Improve Production Performance Research Articles

Role of Nannochloropsis Oculata supplement in improving performance, antioxidant status, blood metabolites, and egg quality of laying hens under hot environmental conditions

The increase in environmental temperature led to economic losses in the poultry industry, urging the use of feed supplements to mitigate the negative effects on chick's welfare and performance. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of marine microalgae (Nannochloropsis Oculata, N. Oculata) additive on commercial Brown Lohmann laying hen's performance, blood metabolites, and antioxidant status under hot environmental conditions. One hundred and eighty birds (34 weeks old with an initial body weight of 1885 ± 23.5 g) were used till 47 weeks. The birds were divided into three equal groups (birds in each group were distributed into four equal replicates 15 hens/ replicate). The 1st group was the control (CON) and was fed the basal diet, while the 2nd (TR1) and 3rd (TR2) groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.5 and 1.0% of N. Oculata, respectively. The results showed that total protein and globulin concentrations increased (P < 0.05) in treated groups compared with the control group, whereas, albumin concentration increased (P < 0.05) in TR2 compared to the control group. The concentration of ALT and AST decreased in hens fed N. Oculata. Supplementing with N. Oculata reduced serum cholesterol and creatinine concentrations, while glucose concentration increased (P < 0.05) in the treated groups compared to the control group. Serum calcium, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), Triiodothyronine (T3), and progesterone increased (P < 0.05) in hens fed N. Oculata. N. Oculata supplement improved production performance through a positive effect on egg number, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, and mortality rate. In addition, the overall mean of shell thickness increased (P < 0.05) in hens fed N. Oculata. It can be concluded that the supplementation of 1.0% N. Oculata to the laying hens' diet enhanced productive performance, serum constituents, and antioxidant status under hot environmental conditions.

Particle Matter determination in Biosimilar Parenteral Product by the Application of Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) Followed by Statistical Evaluation

Particulate matter in parenteral dosage forms can emerge from numerous causes, external, intrinsic, as well as inherent within the product, with a special emphasis on biopharmaceuticals. Aqueous impurities, pharmaceutical precipitates, dirt, glass, rubber, pollutants from the environment, fibres, and various other insoluble materials are all common sources of particulates. When assessing the possible harm to patients, particulate matter size is a crucial issue to consider. Particles as fine as 2 μm overall diameter were found related with microthrombi development. The DLS (Dynamic Light Scattering) technique has been used to measure and control the subvisible particulate particles in biopharmaceutical parenteral drug products since the technique can measure the submicron particle size in the parenteral formulation. The purpose of using DLS is to measure and control the subvisible particles in a biopharmaceutical formulation. A generic biopharmaceutical product viz. Calcitonin Salmon injection was used for particulate matter analysis by using Dynamic Light Scattering. DLS is a non-invasive method for detecting the size of suspended particles as well as molecules which is used for the control and optimization of processes, and the improvement of product quality and performance by analysing the time-dependence in regard to intensity of the dispersed light (auto correlation) to determine the diffusion speed (Brownian motion) of particles/molecules, and subsequently determine the hydrodynamic size. Keywords: Particulate matter; DLS; Biosimilars; Parenteral dosage forms

NiMoP2 co-catalyst modified Cu doped ZnS for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The design of a low-cost, efficient and durable co-catalyst for hydrogen evolution is of great significance for improving photocatalytic activity. In this work, a NiMoP2/Cu-ZnS composite photocatalyst was prepared by in-situ growth of NiMoP2 on the surface of copper-doped zinc sulfide (Cu-ZnS). The test results showed that the hydrogen production rate of the optimized NiMoP2/Cu-ZnS under visible light irradiation was significantly improved. Among them, NiMoP2/Cu-ZnS-1 exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity (5.13 mmol·g−1·h−1), which was 2.47 times that of Cu-ZnS and maintained good stability during the reaction. The improvement of hydrogen production performance of the photocatalyst was mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of Cu-ZnS and co-catalyst NiMoP2. The ohmic contact formed between Cu-ZnS and NiMoP2 could improve the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers and reduce the overpotential of H2 evolution. Besides, NiMoP2 was found to provide the active site for the reduction reaction, and accelerate the transfer efficiency of photogenerated electrons. This strategy opens up a new way for the construction of co-catalyst modified semiconductor materials to improve the photocatalytic hydrogen production rate.

