Effects Of Dietary Intervention Research Articles

The Breath Carbon Isotope Ratio Reflects Short-term Added-Sugar Intake in a Dose-Response, Crossover Feeding Study of 12 Healthy Adults

BackgroundObjective dietary biomarkers are urgently needed for a wider range of foods and nutrients. The breath carbon isotope ratio (CIR; measured as δ13C values) has potential as a noninvasive measure of short-term added sugar (AS) intake but has not been evaluated in a controlled-feeding study. ObjectiveThe aim was to evaluate the effect of short-term AS intake on breath CIR in a dose-response, randomized, crossover feeding study. MethodsSix men and 6 women, aged 25 to 60 y, were randomly assigned to a balanced sequence of 5 dietary treatments. Three treatments delivered low (0 g/d), medium (75 g/d), or high (150 g/d) amounts of AS over the course of a single day’s breakfast and lunch and 2 switched high and low intake amounts between breakfast and lunch. Experimental meals delivered 60% of daily energy and added-sugar targets. There was a washout period of 1–2 wk between treatments. Breath was collected at 2-h intervals from 08:00 (fasting) to 16:00 h. Breath CIR was measured using cavity ring-down spectroscopy, and the effects of dietary treatments and baseline were evaluated using multivariate linear regression. ResultsBreath CIR showed a significant response to increasing AS intake at all sampling time points (all P < 0.0001), with a dose-response of 0.030 (95% CI: 0.024, 0.037) ‰/g. Fasting breath CIR (baseline) influenced postfeeding breath CIR at all sampling time points (P < 0.0001); however, effect sizes were largest in the morning. For afternoon-collected samples (14:00 and 16:00), the effect of recent AS intake (lunch) was 4-fold greater than the effect of previous added-sugar intake (breakfast). ConclusionsThese findings support the potential of the breath CIR as a biomarker of short-term AS intake in healthy US adults. More work is needed to evaluate other potential dietary effects and whether multiple breath collections could capture daily AS intake.

Evaluation of curcumin and copper acetate against Salmonella Typhimurium infection, intestinal permeability, and cecal microbiota composition in broiler chickens

BackgroundInterest in the use of natural feed additives as an alternative to antimicrobials in the poultry industry has increased in recent years because of the risk of bacterial resistance. One of the most studied groups are polyphenolic compounds, given their advantages over other types of additives and their easy potentiation of effects when complexes are formed with metal ions. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of dietary supplementation of copper acetate (CA), curcumin (CR), and their combination (CA-CR) against Salmonella Typhimurium colonization, intestinal permeability, and cecal microbiota composition in broiler chickens through a laboratory Salmonella infection model. S. Typhimurium recovery was determined on day 10 post-challenge by isolating Salmonella in homogenates of the right cecal tonsil (12 chickens per group) on Xylose Lysine Tergitol-4 (XLT-4) with novobiocin and nalidixic acid. Intestinal integrity was indirectly determined by the fluorometric measurement of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d) in serum samples from blood obtained on d 10 post-S. Typhimurium challenge. Finally, microbiota analysis was performed using the content of the left caecal tonsil of 5 chickens per group by sequencing V4 region of 16S rRNA gene.ResultsThe results showed that in two independent studies, all experimental treatments were able to significantly reduce the S. Typhimurium colonization in cecal tonsils (CT, P < 0.0001) compared to the positive control (PC) group. However, only CA-CR was the most effective treatment in reducing S. Typhimurium counts in both independent studies. Furthermore, the serum fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d) concentration in chickens treated with CR was significantly lower when compared to PC (P = 0.0084), which is related to a decrease in intestinal permeability and therefore intestinal integrity. The effect of dietary treatments in reducing Salmonella was further supported by the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences using Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) since Salmonella was significantly enriched in PC group (LDA score > 2.0 and P < 0.05) compared to other groups. In addition, Coprobacillus, Eubacterium, and Clostridium were significantly higher in the PC group compared to other treatment groups. On the contrary, Fecalibacterium and Enterococcus in CR, unknown genus of Erysipelotrichaceae at CA-CR, and unknown genus of Lachnospiraceae at CA were significantly more abundant respectively.ConclusionsCR treatment was the most effective treatment to reduce S. Typhimurium intestinal colonization and maintain better intestinal homeostasis which might be achieved through modulation of cecal microbiota.

