Monogastric Animals Research Articles

Growth of Pancreas and Intestinal Enzyme Activities in Growing Goats: Influence of a Low-Protein Diet

A dependence between dietary protein and starch levels flowing to the duodenum has been characterized in monogastric animals for optimal enzymatic secretions of the pancreas, but those in ruminants remain unclarified. The present experiment was conveyed to assess the pancreas growth and mRNA expression of the small intestine enzymes in growing goats fed a low-protein diet. Twenty-four Liuyang goats (19.55 ± 3.55 of body weight (BW)) and aged approximately 8 months were randomly assigned to either a control protein diet (NP: 10.77% CP) or a low-protein diet (LP: 5.52% CP) for 70 days. The results show that no statistical differences (p > 0.05) were observed in the pancreas growth indices between the groups. Pancreas and small intestine α-amylase and lipase activities were unaffected (p > 0.05) by the LP diet, while activities of trypsin and chymotrypsin were decreased (p < 0.05). The LP diet reduced (p < 0.05) the mRNA expressions of trypsin and chymotrypsin in the duodenum and jejunum, and had no effects (p > 0.05) on the mRNA expressions of α-amylase and lipase. Goats fed with the LP diet had higher (p < 0.05) concentrations of cholecystokinin and insulin than those fed with the NP diet. In conclusion, feeding an LP diet (5.52% CP) had no profound influence on pancreas growth and digestive enzyme synthesis in goats.

Energy sources in diets for lambs in confinement

Context The use of alternative sources in ruminant feeding features advantages such as diminished dependence on traditional cereals that can be used for human consumption or monogastric animals. Aims This study was conducted to examine nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, mean growth rate, nitrogen balance, and microbial protein synthesis in lambs fed diets containing different energy sources in the concentrate. Methods The experiment involved five uncastrated Santa Inês lambs, with an initial BW of 22.85 ± 1.0 kg, which were allocated individual metabolic cages and randomly assigned to one of the following five experimental treatments: maize (MA), wheat bran (WB), sorghum (SO), mesquite pod meal (MP) and peach palm meal (PP) in a 5 × 5 Latin square design, with five replicates each. Diets were isoenergetic with a roughage:concentrate ratio of 60:40. Key results The energy sources in the concentrate influenced (P < 0.0001) the intakes of DM and nutritional components. The apparent digestibility coefficients of the ether extract and NDFap were significantly (P < 0.05) different between WB and the other diets. The different energy sources in the concentrate (MA, WB, SO and MP) increased (P < 0.0001) the mean growth rate of the lambs. The diet containing PP as an energy source provided a smaller (P = 0.0002) N intake than that from any other diet, and the PP diet resulted in a negative N balance (P = 0.0200). Lambs fed with diets containing MP (80.38 g day−1) as an energy source showed a larger (P = 0.0007) microbial protein synthesis than did those fed with PP (24.47 g day−1). Conclusions Wheat bran, sorghum, and mesquite pod meal can completely replace maize for lambs fed diets based on 270 g kg−1 of maize. Implications A variety of unusual feed ingredients facilitates the raising of lambs in various regions, with ingredients being local and of the lowest cost, promoting benefits to sheep producers.

Optimization of exogenous carbohydrases supplemented in broiler diets using in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion and response surface methodology.

