morphology, and digesta pH, viscosity, fermentation end-products, and bacterial enumeration. Total tract retention time was measured by adding 10 g/kg ferric oxide in the morning feed on day 42. From day 1–14 postweaning, G:F tended to linearly increase (P = 0.088) as the dietary LNC contents increased. Although increasing the dietary LNC supplementation quadratically increased (P = 0.008) ADFI and tended to quadratically decrease (P = 0.072) G:F from day 30–42 postweaning, overall growth performance was unaffected by the treatments. The weight of the small intestine adjusted for kg of BW on day 14 postweaning increased quadratically (P = 0.041) as the dietary LNC contents increased. Increasing the dietary LNC supplementation linearly increased (P = 0.027) crypt depth and tended to linearly reduce (P = 0.075) villus:crypt ratio in the jejunum. Dietary treatments did not affect total tract retention time as well as pH and viscosity of both cecum and colonic digesta. Increasing the dietary LNC supplementation quadratically increased (P = 0.001) cecal butyrate formation, whereas cecal acetate and propionate concentrations did not differ among treatments. Although ileal counts of Lactobacillus spp. and Escherichia coli were similar among treatments, the pathogenic Clostridium perfringens population exhibited a quadratic decrease (P = 0.041) as the dietary LNC contents increased. These results indicate that feeding pig diets containing up to 30 g/kg purified LNC enhanced gut health through the inhibition of harmful bacteria proliferation and the expansion of butyrate producers, without compromising overall growth performance.

Effects of dietary palm kernel meal and β-xylanase on productive performance, fatty liver incidence, and excreta characteristics in laying hens

The objective of the present experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary palm kernel meal (PKM) and β-xylanase supplementation on productive performance, egg quality, fatty liver incidence, and excreta characteristics in laying hens. A total of 320 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (33 weeks of age) were allotted to 1 of 4 treatments with 8 replicates in a feeding trial. Each replicate consisted of 10 consecutive cages with 1 hen per cage. The corn-soybean meal-based control diet was prepared. Additional diet was prepared by including 10% of PKM in the control diet with a partial replacement of corn, soybean meal, and animal fat. In addition, 0.025% β-xylanase was supplemented at the expense of celite to those 2 diets to produce 4 treatment diets in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. All hens were provided the diet and water ad libitum for 8 weeks. Results indicated no significant interactions between inclusion of dietary PKM and β-xylanase for all measurements; therefore, the main effects were mainly discussed. Hens fed diets containing 10% PKM had greater (p < 0.05) feed intake and yolk color than those fed diets containing no PKM. However, dietary PKM did not influence fatty liver incidence and excreta characteristics. Dietary β-xylanase supplementation had no effects on all measurements, regardless of inclusion of PKM. In conclusion, PKM can be a potential feed ingredient for laying hens at the inclusion of 10% in the diet. It appears that dietary β-xylanase used in the current experiment has little effect on layer productivity, regardless of inclusion of 10% PKM in the diet.

PSVII-11 Long-term evaluation of dietary OmniGen AF supplementation on reproductive performance and milk composition of sows

Abstract A cooperative study involving 189 litters from 114 sows [initial breeding body weight (BW), 200.8 ± 37.1 kg] was conducted at two experiment stations to investigate the effects of OmniGen AF (OG; Phibro Animal Health Corporation) supplementation in sow diets on reproductive performance and milk composition. Diets were: 1) corn-soybean meal-based control diet that met NRC (2012) requirement estimates or 2) control plus 0.75% OG. A common diet formulation was used by both stations. Sow allotment was balanced for breed, parity, and BW. Sows were allotted to diets at least 21 days prebreeding and were fed the diets continuously at 1.82 kg daily in gestation and ad libitum in lactation. Sow BWs were measured at breeding, prefarrowing, postfarrowing and weaning. Litter size responses were recorded within 24 h postpartum and individual pig weights were measured at birth and weaning. Milk samples were collected twice during lactation on d 5–7 and d 14–17. Supplementation with OG resulted in less (P &amp;lt; 0.05) BW change of sows during lactation (-12.1 vs. -8.2 kg). Total born (12.9 vs. 13.0), live born (11.7 vs. 12.0), and weaned (10.3 vs. 10.5) were similar for control and OG sows, respectively. Sows fed OG-based diets had greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) litter weight for total born (18.3 vs. 19.3 kg) and weaned (63.2 vs. 67.0 kg), and lactation litter gain (47.8 vs. 50.7 kg). Lactation feed intake for control and OG sows (5.32 vs 5.52 kg, respectively) did not differ. Supplementing sow diets with OG increased (P = 0.057) lactose content (5.78 vs. 5.84%) and reduced (P = 0.047) protein content (4.77 vs. 4.68%) in milk. The results of this study demonstrated that supplemental OG at 0.75% in sow diets reduced weight loss during lactation and improved litter weights with marginal effects on milk composition of sows.