Growth performance, blood profile and economic analysis of broilers fed fermented mixture of cassava flour and bovine blood (cassablood) based diets

The effect of dietary treatments on growth performance, haematological and biochemical indices of finisher broilers as well as economics of broiler production were determined in this fermented cassava flour/blood mixture code-named "cassablood". The control diet (T1) contained 0% cassablood, while diets 2, 3 and 4 contained 20%, 25% and 30% cassablood respectively. 120 four weeks old Anak broiler chicken were randomly allocated the 4 diets with 30 birds per treatment replicated 3 times with ten 10 broilers per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). Treatment effects on final body weight, final weight gain, feed intake and seed conversion ratio were significant (P&lt;0.05). Birds fed cassablood based diets compared favourably with the control diet. 20% cassablood inclusion performed equally with the control diet in feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio.All dietary groups also showed no significant differences (P&gt;0.05) in most haematological and serum biochemical indices of broilers except in cholesterol, glucose and triglyceride contentswhichdiffered (P&lt;0.05) significantly. Similarly, chicken on 20% and 25% inclusion levels produced significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher economic gains in terms of feed cost per kilogram of broiler among all the treatments. Therefore, 20 - 25% cassablood dietary inclusion level was recommended in broiler diet for production and profit maximization.&#x0D;

Growth performance, blood profile and economic analysis of broilers fed fermented mixture of cassava flour and bovine blood (cassablood) based diets

The effect of dietary treatments on growth performance, haematological and biochemical indices of finisher broilers as well as economics of broiler production were determined in this experiment. Four broiler finisher diets were formulated with different inclusion levels of fermented cassava flour/blood mixture code-named “cassablood”. The control diet (T1) contained 0% cassablood, while diets 2, 3 and 4 contained 20%, 25% and 30% cassablood respectively. 120 four weeks old Anak broiler chicken were randomly allocated the 4 diets with 30 birds per treatment replicated 3 times with ten 10 broilers per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD).Treatment effects on final body weight, final weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were significant (P&lt;0.05). Birds fed cassabloodbased diets compared favourably with the control diet. 20% cassablood inclusion performed equally with the control diet in feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio. All dietary groups also showed no significant differences (P&gt;0.05) in most haematological and serum biochemical indices of broilers except in cholesterol, glucose and triglyceride contents which differed (P&lt;0.05) significantly Similarly, chicken on 20% and 25% inclusion levels produced significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher economic gains in terms of feed cost per kilogram of broiler among all the treatments. Therefore, 20 - 25% cassablood dietary inclusion level was recommended in broiler diet for production and profit maximization.

Effect of biologically upgraded cocoa pod husk meal on growth, serum and antioxidant properties of two rabbit breeds

BackgroundThe study evaluated the growth performance, haemabiochemical and antioxidant profile of two breeds of rabbits fed diets containing varying levels of Rhizopus stolonifer fermented cocoa pod husk meal (FCPHM). Cocoa pod husk meal was taken through solid-state fermentation for a period of 2 weeks using Rhizopus stolonifer as its starter culture. One hundred and eighty, 5-week-old unsexed weaned rabbits 90 New Zealand white (NZW) and 90 Chinchilla (CHL) were randomly allocated into three dietary treatments, Diets I, II and III (0%, 12.5 and 25%FCPHM, respectively), and were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial design (2 breeds and 3 diets) of a randomized block design.ResultsThe study showed that the breed effect and dietary treatment were significant (p < 0.01) for total weight gain and feed conversion ratio with NZW breed fed 12.5% FCPHM having higher values than CHL breed. Serum total protein concentration was significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by the dietary treatment, while alanine aminotransferase, globulin and total protein concentrations were significantly (p < 0.01) affected by the breed effect. The interactive effect of breed and dietary treatment was only significant (p < 0.05) for serum albumin concentration. Malondialdehyde concentration was significantly influenced by both dietary treatments (p < 0.05) and breed (p < 0.001) factors.ConclusionIt was observed that CHL rabbits were more predisposed to stress than the NZW rabbits as indicated by the lipid peroxidation values, and according to this present finding, 12.5% FCPHM is recommended as active feed ingredient in rabbit diets.

Incorporation of cooked barley residue and spent grapes in the ration of pregnant Large White Yorkshire sows and their piglets.

