CTR Diet Research Articles

Dietary inclusion of insect oil: Impact on growth, nutrient utilisation, lipid metabolism, antioxidant and immune-related responses in European catfish (Silurus glanis L)

In this study, we investigated the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae oil (IO) as replacement of fish oil and vegetable oil in the diets of European catfish. The formulated diets included a control diet (CTR) containing fish oil (FO) and rapeseed oil (RO), and two experimental diets replacing FO and RO, with 50% and 100% IO, respectively. The nutritional trial comprising 630 European catfish juveniles (average initial body weight: 28.1 ± 0.17 g) randomly distributed into triplicated dietary groups (CTR, IO50, and IO100) was conducted for 8 weeks in a recirculation aquaculture system. The study was focused to evaluate the impact of IO on fish growth and nutrient utilisation, lipid metabolism, antioxidant, and immune-related responses in juvenile fish. Results obtained indicated that all the diets promoted adequate fish growth and feed utilisation, with no significant differences in these parameters between the dietary fish groups. It appears that the diets did not impact the activity of digestive enzymes, but a decrease in the apparent digestibility coefficients was observed. Significant differences were observed in tissue fatty acid (FA) composition. The significantly higher levels of whole-body total saturated fatty acids and arachidonic acid in fish fed IO-based diets relative to those fed CTR diet were accompanied by significantly lower levels of whole-body monounsaturated fatty acids and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA). However, some deviations in this trend were observed in the liver highlighting the sparing effect for long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs). Gene expression analysis showed a significant upregulation of genes encoding lipoprotein lipase (lpl), carnitine palmitoyl transferase (cpt1a), and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (hnf4α) in the livers of fish fed the IO100 diet. Among the five immune-related genes examined in the spleen, only interferon regulatory factor 1 was significantly upregulated in fish fed IO50 relative to the CTR. These results indicated upregulated metabolic activities in fish fed the IO100 diet probably due to a higher level of dietary medium chain saturated fatty acids (MCSFA) and a lower level of LC-PUFA, creating the need for fish to oxidise more MCSFA and to deposit more LC-PUFA in the tissues in order to maintain fatty acid balance.

Zinc Supplementation Improves Texture, Oxidative Stability of Caciotta Cheese and Reduces Biogenic Amines Production.

Zinc is essential for animals, playing a vital role in enzyme systems and various biochemical reactions. It is crucial to ensure a sufficient intake of zinc through the diet to maintain efficient homeostasis. Only few studies on zinc effect in cow lactating diet evaluated the effects on milk and cheese quality, with conflicting findings. 24 cows of the Friesian breed were divided into two groups (CTR: control and TRT: treated group). Cows were selected for age, body weight, parity and phase of lactations (mid lactation, 140-160 days). CTR diet contained 38 mg/kg of Zn and TRT diet was supplied with 120 mg/kg of complete feed for 60 days. The objective of current investigation was to evaluate the impact of a dietary Zinc Oxide (ZnO) integration of lactating Friesian cows on chemical composition, zinc content, fatty acid and proteic profile, ammine content, pH, aw, texture, and sensory profile of cheese and to improve the chemical-nutritional quality of milk and cheese. The results showed that ZnO supplementation reduced mesophilic aerobic bacteria and Presumptive Pseudomonas spp. growth, proteolysis, biogenic amines content, lipid oxidation, odour intensity and sour and increased hardness, gumminess, chewiness, elasticity of cheese. Biogenic amines are considered an important aspect of food safety. ZnO integration in cow diet could represent a promising strategy for improving the quality, the safety and shelf-life of caciotta cheese.