221 Camelina Meal as an Alternative Ingredient in Growing-finishing Pig Diets

Abstract The objective of this experiment was to determine the most effective inclusion rate of camelina meal (CM) in growing-finishing pig diets. Pigs (n = 192; 11 wk old), balanced for sex and initial weight, were assigned to 4 dietary treatments (6 pens/treatment; 8 pig/pen). Treatments consisted of a non-GMO corn-soybean meal-based control diet (CON), and CON containing 5% CM (5%CM), 10% (10%CM), or 15% (15%CM) camelina meal. Feed deliveries and pigs were weighed every other week to calculate ADG, ADFI, and Gain:Feed on a pen basis. Focal pigs (5/treatment) were harvested at 23 wk of age at the University of Minnesota abattoir for meat quality analysis (drip loss, pH, fat depth, belly firmness, loin marbling score, shelf life) and the remaining pigs were harvested at a commercial abattoir. Before harvest, real-time ultrasonic measurements of back fat depth and loin eye area were collected on all pigs. Data were analyzed using Proc Glimmix with dietary treatment as a fixed effect and pen as the experimental unit with data collected over time considered as repeated measures. Pigs fed CON diet consumed more feed than pigs fed CM diets (P = 0.002; Table 1). Pigs fed CON diet exhibited higher (P = 0.002) ADG than pigs consuming 10%CM and 15%CM diets. These differences resulted in heavier (P = 0.003) CON-fed pigs at marketing than 10%CM or 15%CM-fed pigs. There were no significant differences in Gain:Feed, any carcass or meat quality traits analyzed (data not shown). These results suggest that supplementing 5% CM in corn-soybean meal-based diets will not negatively influence growth performance, carcass traits, or meat quality of growing-finishing pigs.

Effects of dietary rosemary extract supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and microbiota of weaning pigs.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract (RE) has multiple pharmacological and biological activities, including the use as a food additive and medicine. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary RE supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and microbiota of weaning piglets. A total of 192 crossbred weaned piglets [Duroc × (Large White × Landrace)] (initial body weight = 6.65 ± 0.33 kg, weaned days = 23 ± 1 d) were group housed (six pigs per pen; n = 8 pens/treatment). Pigs were fed a corn-soybean meal-based control diet or the basal diet supplemented with 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg RE. Pigs were allowed ad libitum access to fed for 21 d. The growth performance and apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients, and intestinal morphology and antioxidant status were evaluated. The components of the microbial microflora were also determined in the cecal samples. Compared with the control, dietary supplementation with RE increased the final body weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake (linear, P = 0.038, 0.016, and 0.009, respectively), and decreased the diarrhea ratio in piglets (linear, P < 0.05). The digestibility of crude protein (linear, P = 0.034) and gross energy (linear, P = 0.046) increased with treatment with RE. Piglets fed RE showed longer villus height (linear, P = 0.037 and 0.028, respectively) and villus height/crypt depth (linear, P = 0.004 and 0.012; quadratic, P = 0.023 and 0.036, respectively) in the jejunum and ileum, in addition to a lesser crypt depth in the jejunum (linear, P = 0.019) and ileum (quadratic, P = 0.042). The addition of RE increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (linear, P = 0.035 and 0.008, respectively) and glutathione peroxidase activity (linear, P = 0.027 and 0.039, respectively) and decreased the content of malondialdehyde (linear, P = 0.041 and 0.013; quadratic, P = 0.023 and 0.005, respectively) in the serum and liver. Dietary RE supplementation, compared with the control, increased the number of Bifidobacterium (linear, P = 0.034) and Bacteroidetes (linear, P = 0.029), while decreased Escherichia coli (linear, P = 0.008; quadratic, P = 0.014) in the cecal contents. Thus, dietary RE supplementation can improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and the microbiota in weaned piglets, and 200 mg/kg may be considered the optimum dosage.