In Kerala and other South Indian States, the ayurvedic by-products are widely available which can adequately be incorporated into pig diets. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dietary incorporation of cooked barley residue and spent grapes on feed intake, growth performance, and nutrient utilization in sows and their piglets. Using completely randomized design (CRD), fifteen (15) Large White Yorkshire (LWY) pregnant sows with an average body weight of 180.53kg, 3weeks before the estimated date of farrowing, were randomly allotted to one of three treatment groups. The dietary treatment groups consisted of T1 (control), fed with a ration containing maize and soya bean meal of 18% CP and 3265kcal/kg ME, T2 with a ration containing cooked barley residue replacing 25% maize in control, and T3 with a ration containing spent grapes replacing 25% maize in control ration. Data on average daily feed intake (ADFI), fortnightly bodyweight of sows and their piglets were recorded for 63days. Also, the average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and cost of feed per kg of weight gain of the piglets were calculated. The result showed no significant (P > 0.05) dietary treatment effects on average weekly dry matter intake and fortnightly average body weight gain among the sows in all the three groups. Piglets showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) in total dry matter intake (DMI), total body weight gain, ADG, and FCR among the three groups during the entire study period. No variations were observed for the apparent digestibility of nitrogen-free extract and the availability of magnesium in the three rations. The cost of feed per kg weight gain was lower in piglets belonging to T2 and T3 than the control (T1), though not significant statistically (P > 0.05). It is, therefore, concluded that cooked barley residue and spent grapes could be included up to 25% in the ration of sow and their piglets by partially replacing maize without affecting their overall performances.

Performance characteristics of weaner rabbits on cassava peel-based balanced diets

An eight-week trial was conducted to determine the optimum level of substitution of dried cassava peel meal (DCPM) for maize in rabbit diets balanced for varying energy, nitrogen and fibre contents. Six experimental diets were compounded such that DCPM replaced maize at 0%, 50%, 62.5%, 75%, 87.5% and 100% levels. Each diet was fed to five replicates of a weaner rabbit, averaging 0.49kg initial body weight. Water and feed were provided ad libitum throughout the 8 week period and their intake as well as faecal output were measured daily. Body weight gain and efficiency of feed conversion were determined weekly. No significant effects of replacement of maize in the control diet with graded levels of DCPM were observed on final body weight (FW), daily weight gain (DWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and feed cost per unit weight gain (FC/WG). However, there were significant effects of dietary treatments on daily faecal output (DFO) (P&lt;0.05) and daily feed (DFC) and daily water (DWC) consumption (P&lt;0.01). The results of this study demonstrate that DCPM could replace 100% of dietary maize without adverse effects on rate, efficiency and economy of weight gain. Savings in feed cost were also achieved as a result of the use of DCPM and these ranged from 13.2 to 18.7%.

Comparative use of oyster shell and limestone as sources of calcium in the diet of laying chickens

Egg producers primarily use oyster shell or limestone as supplemental sources of dietary calcium. This study was conducted to investigate the efficiencies of limestone (CaCo3 ) and oyster shell as calcium sources in the diets of laying hens. Ninety, 58 weeks old Golden Comet Hubbard laying birds were randomly allotted to three treatments of three replicates. Each replicate had 10 birds per replicate. Three different rations were formulated for the study. To include Diet 1 as the control, a diet with bone meal (46%) and oyster shell (54%). Diet 2 had oyster shell and bone meal supplying 82% and 18% of the dietary calcium while Diet 3 had 82% and 18% of the dietary calcium supplied by limestone and bone meal respectively. Feed and water were provided ad-libitum. The parameters measured include: Feed intake (g/d); Hen day production (%); Efficiency of feed utilization (kg); Egg and shell weight (g); Bone weight (g); Ash content of bone (%) and Calcium content of bone (%). The study lasted eight weeks. Results revealed that birds on Diet1 had the highest value for feed intake (0.11 g/d) that differed significantly (P&lt;0.05) from the value (0.10 g/d) obtained for Diet 2 and 3 Hen day production for birds on Diet 2 (57.04) and Diet 3 (56.30) were similar, but differed significantly (P&lt;0.05) from birds on Diet 1 (65.44). Efficiency of feed utilization (EFU kg) was not significantly affected by the dietary treatments as birds on Diet1 had the lowest EFU value (1.80) while birds on Diet 2 had the highest EFU value (2.05). A higher percent of eggs within 50-59g were laid by birds on Diet 3, while eggs of 60g and above were laid by birds on Diet 1 (62 g), significant (p&lt;0.05) variations occurred among treatment means for these egg grade. Egg shell percent was not significant, same trend was observed for bone weight. The effect of dietary treatment on the ash content of bones were similar for birds on Diet 2 and 3, except for bone humerus, however, significant (p&lt;0.05) variation occurred between birds on diets 1 and other two Diets. Calcium contents of the different bones were differed significantly (p&lt;0.05) with birds on diet 3 recording the highest values for all bone investigated. It can be concluded from this study that Limestone can replace oyster shell as a source of calcium in the diet of laying hens without deleterious effect.