Relationship between feed efficiency and gut microbiota in laying chickens under contrasting feeding conditions

The gut microbiota is known to play an important role in energy harvest and is likely to affect feed efficiency. In this study, we used 16S metabarcoding sequencing to analyse the caecal microbiota of laying hens from feed-efficient and non-efficient lines obtained by divergent selection for residual feed intake. The two lines were fed either a commercial wheat-soybean based diet (CTR) or a low-energy, high-fibre corn-sunflower diet (LE). The analysis revealed a significant line x diet interaction, highlighting distinct differences in microbial community composition between the two lines when hens were fed the CTR diet, and more muted differences when hens were fed the LE diet. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that a richer and more diverse microbiota may play a role in enhancing feed efficiency, albeit in a diet-dependent manner. The taxonomic differences observed in the microbial composition seem to correlate with alterations in starch and fibre digestion as well as in the production of short-chain fatty acids. As a result, we hypothesise that efficient hens are able to optimise nutrient absorption through the activity of fibrolytic bacteria such as Alistipes or Anaerosporobacter, which, via their production of propionate, influence various aspects of host metabolism.

PSXI-21 Inclusion of Former Food Products in Post-Weaning Diet of Piglets: Impact on the Fatty Acid Profile of Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue and on Serum Metabolites

Abstract Livestock production is facing the feed-food competition, use of natural resources, and environmental sustainability. To address these issues, the use of food leftovers in animal nutrition could satisfy the principles of circular economy. Among the different food leftovers, former food products (FFPs) consist mainly of unsold/defective food from industrial production (i.e., bread, croissants, biscuits, chips). FFPs can be classified in sugary confectionary FFPs (FFPs-C) and salty bakery FFPs (FFPs-B). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the inclusion of FFPs into post-weaning diet of piglets on the fatty acid profile of subcutaneous adipose tissue and on serum metabolites. Thirty-six post-weaning female piglets (Large White×Landrace, BW 8.52±1.73kg) were assigned to a standard diet (CTR), or with a 30% replacement (wt/wt) of conventional cereals with FFPs-C or FFPs-B for 42 days. Growth performance and feeding behavior were measured. Subcutaneous abdominal fat samples were collected from 12 selected piglets after slaughtering. Gas chromatography was performed on feed samples from control diet and experimental diets and on adipose tissue samples. Untargeted metabolomics was performed on blood samples (d 0 and d 42) using UHPLC/MS-MS. Data were analyzed with the software MetaboAnalyst (version 5.0). The inclusion of FFPs did not alter growth performance or feeding behavior. The CTR diet had greater PUFA concentrations than FFPs diets. In FFPs diets, the fatty acid profile was equally distributed among SFA, MUFA, and PUFA. The ω-6/ω-3 ratio was greater in FFPs-C diets than CTR and FFPs-B diets. The subcutaneous adipose tissue showed no differences between groups for SFA concentrations. The MUFA concentrations were reduced in CTR compared with FFPs groups, whereas PUFA concentrations were reduced in FFPs-C group compared with FFPs-B and CTR groups. The ω-6/ω-3 ratio was less in FFPs-C group compared with CTR and FFPs-B groups. The untargeted metabolomics identified a total of 104 metabolites, with 2 significantly different between groups. Specifically, the serum concentration of theobromine and caffeine was greater in FFPs groups compared with CTR. To conclude, piglets were able to rebalance the fatty acids profile despite the differences observed in the diets. The metabolic status was not strongly altered by the inclusion of 30% FFPs in the diet. Thus, FFPs could be safely applied in post-weaning pig diets. Further studies are needed to assess the effect of FFPs on pig physiology and metabolic status in growing phase pigs and for a longer feeding time. (funded by ASSO Project- Regione Lombardia)

Dietary tributyrin supplementation enhances the immune and antioxidant responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) without changes in fish performance