The present study aimed to explore the optimal zymogram of combination of 6 carbohydrases (glucoamylase, pullulanase, maltase, thermostable α-amylase, medium temperature α-amylase, and cold-active α-amylase) supplemented in corn-soybean based diet of broilers aged 1 to 3 wk for the maximum starch digestibility, by using in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion and response surface method. The third generation of simulated monogastric animal digestion system was used for in vitro digestion experiment. By using single factor completely random design, the optimal supplement levels of single carbohydras were determined by the reducing sugar release amount and improved dry matter digestibility, which were the parameters representing the starch digestibility of the diet. Additionally, Box-Behnken response surface method was used to predict the optimal combination of 6 carbohydrases. The results showed that the optimistic zymogram of 6 carbohydrases in corn-soybean based diet for broilers aged 1 to 3 wk were 297.39 U/g glucoamylase, 549.72 U/g pullulanase, 3.01 U/g maltase, 1,455.73 U/g thermostable α-amylase, 278.64 U/g medium temperature α-amylase, and 1,985.97 U/g cold-active α-amylase, and the associated reduced sugar release amount and improved dry matter digestibility were 215.98 mg/g, and 6.23%, respectively. Furthermore, we conducted in vitro digestion experiments with diets supplemented with the predicted optimistic zymogram and found that the experimental reduced sugar release amount and improved dry matter digestibility were 219.26 mg/g and 6.31% respectively, whose errors to the predicted optimistic reducing sugar release amount and the improved dry matter digestibility were 1.05% and 1.02%. To sum up, the predicted optimal zymogram of 6 carbohydrases in the present study were capable to improve the starch digestibility in diet for broilers aged 1 to 3 wk, which were represented by increased reduced sugar release amount and improved dry matter digestibility.

Analysis of pH and electrolytes in blood and ruminal fluid, including kidney function tests, in sheep undergoing long-term surgical procedures

BackgroundThe physiology of sheep as small ruminants is remarkably different from monogastric animals especially regarding the forestomach system. Using sheep for surgical procedures during scientific research thereby presents an exceptional setting for the anaesthetist. Long-term anaesthesia generally demands deprivation of food to reduce the risk of bloat in sheep. This might influence the energy and electrolyte balance. In horses and companion animals, close monitoring of mean arterial blood pressure, capnography and blood gas analysis are common procedures during long-term surgery. However, few data are available on reference ranges for blood gas in sheep and these cover only short periods of anaesthesia. To the authors’ knowledge, there is no study available that includes the monitoring of electrolytes and pH in ruminal fluid and kidney function tests in sheep undergoing long term anaesthesia. Thereby, the aim of the present study was to gather data on blood parameters, and data on ruminal fluid and kidney function during long-term anaesthesia in sheep. Data were obtained from eight sheep undergoing the invasive surgical procedure of left pneumonectomy and auto-transplantation or isolated left lung perfusion. After a 19-h fasting period, the animals were administered xylazine and ketamine and then intubated and maintained in general anaesthesia under artificial ventilation using isoflurane in oxygen. Blood samples were evaluated during 9 h of anaesthesia; ruminal fluid and kidney function tests were evaluated during 7 h of anaesthesia.ResultsBlood parameters such as electrolytes and partial pressure of carbon dioxide revealed few changes, yet blood glucose decreased and beta-hydroxybutyric acid increased significantly. All animals showed an elevated arterial pH and bicarbonate concentration despite artificial ventilation. In ruminal fluid, the pH significantly decreased and no significant changes in electrolytes occurred. Kidney function tests revealed no significant changes in any of the animals. However, fractional excretion of water and phosphate was slightly increased. One animal showed severe complications due to hypokalaemia.ConclusionInvasive surgery under long-term anaesthesia in sheep is possible without great imbalances of arterial pH and electrolytes. Nevertheless, potassium concentrations should be monitored carefully, as a deficiency can lead to life-threatening complications. The operated sheep tended not to develop metabolic acidosis and the mean kidney function could be maintained within the physiological range throughout anaesthesia. However, slight elevations in renal fractional water and phosphate excretion could suggest an early tubular reabsorption dysfunction. In ruminal fluid, acidification occurred, though no significant changes were observed in l- and d-lactate levels or in electrolyte concentrations. To our knowledge, the role of the rumen in storing fluids and balancing electrolytes in the blood has not yet been documented during anaesthesia. However, the importance of the rumen for fluid equilibrium in sheep indicates the necessity for routine monitoring and further research.