Use of millet grain in weaning pigs diet: effects on performance and health status

Abstract The effect of feeding a diet containing 25% millet grain on performance and plasma metabolic profile was evaluated in weaned piglets during 21 days trial. A total of 40 pigs with an 8.14±1.08 kg average body weight (BW) was weaned at 28±3 days of age and divided into the control group (C) and the experimental group (M). The C group (n=20) received a conventional diet based on the corn-triticale-soybean meal while in the M group (n=20) received 25% millet grain cv. Marius replaced triticale (2 replicates per group). At the end of the post-weaning period, the performances (BW; average daily feed intake, ADFI; average daily gain, ADG; feed: gain ratio, F: G ratio) and plasma metabolic profile (lipid, protein, enzyme, mineral) were evaluated. A slow, but not significant increase was observed for the BW (+6%), ADG (+12%), ADFI (+5%) and F: G ratio (+7%) of pigs fed M diet. No effect (P&gt;0.05) of dietary treatment on plasma metabolic profile was observed. However, the concentrations of triglyceride (-15%, P=0.089), total cholesterol (-14%, P=0.060) and aspartate aminotransferase enzyme activity (-16%, P=0.095) tended to decreased while inorganic phosphorus (+11%; P&lt;0.04) had increased in the M vs. C diet. The present study indicated that the replacement of 25% millet grain to triticale in weaned piglet’s diet, maintains the performances and blood plasma parameters within the physiological ranges, beneficial to the health status.

PSII-19 Effect of inclusion level of synthetic lysine, threonine, methionine, and tryptophan in corn-soybean meal and DDGS based diets for grow-finish pigs on growth performance and carcass characteristics

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effect of increasing dietary synthetic amino acids L-Lysine HCl, L-Threonine, Alimet®, and L-Tryptophan inclusion level at the expense of soybean meal on growth performance during the grow-finish period (46.2 ± 0.55 to 127.4 ± 0.83 kg BW) and carcass characteristics of pigs reared under commercial conditions. The study used a RCBD with 2 dietary treatments: 1). Control: 0.309, 0.029, 0.028, and 0.000 g/kg of synthetic lysine, methionine, threonine, and tryptophan, respectively; 2). High Inclusion: 0.422, 0.069, 0.047, and 0.014 g/kg, respectively. Diets were corn-soybean meal based with DDGS (20.6% for both diets) formulated to be isocaloric and to the same SID amino acid levels but varied in soybean meal inclusion (14.1 and 10.2%, for the Control and High Inclusion, respectively) and crude protein content (17.7 and 16.4%, respectively). A total of 3,520 barrows and gilts were used, housed in single-sex pens of 32 (22 replicates) at a floor space of 0.67 m2/pig. Pigs had ad libitum access to feed and water throughout the study. Pen was the experimental unit and data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS; the model accounted for fixed effect of dietary treatment and the random effect of block. There was no effect of dietary treatment on final live weight, overall ADFI, hot carcass weight, backfat depth, or longissimus muscle depth. However, the High Inclusion treatment had lower overall ADG (P ≤ 0.01) and overall G:F (P ≤ 0.05), but greater (P ≤ 0.01) carcass yield than the Control treatment. These results suggest that increasing the inclusion of synthetic amino acids in corn-soybean and DDGS based diets for growing-finishing pigs to the levels evaluated negatively impacted growth rate and feed efficiency but increased carcass yield.

