Growth In Farm Animals Research Articles

Evaluation of banana peel extract (Musa sapientum L.) as a natural antimicrobial for livestock farming

AbstractIntroductionOne of the primary objectives of managing microbial content in livestock farming is to control diseases in the respective animals. Nevertheless, the pervasive development of drug‐resistant bacteria is a consequence of the high levels of antibiotic use that are necessary to achieve this objective. This situation exacerbates animal disease and poses a threat to human health. The purpose of this study was to investigate alternative microbial control methods in livestock farming using banana peel extract.Materials & MethodsThe antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of peel extracts from unripe and ripe cultivated bananas were examined and compared.ResultsThe results are notable because they show that the unripe banana peel extracts exhibited significantly better antioxidant activity than the ripe banana peel extracts in 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) tests. Furthermore, the unripe banana peels showed significant antimicrobial activity in vitro against four bacteria that are commonly found in swine and poultry houses, including Staphylococcus epidermidis, Exiguobacterium indicum, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus siamensis, Bacillus altitudinis, Pantoea ananatis, and Bacillus megaterium. This activity was probably due to their high levels of total phenolic content and total flavonoid content. Then, the spray formulation loaded with the concentrated unripe banana peel extract that was five times higher than the minimum bactericidal concentration was developed and tested. Ethanol, sodium benzoate, tween 80, and glycerine were applied as additives in the spray formulation to increase the extract's solubility and stability. It was found that the developed spray formulation effectively inhibited the growth of S. epidermidis.ConclusionThese research outcomes show that the possible application of banana peel extract is an excellent approach because it is an eco‐friendly alternative to control microorganisms undesired microbial growth in farm animals.

Growth Performance of Broiler Chicken Supplemented with Bacillus velezensis D01Ca and Bacillus siamensis G01Bb Isolated from Goat and Duck Microbiota

The increasing global demand for sustainable agricultural practices and the quest for food security has intensified the need for alternative solutions to promote healthy growth in farm animals. One potential strategy is the use of probiotics derived from diverse sources, which remains relatively uncharted. In this context, this study aimed to assess the probiotic potentials of Bacillus velezensis D01Ca and Bacillus siamensis G01Bb, strains sourced from the gut of ducks and goats. Using two completely randomized experimental designs with 150-day-old broiler chickens, two distinct set-ups were implemented. In the first, broilers were subjected to either a control condition, a single dose of B. velezensis D01Ca at 2.4 × 107 cfu/ml, or its double dose. The second set-up followed a similar setup, but with B. siamensis G01Bb at 2.29 × 107 cfu/ml. Throughout the 42-day trial, all broilers consumed a commercial ration ad libitum and accessed water freely, with specific groups receiving the supplemented water based on the treatment. Results show that the feed intake of broilers remained unaffected by the probiotic supplementation, with no significant difference (P≤0.05). However, broilers in the supplemented groups exhibited a noticeable increase in body weight and body weight gain when compared to the control. The feed conversion ratio, crucially, was consistent across all test groups. Conclusively, our findings suggest that B. velezensis D01Ca and B. siamensis G01Bb hold promise as viable probiotics for broiler chickens, offering potential strides toward sustainable agricultural practices and enhanced food security.

The effects of temperature and donor piglet age on the transcriptomic profile and energy metabolism of myoblasts.