Nutritional requirement of tryptophan for meat-type Japanese quails: Performance and carcass attributes

Tryptophan (Trp) as an essential amino acid for monogastric animals and preweaning ruminants plays crucial roles in physiological responses. An experiment was conducted to estimate the Trp requirements of quail chicks for optimum performance including body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR), and carcass attribute by different regression models. A total of 420, 21-day-old quail chicks were randomly allotted to one of seven experimental diets containing 2.12, 2.25, 2.38, 2.51, 2.64, 2.77, and 2.90 g Trp/kg from d 21 to 35. The treatments had 4 pen replicates and 15 birds each. Feed intake showed linear (P = 0.071) and quadratic (P = 0.078) increasing trend with increasing dietary levels of Trp during the whole of experiment. Feed conversion ratio, BWG, breast meat yield (BMY), thigh meat yield (TMY), edible section (ES) responded linearly or quadratically to graded levels of dietary Trp (P < 0.05). Regarding data structure in different regression models, the statistical evaluation of the models including one-slope broken line, two-slope broken line, and composite desirability function (D) as multi-criteria approach, was done by considering high R2, root mean square error (RMSE), and low standard deviation of residual (Sy.x) of the model. Based on statistical merit, the estimated Trp requirements of BWG, FCR, ES, BMY, and TMY were estimated as 2.68, 2.35, 2.69, 2.53, and 2.64 g Trp/kg of diet from 21 to 35 d. According to the D in order to get single value of Trp requirement for maximum BWG and minimum FCR, the optimized estimation of dietary Trp was 2.77 g/kg of diet. This study shows the importance of analysis methods used for requirement. The relative higher Trp needs of growing Japanese quails than that recommended by NRC (1994) call more attention while feed formulation for modern strains of Japanese quails.

Effects of direct-fed lactic acid bacteria on weight gain and ruminal ph of two South African sheep breeds

A ruminant’s digestion depends on microbial degradation of feed rather than endogenous enzyme degradation as in most monogastric animals. The study was conducted to assess the effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) strains administered as direct-fed microbials on weight gain and ruminal pH of Damara and Meatmaster sheep breeds. Sixty-four Damara and Meatmaster sheep breeds [Damara males (36.6 ± 8.3 kg); Damara females (28.9 ± 6.9 kg); Meatmaster males (24.6 ± 3.4 kg); Meat master females (21.5 ± 3.1 kg)] were subjected to a 30-day trial and divided into five treatment groups as follows: pellets with no antibiotic and no probiotics administered (T1); pellets with no antibiotics, only Lactobacillus rhamnosus SCH administered (T2); pellets with no antibiotics, only Lactobacillus rhamnosus AF3G administered (T3); pellets with no antibiotics, with the combination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus SCH and Lactobacillus rhamnosus AF3G, administered (T4); pellets fortified with antibiotic and no probiotic administered (T5). The animals were fed on commercial pellets fortified with or without antibiotics. Animals were each weighed, and rumen fluids were collected using a stomach tube, and pH was read immediately, before and at the end of the trials. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance using SPSS version 4.0. The results showed that the effect of treatment, sex and some of their interactive effects were significant (p &lt;0.001) on the body weight of sheep irrespective of breed. The effect of treatments revealed that the animals in the combination of probiotics gained more weight than those in other groups. Damara breed had a heavier body weight than Meatmaster while males were 6 kg heavier relative to females (p &lt;0.001). Only breed was significant (p &lt;0.05) on weight gained. Treatment (p &lt;0.05), breed (p &lt;0.001) and their interactive effect (p &lt;0.05) were significant on ruminal pH. The highest pH value was 7.27 for the T5 group and 7.37 for the Damara breed. Results suggest that LAB may have beneficial effects on the growth performances of sheep and therefore may be suitable as future growth promoters in sheep production, as they don't have any harmful residues compared to antibiotics.