PSVI-3 Dietary supplementation with coated omega-3 fatty acids has positive effects on growth performance and nutrients digestibility in weaned pigs

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of coated omega-3 fatty acid (n-3 CFA) by corn cob power silica on performance of weaning pigs. A total of 200 weaned pigs [(Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc, average initial body weight at 6.97 ± 1.22 kg] were randomly assigned to four experimental treatments in a 6-week experiment in 3 phases as follows: CON, basal diet; 2) 0.3CFA, CON + phase 1(0.3% n-3CFA), phase 2(0.2% n-3CFA), phase 3(0.1% n-3CFA); 3) 0.6CFA, CON + phase 1(0.6% n-3CFA), phase 2(0.4% n-3CFA), phase 3(0.2% n-3CFA); 4) 0.9CFA, CON + phase 1(0.9% n-3CFA), phase 2(0.6% n-3CFA), phase 3 (0.3% n-3CFA). Each treatment had 10 replicates with 5 pigs (three gilts and two barrows) per replicate. The data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS as a randomized complete block design. Pen served as the experimental unit. Linear, quadratic and cubic polynomial contrasts were used to examine effect of dietary treatment with coated n-3FA in the basal diet. Variability in the data was expressed as the standard error of means and P&amp;lt; 0.05 was considered to statistically significant. Increasing the level of n-3CFA in the diet linearly increased ADG and G/F of pigs (Table 1). Increasing the level of n-3CFA showed a linear increment in the digestibility of DM (83.59, 84.38, 85.13, 85.89 %) whereas nitrogen digestibility (81.79, 82.38, 82.96, 83.64 %) showed a trend (linear effect, p=0.0594) at the end of experiment. The fecal lactobacillus count was increased (7.22, 7.27, 7.33, 7.35 log10cfu/g) with the increase in the supplemental level of n-3CFA (linear effect; p&amp;lt; 0.05). However, there were no differences in the concentration of serum haptoglobin, or fecal E. coli, Clostridium and Salmonella counts despite the increase in n-3CFA levels in the diet. Supplementation of the diet with coated n-3 fatty acids positively affected growth performance and digestibility of dry matter and nitrogen, and enhanced the count of lactobacillus in weaning pigs.

Effects of diet and exercise treatments on distribution and composition of Hdl subclasses in lactating women with overweight and obesity

Rationale: Childbearing decreases HDL cholesterol in the long term, potentially contributing to the increased risk of future cardiovascular disease in parous women. Our aim was to investigate the main effects of dietary and exercise treatments in lactating women with overweight and obesity on distribution and composition of HDL subclasses.

Partial or complete replacement of fishmeal with fermented soybean meal on growth performance, fecal composition, and meat quality in broilers.

The current study was aimed to examine the effect of partial or complete replacement of fishmeal (FM) with fermented soybean meal (FSBM) on growth performance, fecal composition, and meat quality in broiler chickens. A total number of 240 one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly allotted into four dietary treatments with six replications and ten birds per one pen. Dietary treatments were followed as; 1) Diet incorporated with 4% FM without FSBM (Control), 2) Diet incorporated with 3% FM and 2% FSBM (FSBM2), 3) Diet incorporated with 2% FM and 3% FSBM (FSBM3) and 4) Diet incorporated with 4% FSBM without FM (FSBM4). Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly for 35 days of the experimental period. Moreover, fecal samples were collected to evaluate moisture, ash, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus content on day 21 post-hatch. On day 35, two birds were sacrificed from each pen to measure meat quality parameters and visceral organ weights. Results revealed that, no dietary treatment effect (p > 0.05) was observed either in both body weight or average daily gain of broilers within the entire experimental period while broilers fed FSBM2 increased (p < 0.05) average daily feed intake by 10.07% whereas FSBM4 improved (p < 0.05) feed efficiency ratio by 8.45% compared to birds fed other dietary treatments on day 7 post-hatch. Besides, birds fed FSBM3 obtained the improved (p < 0.05) feed conversion ratio over the birds fed control diet by 7.51% from hatch to day 35 post-hatch (1.60 vs. 1.73). Nevertheless, no difference (p > 0.05) was detected on visceral organ weight, proximate composition and physicochemical characteristics of meat while broilers offered FSBM4 obtained the lowest (p < 0.05) calcium and phosphorous in faces (2.27% and 1.21% respectively) over those offered control feed and other FSBM treatments. In conclusion, FSBM would be a better replacement for ousting FM partially or completely in broiler diet as it did not impair the growth performance and meat quality while reducing the calcium and phosphorous excretion in broilers for 35 days post-hatch.