A Quality by Design Approach for Optimizing Solid Lipid Nanoparticles of Bedaquiline for Improved Product Performance.

Bedaquiline (BQ) solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), which have previously been formulated for parenteral administration, have a risk of patient non-compliance in treating tuberculosis. This research presents a strategy to develop BQ SLNs for oral delivery to improve patient adherence, The upper and lower levels for the formulation excipients were generated from screening experiments. Using 4 input factors (BQ, lecithin, Tween 80, and PEG), a full factorial design from 3 × 2x2 × 2 experiments was randomly arranged to investigate 3 response variables: Particle size distribution (PSD), polydispersity index (PdI), and zeta potential (ZP). High shear homogenization was used to mix the solvent and aqueous phases, with 15% sucrose as a cryoprotectant. The response variables were assessed using a zeta sizer while TEM micrographs confirmed the PSD data. Solid-state assessments were conducted using powdered X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging. A comparative invitro assessment was used to determine drug release from an equivalent dose of BQ free base powder and BQ-SLN, both packed in hard gelatin capsules. The sonicated formulations obtained significant effects for PSD, PdI, and ZP. The p-values (0.0001 for PdI, 0.0091 for PSD) for BQ as an independent variable in the sonicated formulation were notably higher than those in the unsonicated formulation (0.1336 for PdI, 0.0117 for PSD). The SEM images were between 100 - 400nm and delineated nanocrystals of BQ embedded in the lipid matrix. The SLN formulation provides higher drug levels over the drug's free base; a similarity factor (f2 = 18.3) was estimated from the dissolution profiles.

Effects of quebracho–chestnut tannin extract supplementation on production performance, nitrogen partitioning, and rumen fermentation patterns in early-lactating Holstein cows

Tannins have been extensively studied to decrease nitrogen excretion, however, the effects of tannins on animal production were inconsistent. The objective was to evaluate the effects of a mixture of quebracho-chestnut tannin extract (QCTE) supplementation on the production performance, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation patterns, and N partitioning in dairy cows. Sixty multiparous Holstein cows (mean ± standard deviation; average 717 ± 51 kg of body weight, 2.5 ± 0.2 of parity, 47 ± 1.9 kg/d of milk production, 78 ± 3.2 d of days in milk were randomly divided into four groups. Cows in different groups were provided QCTE at doses of 0, 10, 20, and 30 g/d per cow for 56 d. Although QCTE supplementation did not affect dry matter intake (DMI) and total-tract apparent digestibility of nutrients, milk yield and milk protein yield increased linearly (P = 0.01), and a trend for a linear (P = 0.07) increase in milk/DMI were observed with increasing QCTE supplementation. Increasing QCTE supplementation decreased the milk urea-N concentration and somatic cell count linearly (P < 0.05), tended to linearly (P < 0.1) decrease the concentration of blood urea-N and ruminal ammonia nitrogen, linearly (P < 0.05) increased levels of total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase, and the molar proportions of ruminal propionate. Additionally, total N excretion was not affected by QCTE treatments, but QCTE supplementation linearly (P = 0.04) increased N utilization efficiency and tended to linearly (P = 0.1) decrease urea-N excretion in the urine. In conclusion, feeding QCTE at a dose of 30 g/d per head to cows in early lactation could increase antioxidant enzyme activities, improve production performance, and decrease environmentally labile urinary N excretion under the conditions of the study.

Feeding a Novel Mannan-Rich Yeast Carbohydrate Product Improves Production Performance and Humoral Immunity of Broiler Chickens.