Feeding value improvement by co-fermentation of corn-ethanol co-product and agro-industrial residues with Rhizopus oryzae

Corn dried distiller’s grain with solubles (cDDGS) is a feeding ingredient for monogastric animals but with limited inclusion rate due to its imbalanced amino acids, high fiber content, and anti-nutritional compounds. Moreover, production of cDDGS is costly and energy intensive. This study investigated fungal fermentation of corn stillage mixing with other dry agro-industrial residues which could by-pass the energy-intensive drying process while improving nutritional value of the mixed substrates. Rhizopus oryzae was used to ferment WDGS blended with canola meal (CM), cottonseed meal (CSM), sugar beet pulp (SP) and soybean hull (SH) at different ratio at 28 ℃ for 12 days. Results suggested that short incubation period (4 days) was favorable for improvement of protein and key amino acids profile. Substrate mixture with C/N ratio above 3 effectively reduced ammonia generation. Significant reduction (p < 0.05) of structural carbohydrates (mainly glucan with degradation by 20–30 %) occurred after fermenting WDGS mixing with CM and SP. Substrate with all mixing ratio of SP or SH, and lower ratio (less than 50 %) of CM or CSM showed phytate degradation by 30–75 %. This study proved the feasibility of solid-state fermentation in improving feeding value of WDGS and agro-residues for monogastric animals.

Potential Implications of Citrulline and Quercetin on Gut Functioning of Monogastric Animals and Humans: A Comprehensive Review.

The importance of gut health in animal welfare and wellbeing is undisputable. The intestinal microbiota plays an essential role in the metabolic, nutritional, physiological, and immunological processes of animals. Therefore, the rapid development of dietary supplements to improve gut functions and homeostasis is imminent. Recent studies have uncovered the beneficial effects of dietary supplements on the immune response, microbiota, gut homeostasis, and intestinal health. The application of citrulline (a functional gut biomarker) and quercetin (a known potent flavonoid) to promote gut functions has gained considerable interest as both bioactive substances possess anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and immunomodulatory properties. Research has demonstrated that both citrulline and quercetin can mediate gut activities by combating disruptions to the intestinal integrity and alterations to the gut microbiota. In addition, citrulline and quercetin play crucial roles in maintaining intestinal immune tolerance and gut health. However, the synergistic benefits which these dietary supplements (citrulline and quercetin) may afford to simultaneously promote gut functions remain to be explored. Therefore, this review summarizes the modulatory effects of citrulline and quercetin on the intestinal integrity and gut microbiota, and further expounds on their potential synergistic roles to attenuate intestinal inflammation and promote gut health.

Potential toxic effects produced by L-mimosine in the thyroid and reproductive systems. Evaluation in male rats

Leucaena leucocephala is a worldwide plant used as forage; however, its use in animal production has been limited because of the presence of a toxic nonprotein amino acid, L-mimosine. L-mimosine exhibits negative effects not only in ruminants but also in monogastric animals; however, there is little information available on the effect of this amino acid in monogastric species. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the general toxicity of L-mimosine in rats, as well as its effects on the endocrine and reproductive systems. L-mimosine was extracted from seeds of L. leucocephala that were administered orally by gavage to adult Wistar rats at different doses of 25, 40 and 60 mg/kg body weight/day for 28 days. The following parameters were evaluated: weight gain, feed intake, serum enzymes, histopathology (liver, kidney, thyroid, thymus, and spleen), serum hormones (testosterone, corticosterone, T3 and T4) and sexual behavior. No clinical signs of toxicity were observed in animals, but histopathology revealed consistent lesions in the thyroids. Additionally, rats exposed to L-mimosine presented low serum levels of testosterone, decreased mount numbers and increased mount intervals. Therefore, our study reinforces the assumption that L-mimosine has goitrogenic potential and causes impairment in male reproductive performance.