Dietary supplementation with tributyrin (TBT), a source of butyric acid, has been shown to improve growth performance and health status when high levels of plant ingredients are included in aquafeeds. Here, we investigated the response of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to a plant-based diet supplemented with TBT aiming to improve fish performance and welfare. Juvenile rainbow trout (19.0 ± 0.19 g, mean ± SEM) were divided into 12 tanks (210 L, 40 fish/tank) connected to a RAS system and fed four experimental diets in triplicate to apparent satiety. Diets tested comprised a basal diet (CTR) including 10% fishmeal and 10% fish oil, plus 83% plant-derived ingredients (44% crude protein, 18% crude fat, gross energy 21.8 MJ kg−1) with increasing inclusion levels of TBT (55% purity), supplying 0.05% (TBT1), 0.1% (TBT2) and 0.2% (TBT4) of this compound. Fish performance was evaluated after 44 days. Following the growth trial, the effect of the diets on selected plasma innate immune and hepatic antioxidant parameters of trout was investigated at 3 h and 24 h after feeding. TBT supplementation had no significant impact on growth performance, feed efficiency, feed intake, or proximal composition in rainbow trout (P > 0.05). However, the plasma lysozyme activity was higher in fish fed the TBT2 diet than in those fed CTR or TBT4 diets after 3 h (P = 0.021). In addition, the plasma antiprotease activity in fish fed the TBT2 and TBT4 diets was higher than those fed the CTR diet after 24 h (P = 0.010 and 0.013, respectively). Catalase activity in the liver of trout fed the TBT4 diet was higher than in fish fed CTR or TBT2 diets after 3 h (P = 0.016 and 0.019). Results showed that effective levels of dietary TBT supplementation at 0.1% and 0.2% could result in improved immune and antioxidant responses in trout, respectively. Therefore, dietary TBT supplementation in this carnivorous species may result in enhanced welfare when high levels of plant-derived ingredients are used in aquafeeds.

Oxidative Stress Response of Meagre to Dietary Black Soldier Fly Meal.

This study aimed to assess the effect of Hermetia illucens meal (HM) dietary inclusion on meagre oxidative status. Thus, fish were fed a fishmeal-based diet (CTR diet) and three other diets with increasing levels of HM inclusion, namely 10%, 20%, and 30% (diets HM10, HM20, and HM30, respectively). At the end of the trial, hepatic and intestine superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities and malondialdehyde concentration were unaffected by the diet composition. Liver glutathione peroxidase activity was higher in the fish fed the HM20 diet than in the fish fed the CTR and HM30 diets, and glutathione reductase activity linearly increased with the dietary HM level. The hepatic total glutathione and reduced glutathione contents were significantly lower in fish fed the HM20 diet than in fish fed the CTR and HM10 diets. In the intestine, the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) content and oxidative stress index linearly increased with the increase in dietary HM level, with the GSSG content of fish fed the HM20 diet being significantly higher than of fish fed the CTR diet. In conclusion, 30% HM might be included in meagre diets without negatively affecting hepatic and intestine oxidative status.

Ameliorating Effects of TRIM67 against Intestinal Inflammation and Barrier Dysfunction Induced by High Fat Diet in Obese Mice.

Tripartite Motif 67 (TRIM67) is an important member of TRIM family proteins, which participates in different cellular processes including immune response, proliferation, differentiation, carcinogenesis, and apoptosis. In recent years, a high fat diet (HFD) has remained one of the main causes of different metabolic diseases and increases in intestinal permeability as well as inducing intestinal inflammation. The current study investigated the protective effects of TRIM67 in the ileum and colon of obese mice. 4-week-old wild-type (WT) C57BL/6N mice and TRIM67 knockout (KO) C57BL/6N mice were selected and randomly divided into four sub-groups, which were fed with control diet (CTR) or HFD for 14 weeks. Samples were collected at the age of 18 weeks for analysis. To construct an in vitro obesity model, over-expressed IPEC-J2 cells (porcine intestinal cells) with Myc-TRIM67 were stimulated with palmitic acid (PA), and its effects on the expression level of TRM67, inflammatory cytokines, and barrier function were evaluated. The KO mice showed pathological lesions in the ileum and colon and this effect was more obvious in KO mice fed with HFD. In addition, KO mice fed with a HFD or CTR diet had increased intestinal inflammation, intestinal permeability, and oxidative stress compared to that WT mice fed with these diets, respectively. Moreover, IPEC-J2 cells were transfected with TRIM67 plasmid to perform the same experiments after stimulation with PA, and the results were found consistent with the in vivo evaluations. Taken together, our study proved for the first time that HFD and TRIM67 KO mice have synergistic damaging effects on the intestine, while TRIM67 plays an important protective role in HFD-induced intestinal damage.