More than one way to smoltify a salmon? Effects of dietary and light treatment on smolt development and seawater growth performance in Atlantic salmon

Post-smolt mortality and stunted growth is a problem in Norwegian salmon farming that can be partly traced back to sub-optimal smolt quality in connection with ongoing changes in smolt production practices. In the present study, we compared smolt development and post-smolt performance in seawater (SW) of Atlantic salmon subjected to 1) traditional light treatment (short photoperiod (SP) - long photoperiod (LL)), 2) a dietary treatment alone (LL-LL + diet), 3) a combination of light and diet (SP-LL + diet) treatment and 4) no stimulation (LL-LL control) during the freshwater (FW) phase. The transition diet consisted of feed supplemented with a salt mixture and the amino acid tryptophan. Effects of light and dietary treatment were tested on two different size classes (40 and 130 g) of parr. Response patterns to treatments were independent of initial size and findings discussed below apply to both. Fish in the continuous light groups (LL-LL and LL-LL + diet) had the highest mass gain during the FW phase while light treated fish had a reduction in condition factor indicative of a true smolting. Hypoosmoregulatory ability in May was increased by diet, but not by light. However, a strong and treatment independent decrease in gill NKA α1a gene expression indicated a complete shift from a FW- to a SW-type gill Na+, K+-ATPase. Moreover, plasma Cl− concentration and osmolality after 7 days in SW in May were well within the range expected for fully SW adapted fish in all treatment groups. Despite good hypoosmoregulatory abilities in all fish, there were strong treatment dependent effects on their growth during the two-month SW residence. SW growth was negatively correlated with growth and change in K during the last part of the FW phase. A markedly higher specific growth rate and appetite in the SP-LL group than in the LL-LL group was likely a result of the light stimulated endocrine changes that occurred during smolting. Dietary treatment seemed to compensate for the lack of light treatment since feed intake and growth in LL-LL + diet fish was comparable to that in the SP-LL treated smolts. Feed intake and growth in the SP-LL + diet groups was highest, giving support for a notion that light and diet act through separate and additive mechanisms.

Effect of pullet body weight and hen dietary amino acid treatments on their progeny fed high and low amino acid diets

Four studies were conducted on Cobb 700 broilers to evaluate the dietary protein and any maternal effects on live production and processing parameters. Day-old Cobb 700 broiler breeder pullets were reared to conform to 2 different BW curves (control BW and increased BW) with 8 replicate pens per treatment. Birds were fed common diets from 1 d of age until first egg (24 wk). At 24 wk, 12 pens of each pullet treatment were given different amino acid (AA) diets (low = 14% CP, high = 15% CP). The performance of female and male progeny from 32 and 45 wk hens were evaluated on low AA and high AA density diets. The 4 progeny trial designs were identical factorial 2 × 2 × 2 designs, with 2 pullet BW curves (control BW and increased BW), 2 dam CP diet levels (low and high), and 2 progeny CP diets (low and high), with 6 replicates each containing 18 birds, for a total of 108 broiler progeny per treatment. Broiler chickens on the higher AA density feed exhibited consistent improvement in mid-growth BW and FCR and white meat yield percentage. Some maternal effects were noted, including increased carcass yield in female broilers from 32 wk old hens. There were 3-way interactions of pullet BW × hen dietary AA × progeny dietary AA treatments for female progeny carcass yield (from 32-week-old hens) and male tender yield (from 45-week-old hens). There were 2-way interactions of pullet BW x hen dietary AA treatments effect on female and male progeny drumstick yield from 32-week-old hens, pullet BW × progeny dietary AA treatments effect on male 27 d BW from 32-week-old hens, and hen dietary AA × progeny dietary AA treatments effect on male thigh yield from 45-week-old hen. The epigenetic effects of maternal pullet BW and dietary AA treatments were seen in processing yields suggesting, the need of dietary CP changes of the progeny.