The current study examined the benefits of a novel mannan-rich yeast carbohydrate product (YM) on broiler chicken growth performance and immune response against sheep red blood cells (SRBCs). A total of 144 newly hatched male Cornish cross broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four treatments with 12 cages per treatment and three birds per cage. The treatments were (1) control, basal diet; (2) YCW, basal diet + 1 g/kg yeast cell wall; (3) YM1, basal diet + 0.5 g/kg of a novel yeast mannan-rich product (YM); and (4) YM2, basal diet + 1 g/kg YM. Growth performance was measured at 14, 28, and 35 days of age (d). At 26 and 27 d, nine birds per treatment were immunized intravenously with SRBCs, and antibody responses against SRBCs were analyzed through a hemagglutination assay 7 days post-inoculation. Supplementing YM tended to improve broiler chicken weight gain from 29 to 35 d (p = 0.053). An improvement in the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed in the birds fed YM diets during 29-35 d and over the entire experimental period (0-35 d; p < 0.05). Furthermore, birds fed YM2 diets had more robust antibody responses against SRBCs than the control birds (p = 0.033). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of YM improved broiler chicken growth performance and antibody response against SRBCs.

Impact of 5-20% Hydroponic Wheat Sprouts Inclusion on Growth and Metabolic Parameters of Growing Ewes.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of varying proportions (5-20%) of hydroponic wheat sprouts in the diet of growing four-month-old Hu ewes on their productive performance, metabolic profiles, rumen fermentation, and alterations in microflora. Compared with the control group (CON), the optimum final weight of ewes has been presented in the group of substitution 15% (S15) of the basal diet with hydroponic wheat sprouts. Furthermore, 1-30 d the average daily gain (ADG), 31-60 d ADG, and average feed intake were both significantly improved in S15 compared with CON (p < 0.05). Feeding hydroponic wheat sprouts can significantly increase high-density lipoprotein and interleukin-2 (p < 0.05) accompanied by the numerical increase of the content of interferon-γ, suggesting its positive effect on ewes' health and immune systems. In this process, it is noteworthy that feeding hydroponic wheat sprouts results in an increase in relative abundance of Olsenella, Limosilactobacillus, Shuttleworthia, and Prevotella_7, and a decrease in relative abundance of Succinimonas, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Anaerovibrio in the rumen of growing ewes. It implies that the response of rumen microflora adapted to the change of dietary ingredients, as well as the relationship between rumen microflora changes and the improvement of productive performance and immune system in growing ewes. Considering the usage cost and application effect, S15 of the basal diet with hydroponic wheat sprouts could be the appropriate application solution for growing ewes.

Research progress in isolation and identification of rumen probiotics.

With the increasing research on the exploitation of rumen microbial resources, rumen probiotics have attracted much attention for their positive contributions in promoting nutrient digestion, inhibiting pathogenic bacteria, and improving production performance. In the past two decades, macrogenomics has provided a rich source of new-generation probiotic candidates, but most of these "dark substances" have not been successfully cultured due to the restrictive growth conditions. However, fueled by high-throughput culture and sorting technologies, it is expected that the potential probiotics in the rumen can be exploited on a large scale, and their potential applications in medicine and agriculture can be explored. In this paper, we review and summarize the classical techniques for isolation and identification of rumen probiotics, introduce the development of droplet-based high-throughput cell culture and single-cell sequencing for microbial culture and identification, and finally introduce promising cultureomics techniques. The aim is to provide technical references for the development of related technologies and microbiological research to promote the further development of the field of rumen microbiology research.

Effect of Curcumin on Hepatic mRNA and lncRNA Co-Expression in Heat-Stressed Laying Hens.