Dietary supplementation with Gracilaria gracilis by-products modulates the immune status and oxidative stress response of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) stimulated with Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida

This study evaluated the effects of agar waste (AW) dietary supplementation, obtained from the seaweed Gracilaria gracilis cultivated under two different spectral lights, neutral (NT) and blue (BL), on haematological parameters, inflammatory response, and antioxidant biomarkers of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Three diets were prepared: i) a basal diet (CTR), ii) a diet supplemented with 2.5% NT, and iii) a diet supplemented with 2.5% BL. After 15 days of feeding, fish were injected with PBS (placebo) or inactivated Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida (stimulated) and sampled at 4 h and 24 h post-stimulus.Results indicated that fish fed NT and BL supplemented diets had lower Ht value and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) than fish fed the CTR diet, regardless of the stimulus and the sampling time. No differences in mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) were found between fish fed the different diets, while the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) increased in fish fed AW supplemented diets compared to fish fed the CTR diet, regardless of the stimulus and the sampling time. In response to inflammation, fish fed the NT diet displayed higher neutrophils count in blood when compared to the CTR group, regardless of the stimulus and sampling time. Thrombocyte count was higher in fish fed NT and BL diets than in the CTR group, especially in the stimulated fish (Diet*injection (D*I), P = 0.004). An increase in plasma protease activity was detected in fish fed NT or BL diets in both placebo and stimulated fish regardless of the sampling time. Hepatic catalase activity was higher in fish fed the NT and BL than in the CTR group, particularly in the stimulated fish (D*I, P < 0.001). In addition, both stimulated and placebo fish that received the BL diet showed an increase in hepatic GR activity compared to the CTR group, regardless of the sampling time.Dietary supplementation with AW by-products obtained from G. gracilis cultured under NT and BL conditions showed to improve the inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms in gilthead seabream in response to a UV-killed bacterial stimulus, having valuable applications for the sustainable use of seaweed toward improving the health and welfare of cultured fish.

IRE-dependent Regulation of Intestinal Dmt1 Prevails During Chronic Dietary Iron Deficiency but is Dispensable in Conditions of Acute Erythropoietic Stress.

IRE-dependent Regulation of Intestinal Dmt1 Prevails During Chronic Dietary Iron Deficiency but is Dispensable in Conditions of Acute Erythropoietic Stress.

Biofortification of selenium in black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) prepupae reared on seaweed or selenium enriched substrates

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for livestock. The element can be supplemented to feed in inorganic or organic Se forms, where the chemical form in the diet affects the accumulation of Se in animal tissues. Insects are known to be natural bioaccumulators of different nutrients, but no studies have so far looked up on the capacity of insects to be biofortified with Se, as a potential future source for Se in feed. In this study, black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) larvae were reared on three different substrates: (1) a control substrate (CTR diet) of plant-ingredients (Gainesville diet); (2) Ascophyllum nodosum diet (AN30%), with 30% substitution of the alfalfa meal with the brown algae; and (3) a Se diet, where the CTR diet was fortified with 0.3 mg/kg of Se. All experiments were carried out under dark condition, at 25 °C with 70% relative humidity for two weeks, and the final BSF prepupae were analysed for Se, metals and minerals, and Se species. The mean total Se content in the prepupae reared on Se dietary group was over five times higher compared to the CTR group, whereas lower Se levels were detected in AN30% dietary group. Se speciation analyses showed that organic selenomethionine (SeMet) was the major Se species present, both in CTR and AN30% group. For the Se group, SeMet was accounting for 54% of the total Se. The levels of SeMet were higher in the Se group compared to the CTR group, indicating that BSF prepupae are able to convert inorganic Se to organic Se. The overall results show that the substrates hereby studied affect the total Se and Se species, as well as the levels of other elements, in the BSF prepupae.