Dietary soluble flaxseed oils as a source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for laying hens

The present study investigated the effect of dietary soluble flaxseed oil (SFO), as a source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, on the fatty acid composition of egg yolk and various indices including laying performance, egg quality, nutrient composition of eggs, egg stability upon storage, and serum characteristics in laying hens. A total of 210 52-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were assigned to one of 5 experimental diets. A corn-soybean meal-based control diet was mixed without or with SFO to reach the concentrations of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8% in diets and fed for 4 wk. Dietary SFO did not affect laying performance and egg quality. Increasing dietary SFO linearly increased the pH of yolk at 7, 14, and 28 d following storage at room temperature (P < 0.05). Malondialdehyde contents in egg yolks were quadratically increased (P < 0.05) at 0, 7, and 21 d following storage as the inclusion levels of SFO increased in diets. A significant increase (P < 0.05) in total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid, but not α-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, was deposited in egg yolks at 2 and 4 wk following the SFO feeding. Finally, dietary SFO did not affect serum parameters such as total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and nitric oxide. It is concluded that adding SFO into the diets of laying hens can be an efficient strategy to enrich the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid in eggs.

Evaluation of increasing concentrations of fish waste silage in diets on growth performance, gastrointestinal microbial population, and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens

The objective was to investigate the effect of increasing concentrations of fish waste silage (FWS) in diets on growth performance, gastrointestinal microbial population, and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. Fish waste (FW) was fermented with 15 g/kg molasses and Lactobacillus plantarum (PTCC1058) and Aspergillus oryzae (PTCC5163). A total of two hundred forty 1-day-old male broiler chickens were assigned to one of 5 dietary treatments including a corn-soybean meal based control diet as well as 4 experimental diets in which the control diet was supplemented with 30, 60, 90, and 120 g FWS/kg feed. The use of the fermentation process resulted in the reduction of pH and ether extract and the increase in the crude protein content (from 570.2–608.1 g/kg) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count in FW. The results showed that feed conversion ratio improved (p < 0.05) linearly and quadratically as the inclusion of FWS increased at 42 day. Liver (g/100 g body weight) and LAB population in the crop increased (p < 0.05) and coliforms population in the ileum decreased (p < 0.05) linearly and quadratically with the increased concentration of FWS in diet. The soybean meal replacement by the FWS increased (p < 0.05) linearly and quadratically villus height to crypt depth ratio in the jejunum. In conclusion, fermentation process is effective in improving of the nutritive values of the FW. Moreover, FWS feeding improved the growth performance and intestinal health of broiler chickens, and can be considered as a suitable alternative protein source for soybean meal in the broiler chicken diet.

The effects of dietary soybean hulls particle size and diet form on nursery and finishing pig performance.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate increasing unground and finely ground soybean hulls fed in meal or pelleted form on nursery and finishing pig performance. In experiment 1, 1,100 nursery pigs (initially 6.8 ± 0.1 kg and 28 d of age) were used in a 42-d study with 11 replicates per treatment. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of soybean hulls (10% vs. 20%), grind type (unground, 617 µ vs. ground, 398 µ), and diet type (pelleted vs. meal form). No three-way or soybean hull level × grind type interactions were observed. Overall, average daily gain (ADG) was increased (P < 0.05) by pelleting, decreased (P < 0.05) by grinding, but unaffected by soybean hull levels. Grind type × diet form interactions were observed (P < 0.05) for gain:feed ratio (G:F) and a tendency for average daily feed intake (ADFI; P < 0.10). This was because grinding soybean hulls decreased (P < 0.05) ADFI and increased (P < 0.05) G:F when fed in meal form; however, grinding did not affect ADFI and decreased (P < 0.05) G:F when diets were pelleted. Increasing soybean hulls increased (P < 0.05) ADFI and decreased (P < 0.05) G:F when diets were fed in meal form, but these effects were not observed when diets were pelleted (diet form × soybean hull level interaction, P < 0.06). In experiment 2, 1,215 pigs (initially 21.1 ± 0.1 kg) were used in a 118-d study with nine replications per treatment. Treatments were a corn–soybean meal–based control diet and four diets arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial with the main effects of soybean hulls (7.5% vs. 15%) and grind type (unground, 787 µ vs. ground, 370 µ). All diets were fed in meal form. No soybean hull level × grind type interactions were observed for any growth or carcass responses. Increasing dietary soybean hulls from 0% to 15%, regardless of particle size, did not affect ADG or ADFI, but decreased (linear, P < 0.02) G:F. Carcass yield, hot carcass weight, and backfat depth decreased (linear, P < 0.03) whereas percentage lean increased (linear, P < 0.01) with increasing soybean hulls. Pigs fed ground soybean hulls had increased backfat depth (P < 0.01) and decreased (P < 0.01) percentage lean and fat-free lean index. In summary, increasing soybean hulls up to 20% decreased G:F in nursery and finishing pigs, whereas pelleting nursery diets improved ADG and eliminated the negative effect of increasing soybean hulls on G:F. Grinding soybean hulls reduced growth performance in nursery and finishing pigs.

