Feeding Regime Research Articles

The impact of low-energy, partially hydrolysed enteral formula on gastrointestinal symptoms and weight in children with neurological impairment: a multicentre retrospective study.

Neurological impairment (NI) relates to disorders of the central nervous system. The specific aetiology of NI varies but includes genetic, congenital abnormalities or brain injury. In children with severe NI, feeding impairments can lead to undernutrition, and some children require a feeding tube. Although tube feeding improves overall nutritional status, it has also been associated with excess body fat. Commercially available enteral formulas that are low in energy, hydrolysed and nutritionally adequate for protein and micronutrients are available to mitigate gastrointestinal symptoms and obesity. This is a retrospective multicentre study of children who attended NI clinics between January 2022 and July 2023. Data were collected before and 1 month after receiving a low-energy, partially hydrolysed enteral formula (0.6 kcal/mL) on demographic data (age, sex, ethnicity and NI diagnosis), anthropometric measurements (weight, height, weight-for-age Z-score, height-for-age Z-score, body mass index [BMI] Z-score) and feed regimen (feed volume, total fluids and type of formula/supplements). Dietitians collected data on 28 children, the median age was 7 years (interquartile range [IQR] 3, 8). The most frequently recorded NI was cerebral palsy, in 13 of 28 children (48%). Before the formula switch, the most frequently reported gastrointestinal symptom was constipation, in 13 of 28 children. Within 1 month of switching to a low-energy, hydrolysed formula, 10 of the 13 (77%) children reported an improvement in constipation. Before the formula switch, all 28 children were experiencing excessive weight gain. After the formula was switched to low-energy, hydrolysed formula, dietitians reported that 20 of the 28 (76%) children's weight either stabilised or reduced after 1 month. There was no statistically significant difference in weight-for-age Z-score or BMI Z-scores postswitch of formula (p-value 0.1 and 0.09, respectively). Fibre intake increased significantly from 3.3 to 8.1 g/day (p-value < 0.01) after formula switch. The number of children whose feed regimens were simplified after switching to a low-energy, partially hydrolysed formula was 24 of 28 (91%). Children with an NI who have gastrointestinal symptoms may benefit from a low-energy, hydrolysed enteral formula to maximise feed tolerance and promote healthy weight gain. In addition, changing to a low-energy, hydrolysed formula may simplify feed regimens by eliminating the need for additional electrolytes, multivitamins and fluid boluses. Healthcare professionals should be knowledgeable about the effectiveness and availability of a low-energy, hydrolysed formula.

Food insecurity in children with heart disease.

This review discusses the epidemiology of food insecurity (FI) and its consequences in children with congenital heart disease. We aimed to highlight current interventions to screen and address food insecurity in the context of pediatric cardiology and to offer strategies for providers to engage in this meaningful work. Food insecurity is consistently associated with poor health outcomes in children. In the United States, 17.3% of households with children experience FI. Nonwhite and single-parent families are disproportionately affected. Interestingly, because of a low-quality diet, FI is associated with childhood obesity, putting affected children at increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality over time. Children with congenital heart disease are susceptible to poor outcomes due to unique altered metabolic demands, increased risk for growth impairment, frequent need for specialized feeding regimens, and additional morbidity associated with heart surgery in underweight children. Today, the burden of screening for FI is most commonly placed on general pediatricians. Considering the importance of nutrition to cardiovascular health and general wellbeing, and the ease with which screening can be performed, pediatric cardiologists and other subspecialists should take a more active role in FI screening.

Intermittent fasting shifts the diurnal transcriptome atlas of transcription factors.