Heat stress is an important factor affecting poultry production; birds have a range of inflammatory reactions under high-temperature environments. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary curcumin supplementation on the liver transcriptome of laying hens under heat stress conditions. In the animal experiment, a total of 240 Hy-Line brown hens aged 280 days were divided randomly into four different experimental diets with four replicates, and each replicate consisted of 15 hens during a 42-D experiment. The ambient temperature was adjusted to 34 ± 2 °C for 8 h per day, transiting to a range of 22 °C to 28 °C for the remaining 16 h. In the previous study of our lab, it was found that supplemental 150 mg/kg curcumin can improve production performance, antioxidant enzyme activity, and immune function in laying hens under heat stress. To further investigate the regulatory mechanism of curcumin on heat stress-related genes, in total, six samples of three liver tissues from each of 0 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg curcumin test groups were collected for RNA-seq analysis. In the transcriptome analysis, we reported for the first time that the genes related to heat stress of mRNA, such as HSPA8, HSPH1, HSPA2, and DNAJA4, were co-expressed with lncRNA such as XLOC010450, XLOC037987, XLOC053511, XLOC061207, and XLOC100318, and all of these genes are shown to be down-regulated. These findings provide a scientific basis for the possible benefits of dietary curcumin addition in heat-stressed laying hens.

An Appraisal of Nonmicrobial Biostimulants' Impact on the Productivity and Mineral Content of Wild Rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC.) Cultivated under Organic Conditions.

Modern agriculture urgently requires viable alternatives to synthetic chemical substances, such as pesticides and fertilizers, to comply with new and stringent international regulations and meet the growing demands of consumers who prefer chemical-free food. Consequently, organic agriculture has garnered increasing interest over time. To compensate for yield reduction resulting from opting out of the use mineral fertilizers, research has focused on the use of biostimulants to sustain the productivity of horticultural crops. To this end, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to assess the effects of three nonmicrobial biostimulants (a plant extract, vegetable protein hydrolysate, and a seaweed extract) and an untreated control on the production and mineral content of wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC.) cultivated under organic conditions and harvested three times during the growth cycle. In general, the nitrate content, which defines the commercial quality of wild rocket, was not influenced by the application of biostimulants. At each harvest, the application of biostimulants resulted in improved production performance, although this was not always accompanied by an increase in mineral content. Specifically, the best results were obtained with the use of plant-derived protein hydrolysate and plant extract, which led to an improvement in total yield of 32.1% and 27.2%, respectively compared to that of control plants. These results reconfirm that biostimulants represent a valid and indispensable tool for organic growers.

Analysis of the Impact of Population Aging on the Economy and Countermeasures —— Take China as an Example

Since the reform and opening up, China's population aging has gradually deepened, and nowadays, population aging has become one of the most concerned issues for China's economic development. Therefore, the research theme of this paper is the current situation and development trend of population aging in China and specifically analyzes the impact of population aging on economic development in terms of labor supply, employment, and investment. The research methods of this paper are literature analysis and data analysis. It is found that the proportion of China's aging population in the total population is already greater than 16.7%, and it will accelerate in the future. And the rise of the aging population has different degrees of negative impacts on labor supply, employment, and investment, and has an inhibitory effect on economic development. Therefore, this paper suggests that in the face of the challenge of population aging, the state can increase the investment in human capital, encourage enterprises to innovate, and improve production performance through new technologies. Rational use of the demand generated by aging, and the development of the service industry to increase employment.

Evaluation of the effect of Carica papaya seed on the growth performance of fattening rabbits.

Successful breeding depends on feeding. The present study aims to evaluate the Carica papaya seed effect on the growth performance of rabbits. The zootechnical parameters studied are weight growth, average daily gain, Feed Conversion Ratio, and carcass characteristics of kits. The experiment was conducted on 48 rabbits, divided into 4 groups, for 6 weeks. Forty-eight rabbits were divided into four (04) groups of 3 repetitions of 4 rabbits. The animals were fed diets containing various levels of papaya seed powder at variable contents: 0% (group T0), 4% (group T1), 6% (group T2), and 8% (group T3). At the end of the experiment, three animals were slaughtered in each animal group to assess the quality of the carcasses and organs. 6% of the seeds of Carica papaya significantly improved (p < 0.05) the average daily gain of the kits: T2 (22.40g / d) compared to the T0 group (11.32g / d), T1 (12.20g / d) and T3 (17.53g / d). The best Feed Conversion Ratio (0.80) was recorded in the animals of group T2. In contrast, the highest carcass yield was recorded in the rabbits of group T3 (62.70%). In conclusion, 6% was optimal in the feed rations of fattened rabbits to improve production performance. Breeders can consider the benefits of introducing Carica papaya seeds into the rabbits' diet.