Black soldier fly meal effects on meagre health condition: gut morphology, gut microbiota and humoral immune response

The effects of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) meal (HM) on gut morphology, gut microbial community, and humoral immune response was evaluated in meagre (Argyrosomus regius) juveniles. For that purpose, fish with 18.0±0.02 g were fed a control diet (CTR) without HM, and 3 other diets including 10, 20 and 30% HM (diets HM10, HM20 and HM30, respectively), replacing 17, 35 and 52% of fish meal (FM), for 9 weeks. The meagre distal intestine (DI) showed no significant histomorphologic alterations in fold height, lamina propria, submucosa width and cellularity, and enterocytes shape, between dietary treatments. Increasing numbers of eosinophilic granulocytes and intraepithelial leukocytes were observed in fish fed the HM30 diet compared to the CTR and HM10 diets. The mean DI score was higher in meagre fed the HM30 diet, denoting increased overall histomorphological alterations in that group compared to fish fed the CTR diet. No differences in gut bacterial profiles (number of operational taxonomic units, microbiota richness, diversity, and similarity indices) were observed between dietary treatments, either in allochthonous (digesta) and autochthonous (mucosa) communities. Plasma anti-protease activity increased with increasing dietary HM level, while no significant differences were observed in the plasmatic protease, peroxidase, lysozyme and bactericidal activities, nitric oxide production and total immunoglobulins. Overall, and in order to avoid gut histomorphological alterations, an inclusion level up to 10% of HM, corresponding to 17% of FM replacement, is recommended for meagre juveniles.

Fish performance, intestinal bacterial community, digestive function and skin and fillet attributes during cold storage of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) fed diets supplemented with Gracilaria by-products

This study evaluated the use of Gracilaria by-products in gilthead seabream diet to modulate intestinal bacterial community, physiological responses as well as skin and fillet attributes during cold storage. Fish were fed for 52 days with six experimental diets: i) a diet containing a commercial antioxidant (CTR), ii) a diet without antioxidant (NO-AOX), iii) a NO-AOX with 0.5% ethanolic extract (0.5% EE), iv) a NO-AOX with 5% ethanolic waste (5% EEW), v) a NO-AOX with 5% agar waste (5% AW), vi) a NO-AOX with 2.5% agar waste (2.5% AW). Fish growth performance was not affected by the experimental diets. Proteobacteria (63–83%), Firmicutes (4–19%) and Actinobacteria (2–4%) were the predominant phyla in the intestine of fish fed all diets. The diet with 5% AW increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes phyla as compared to the other diets. Fish fed NO-AOX, 5% EEW, 5% AW and 2.5% AW showed a lower abundance of Oxalobacteraceae than those fed CTR diet. The Clostridium genera increased in the 5% AW compared to 5% EEW. Nevertheless, no major differences were detected in the richness and diversity of the intestinal bacterial communities of gilthead seabream fed the experimental diets. Fish fed 5% AW showed higher intestinal trypsin activity than those fed 0.5% EE. The skin yellowness was higher in the skin of fish fed 2.5% AW diet compared to those fed 0.5% EE diet. The results presented provided evidences of the potential application of AW and EEW as a novel and eco-friendly dietary supplement to be included in future aquaculture feed formulations.

Mealworm larvae meal in diets for meagre juveniles: Growth, nutrient digestibility and digestive enzymes activity

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of including 10%, 20% and 30% of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor, TM) larvae meal (diets TM10, TM20 and TM30, respectively), replacing 25%, 50% and 75% of fishmeal (FM) in a isoproteic (50%) and isolipidic (19%) FM-based diet (CTR) for meagre (Argyrosomus regius). The diets were fed for 9 weeks to triplicate groups of fish with 18.0 g initial body weight and results were evaluated for growth performance; whole-body composition; amino acid (AA) catabolism and digestive enzymes activity; nutrients and chitin digestibility. A digestibility trial was also simultaneously conducted for 48 days. Growth and feed utilization parameters decreased linearly as dietary TM inclusion level increased, while mortality, hepatosomatic and visceral indexes, and AA catabolism enzymes activity were unaffected by the dietary treatments. Whole-body protein was reduced in fish fed TM20 and TM30 diets, with the latter group also having lower energy content than fish fed the CTR diet. The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of dry matter, energy, protein, and AA (except leucine, valine and phenylalanine), decreased as dietary TM inclusion level increased. The lower ADC of protein was related to a linear decrease in trypsin activity. Lipase and total alkaline protease activities were also lower in fish fed the TM30 diet than in the other groups. A quadratic response of total alkaline protease with the increase of dietary TM meal was similar to that observed in the intensity of zymograms bands corresponding to proteases other than trypsin or chymotrypsin-like. Chitin ADC was null and no chitinolytic activity was found in the intestine. Overall, meagre presented a limited capacity to utilize TM, with a 10% TM dietary inclusion already resulting in significant impairment of fish digestive capacity and growth performance, while higher TM dietary levels further negatively affecting fish whole-body composition.