Intermittent fasting remains a safe and effective strategy to ameliorate various age-related diseases, but its specific mechanisms are not fully understood. Considering that transcription factors (TFs) determine the response to environmental signals, here, we profiled the diurnal expression of 600 samples across four metabolic tissues sampled every 4 over 24h from mice placed on five different feeding regimens to provide an atlas of TFs in biological space, time, and feeding regimen. Results showed that 1218 TFs exhibited tissue-specific and temporal expression profiles in ad libitum mice, of which 974 displayed significant oscillations at least in one tissue. Intermittent fasting triggered more than 90% (1161 in 1234) of TFs to oscillate somewhere in the body and repartitioned their tissue-specific expression. A single round of fasting generally promoted TF expression, especially in skeletal muscle and adipose tissues, while intermittent fasting mainly suppressed TF expression. Intermittent fasting down-regulated aging pathway and upregulated the pathway responsible for the inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Intermittent fasting shifts the diurnal transcriptome atlas of TFs, and mTOR inhibition may orchestrate intermittent fasting-induced health improvements. This atlas offers a reference and resource to understand how TFs and intermittent fasting may contribute to diurnal rhythm oscillation and bring about specific health benefits.

Zebrafish Feed Intake: A Systematic Review for Standardizing Feeding Management in Laboratory Conditions.

Zebrafish are one of the most used animal models in biological research and a cost-effective alternative to rodents. Despite this, nutritional requirements and standardized feeding protocols have not yet been established for this species. This is important to avoid nutritional effects on experimental outcomes, and especially when zebrafish models are used in preclinical studies, as many diseases have nutritional confounding factors. A key aspect of zebrafish nutrition is related to feed intake, the amount of feed ingested by each fish daily. With the goal of standardizing feeding protocols among the zebrafish community, this paper systematically reviews the available data from 73 studies on zebrafish feed intake, feeding regimes (levels), and diet composition. Great variability was observed regarding diet composition, especially regarding crude protein (mean 44.98 ± 9.87%) and lipid content (9.91 ± 5.40%). Interestingly, the gross energy levels of the zebrafish diets were similar across the reviewed studies (20.39 ± 2.10 kilojoules/g of feed). In most of the reviewed papers, fish received a predetermined quantity of feed (feed supplied). The authors fed the fish according to the voluntary intake and then calculated feed intake (FI) in only 17 papers. From a quantitative point of view, FI was higher than when a fixed quantity (pre-defined) of feed was supplied. Also, the literature showed that many biotic and abiotic factors may affect zebrafish FI. Finally, based on the FI data gathered from the literature, a new feeding protocol is proposed. In summary, a daily feeding rate of 9-10% of body weight is proposed for larvae, whereas these values are equal to 6-8% for juveniles and 5% for adults when a dry feed with a proper protein and energy content is used.

Clinical Outcomes of Slow versus Rapid Enteral Feeding Advancement in Very Low Birth Weight Neonates at a Tertiary Care Center

In India, every year around 3.5 million babies are born premature, accounting for almost 13% of total livebirths in the country as compared to 5% to 7% incidence in the West. Preterm is defined as babies born before 37 weeks ofpregnancy. The rapidity of feed volume increments involves controversies like faster weight gain, shorter hospital stays, therisk of necrotizing enterocolitis and vice versa. Methods: The present study was a randomized controlled trial conducted fromJune 1, 2018 to October 31, 2019. All infants in the study were randomized to slow and rapid feeding protocols by a stratifiedblock randomization sequence of 2, 4, 6 blocks. Group 1 or the slow advancement group included 64 newborns babies andGroup 2 or the rapid advancement group included 69 newborns babies. Results: The average weight gain in Group 1 was4.41 ± 0.9 g and in Group 2 it was 6.33 ± 1.3 g, the difference was statistically significant (p &lt; 0.02). Sixty out of 64 newbornsregained birth weight within 16.87 ± 0.9 days in Group 1, while 64 out of 69 newborns regained birth weight within 13.63 ±0.9 days in Group 2. The difference was statistically significant. Increment in the mean occipitofrontal circumference perweek was 0.29 ± 0.27 cm Group 1, while in Group 2 it was 0.42 ± 0.05 cm; the difference was statistically significant. Meanaverage length increment per week was found to be 0.55 ± 0.04 cm and 0.69 ± 0.05 cm in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively,the difference was statistically significant (p &lt; 0.005). The mean duration of hospital stay was 27.47 ± 3.33 days in Group 1while in Group 2, the duration of stay was 23.15 ± 2.22 days, the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Ourstudy supports enteral nutrition by rapid enteral feeding regimen in stable preterm neonates with very low birth weight