Pasting, thermal and structural changes of part‐baked bread prepared under freezing conditions

SummaryIn frozen part‐baked bread technology, starch is influenced by various processing factors. This study aimed to investigate the effect of part‐baking time, freezing rate and frozen storage time on pasting, thermal and structural properties of part‐baked bread. Wheat dough was part‐baked for 0, 3 or 6 min and frozen at −20 °C using two freezing rates: slow (0.15 °C min−1) or fast (1.45 °C min−1). Next, samples were stored in frozen conditions for 56 days and analysed every 14 days for starch damage, pasting properties, thermal and X‐ray analysis. The level of damaged starch increased with 3 min (69.3%), and 6 min (88.8%) of part‐baking time for both freezing rates compared to no part‐baked. In pasting analyses, peak viscosity decreased 27.3% and 38.4% for 3 and 6 min of part‐baking time, respectively, at 0 days of frozen storage; however, this tendency was observed for all frozen storage time. The gelatinisation enthalpy (ΔHg) decreased as part‐baking time increased, showing the maximum reduction at 6 min of part‐baked (94.9%). In X‐ray diffraction analyses at 3 and 6 min of part‐baking, the intensity of the signal increased 4.4% and 10.9%, respectively, probably due to the starch gelatinisation. These results can serve as a valuable guide for developing strategies to enhance the quality of part‐baked bread and improve production performance.

Microstructure evolution and property of high manganese steel coatings by laser shock assisted laser wire cladding

Field-assisted laser cladding (FALC) overcomes the limitations of laser cladding through the inherent advantages brought about by the use of various auxiliary energy fields (AEFs). Laser wire cladding (LWC) is limited by the common problems of laser cladding but has a promising future due to the extremely high material utilization rate. In this study, a laser shock assisted laser wire cladding (LSALWC) manufacturing process was proposed. In situ laser shock was introduced into the LWC to obtain finer grains structure and improve product performance. LSALWC does not change the composition of the coating, does not require the use of pretreatment and post-treatment, and does not reduce the efficiency of production. Using high manganese steel (HMS) as the model alloy, LSALWC was employed to achieve the expectation of reducing the proportion of columnar grains, refine the microstructure of columnar grains, and transform columnar grains into equiaxed grains. Compared with the sample (LC) manufactured by LWC, the performance of the sample (LSA) manufactured by LSALWC has been improved, the hardness increased from 285 ± 5 HV0.5 to 303 ± 6 HV0.5, the volume wear rate decreased from 2.1 × 10−4 mm3/N·m to 1.7 × 10−4 mm3/N·m, the primary dendrite spacing of the coating was reduced by 11.5%, and the heterogeneity of coating was more obvious. The cladding process under laser shock was studied using a high-speed camera, and the influence of laser shock on the coating was explained. The mechanism of the performance improvement of the LSA sample was explained. This study showed the disturbance of the molten pool was enhanced by laser shock, and the dendrites at the bottom were deflected or even broken. The broken dendrites were dispersed with the liquid flow and became new nucleation sites. Laser shock increased the supercooling during solidification by reducing the temperature gradient in the molten pool, and created an environment conducive to grain nucleation and growth. This process mitigates various issues in the casting process of HMS and provides a novel method for regulating the grain and microstructure of laser cladding. This research delves into the coupling between the AEF and the dynamic behavior of the molten pool, culminating in a model depicting the evolution of laser cladding solidification under the influence of the AEF, which will provide a new perspective for the research of FALC.

Preliminary Results on the Effects of Soybean Isoflavones on Growth Performance and Ruminal Microbiota in Fattening Goats.