Dietary supplementation with Gracilaria sp. by-products modulates stress response, antioxidant and immune systems of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) exposed to crowding

By-products obtained from seaweed processing appear as a promissory source of bioactive compounds that could be included in aquafeed to improve the sustainability of aquaculture. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with by-products obtained from the seaweed Gracilaria sp. on the stress response, antioxidant, and immune systems of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) exposed to an acute crowding event. For this, fish were fed six experimental diets: (i) a diet containing a commercial antioxidant (CTR), (ii) a diet without antioxidant addition (NO-AOX), (iii) a NO-AOX diet with 0.5% ethanolic extract (0.5% EE), (iv) a NO-AOX diet with 5% ethanolic waste (5% EEW), (v) a NO-AOX diet with 5% agar waste (5% AW), and (vi) a NO-AOX diet with 2.5% agar waste (2.5% AW) for 59 days. After this period, fish were exposed to 1 h of crowding (100 kg m−3) and sampled immediately after 0 and at 24 h post-crowding. Our results showed that the fish-fed AW and EEW diets showed lower plasma cortisol levels than those fed the CTR diet, suggesting an improved stress response to crowding on these groups. No differences were detected on hepatic lipid peroxidation levels between dietary groups after crowding. However, the fish fed 0.5% EE diet showed lower hepatic glutathione reductase (GR) activity than fish fed the NO-AOX diet. Additionally, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity was decreased in the liver of fish fed 2.5% and 5% AW diets compared with the other dietary groups. Concerning immune parameters, the plasma peroxidase activity was higher in fish fed the 2.5% AW diet than fish fed NO-AOX or 5% EEW diets, suggesting a modulatory effect of dietary AW at 2.5% in the humoral immune response in crowded fish. Results suggest that dietary supplementation with AW, particularly when supplemented at 2.5%, could be used as a dietary tool to mitigate oxidative stress when improving immune response in gilthead seabream exposed to a stressor as crowding.

Effects of Capsicum and Propyl-Propane Thiosulfonate on Rumen Fermentation, Digestion, and Milk Production and Composition in Dairy Cows.

Simple SummaryEssential oils and their active compounds have been investigated as feed additives to improve performance in a wide range of farm animals. Most studies related to ruminants have been conducted in vitro and suggest that their effects may be beneficial for ruminant health and production performance. However, in vivo studies are limited. We investigated the effects of capsicum oleoresin (CAP) and propyl-propane thiosulfonate (PTSO) on rumen fermentation, total tract digestibility, and milk yield and composition in lactating dairy cattle. At the doses used, CAP and PTSO failed to demonstrate any effects on rumen fermentation or milk yield, but dry matter intake tended to increase in cows fed with CAP. Feeding PTSO increased milk efficiency compared with the control diet.Essential oils may affect rumen fermentation, nutrient digestion, and milk production and composition. The objective of this study was to test the effects of capsicum oleoresin (CAP) and propyl-propane thiosulfonate (PTSO) on rumen fermentation, total tract digestibility, and milk yield and composition in lactating dairy cattle. Six lactating Holstein cows (averaging (mean ± SD) 130 ± 40 days in milk and 723 ± 55 kg of body weight) fitted with rumen cannulae were used in a duplicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. Treatments were: a control diet (CTR), the CTR diet with the addition of 500 mg/d/cow of CAP, and the CTR diet with the addition of 250 mg/d/cow of PTSO. Dry matter intake (DMI) averaged 20.7 kg/d with a tendency towards higher intake in cows fed CAP and lower in those fed PTSO (p = 0.08). Milk yield averaged 31.8 kg/d with no difference among treatments. However, feed efficiency was higher in PTSO supplemented cows compared with CTR (1.65 and 1.41 kg of milk yield/kg of DMI, respectively; p < 0.01). At the doses used in this experiment, CAP and PTSO failed to demonstrate any effects on rumen fermentation, but PTSO increased the efficiency of feed utilization to produce milk.