The Effect of Groundnut Shells Supplementation on Selected Biochemical Parameters of Confined Indigenous Cattle during Winter Season in the North West Province of South Africa

Background: The use of groundnut shells (GNS) in animal feeding is a common practice in tropical countries and most researchers have evaluated the nutritive values of GNS and their effects on animal performance. They are cheap and widely available in South Africa. However, most communal farmers in Mogosane village lack the knowledge nutritive values of such, and therefore do not use GNS to improve the performance of their cattle. Determination of the nutritional status of cattle is important especially when quantifying the effects of a dietary treatment. Blood metabolite concentrations indicate the animal’s nutritional status and they are commonly assessed in dairy than beef cattle, such that there are no reference values for the blood constituents of indigenous cattle in South Africa, suggesting a need for research in this area.Methods: An eight-week feeding trial was therefore, conducted to determine effect of different levels of groundnut shells (GNS) on biochemical parameters. Forty cattle were used and were allocated into Groups: A, B, C, D and E with eight animals in each group. Treatment group A was given basal diet and water only. Treatment group B was supplemented with 700 g/kg of GNS, C with 1050 g/kg of GNS, D with 1400 g/kg of GNS and E with 1750 g/kg of GNS. Blood samples were collected into anticoagulant free, allowed to coagulate at room temperature for 24 hours and then centrifuged at 1000 rpm for 10 minutes. The supernatant sera were harvested and stored in a freezer. Samples were collected once a week for eight weeks and were then analysed using Anision-300 Auto-Analyzer system. Results: Significant values were observed in urea and lipase in animals receiving 1050g/kg of GNS and were significantly (P less than 0.05) higher when compared to control group and all other treatment groups, and even for those animals in treatment group E. These significant values found in urea and lipase, on animals receiving 1050 g/kg, confirmed effect of GNS on metabolic functions on animals depending on natural pasture.

Dietary starch concentration alters reticular pH, hepatic copper concentration, and performance in lactating Holstein-Friesian dairy cows receiving added dietary sulfur and molybdenum

To test the hypothesis that Cu metabolism in dairy cows is affected by dietary starch concentration and additional sulfur S and Mo, 60 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows that were [mean ± standard error (SE)] 33 ± 2.5 days postcalving and yielding 41 ± 0.9 kg of milk/d were fed 1 of 4 diets in a 2 × 2 factorial design experiment over a 14-wk period. The 4 diets had a Cu concentration of approximately 15 mg/kg of dry matter (DM), a grass silage-to-corn silage ratio of 1:1, a dietary starch concentration of either 150 g/kg of DM (low starch, LS) or 220 g/kg of DM (high starch, HS), and were either unsupplemented (-) or supplemented (+) with an additional 0.8 g of S/kg of DM and 4.4 mg of Mo/kg of DM. We found an effect of dietary starch concentration on mean reticular pH, which was 0.15 pH units lower in cows fed the high starch diets. The addition of S and Mo decreased intake by 1.8 kg of DM/d, an effect that was evident beginning in wk 1 of the study. Mean milk and fat yields were 37.0 and 1.51 kg/d, respectively, and were not affected by dietary treatment. We found an effect of dietary starch concentration on milk protein concentration, protein yield, and urea nitrogen, which were increased by 2.8 g/kg, 0.09 kg/d, and 2.1 mg/dL, respectively, in cows fed the high starch diets. We found no effect of dietary treatment on either cow live weight or body condition. Mean plasma Cu, Fe, and Zn concentrations were 15.3, 42.1, and 14.4 µmol/L, respectively, and were not affected by dietary treatment. In contrast, we found an interaction between dietary starch concentration and Cu antagonists on plasma Mo, where feeding additional S and Mo increased plasma Mo to a greater extent when cows were offered the high versus low starch diet. We also found that increasing dietary starch concentration increased serum ceruloplasmin activity, but serum haptoglobin concentration was not affected by dietary treatment. The addition of S and Mo decreased hepatic Cu concentration, whereas in cows fed the higher dietary starch concentration, hepatic Cu concentration was increased over the period of our study. We concluded that increasing dietary starch concentration decreases rumen pH and increases milk protein yield and hepatic Cu concentration, whereas feeding additional S and Mo decreases intake and hepatic Cu concentration.