Immunosuppression, growth retardation, and transcriptomic profile alterations induced by chronic copper toxicity in Clarias gariepinus: The ameliorative effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles

This study was designated to look into the toxicological effects of long-term exposure of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) to a heavy metal (copper) on the growth, hematology, immune-antioxidant functions and their regulating genes, and resistance to Aeromonas sobria. Furthermore, the efficiency of dietary zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZNPs) to ameliorate copper toxicity was assessed. Fish (n=300: average body weight: 90.56±0.20 g) were equally allocated into six groups in five replicates (10 fish/replicate; 50 fish/ group) for 60 days at a water temperature of 25 ± 1.2 ◦C. Three diets were formulated with varying ZNPs levels: control (0 mg kg−1), ZNPs20 (20 mg kg−1), and ZNPs30 (30 mg kg−1), with actual zinc concentrations of 45, 65, and 75 mg kg−1, respectively. The experimental groups were named, control, ZNPs20, and ZNPs30 groups which were fed on the control, ZNPs20, and ZNPs30 diets, respectively without copper exposure. Additionally, the CuCL2, CuCL2+ZNPs20, and CuCL2+ZNPs30 groups were received the same feeding regime as the control, ZNPs20, and ZNPs30 groups, respectively and exposed to copper chloride, CuCL2 (10 mg L−1). At the end of the exposure trial (60 days), all experimental groups were challenged with 0.2 mL of A. sobria (1×108 CFU mL−1) and the mortalities were recorded daily for additional 7 days. The results displayed that copper exposure resulted in lower growth metrics and survivability. The final body weight, weight gain, feed intake, and survivability were reduced in the CuCL2 group by 39.29%, 23.79%, 63.37%, and 20%, respectively with increasing the feed conversion ratio by 52.13% compared to the control group. In addition, reduced hematological (red blood cells (58.40%), hemoglobin (48.11%), packed cell volume (40.59%), white blood cells (46.85%), total proteins (43.12%), albumin (41.98%), and globulin (44.23%)), immune (lysozymes (59.74%), complement 3 (41.89%), nitric oxide (57.14%), and phagocytic activity (38.75%)), and antioxidant parameters (glutathione peroxidase (82.95%), catalase (74.08%), and superoxide dismutase (48.59%)), as well as higher oxidative (malondialdehyde) (200.30%) indicator were observed in the CuCL2 group compared to the control group. A down-regulation of the antioxidant (glutathione peroxidase-1) and immune (lysozyme-G, lysozyme-C, transforming growth factor-beta, and myeloperoxidase) genes with up-regulation of the inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1ß, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, nuclear factor kappa β, and Toll-like receptor 5) was noticed in the CuCL2 group. In addition, the survivability of the CuCL2 group during A. sobria challenge was reduced (25%) compared to the control group. Noticeably, ZNPs diets modulated the growth, survival, and antioxidant/immune functions and their associated genes of the copper-exposed fish. In addition, ZNPs increased the resistance of the copper-exposed fish to A. sobria challenge. ZNPs diets especially at 30 mg kg−1 level proposed a promising feed additive for mitigating the stress consequences of copper exposure in African catfish.

Effect of Stocking Density, Multispecies Probiotics, and Biofloc on Metabolic and Physiological Responses of Puntius sophore in Laboratory Conditions

A 60-day experimental trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of different stocking densities, probiotic supplementation, and a biofloc system on the growth and physiological responses of Puntius sophore in laboratory conditions. P. sophore (8.64 ± 1.24 g) was obtained from the Brahmaputra River, Mymensingh, and immediately transferred to a flow-through water system. In experiment 1, fish were subjected to three treatments (20 fish per 400 L as LD, 25 fish per 400 L as MD, and 30 fish per 400 L as HD), and similarly, in experiment 2, three different types of diets were provided (control diet (D1), biofloc (D2), and a probiotic-containing diet (D3)). Three replications were used in the completely randomized experimental design. Growth parameters, viz. TLG, BWG, FCR, FCE, SGR, RGR, and DGR, were significantly influenced by stocking density and probiotics (p &lt; 0.05). The highest growth rate was observed in LD and in D3. The lowest FCR was also observed in LD and in D3, while highest was in HD (30 fish per 400 L) and in D2. Though stocking density does not impact the blood profile, with the exception of WBC, in the case of feeding regime, WBC, RBC, MCV, MCH, and PLT levels differed significantly (p &lt; 0.05); however, all haematological measures were within the normal range in both experiments, and the fish’s physiological conditions were better in LD and feeding with probiotic supplementation (D3). The results obtained from this study suggested that the welfare of P. sophore is adversely affected by high stocking density and increased growth and physiological conditions when cultured with LD and supplemented with probiotics.