Soybean isoflavones (SIFs), a group of secondary metabolites, have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hormone-like activities. Supplementation with SIFs in the diet was reported to promote lactation performance in ruminants. The present study was performed to further decipher the effect of various concentrations of SIFs on growth and slaughter performance, serum parameters, meat quality, and ruminal microbiota in fattening goats. After a two-week acclimation, a total of 27 5-month-old Guanzhong male goats (18.29 ± 0.44 kg) were randomly assigned to control (NC), 100 mg/d SIF (SIF1), or 200 mg/d SIF (SIF2) groups. The experimental period lasted 56 days. The weight of the large intestine was greater (p < 0.05) in the SIF1 and SIF2 groups compared with the NC group. Meat quality parameters indicated that SIF1 supplementation led to lower (p < 0.05) cooking loss and shear force (0.05 < p < 0.10). The 16S rRNA sequencing analysis demonstrated that SIF1 supplementation led to lower (p < 0.05) proportions of Papillibacter and Prevotellaceae_UCG-004 but greater (p < 0.05) CAG-352 abundance in the rumen; these responses might have contributed to the improvement in production performance. In conclusion, meat quality and ruminal microbiome could be manipulated in a positive way by oral supplementation with 100 mg/d of SIFs in fattening goats. Thus, this study provides new insights and practical evidence for the introduction of SIFs as a novel additive in goat husbandry.

Alpiniae oxyphyllae fructus improves production performance and egg quality of laying breeder hens by regulating reproductive hormones, antioxidant function, immunity and intestinal health

Alpiniae oxyphylla fructus was extensively utilized both as dietary supplements and traditional herbal medicines for healthcare functions and has exhibited a positive impact on animal health. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Alpiniae oxyphyllae fructus powder (AOP) on production performance, egg quality, egg yolk fatty acid composition, reproductive hormones, antioxidant capacity, immunity, anti-apoptosis ability, and intestinal health in hens. A total of 252 Hainan Wenchang laying hens (30-wk-old) were randomly divided into 3 groups with 6 replicates, a basic diet with 0 (CON), 1 g/kg AOP (AOP1), and 3 g/kg (AOP3) mixed AOP. The AOP supplementation was found to decrease the feed conversion ratio and embryo mortality but to increase the laying rate, average egg weight, and oviduct index linearly (p < 0.05). Furthermore, AOP treatment reduced the total saturated fatty acids and palmitic acid (C16:0) in the egg yolk while increasing eggshell strength, albumen height, and Haugh unit (p < 0.05). The serum levels of albumin and phosphorus were increased, whereas total cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose levels decreased as a result of AOP treatment (p < 0.05). The inclusion of 3 g/kg AOP had higher 17 β-estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone levels in serum, while it up-regulated follicle-stimulating hormone receptor and gonadotropin-releasing hormone expression in ovary (p < 0.05). Dietary AOP strengthened the expression of nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2 in ovary and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase and total antioxidant capacity, but had a lower malondialdehyde content in serum (p < 0.05). AOP at 3 g/kg up-regulated superoxide dismutase 1 and heme oxygenase 1 expression in jejunum and ovary (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, AOP supplementation down-regulated p53 expression in ovary and bcl-2-associated x expression in liver and jejunum, especially 3 g/kg of AOP had lower caspase-8 concentrations and down-regulated bcl-2-associated x and caspase-3 expression in ovary (p < 0.05). AOP treatment increased serum levels of immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin M and upregulated interleukin-4 expression in the liver, while decreasing interleukin-1β expression in liver and ovary and nod-like receptor protein 3 expression in jejunum (p < 0.05). Dietary AOP increased the ratio of villus height to crypt depth but decreased crypt depth in jejunum, especially when 1 g/kg AOP increased expression levels of occludin, mucin-2, peptide-transporter 1, and sodium glucose cotransporter 1 in jejunum (p < 0.05). AOP treatment altered the composition of the cecal microbial community, as evidenced by increased abundance of Oscillospira and Phascolarctobacterium and reduced richness of Clostridiaceae_Clostridium. Dietary AOP supplementation enriched lipid, amino acid, and propanoate metabolism. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that the genera Oscillospira, Blautia, and Megasphaera were related to laying performance and intestinal integrity. In brief, supplementation of AOP, especially at 3 g/kg, could improve production performance and egg quality of hens via modulating reproductive hormones, antioxidant capacity, immunity, intestinal barrier, and cecal microbiota. Overall, the present work recommends the dietary inclusion of AOP as a beneficial additive for improving the performance of hens.