The Role of Climate Control in Monogastric Animal Farming: The Effects on Animal Welfare, Air Emissions, Productivity, Health, and Energy Use

In the last decades, an engineering process has deeply transformed livestock houses by introducing fine-tuned climate control systems to guarantee adequate indoor climate conditions needed to express the maximum genetic potential of animals and to increase their productivity. Climate control, hence, has strong relation with productivity but also with other livestock production domains, outlining a web of mutual relations between them. The objective of this work is to understand the actual role of climate control in intensive livestock houses by unpicking this web of mutual relations through a literature review. The results show that climate control plays a key role in intensive livestock houses since it has strong relations with animal welfare, air emissions, productivity, health, and energy use. These relations make it essential to adopt an integrated approach for the assessment of the effectiveness of any proposed improvement in the different domains of livestock production. This is especially true considering aspects such as the expected increase of livestock production in developing countries and global warming. For this purpose, integrated climate control models of livestock houses are needed, representing a challenging opportunity for performing investigations in this research field.

Methodologies for energy evaluation of pig and poultry feeds: A review

The cost of feed represents an important part of the total cost in swine and poultry production (>60%) with energy accounting for at least 70% of feed cost. The energy value of ingredients or compound feeds can be estimated as digestible (DE), metabolisable (ME) and net energy (NE) in pigs and ME and NE in poultry. The current paper reviews the different methods for evaluating DE, ME and NE of feeds for monogastric animals and their difficulties and limits, with a focus on NE. In pigs and poultry, energy digestibility depends on the chemical characteristics of the feed, but also on technology (pelleting, for instance) and animal factors such as their health and body weight. The ME value includes the energy losses in urine that are directly dependent on the proportion of dietary N excreted in urine resulting in the concept of ME adjusted for a zero N balance (MEn) in poultry. For poultry, the concept of true ME (TME, TMEn), which excludes the endogenous fecal and urinary energy losses from the excreta energy, was also developed. The measurement of dietary NE is more complex, and NE values of a given feed depend on the animal and environmental factors and also measurement and calculation methods. The combination of NE values of diets obtained under standardised conditions allows calculating NE prediction equations that are applicable to both ingredients and compound feeds. The abundance of energy concepts, especially for poultry, and the numerous feed and animal factors of variation related to energy digestibility or ME utilisation for NE suggest that attention must be paid to the experimental conditions for evaluating DE, ME or NE content. This also suggests the necessity of standardisations, one of them being, as implemented in pigs, an adjustment of ME values in poultry for an N retention representative of modern production conditions (MEs). In conclusion, this review illustrates that, in addition to numerous technical difficulties for evaluating energy in pigs and poultry, the absolute energy values depend on feed and animal factors, the environment, and the methods and concepts. Finally, as implemented in pigs, the use of NE values should be the objective of a more reliable energy system for poultry feeds.

The Influence of Dehulling on the Nutritional Quality of Lupine Seeds (Lupinus albus L.) and the Effect of Their Use in the Feed of Laying Quails on the Live Performance and Quality of Eggs.

Simple SummaryThis research evaluated the influence of dehulling on the nutritional quality of Lupinus albus seeds and the effect of their utilization in the feed of laying quails on the live performance and quality of eggs. The dehulling of lupine seeds led to an improvement in nutritional value as a result of the increase in the protein and crude fat content and the reduction in crude fiber. The use of dehulled lupine seeds in the diet of laying quails improved the performance response and quality of eggs, compared with the use of whole seeds, with the results being similar to those obtained for the quails of the control group. The presence of lupine seeds in quail feed improved the fatty acids (FA) profile of yolk lipids by increasing the polyunsaturated FA proportion to the detriment of saturated FA. The quality of the yolk fats lipidic indices became more favorable to consumer health as a result of an increase in the FA proportion, with a corresponding hypocholesterolemic effect, and also as a result of a decrease in the atherogenic and thrombogenic index values.Lupinus albus seeds from low-alkaloid varieties are a valuable alternative source of protein for reducing the dependence on soybean meal for the feeding of monogastric animals. Therefore, the aim of this research was to evaluate the dehulling influence of lupine seeds (L. albus, cv. Amiga) and the effect of their use in the laying quails feed on live performance and egg quality. A total of 200 laying quails (Coturnix japonica), with an age of 10 weeks, were randomly assigned to five experimental groups (five replicates/group). Each group was randomly assigned to one of five dietary treatments: the control group (C) diet was based on soybean meal, while the experimental groups received either 200 g/kg (WLS20) or 250 g/kg (WLS25) of whole lupine seeds in their diets, or 200 g/kg (DLS20) or 250 g/kg (DLS25) of dehulled lupine seeds in their diets. The results show that by dehulling the lupine seeds, the nutritional value of the seeds increased. The use of dehulled lupine seeds in the diet of laying quails did not affect the live performance (egg production, feed intake, feed conversion ratio), yolk cholesterol content, and physico-chemical quality indices of the eggs, compared with control. The presence of dehulled lupine seeds in the diet improved the nutritional quality of the yolk lipids because of the increase in the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thus, the lipid quality indices of the yolk became more favorable to consumer health because of an increase in the h/H ratio (hypocholesterolemic/Hypercholesterolemic FA) and a decrease in the atherogenic index and thrombogenic index values. The higher content in carotenoids also contributed to the higher nutritional quality of the eggs obtained by lupine utilization. In conclusion, dehulling of lupine seeds had a positive influence on the nutritional quality of the seeds, the live performance of quails, and the quality of eggs.