Effects of a blend of cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and capsicum oleoresin (CEC) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, immune response and antioxidant status of growing ewes

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a blend of cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and capsicum oleoresin (CEC) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, immune response and antioxidant status of growing ewes. Fifty-four 4-month-old crossbred ewes (Dorper × Mongolian Sheep) with an initial body weight (BW) of 34.84 ± 0.51 kg were randomly assigned into three treatments with six replicates of each treatment and three ewes per replicate. The treatments were as follows: (1) CTR (control, no CEC added), (2) CEC50 (50 mg CEC/kg of feed) and (3) CEC80 (80 mg CEC/kg of feed). The experimental period lasted 60 days and was preceded by an adaption period of 15 days. The ADG were significantly greater (P = 0.04) for ewes fed CEC80 diet than those fed CTR diet. The NDF apparent digestibility was higher (P = 0.02) for ewes from CEC80 group compared to the CTR group. Ewes fed CEC had higher (P < 0.05) plasma IGF-I, IgM and IL-10 concentrations and T-AOC than ewes fed CTR diet. The plasma CAT activity of ewes received CEC diets tended to be higher (P = 0.09) than those fed CTR diet. Moreover, the plasma IgG concentration of CEC50 group was greater (P < 0.01) than the CTR group. The results of this study demonstrate that supplementation of CEC at 180 mg/kg feed was effective in promoting growth performance and nutrient digestion in growing ewes with stimulatory effects on their immune response and antioxidant status.

Immuno- and glyco-histochemistry as a tool to evaluate the oregano supplemented feed effects in pig gut.

Among oregano properties, its antioxidant and antibacterial effects are particularly interesting. Oregano is also able to induce a higher glycoconjugate production in gut, creating a physical barrier against microorganisms. This study evaluated the effects of adding an aqueous extract of oregano (OAE) to the diet of two homogenous groups of pigs during the finisher phase. The diets were as follows: control commercial diet (CTR group) and CTR diet supplemented (2 g/kg) with OAE (O group). Samples of ileum and caecum from the two groups were examined by conventional histochemistry to analyze complex carbohydrates and by immunohistochemistry to detect Bcl-2 Associate X protein (BAX), an indicator of oxidative stress. Glyco-histochemistry showed significant differences between the two groups. Immunohistochemistry revealed a lower presence of BAX in O group. The OAE supplementation improved the production of glycoconjugates, able to enhance in pig the protection of intestinal mucosa by means of direct and indirect defense actions. The reduced BAX immunostaining observed in O group may be an indicator of enhanced antioxidant action promoted by oregano. The results of this study can be used in further research to identify ways to improve endogenous defence ability, with the aim of reducing antibiotic use and preventing antimicrobial resistance.

Assessment of sesame meal as a soybean meal replacement in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) diets based on aspects of growth, amino acid profiles, haematology, intestinal and hepatic integrity and macroelement contents.

An 87-day feeding trial was carried out to assess the use of dehulled and defatted sesame seed meal (SM) as a partial dietary replacement for soybean meal (SBM) at 0%, 15%, 30% and 45% (SM0, SM1, SM2 and SM3, respectively) in juvenile sea bass stocked in 12 tanks (0.5m3) and with an initial weight of 24 ± 0.50g. All diets were isonitrogenous (~ 47% crude protein), isoenergetic (~ 22MJ/kg) and tested in triplicate. The lowest growth and feed utilization efficacy were detected in fish fed the SM3 diet; moreover, diets with a lower SM content did not have significant effects relative to the CTR diet. Fish biochemical analysis indicated a gradual decrease in carcass protein content coinciding with an increase in lipid deposition and viscerosomatic index values as the SM level in the diet increased. The macroelements' (P, Na and K) fish contents did not differ significantly among groups. The SM3 group had the lowest Ca and highest Mg contents among the experimental groups. The fish amino acid profile indicated slight alterations in essential amino acid percentages among groups. Haematological analysis and serum biochemistry indicated that using SM at a content of up to 30% had limited negative impacts on fish health. Liver histological inspection indicated that higher levels of SM led to severe hepatocyte infiltration with slight signs of necrosis in fish fed SM3 diet. Intestinal histological examinations indicated that the distal portion of the intestine was the portion most affected by SBM replacement with SM with signs of intestinal inflammation in SM3 group.