Rapid climate change is associated with frequent extreme heat events and the resulting thermal stress has consequences for the health, welfare, and growth of farm animals. The aim of this study was to characterize the transcriptional changes and the effects on energy metabolism in proliferating porcine myoblasts derived from piglets of different ages, representing differences in thermoregulatory abilities, and cultivated below (35°C) and above (39°C, 41°C) the standard cultivation temperature (37°C). Satellite cells originating from Musculus rhomboideus of piglets isolated on days 5 (P5, thermolabile) and 20 (P20, thermostable) of age were used. Our expression analyses highlighted differentially expressed genes in porcine myoblasts cultures under heat or cold induced stress. These gene sets showed enrichment for biological processes and pathways related to organelle fission, cell cycle, chromosome organization, and DNA replication. Culture at 35°C resulted in increased metabolic flux as well as a greater abundance of transcripts of the cold shock protein-encoding gene RBM3 and those of genes related to biological processes and signaling pathways, especially those involving the immune system (cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways). For cultivation at 39°C, differences in the expression of genes related to DNA replication and cell growth were identified. The highest glutathione index ratio was also found under 39°C. Meanwhile, cultivation at 41°C induced a heat stress response, including the upregulation of HSP70 expression and the downregulation of many biological processes and signaling pathways related to proliferative ability. Our analysis also identified differentially expressed genes between cells of donors with a not yet (P5) and already fully developed (P20) capacity for thermoregulation at different cultivation temperatures. When comparing P5 and P20, most of the changes in gene expression were detected at 37°C. At this optimal temperature, muscle cells can develop to their full capacity. Therefore, the most diverse molecular signaling pathways, including PI3K-Akt signaling, Wnt signaling, and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, were found and are more pronounced in muscle cells from 20-day-old piglets. These results contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the adaptation of skeletal muscle cells to temperature stress in terms of their thermoregulatory ability.

Determination of Tetracycline Using Ultrasound-Assisted Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Based on Solidification of Floating Organic Droplet Followed by HPLC-UV System.

Tetracyclines (TCs) are a group of broad-spectrum antibiotics that may be used to control bacterial diseases in humans or are applied as feed additives to enhance growth in farm animals. TCs are released into the aquatic environment via different pathways. Many analytical methods combined with a preconcentration step have been introduced for the determination of TC in various environmental samples. The objective this paper is developing reliable analytical methods for determination of TC trace in various environmental samples. In the present work, combined ultrasound-assisted and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction according to the solidification of floating organic drop as a sample preconcentration procedure for determining TC hydrochloride HPLC in water and serum samples was used. A series of parameters, including the type and volume of disperser and extraction solvents, salt effect, extraction time, and pH of solution influencing the extraction efficiency of UA-DLLME-SFO was examined. Enrichment factors were in the range of 125-137 for TC hydrochloride under optimum conditions. The linear range was calculated from 0.005 to 3 mg/L and LOD at 0.002 mg/L. RSDs were in the range of 2.7 to 3.2 (n = 5). The UA-DLLME-SFO method used in water and serum samples revealed good extraction recoveries with RSD of 2.7-4.3%. This method significantly decreased the organic solvent volume from 3 mL to 90 µL, also LOD and linear ranges were lower than or almost close to levels obtained in other research studies. In this procedure, an ultrasound bath enhanced the mixing and contact between the sample solution and the extraction solvent.

Key Genes Regulating Skeletal Muscle Development and Growth in Farm Animals.

Simple SummarySkeletal muscle mass is an important economic trait, and muscle development and growth is a crucial factor to supply enough meat for human consumption. Thus, understanding (candidate) genes regulating skeletal muscle development is crucial for understanding molecular genetic regulation of muscle growth and can be benefit the meat industry toward the goal of increasing meat yields. During the past years, significant progress has been made for understanding these mechanisms, and thus, we decided to write a comprehensive review covering regulators and (candidate) genes crucial for muscle development and growth in farm animals. Detection of these genes and factors increases our understanding of muscle growth and development and is a great help for breeders to satisfy demands for meat production on a global scale. Farm-animal species play crucial roles in satisfying demands for meat on a global scale, and they are genetically being developed to enhance the efficiency of meat production. In particular, one of the important breeders’ aims is to increase skeletal muscle growth in farm animals. The enhancement of muscle development and growth is crucial to meet consumers’ demands regarding meat quality. Fetal skeletal muscle development involves myogenesis (with myoblast proliferation, differentiation, and fusion), fibrogenesis, and adipogenesis. Typically, myogenesis is regulated by a convoluted network of intrinsic and extrinsic factors monitored by myogenic regulatory factor genes in two or three phases, as well as genes that code for kinases. Marker-assisted selection relies on candidate genes related positively or negatively to muscle development and can be a strong supplement to classical selection strategies in farm animals. This comprehensive review covers important (candidate) genes that regulate muscle development and growth in farm animals (cattle, sheep, chicken, and pig). The identification of these genes is an important step toward the goal of increasing meat yields and improves meat quality.