Regulation of pancreatic exocrine in ruminants and the related mechanism: The signal transduction and more.

The unique structure of the stomach, including the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum, indicates the differences between the ruminant and monogastric animals in the digestion of nutrients. This difference is reflected in the majority of dietary nutrients that may be fermented in the rumen. Significant proteins and a certain amount of starch can flow to the small intestine apart from rumen. The initial phase of small intestinal digestion requires pancreatic digestive enzymes. In theory, the enzymatic digestion and utilization efficiency of starch in the small intestine are considerably higher than that in the rumen, but the starch digestibility in the small intestine is quite low in ruminants. Therefore, improving the digestion of nutrients, especially starch in the small intestine is more urgent for high-yield ruminants. Although the pancreas plays a central role in nutrient digestion, the progress of research investigating pancreatic exocrine regulation in the ruminant is slow due to some factors, such as the complex structure of the pancreas, the selection of experimental model and duration, and internal (hormones or ages) and external (diet) influences. The present review is based on the research findings of pancreatic exocrine regulation of dairy animals and expounded from the physiological structure of the ruminant pancreas, the factors affecting the digestion and exocrine processing of carbohydrates, and the regulatory mechanism governing this process. The review aims to better understand the characteristics of enzymatic digestion, thereby advancing pancreatic exocrine research and improving the digestion and utilization of nutrients in ruminants. Additionally, this review provides the theoretical basis for improving nutrient utilization efficiency, reducing wastage of feed resources, and promoting the efficient development of the dairy industry.

Domestic chicken omega 3 – a product for promoting human health

Literature data show that the relationship between two groups of polyunsaturated fatty acids in diet, omega 3 acids, whose basic representative is a-linolenic acid (C18: 3 n-3), and omega 6 acids, whose basic representative is linoleic acid (C18: 2 n-6), has a significant role in development of cardiovascular diseases in humans. The optimal ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids is around 4:1. In monogastric animals, the fatty acids in feed are absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract largely unchanged. This means the fatty acid profile of the animal’s diet directly reflects the fatty acid profile of the tissue. The daily intake of unsaturated fatty acids can be increased by an adequate animal nutrition strategy. Flaxseed contains ten times more unsaturated (32.26%) than saturated (3.66%) fatty acids. The largest amount of unsaturated fatty acids (about 70%) is a-linolenic acid (ALA), which is a precursor of the entire omega 3 series of fatty acids, and which makes flaxseed an ideal raw material for the production of a wide range of omega 3 enriched products. In order to obtain chicken meat rich in omega 3, an experiment was organized with a specific diet for broilers at fattening. Thanks to the designed animal feed, it was possible to get products (meat, breast, drumstick, liver, subcutaneous fat) with significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids compared to the same products obtained from broilers fed with conventional mixtures, or with almost the ideal ratio between omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids.