Dietary Galla chinensis on white shrimp Penaeus vannamei: Promotes growth, nonspecific immunity, and disease resistance against Vibrio parahaemolyticus

This study investigated the impact of Galla chinensis (GC) powder as a dietary supplement on the immunity, growth, and pathogen resistance of white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei. An in vitro analysis demonstrated that GC inhibited Vibrio with no discernible impact on Lactobacillus. Following this, GC was tested for toxicity on white shrimp hemocytes. GC showed harmlessness to white shrimp hemocytes since cell viability was over 80% at all dosages. The immune response of hemocytes in white shrimp to diets containing varying concentrations of GC was evaluated in an in vivo experiment. Five feeding regimens were trialed for 28 days, which were designated as GC0.5, GC1, GC2.5, and GC5 (0, 0.5, 1, 2.5, and 5 g/kg, respectively). The enhanced total hemocytes, phenoloxidase, phagocytic activity, and production of superoxide anion in white shrimp on day 7 of the feeding trial by administering a supplementary GC diet significantly stimulated the nonspecific immunity of white shrimp. Additionally, dietary GC substantially increased the expression of related genes in white shrimp hemocytes in vivo, including Toll, Imd, antimicrobial peptides, antioxidant defenses, clotting protein, and heat shock protein. The challenge experiment was conducted to assess the disease resistance of white shrimp fed with GC. The shrimps were fed dietary GC for 7 days while being challenged with Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The shrimp exhibited a substantial variation in survival rate during the bacteria challenge experiment due to the activation of related genes and the enhancement of non-specific immunity. The mortality of white shrimp was substantially reduced by the supplementary GC at a concentration of 1 g/kg during the bacteria challenge. A final feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects of dietary GC on the growth performance of white shrimp. The continuous administration of dietary GC at a dose of 1 g/kg to shrimp for 56 days resulted in the highest enhancement in shrimp growth among all treatments. This was evidenced by significantly increased final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, and decreased feed conversion ratios. Dietary GC at a dosage of 1 g/kg has been suggested for use to enhance the growth performance of white shrimp and improve immunological responses, particularly nonspecific immunity and related gene expression, as well as resistance to Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Genetic group and heterosis in the behavioural evolution of steers during finishing in confinement

Crossbreeding is one way of achieving complementarity between breeds in relation to economically important characteristics; in addition, it allows the effect of heterosis to be exploited. The aim of this study was to measure the behavioural evolution of different genetic groups and mating systems in continuous alternating crosses of Charolais and Nellore cattle. Seventy-nine purebred Charolais (C) and Nellore (N) steers were evaluated during finishing in confinement, together with their second (3/4C 1/4 N and 3/4 N 1/4C), third (5/8C 3/8 N and 5/8 N 3/8C) and fourth generation (11/16C 5/16 N and 11/16 N 5/16C) crosses. The confinement period was 97 days, including 13 days for adaptation to the environment and feeding regime. Behavioural assessments were carried out when weighing, evaluating the composite scale score, time taken to exit the scales, measurement of flight distance, location of the facial hair whorl, and plasma cortisol level at slaughter. The Charolais animals showed a better composite scale score, longer exit time and shorter flight distance than the Nellore animals. For generation 3 (5/8 animals), the inclusion of Charolais genes afforded a higher composite scale score in each of the assessments, longer flight time in the assessments at 14 and 77 days, shorter flight distance in each of the assessments, with the facial hair whorl positioned further below the eye line, determining animals of a calmer behaviour. Purebred Nellore and predominantly Nellore animals from the third generation of crosses were higher in cortisol at slaughter than the purebred Charolais or predominantly Charolais animals, showing significant heterosis only in the second generation. Bos taurus animals are calmer and have a more suitable temperament than Bos indicus, however, the behaviour of zebu cattle can improve as the period of confinement increases, with the type of handling affecting behaviour and reactivity throughout the assessments.