PSVI-10 Detection of E. coli virulence genes during the pre-weaning and peri-weaning period in young meat goats

Abstract It has been postulated that changes in prevalence of E. coli isolates with particular virulence genes in animals may be affected by many factors including age, feed, geographical location and stress. The weaning period represents stressful stage during the growth of farm animals. To evaluate if weaning stress affects the prevalence of E. coli possessing virulence genes; shiga toxin (Stx), hemolysin (hly) and intimin (eae) in young meat goats, fecal samples were collected during pre-weaning period, day of weaning (0DPW), one day after weaning (1DPW), two days after weaning (2DPW) and 7 days after weaning (7DPW). Two hundred forty seven two E. coli isolates were screened for the virulence genes. All four virulence genes (Stx1, Stx2, Hly, and eae) evaluated were detected in E. coli during the peri-weaning period while only stx1, eae and hly were detected during the pre-weaning period. No Stx2 had been detected during the pre-weaning period. Both Stx1 and Hly frequency of detection increased significantly from 0DPW to 2DPW and then decreased on 7DPW. The Stx2 gene remained relatively the same between 0DPW and 7DPW. The frequency of eae detection was highest during the pre-weaning period but also increased significantly from 0DPW to 7DPW. Further characterization of peri-weaning isolates possessing either Stx2 or eae revealed that some belonged to serotypes important to animal and public health including O26, O103 and O146. We highlight a previously unreported finding on pattern of colonization by E. coli in young meat goats before and during peri-weaning period. This trend may be suggestive that strains of E. coli harboring specific virulence genes proliferate during times of stress such as weaning in young meat goats while others predominantly colonize very young animals. The significance of E. coli isolates possessing the various virulence genes in relation to animal health need further evaluation.

Antibiotic exposure in infancy and risk of being overweight in the first 24 months of life.

Antibiotics have direct effects on the human intestinal microbiota, particularly in infancy. Antibacterial agents promote growth in farm animals by unknown mechanisms, but little is known about their effects on human weight gain. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of antibiotic exposure during infancy on weight and height in healthy Finnish children. The population-based cohort comprised 6114 healthy boys and 5948 healthy girls having primary care weight and height measurements and drug purchase data from birth to 24 months. BMI and height, expressed as z-scores at the median age of 24 months (interquartile range 24 to 26 months), were compared between children exposed and unexposed to antibiotics using analysis of covariance with perinatal factors as covariates. Exposed children were on average heavier than unexposed children (adjusted BMI-for-age z-score difference in boys 0.13 SD [95% confidence interval 0.07 to 0.19, P < .001] and in girls 0.07 SD [0.01 to 0.13, P < .05]). The effect was most pronounced after exposure to macrolides before 6 months of age (boys 0.28 [0.11 to 0.46]; girls 0.23 [0.04 to 0.42]) or >1 exposure (boys 0.20 [0.10 to 0.30]; girls 0.13 [0.03 to 0.22]). Antibiotic exposure before 6 months of age, or repeatedly during infancy, was associated with increased body mass in healthy children. Such effects may play a role in the worldwide childhood obesity epidemic and highlight the importance of judicious use of antibiotics during infancy, favoring narrow-spectrum antibiotics.