Response of broiler chickens to xylanase and butyrate supplementation.

A 2 × 2 factorial experiment was used to evaluate the effect of xylanase and sodium butyrate supplementation on performance, intestinal fermentation, histology, and morphometry in broiler chickens. A total of 384 Ross 308 broiler chicks (1-day-old) were allocated to 4 experimental treatments: CTR (control diet), XYL (CTR diet with 16,000 BXU/kg of xylanase), BUT (CTR diet with 1kg/t sodium butyrate), and XYL+BUT (CTR diet plus xylanase and sodium butyrate). Each treatment had 8 replicates of 12 animals. Starter and grower diets, based on wheat and soybean meal, and water were available ad libitum. Body weight gain and feed intake were measured from 0 to 42 D, and feed conversion ratio corrected for mortality (FCR) was calculated. The profile of short-chain fatty acids in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and ceca digesta on days 21 and 42 was analyzed in addition to the relative weights of the different portions of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and villus to crypt (VH: CD) ratio from the ileal tissue on day 42 were also evaluated. Statistical comparisons were performed using a 2-way ANOVA. Xylanase supplementation improved 42-D FCR by 5 points (P = 0.006), while butyrate did not affect 42-D FCR. On day 21, birds fed butyrate had heavier total GIT (P = 0.024), duodenum (P < 0.001), and jejunum (P = 0.025). Xylanase did not influence the relative weights in any intestinal section except the crop which was smaller in xylanase supplemented birds. At day 42, the VH: CD ratio was increased with sodium butyrate (P = 0.005). Supplementation of broiler diets with xylanase improved performance but had little effect on intestinal measures, whereas sodium butyrate influenced many of the intestinal indices with no consequence on animal performance.

Effects of different emulsifiers on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and digestive enzyme activity in weanling pigs1.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of diets supplemented with sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL), polyglycerol fatty acid ester (PGFE), and combined emulsifiers (0.02% SSL and 0.08% PGFE) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and plasma lipid profiles in weaned piglets and to further evaluate the possible effects of feeding exogenous emulsifiers on digestive enzyme activities and liver bile acid (BA) metabolism. Twenty-eight barrows (age at 35 d, Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with an initial BW of 10.13 ± 0.16 kg were randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatment groups (7 pigs/treatment). Dietary treatment groups included the following: 1) basal diet (Control, CTR); 2) basal diet with 0.1% SSL (SSL); 3) basal diet with 0.1% PGFE (PGFE); and 4) basal diet with 0.08% PGFE+0.02% SSL (PG-SL). SSL diet increased ADG and ADFI of piglets during day 0 to 17 (P < 0.05) compared with the CTR treatment. Piglets fed emulsifier diets experienced a significant improvement in the digestibility of nutrients (DM, CP, ether extract, energy, calcium, and phosphorus) during the first 17 d (P < 0.05). The level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was lower in the PGFE and PG-SL treatment groups than in the CTR treatment group (P < 0.05). Feeding emulsifier diets increased the lipase activity of the pancreas when compared with the CTR diet (P < 0.05). Moreover, the emulsifier diets significantly increased the mRNA expression of FXR (P < 0.05) and decreased the mRNA expression of CYP27A1 (P < 0.05) in the liver. In conclusion, the addition of emulsifiers improved nutrient digestibility and increased the mRNA expression of FXR BA receptors while inhibiting the mRNA expression of BA biosynthesis by CYP27A1 in weanling piglets.