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome: is feeding key?

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome is caused by the interaction of acid with any part of the stomach mucosa. It is divided into two main categories: equine squamous gastric disease and equine glandular gastric disease. This review explores the highly prevalent equine squamous gastric disorder, the wide range of symptoms, correct diagnosis and the influence of management factors on the initiation of the condition. Although stress, weaning and exercise are all documented factors in the development of equine squamous gastric disorder, this article examines the main diet-related causes and examines why feeding regimens can have a significant impact on the disease, and how best to feed to minimise the development of equine squamous gastric disorder.

Chinese consumer preference for beef with geographical indications and other attributes

As the demand for beef products grows in the Chinese market, understanding consumer preferences for beef, especially those related to quality labelling, is essential. The recent agreement between China and the European Union to promote Geographical Indications (GIs) provides a new insight into preferences for beef with quality labelling. This paper assesses consumer preferences for beef products with GIs and other attributes. A nationwide survey is conducted including 1210 respondents in China by a choice experiment attributing GI label, ‘green’, ‘hazard-free’, and ‘organic’ labels, feeding regimes (grain-fed, grass-fed), country of origin (China, Ireland, Australia, Brazil), and price (30, 40, 80, 100 ¥/500 g). The random parameter logit model with error component reveals that Chinese consumers have a significant preference for grain-fed beef and domestic beef, and they are willing to pay a premium price for GI-labelled beef compared with other attributes. The interaction between GIs and country of origin is included to indicate the positive price impact of GIs on imported beef products. Demographic factors such as place of residence and occupation are found to affect consumer preferences for GIs.

Mitigating Cold Stress in Livestock by Nutritional Interventions: A Comprehensive Review

Climate change has been the major threat to livestock systems sustainability globally. This climate change has provoked many stressors, for instance, cold, heat, humidity, rain, ice and wind, that can directly or indirectly exert influence on the endocrine system and impact the performance of an animal including their production potential, reproductive system and regular estrous cycle. Also, the environmental stressors can contribute to the amenability of animals to infections; it is therefore, vital to understand how stressors alter the animal’s adaptive capacity and efficient methods in coping stress. This review aims at the scientific evidences regarding challenges due to cold stress and its potential mitigation by nutritional interventions. The cold is amongst the most potential environmental stressors which can adversely affect production potential as well as the growth of animals. Under cold stress the animals’ dietary intake increases, but the production capacity declines, furthermore, it can also culminate in physiological fluctuations, behavioral shift, tissue and intestinal impairment and soaring death rate. Maintenance of animal in its thermoneutral zone is important, otherwise any deviation from it proves life threatening. So, to cut back on the economic losses timely course of action must be taken to prevent the damages ascribed to the stressor. To maintain the production performance along with profitability, it is thus recommended to adapt scientific feeding regimens and also incorporate feed supplements (especially vitamins and minerals) to combat the devastating effects of cold stress.

Life-History Trade-Offs in Drosophila: Flies Select a Diet to Maximize Reproduction at the Expense of Lifespan.

Macronutrient intake impacts physiology, behavior, and gene expression in a wide range of organisms. We used the response surface methodology to compare how life history traits, lifespan, and reproduction differ as a function of protein and carbohydrate intakes under choice and no-choice feeding regimens in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We found that when offered a choice of nutritionally complementary foods mated female flies regulated toward a protein to carbohydrate ratio (P:C) that was associated with shortened lifespan and maximal egg production when compared to response surfaces derived from flies fed 1 of a range of fixed diets differing in P:C (no-choice regimen). This difference in lifespan between choice and no-choice feeding was not seen in males or virgin flies, reflecting the fact that increased protein intake is triggered by mating to support egg production. However, whereas in mated females a higher P:C intake was associated with greater egg production under both choice and no-choice feeding, contrary to expectations, choice-fed mated flies laid fewer eggs than no-choice flies on equivalent macronutrient intakes, perhaps reflecting that they had to ingest twice the volume of food to attain an equivalent intake of nutrients than no-choice flies on a diet of equivalent P:C ratio.