Comparative study of linear mixed-effects and artificial neural network models for longitudinal unbalanced growth data of Madras Red sheep

Sheep are efficient converters of unutilized poor quality grass and crop residues into meat and skin. Growth is a trait of economic importance in sheep as sheep rearing is an important livelihood for a large number of small and marginal farmers in India. Information about growth model parameters is very useful for selection studies. Growth in farm animals has been investigated for many years [1, 2]. Madras Red sheep, a native breed of Tamilnadu state of India and distributed in the northern parts of the state is known for its valuable meat and skin quality [3]. The growth performance of Madras Red sheep under farmer's flock was studied previously [4, 5]. In animal growth studies, body weight measurements, which are good indicators of growth rate, is often measured on the same animal at various ages (time points) such as weekly/monthly resulting in longitudinal growth data. Such data, collected on a group of animals, has many advantages as it can provide vital information about individual changes. That is, by collecting data over many time points, it can separate changes over time within individual animals from differences between animals yielding valuable information on the animals. The main goal here is to characterize the way the outcome changes over time, and to identify the predictors of that change. Recent developments in longitudinal data analysis have been discussed in detail in previous studies [6, 7]. Longitudinal growth data pose challenges for statistical analysis as the responses are correlated (not independent) and also the responses that are closer in time are more correlated than responses that are farther apart. In addition, variance of repeated measures often change and increase steadily with time (heteroscedasticity). So, these correlation and variation patterns combine to produce complicated covariance structure of repeated measurements which needs to be modeled suitably for drawing correct inferences. Under these circumstances, the standard ANOVA, MANOVA and Veterinary World, EISSN: 2231-0916 Available at www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.7/Feb-2014/2.pdf

See how they grow

Growth of Farm Animals, 3rd edn Tony Lawrence, Vernon Fowler, and Jan Novakofski 368 pages, hardback, £49.95 CABI. 2012. ISBN 978 1 84593 558 0 HAVING approached this book review with slight trepidation, half expecting to find a weighty, dry tome to read, I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, this is one of the most readable books on that most fundamental aspect of farm (and companion) animal veterinary science: how our animals grow. It is a comprehensive review of all aspects of growth in farm animals from the cellular basis right through to the end product, whether it be meat, milk or fibre. While there are …

Promoter Variant-Dependent mRNA Expression of theMEF2AinLongissimus DorsiMuscle in Cattle

The myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) gene encodes a member of the myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) protein family that is involved in vertebrate skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle development and differentiation during myogenesis. According to recent studies, MEF2 genes might be major regulators of postnatal skeletal muscle growth; thus, they are considered to be important, novel candidates for muscle development and body growth in farm animals. The aim of the present study was to search for polymorphisms in the bovine MEF2A gene and analyze their effect on the MEF2A mRNA expression level in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Polish Holstein-Fresian cattle. In total, 4094 bp of the whole coding sequence and the promoter region of MEF2A were re-sequenced in 30 animals, resulting in the detection of 6 novel variants as well as one previously reported SNP. Three linked mutations in the promoter region (-780T/G, g.-768T/G, and g.-222A/G) and only two genotypes were identified in two Polish breeds (TTA/TTA and TTA/GGG). Three SNPs in the coding region [g.1599G/A (421aa), g.1626G/A (429aa), and g.1641G/A (434aa)] appeared to be silent substitutions and segregated as two intragene haplotypes: GGG and AAA. Expression analysis showed that the mutations in the promoter region are highly associated with the MEF2A mRNA level in the longissimus dorsi muscle of bulls carrying two different genotypes. The higher MEF2A mRNA level was estimated in the muscle of bulls carrying the TTA/TTA (p<0.01) genotype as compared with those with TTA/GGG. The results obtained suggest that the nucleotide sequence mutation in MEF2A might be useful marker for body growth traits in cattle.

The Body Weight-related Differences of Leptin and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) Gene Expression in Pigs