Decreased motor impulsivity following chronic lithium treatment in male rats is associated with reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the orbitofrontal cortex

Lithium’s efficacy in reducing both symptom severity in bipolar disorder (BD) and suicide risk across clinical populations may reflect its ability to reduce impulsivity. Changes in immune markers are associated with BD and suicidality yet their exact role in symptom expression remains unknown. Evidence also suggests that lithium may decrease levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the periphery and central nervous system, and that such changes are related to its therapeutic efficacy. However, issues of cause and effect are hard to infer from clinical data alone. Here, we investigated the effects of chronic dietary lithium treatment on rats’ performance of the 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task (5CSRTT), a well-validated operant behavioural task measuring aspects of impulsivity, attention and motivation. Male Long-Evans rats received a diet supplemented with 0.3% LiCl (n = 13), or the equivalent control diet (n = 16), during behavioural testing. Blood and brain tissue samples were assayed for a wide range of cytokines once any changes in impulsivity became significant. After 12 weeks, chronic lithium treatment reduced levels of motor impulsivity, as indexed by premature responses in the 5CSRTT; measures of sustained attention and motivation were unaffected. Plasma levels of IL-1β, IL-10 and RANTES (CCL-5) were reduced in lithium-treated rats at this time point. IL-1β, IL-6 and RANTES were also reduced selectively within the orbitofrontal cortex of lithium-treated rats, whereas cytokine levels in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens were comparable with control subjects. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that lithium may improve impulse control deficits in clinical populations by minimising the effects of pro-inflammatory signalling on neuronal activity, particularly within the orbitofrontal cortex.

Diet and Nutraceutical Supplementation in Dyslipidemic Patients: First Results of an Italian Single Center Real-World Retrospective Analysis.

Background: Dyslipidemias are a heterogeneous group of metabolic disorders mainly characterized by an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or other conditions, such as acute pancreatitis in hypertriglyceridemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of diet treatment and nutraceutical (NUTs) supplementation on the plasma lipid profile in outpatient dyslipidemic subjects, considering the influence of several factors (i.e., gender, age, body mass index, alcohol consumption, and smoking habits). Methods: 487 dyslipidemic patients spanning from 2015 to 2019 were treated with a Mediterranean diet or NUTs in a real-word setting and were retrospectively analyzed. General characteristics and lipid profile at baseline and after the follow-up period were evaluated. Results: Diet alone reduced total cholesterol (−19 mg/dL, −7.7%), LDL cholesterol (−18 mg/dL, −10.1%), and triglycerides (−20 mg/dL, −16.7%). Triglycerides (TG) decreased more in men, while women were associated with higher reduction of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C). Different types of NUTs further ameliorate lipid profiles when associated with diet. Nevertheless, most patients at low ASCVD risk (222 out of 262, 81.6%) did not achieve the 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines recommended LDL-C goals (i.e., LDL-C < 116 mg/dL). Conclusion: Lipid-lowering diet improves lipid profile, and NUTs can boost its efficacy, but taken together they are mainly unsatisfactory with respect to the targets imposed by 2019 EAS/ESC guidelines.

Cognitive Impairment in Coeliac Disease with Respect to Disease Duration and Gluten-Free Diet Adherence: A Pilot Study.

Cognitive deficit has been reported in coeliac disease (CD), but previous reports often study heterogenous samples of patients at multiple stages of the disease, or lack control data. Healthy controls (N = 21), newly diagnosed CD patients (NCD; N = 19) and established CD patients (ECD; N = 35) were recruited from a specialist UK centre. Participants underwent a cognitive test battery that established seven overall domain scores. The SF-36 was administered as a quality of life (QoL) measure. Controlling for age, data were compared in between-group ANCOVAs with Tukey’s post-hoc test. Any significant outcome was compared in the ECD group only, between patients who were gluten-free diet adherent vs. non-adherent (defined via Biagi score and serology results). NCD and ECD groups underperformed relative to controls, by comparable degrees, in visual (overall model: p < 0.001) and verbal (p = 0.046) memory. The ECD group only underperformed in visuoconstructive abilities (p = 0.050). Regarding QoL, the NCD group reported lower vitality (p = 0.030), while the ECD group reported more bodily pain (p = 0.009). Comparisons based on dietary adherence were non-significant. These findings confirm cognitive deficit in CD. Dysfunction appears established at the point of diagnosis, after which it (predominantly) stabilises. While a beneficial effect of dietary treatment is therefore implied, future research is needed to establish to what extent any further decline is due to gluten exposure.