The effects of ambient temperature and feeding regimens on cecum bacteria composition and circadian rhythm in growing rabbits.

Seasonal environmental shifts and improper eating habits are the important causes of diarrhea in children and growing animals. Whether adjusting feeding time at varying temperatures can modify cecal bacterial structure and improve diarrhea remains unknown. Three batches growing rabbits with two groups per batch were raised under different feeding regimens (fed at daytime vs. nighttime) in spring, summer and winter separately, and contents were collected at six time points in 1 day and used 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate the effects of feeding regimens and season on the composition and circadian rhythms of cecum bacteria. Randomized forest regression screened 12 genera that were significantly associated with seasonal ambient temperature changes. Nighttime feeding reduced the abundance of the conditionally pathogenic bacteria Desulfovibrio and Alistipes in summer and Campylobacter in winter. And also increases the circadian rhythmic Amplicon Sequence Variants in the cecum, enhancing the rhythm of bacterial metabolic activity. This rhythmic metabolic profile of cecum bacteria may be conducive to the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the host cecum. In addition, this study has identified 9 genera that were affected by the combination of seasons and feeding time. In general, we found that seasons and feeding time and their combinations affect cecum composition and circadian rhythms, and that daytime feeding during summer and winter disrupts the balance of cecum bacteria of growing rabbits, which may adversely affect cecum health and induce diarrhea risk.

Small‐scale hatchery of common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., in the highlands of Madagascar: Technical approach to improve fry production

AbstractIn Madagascar, fish farming is a complementary activity to agriculture, developed mainly in the highlands region. The common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., is the main species farmed. The availability of fingerlings is one of the key constraints facing the sector. The present study shows the benefit of an appropriate feed and feeding regime to both broodfish and larvae/fry and also the positive impact of protecting larvae during the first stages of their life by using happa system. The combination of these technical approaches increases significantly carp fry production.

Effects of different rearing systems on carcase traits, physicochemical properties, basic chemical composition, fatty acid profiles and amino acid profiles of Gangba lamb

This study aimed to explore the influence of feeding regimens on carcase traits and meat quality of Gangba lambs. Thirty healthy Gangba ram lambs at nine months of age and an average body weight of 14.08 ± 0.79 kg were randomly distributed into three treatment groups (10 replicates per group). The groups are as follows: a grazing (G) group without any supplementation and housing; a semi-grazing (SG) group provided with 200–300 g of concentrates and free access to oat hay off-pasture; and a stall-feeding (SF) group with 400–500 g of concentrates and free access to oat hay. The experiment lasted 85 d, comprising a 10-d adaptation period and a 75-d experimental period. Results showed that significant differences in carcase weight existed among groups, respectively, with the SF group having the highest weights and the G group having the lowest weights (p < 0.05). The pH45min and pH24h in the G group were significantly higher than that in the SG group (p < 0.05). Muscles from the G and SG groups had higher erucic acid (22:1n-9), α-linolenic acid (C18:3n3), and conjugated linoleic acids (CLA-c9t11 and CLA-t10c12) than the SF group (p < 0.05). The G group had a lower concentration of proline (Pro) than the SF group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the feeding systems had no effects on chemical composition and little influence on amino acid composition. The traditional grazing rearing and SG systems improved lamb meat quality by increasing the presence of beneficial fatty acids. In contrast, the SF regimen improved the carcase weight of Gangba lambs without increasing their meat quality compared to the grazing rearing and SG systems. The directions of future efforts for breeders are to improve carcase traits (like carcase weight) of lambs in both natural grazing and SG systems, as well as the meat quality of lambs raised in feedlots.