To determine if body weight change is directly related to altered leptin and neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene expression, we assessed adipose tissue weight, percent body fat, leptin and NPY mRNA levels and serum leptin concentration in pigs at weights of 1, 20, 40, 60, and 90 kg. The results indicated that the weight of adipose tissues and the percent body fat of pigs significantly increased and correlated with body weight (BW) from 1 to 90 kg (p<0.01). Serum leptin concentrations and leptin mRNA levels in omental adipose tissue (OAT) increased from 1 to 60 kg, and then decreased from 60 to 90 kg. At 60 kg, the serum leptin concentration and leptin mRNA level significantly increased by 33.5% (p<0.01) and 98.2% (p<0.01), respectively, as compared with the levels at 1 kg. At 60 kg, the amount of leptin mRNA in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) was significantly higher than that of 1 and 40 kg animals (p<0.05). NPY gene expression in the hypothalamus also changed with BW and at 60 kg the NPY mRNA level significantly decreased by 54.0% (p< 0.05) as compared with that in 1 kg. Leptin mRNA in OAT was correlated with serum leptin concentrations (r = 0.98, p<0.01), body weight (r = 0.82, p<0.05) and percent body fat (r = 0.81, p<0.05). This is the first report of the developmental expression of leptin in porcine OAT, peritoneal adipose tissue (PAT) and SAT, and proves that the expression of leptin in OAT could reflect the levels of circulating leptin. These results provide some information for nutritional manipulation of leptin secretion which could lead to practical methods of controlling appetite and growth in farm animals, thereby regulating and improving efficiency of lean meat production and meat production quality.

Determination of Clenbuterol Residues in Bovine Urine by Optical Immunobiosensor Assay

Clenbuterol (CBL) is an orally active beta2-adrenoceptor agonist which has been used in veterinary medicine as a broncodilator and an agent of uterine relaxation. It has however become better known as a drug used illegally to promote growth in farm animals. A rapid and sensitive biosensor assay was developed to detect CBL residues in bovine urine. The method involved a simple extraction procedure using tert-butyl methyl ether followed by analysis on the biosensor with results obtained against a buffer calibration curve. The assay allowed up to 88 samples to be analyzed per working day, with each cycle on the biosensor taking approximately 7 min to complete. The limit of detection (LOD) was determined as 0.27 ng/mL using 20 EU reference blank urine samples. The intra-assay Sr ranged from 4.7-7.6% for 3 control samples while the interassay Sr ranged from 9.2-12.7%. The recovery was found to be approximately 95%. A series of incurred urine samples were assayed and the results compared by Enzyme immunoassay (EIA), radio-immunoassay (RIA), and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. Urine samples taken from local abattoirs were also analyzed by the biosensor method and by EIA analysis. The antibody used in the biosensor test exhibited high cross reactivity with at least 7 other beta-agonists allowing detection of these compounds at less than 1 ng/mL in bovine urine.

Genetic and nutritional influences on muscle growth in farm animals

Genetic and nutritional influences on muscle growth in farm animals

Future developments in the manipulation of growth in farm animals.

The anabolic steroid and antimicrobial growth promoters may be regarded as the first generation of animal growth promoters or performance enhancers. There is major investment in the development of new techniques to improve the efficiency of farm animal production. These techniques are reviewed under the headings of growth hormone (somatotrophin) and related techniques, immunological techniques, the beta-adrenergic agonists and the direct genetic manipulation of farm animals.

Effect of energy intake upon the levels of certain blood components in young beef heifers.

Recently, interest has been increasing in the relationship between growth of farm animals and certain metabolites and other chemical compounds in the blood. In order to better understand the effects of growth upon blood chemistry, the effects of certain environmental forces need to be studied further. The purpose of this study was to determine the gross effects of three levels of energy intake upon several blood components in young beef heifers and to compare the linear relationships of blood component levels to growth rate and body weight among the three energy treatment groups. Forty-eight yearling heifers were assigned to three groups of 16 heifers each according to sire and weight. Each group of 16 heifers was further divided into two lots of eight animals each. The trial lasted for 224 days from October 1962 to May 1963. The heifers were kept in dry lot with access to shelter and weighed every 28 days throughout the period.

A discussion on the measurement of growth and form; measuring growth in farm animals.

There are various ways of measuring growth, as actual weight, percentage increment, or weight per day gained. Which method is used will depend on the purpose for which it is required. For agricultural purposes the third method is generally adopted, as it forms a basis for daily food requirements and, conversely, also enables the rate of growth to be controlled exactly by regulation of the food intake. The live-weight growth curve of the animal as a whole is made up of the sum of the different parts and tissues of the body, each of these growing at different rates.