Influence of CLA addition in non-ruminant diets on lipid index values

In monogastric animals, tissue fatty acid profile directly reflects the fatty acid profile present in the animal’s diet. Inadequate ratio of fatty acids in food can lead to negative effects on human health. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a group of isomers of linoleic acid (C18:2), and its most interesting role is in the prevention of tumors, atherosclerosis and diabetes. CLA is found in ruminant meat and milk, and since pigs and poultry do not have the ability to synthesize CLA, it is possible to add them to animal feed with biotechnological solutions. The scientific public imposes modern parameters for determining the nutritional value of fatty acids, in which the AI – index of atherogenicity, TI – index of thrombogenicity and H/H - hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio are distinguished. The aim of this study was to determine the effect CLA addition to the diet of non-ruminants on the lipid indices of certain categories of meat, from the aspect of consumer health needs. A significant influence of the correction of feed’s fatty acid composition on the lipid indices in food of animal origin was determined.

Feeding value improvement of corn-ethanol co-product and soybean hull by fungal fermentation: Fiber degradation and digestibility improvement

Fungal pre-treatment and fermentation could improve nutritional value of wet corn distillers’ grains and solubles (WDGS), soybean hull (SH), and their blend in swine and poultry diets, which can potentially increase revenues for corn-ethanol and soybean processing industries while reducing feed cost in swine and poultry production systems. This study evaluated the effectiveness of pre-treatment of SH, WDGS, and their mixture by Trichoderma reesei and fermentation by Aspergillus oryzae to improve the nutritional profile and digestibility of these ingredients. T. reesei produced cellulase and xylanase, resulting in structural carbohydrates reduction by 69.2% while concentrating amino acids from 6.8% to 11% in SH. Fermentation with A. oryzae degraded phytate by over 50% and improved in vitro digestibility of amino acids in WDGS and its mixture with SH. Fermenting T. reesei pre-treated SH by A. oryzae showed higher in vitro dry matter digestibility than non-fermented substrate. Moreover, the proportion of key amino acids (arginine, threonine, methionine, and lysine) in both T. reesei and A. oryzae fermented substrates were significantly improved. The results demonstrated the feasibility of combining T. reesei and A. oryzae in improving feeding value of WDGS and SH for potential use as feed ingredients for monogastric animals.

Enhanced Phytase Production by Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis in Solid State Fermentation and its Utility in Improving Food Nutrition

Phytic acid acts as anti-nutritional factor in food and feed ingredients for monogastric animals as they lack phytases. Phytase production by Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis JJBS250 was studied in solid-state fermentation and its applicability in dephytinization of food. Bacterial culture was grown in solid state fermentation using wheat bran and various culture conditions were optimized using 'One variable at a time' (OVAT) approach. Effects of different substrates (wheat bran, wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse), incubation time (24, 48, 72 and 96 h), incubation temperatures (25, 30, 35 and 40°C), pH (4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0) and moisture content (1:1.5, 1:2.0, 1:2.5 and 1:3) were studied on phytase production. Bacterial phytase was used in dephytinization of food samples. Optimization of phytase production was studied in solid state fermentation (SSF) using 'One variable at a time' (OVAT) approach. Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis JJBS250 grew well in various agroresidues in SSF and secreted high enzyme titres using wheat bran at 30°C and pH 5.0 after incubation time of 48 h with substrate to moisture ratio of 1:3. Glucose and ammonium sulphate supplementation to wheat bran further enhanced phytase production in SSF. Optimization of phytase production resulted in 2.4-fold improvement in phytase production in solid state fermentation. The enzyme resulted in dephytinization of wheat and rice flours with concomitant release of inorganic phosphate, reducing sugar and soluble protein. Optimization resulted in 2.34-fold enhancement in phytase production by bacterial culture that showed dephytinization of food ingredients with concomitant release of nutritional components. Therefore, phytase of B. subtilis subsp. subtilis JJBS250 could find application in improving nutritional quality of food and feed of monogastric animals.