Optimal Dietary Fiber Intake to Retain a Greater Ovarian Follicle Reserve for Gilts.

Simple SummarySuccessful development of replacement gilts plays a critical role for sustainable swine production, whereas most gilts entering the breeding herd are culled at a young age. Recent advances in reproductive physiology revealed that the ovarian reserve could be considered as an important target of improving reproductive span. Therefore, in the present study, we hypothesized that ovarian follicle development and survival could be enhanced by dietary fiber. Currently there is no appropriate level of dietary fiber intake for growing replacement gilts despite the fact that dietary fiber, rather than starch, protein, or feeding allowance level, could improve the fertility of gilts. Results in the present study demonstrated that ovarian follicle development and survival were sensitive to dietary fiber levels. Our results shed light on the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of dietary fiber on the reproduction of sows and provided nutritional insights for enhancing the lifetime fertility of pigs by targeting the ovarian reserve.Ovarian follicle activation and survival were recently found to be controlled by nutrient sensors AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and apoptosis related markers Caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2, yet their expression as regulated by dietary fiber remained uncertain for gilts. To investigate the effects of dietary fiber levels on ovarian follicle development, and the cellular molecular components related to follicle activation and survival of gilts, 76 gilts with similar bodyweight and age were fed four diets, including a corn-soybean meal based control diet, or other three diets to consume 50%, 75%, and 100% more dietary fiber than the control gilts at different experimental phases. Inulin and cellulose (1:4) were added to the corn-soybean meal basal diet to increase dietary fiber content. The growth traits, and the age, bodyweight, and backfat thickness at puberty were not affected by diets. The number of primordial follicles and total follicles per cubic centimeter of ovarian tissue linearly increased with dietary fiber level at day 30 of the experiment and at the 19th day of the 3rd estrous cycle, without negatively affecting the formation of antral follicle with diameter between 1–3 mm or larger than 3 mm. These changes were associated with altered phosphorylation of mTOR, S6, Extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) and AMPK, and mRNA expression of Caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 in ovarian tissues. Collectively, this study demonstrated a beneficial effect of dietary fiber on the ovarian follicle reserve in gilts, which provides a basis for enhancing reproduction in the short- or long-term.

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF GANODERMA LUCIDUM POWDER ENHANCES SURVIVAL AND IMMUNOCOMPETENCE OF WEANING PIGS

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of Ganoderma lucidum (GL) on growth performance, survival rates, and immunocompetence of the weaning pigs. A total of 45, 28-day-old Landrace weaning pigs were randomly divided into three groups of 15 pigs each. A corn–soybean meal-based control diet was formulated and the experimental diets included 0.3% and 0.6% GL powder. The groups were treated for 38 days. Pigs which fed both concentration of GL powder had significantly higher ([Formula: see text]) survival rates than the control group. Besides, pigs which fed 0.3% and 0.6% GL powder had increased lymphocyte proliferation indexes ([Formula: see text]) and the titer of neutralizing antibody against hog cholera (HC) ([Formula: see text]) on day 66 compared with pigs which fed control diet. No differences were found between treatments regarding the average daily gain (ADG), gain:feed (G:F) ratio and diarrhea score. Supplementation of GL powder showed no effects on aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), which suggested that GL treatment has no immediate harm on liver or kidney. Based on these results, GL could be suggested as a potential feed additive of weaning pig diets to increase survival rate and immunocompetence.

Effects of pyrimidine nucleosides on growth performance, gut morphology, digestive enzymes, serum biochemical indices and immune response in broiler chickens

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of pyrimidine nucleosides on growth, intestinal morphology, digestive enzymes and humoral immunity in broilers from 0 to 21 days of age. A total number of 360 day old chicks (Cobb 500) was randomly divided into 4 treatments with 6 replications. Treatments were comprised of a corn-soybean meal based control diet and diets containing 0.1% pure cytidine, 0.1% pure uridine and 0.1% equal amounts of pure cytidine (0.05%) and uridine (0.05%). On days 11 and 21, two birds per cage (12 birds per treatment) were euthanized to obtain samples of serum, intestine, bursa and spleen. The combination of cytidine plus uridine increased (P < 0.05) body weight and average daily gain of broilers. Supplementing cytidine plus uridine increased (P < 0.05) villus height and width along with activities of alkaline phosphatase and aminopeptidase; however, maltase was not affected by the experimental diets. The combination of cytidine and uridine increased (P < 0.05) the relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius and IgA activity in the jejunum, but there was no significant difference among treatments regarding the relative weight of the spleen. In conclusion, the study clearly indicated that the combination of cytidine and uridine could improve health status and performance of broilers.