Differential responses of rumen and fecal fermentation and microbiota of Liaoning cashmere goats after 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid isopropyl ester supplementation

The 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid isopropyl ester (HMBi), a rumen protective methionine, has been extensively studied in dairy cows and beef cattle and has been shown to regulate gastrointestinal microbiota and improve production performance. However, knowledge of the application of HMBi on cashmere goats and the simultaneous study of rumen and hindgut microbiota is still limited. In this study, HMBi supplementation increased the concentration of total serum protein, the production of microbial protein in the rumen and feces, as well as butyrate production in the feces. The results of PCoA and PERMANOVA showed no significant difference between the rumen microbiota, but there was a dramatic difference between the fecal microbiota of the two groups of Cashmere goats after the HMBi supplementation. Specifically, in the rumen, HMBi significantly increased the relative abundance of some fiber-degrading bacteria (such as Fibrobacter) compared with the CON group. In the feces, as well as a similar effect as in the rumen (increasing the relative abundance of some fiber-degrading bacteria, such as Lachnospiraceae FCS020 group and ASV32), HMBi diets also increased the proliferation of butyrate-producing bacteria (including Oscillospiraceae UCG-005 and Christensenellaceae R-7 group). Overall, these results demonstrated that HMBi could regulate the rumen and fecal microbial composition of Liaoning cashmere goats and benefit the host.

The evaluation of next-generation probiotics on broiler growth performance, gut morphology, gut microbiome, nutrient digestibility, in addition to enzyme production of Bacillus spp. in vitro

Considerable research has been conducted into the efficacy of individual probiotics in broiler production, however information on the most effective combinations of synergistic Bacillus probiotic is lacking. This study investigated the impact of different Bacillus strain combinations in broiler chickens, as well as in vitro enzyme production. In experiment one, a total of 576 Ross 308 broilers at 1 d old were grown for 21 d across 6 treatments of maize-soybean diets (n = 12 pens per treatment) to compare three different strain combinations (formulation 1 [F1]: 3 strains Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; F2: Bacillus coagulans and 2 strains B. amyloliquefaciens; F3: B. coagulans, Bacillus licheniformis and 2 strains B. amyloliquefaciens; F5: Bacillus subtilis, B. licheniformis and 2 strains B. amyloliquefaciens), positive control (PC), and a negative control antibiotic treatment group (NC). In Exp. 2, a total of 360 one-day-old ROSS308 broilers were used to test five treatments (n = 9) including PC, NC, F1 and F5 (selected from Exp. 1), and F4 (Bacillus pumilis and 2 strains B. amyloliquefaciens) in a maize-soybean diet. B. amyloliquefaciens F1 demonstrated a significant improvement in feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to F2 at d 14 (1.49 vs 2.10; P = 0.038) and the body weight (BW) at d 21 (847.0 g vs 787.4 g) compared to other combinations (P = 0.027). The FCR at d 21 tended to be lower in birds fed F1 (1.46 vs 1.66) compared to the control (P = 0.068). Probiotic treatments had significantly improved nutrient digestibility compared to the PC and NC. Also, probiotic treatments supported the growth of Streptococcus, a common commensal genus and reduced the abundance of genera that correlated with low weight gain such as Akkermansia. Experiment two revealed that F4 improved FCR (P < 0.001) and BW at 28 d (P = 0.014). In vitro testing showed a high production of protease and amylase by Bacillus. Thus, the addition of Bacillus probiotics, particularly containing B. amyloliquefaciens strains and Bacillus pumilus, into the diet of broiler chickens improves production performance, nutrient digestibility, and allows the proliferation of beneficial gut microbiota.

Effects of high moisture ear corn on production performance, milk fatty acid composition, serum antioxidant status, and immunity in primiparous dairy cows.