In vitro assessment of enzymatic phytate dephosphorylation during digestive process of different feeds and feed ingredients

In vivo studies of the digestive process are long, expensive and difficult to rationalize, whereas in vitro systems may give more accessible insight into parts of this process. The purpose of this study was to show the ability of a three-step simulation of monogastric animals’ digestive system to estimate phytate hydrolysis and how it is affected by feed composition. Several feed ingredients: wheat, maize, soybean meal and rapeseed meal and complete diets: a wheat-maize-soybean-meal-based diet, a maize-soybean-meal diet and a wheat-maize-rapeseed-meal diet were treated using an adaptation of a described in vitro digestion simulation system in the presence of increasing doses of phytase. A strong dependence of phytate hydrolysis on the feed ingredient used was obtained: phosphorus releases were 0.3, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.6 g/kg at 0 U/kg of phytase supplementation for maize, soybean meal, wheat and rapeseed meal respectively and 1.2, 2.9, 1.7 and 3.9 at 1000 U/kg of bacterial phytase. The efficacy of enzymatic dephosphorylation of phytate was found dependent on the ingredient, which can be partially explained by their initial content in myo-inositol phosphates. The in vitro simulation was proven a useful tool to assess enzymatic dephosphorylation of phytate under different conditions.

Gossypol detoxification in the rumen and Helicoverpa armigera larvae: A review

Gossypol, a phenolic compound found in the cotton plant, is widely distributed in cottonseed by-products. Although ruminant animals are believed to be more tolerant of gossypol toxicity than monogastric animals due to rumen microbial fermentation, the actual mechanisms of detoxification remain unclear. In contrast, the metabolic detoxification of gossypol by Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae has achieved great advances. The present review discusses the clinical signs of gossypol in ruminant animals, as well as summarizing advances in the study of gossypol detoxification in the rumen. It also examines the regulatory roles of several key enzymes in gossypol detoxification and transformation known in H. armigera. With the rapid development of modern molecular biotechnology and -omics technology strategies, evidence increasingly indicates that research into the biological degradation of gossypol in H. armigera larvae and some microbes, in terms of these key enzymes, could provide scientific insights that would underpin future work on microbial gossypol detoxification in the rumen, with the ultimate aim of further alleviating gossypol toxicity in ruminant animals.

Agronomic characterization of sunflower cultivars for animal feeding in tropical conditions

This study was developed to examine morpho-agronomic traits of 18 sunflower cultivars and identify superior cultivars in terms of grain yield, forage quality, or both, for animal feeding. Twenty-two morpho-agronomic traits related to plant development and architecture; earliness of maturity; grain yield (achenes); dry matter yield; and dry matter content were evaluated. Cultivars Hélio 253, Hélio 358, Embrapa 122, BRS 321, and Hélio 360 showed inflorescence at the final stage. Aguará 4 showed the lowest flowering rate, characterizing it as late-maturing. For grain yield, cultivars Charrua, Olisun 3, BRS 321, Paraíso 103CL, Paraíso 65, Aguará 6, and CF 101 are recommended, as they showed the highest achene yields (average: 1,541.67 to 2,148.81 kg.ha−1, respectively). Cultivars Charrua, Hélio 251, Olisun 3, Hélio 360, Paraíso 55, and Paraíso 103CL exhibited higher dry matter yields (9,550.93 to 11,789.91 kg ha−1) and were thus indicated for forage production. Cultivars Charrua, Olisun 3, BRS 321, Paraíso 103CL, Paraíso 65, Aguará 6, and CF 101 are recommended for grain yield, for the diet of monogastric animals; Charrua, Hélio 251, Olisun 3, Hélio 360, Paraíso 55, and Paraíso 103CL for forage yield, for ruminant feeding; and Charrua, Olisun 3, and Paraíso 103CL for both purposes.