Apparent metabolizable energy value of whole date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) and its possible use as a feedstuff for aged laying hens.

This study was conducted to evaluate the feeding value of whole date palm (WDP) with and without enzyme supplementation on aged laying hen's performance. Apparent metabolizable energy value of WDP was determined by the total collection method using ten adult leghorn cockerels. WDP was substituted with a corn-soybean meal basal diet at 40% level, and then the metabolizable energy of this experimental diet and basal diet was determined. After that, a total number of 256 Bovanz 95-week-old hens were randomly allocated into eight groups consisting of four replicates of eight birds each, based on a 4×2 factorial arrangement of the treatments. Eight iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous experimental diets including one corn-soybean meal-based control diet and two, three, and four corn-soybean meal-based diets included 70, 140, and 210g/kg ground WDP, respectively. Each of the diets supplemented with two levels of an enzyme (0.0 and 0.07g/kg Natozim Plus). There was no significant difference in feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg production, egg mass, eggshell thickness, and Haugh unit among the treatments (P>0.05). However, yolk color score significantly decreased as dietary WDP level increased. The serum biochemical metabolites were not significantly affected by WDP and enzyme supplementation (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the relative weight of different organs except for abdominal fat. Our findings show that using WDP up to 21% of the diet was more economic and had no adverse effect on productive performance and serum metabolites of laying hens. However, WDP had an adverse effect on yolk color which can be ameliorated by carotenoid supplementation.

Effects of dietary deoxynivalenol and zearalenone on apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids in growing pigs

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZON) on the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of AA in growing pigs. Twelve pigs (initial mean body weight=20.6±2.1kg) cannulated at the distal ileum were assigned to 3 dietary treatments in a quadruplicated 3×2 incomplete Latin square design with 3 diets and 2 periods. Three experimental diets consisted of a corn-soybean meal-based control diet, a DON-supplemented diet at 10mg/kg and a ZON-supplemented diet at 10mg/kg. All diets contained 5g/kg chromic oxide as an indigestible index. Each experimental period was comprised of a 5-d adaptation period and a 3-d ileal digesta collection period. The concentration of DON or ZON in the mycotoxin-supplemented diet was analyzed to be 11.2mg/kg or 11.6mg/kg, respectively. Pigs fed the DON-supplemented diet had less AID of Lys (0.799 vs. 0.839, P=0.08), Thr (0.695 vs. 0.751, P=0.08), Trp (0.766 vs. 0.840, P=0.02), and Val (0.687 vs. 0.749, P=0.08) than those fed the control diet, but the AID of other AA were not affected by DON supplementation. With the exception of Trp (0.771 vs. 0.840, P=0.04), the supplementation of ZON to the control diet did not affect the AID of AA. In conclusion, dietary DON, but not ZON, may reduce the AID of some indispensable AA.

Isolation and Characterization of Chicken Yolk Vitelline Membrane Lipids Using Eggs Enriched With Conjugated Linoleic Acid.

The vitelline membrane (VM) encloses the chicken egg yolk, separating it from albumen. The VM weakens during storage, and dietary lipid modification significantly affects its strength. However, no studies have characterize the fatty acyl residue (FA) composition of the VM, and reports of VM isolation and quantified lipid content are inconsistent. Therefore, the objectives of this study were: (1) to develop a washing and isolation method that removes residual yolk from VM without damage; (2) to determine the FA and lipid composition of CLA-rich egg yolk VM, relative to controls; (3) to determine the effect of 20days of refrigeration on VM FA and lipid composition. To determine VM FA and lipid composition, 36 hens received either a corn-soybean meal-based control diet ("Control"), or the Control supplemented with either 10% soy oil ("Soy control"), or 10% CLA-rich soy oil ("CLA") for 30days. VM were analyzed the day of collection ("fresh"), or after 20days of refrigeration ("refrigerated"). There were no differences in FA compositions of fresh and refrigerated membranes within a treatment. CLA-rich yolk VM contains CLA, greater SFA, and significantly greater DHA relative to controls. Direct MALDI-TOF-MS identified 15 phosphatidylcholines, three phosphatidylethanolamines, one sphingomyelin, and 15 triacylglycerols in VM. Lipid species that showed significant differences among egg types included nine phosphatidylcholines and six triacylglycerols. MALDI analysis indicated significant differences in nine lipid classes on the VM inner layer. After refrigeration, five lipid classes on the inner layer and seven lipid classes on the outer layer had statistically significant differences among VM types.