Identification of circRNA-associated ceRNA networks in the longissimus dorsi of yak under different feeding systems

BackgroundYaks (Bos grunniens), prized for their ability to thrive in high-altitude environments, are indispensable livestock in the plateau region. Modifying their feeding systems holds significant promise for improving their growth and meat quality. Tenderness, a key determinant of yak meat quality and consumer appeal, is demonstrably influenced by dietary regimen. Indoor feeding regimes have been shown to enhance tenderness by lowering shear stress and optimizing pH values. CircRNAs, well-known modulators of circulatory function, also play a crucial role in skeletal muscle development across various animal species. However, their functional significance in yak skeletal muscle remains largely unexplored.ResultsIn this study, we identified a total of 5,534 circRNAs within the longissimus dorsi muscle, and we found 51 differentially expressed circRNAs (20 up-regulated and 31 down-regulated) between the two feeding groups. Constructing a comprehensive ceRNA network illuminated intricate regulatory mechanisms, with PGP and circRNA_0617 converging on bta-miR-2285q, mirrored by KLF15/circRNA_0345/bta-miR-20b and CTSF/circRNA_0348/bta-miR-146a. These findings shed light on the potential of circRNAs to influence yak muscle development and meat quality, offering valuable insights for future research.ConclusionsThis investigation unraveled a complex interaction network between circRNAs、mRNAs and miRNAs in yak skeletal muscle. We further elucidated the target genes regulated by these target genes within the network, offering valuable insights into the potential regulatory mechanisms governing muscle development and meat quality-related traits in yaks.

Nav1.8-expressing neurons control daily oscillations of food intake, body weight and gut microbiota in mice.

Recent evidence suggests a role of sensory neurons expressing the sodium channel Nav1.8 on the energy homeostasis control. Using a murine diphtheria toxin ablation strategy and ad libitum and time-restricted feeding regimens of control or high-fat high-sugar diets, here we further explore the function of these neurons on food intake and on the regulation of gastrointestinal elements transmitting immune and nutrient sensing.The Nav1.8+ neuron ablation increases food intake in ad libitum and time-restricted feeding, and exacerbates daily body weight variations. Mice lacking Nav1.8+ neurons show impaired prandial regulation of gut hormone secretion and gut microbiota composition, and altered intestinal immunity.Our study demonstrates that Nav1.8+ neurons are required to control food intake and daily body weight changes, as well as to maintain physiological enteroendocrine and immune responses and the rhythmicity of thegut microbiota, which highlights the potential of Nav1.8+ neurons to restore energy balance in metabolic disorders.

Broodstock nutrition in Nile tilapia and its implications on reproductive efficiency

Broodstock nutrition is the most essential constituent of sustainable aquaculture production. Its impact on the reproductive performance and profitability of commercial aquaculture has been the subject of considerable research. The present paper reviews the literature available on the subject, examining the implication of Nile tilapia broodstock nutrition on parameters including maturation, fecundity, fertilization, embryo development, larval quality, and survival rate. The provision of a nutritive diet composed of essential macro- and micronutrients including proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and functional additives, such as prebiotics, enzymes, hormones, and probiotics, in different proportions is discussed. Special emphasis is given to literature dealing with the effects of dietary protein and lipid on vitellogenesis and ovarian maturation, fecundity, egg hatching rate, larval quality, and fry survival number. The impact of the feeding regime on reproductive performance is described.

Integrated alternative approaches to select feed-efficient rainbow trout families to enhance the plant protein utilization

Improving feed utilization efficiency is a challenge in aquaculture. Therefore, we developed an indirect benchmark to use in selecting trout for improved efficiency of feed utilization on plant protein (soy)-based diets, with the long-term goal of reducing the cost of commercial trout production. We used a four-part integrative approach to identify feed efficient individuals among 1595 fish coming from 12 genetically selected families by establishing the phenotypic relationship between feed conversion ratio (FCR) and body weight variations using compensatory feeding regimes. Additionally, we examined the nutritional composition of fish filet for each efficiency phenotype during the compensatory regimen. Our findings showed that the fish with the lowest weight loss during a feed deprivation period and the highest weight gain during the refeeding period (FD−/RF +) demonstrated the lowest FCR (FCR = 0.99) and consisted of individuals from several lines. This finding confirms the possibility of improving feed efficiency in mixed lines. Although feeding period has an effect on nutritional composition of fillet, such selection criteria did not show an effect on groups. Overall, successful selection for the improvement of feed efficiency will have a broad application to commercial fish selective breeding programs, leading to increased aquaculture sustainability in the long run.