This study evaluated the effects of high moisture ear corn (HMEC) on production performance, milk fatty acid composition, serum antioxidant status, and immunity in primiparous dairy cows. A total of 45 healthy primiparous Holstein cows (36.50±4.30 kg of milk/d, 201±9.00 lactating days in milk) were sorted into 3 groups: control group (CG, n = 15); 50% HMEC (replacing 50% steam-flaked corn with HMEC, n = 15); and 100% HMEC (replacing steam-flaked corn with HMEC, n = 15) on an equal dry matter (DM) basis. The study consisted of adaptation period of 14 days, followed by a formal period of 60 days. Feed intake and milk yield were recorded daily. Milk and blood samples were collected on 1, 30, and 60 d of the experimental period. The 50% HMEC group and 100% HMEC group significantly increased (p<0.05) milk yield and DM intake in dairy cows compared to the control group (CG). The 100% HMEC group showed an increase (p<0.05) in 4% fat-corrected milk (4% FCM). Both the 50% HMEC group and 100% HMEC group exhibited significant decreases (p<0.05) in the content of C10:0, C12:0, and C14:0 fatty acids, along with a significant increase (p<0.05) in cis-9C18:1 content. The saturated fatty acid content was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the 50% HMEC and 100% HMEC groups than that of CG. Conversely, the monounsaturated fatty acid content was higher (p<0.05) in the 50% HMEC and 100% HMEC groups than that in CG. Notably, the 100% HMEC group significantly increased (p<0.05) the serum superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase content, while also decreasing the serum malondialdehyde content (p<0.05). Moreover, the 100% HMEC group significantly increased (p<0.05) the content of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM. High moisture ear corn could improve production performance and milk fatty acid levels and enhance immunity and antioxidant capacity in dairy cows. These results lay the foundation for the wider application of HMEC in ruminant animal diets.

Data-Driven Modeling and Operation Optimization With Inherent Feature Extraction for Complex Industrial Processes

In response to the tenets of Industry 4.0, operation optimization in industrial processes has become a significant research topic. However, the uncertainties prevailing in the process pose challenges to production operations, especially the feedstock properties. In this work, the operation optimization study is performed on a distillation unit (DU), a typical plant in the industrial process. To enhance production performance, a modeling and operation optimization strategy based on feedstock property and production features is presented. One of the difficulties is how to uncover features from high-dimensional and imperfect data, where imperfect data refers to product quality data that is unavailable online. In the strategy, we inject the inherent characteristic of the process into the data-driven method to extract the feedstock property in a data-based and knowledge-oriented manner. Further, optimal feature representation and process modeling can be achieved by customizing the network structure. The operation optimization problem is formulated to adjust the top temperature of the distillation column (TTDC) to achieve satisfactory production under varying feedstock properties. Experimental results illustrate that the process model based on feedstock property and production features (PM-FP-PF) can better fit the physical process mechanism even based on incomplete information in industrial data. Industrial experiments have shown the proposed strategy has advanced generalization ability to the different feedstock properties. The proposed operation optimization strategy (OOS) improves the product qualification rate and has broad application prospects in industrial processes with similar features. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Note to Practitioners</i> —Industrial processes suffer from a variety of disturbances that interrupt the smooth operation of the system, such as varying feedstock properties. How to deal with them is the key to improve the product qualification rate. In this work, we propose a data-driven modeling and operation optimization framework to improve product quality under varying feedstock properties. The dynamic variation characteristics of the feedstock properties can be obtained by analyzing the physical properties of the production unit. This is used as a basis for representing and extracting feedstock properties in a data-driven way. Further, a process model based on feedstock property and production features (PM-FP-PF) is built to predict product quality. An operation optimization strategy with production capacity consideration is established. It can determine the optimal operation action required by the current system, mitigating the uncertainty of feedstock property. This operation optimization system has been applied to a distillation unit in the hydrofining process. The application results show that the process model achieves satisfactory estimation accuracy, and the operation optimization strategy has improved production performance.