Pelleted Diet Research Articles

The effect of dietary taurine and its potential biosynthesis on juvenile grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) performance

The grey mullet is a catadromous species that spawns in the taurine-rich seawater environment, followed by the young fish generally migrating to less saline, low taurine waters during the larva-juvenile transition. Consequently, this study aimed to (1) determines whether there is a dietary taurine requirement in juvenile grey mullet for enhanced growth and (2) the potential for taurine biosynthesis. The experimental system consisted of sixteen 400-l V-tanks, where filtered, UV-treated ambient seawater (40 ‰) entered the bottom of the tanks at a rate of 7 tank exchanges/day. This allowed the testing of four 1 mm pelleted diets (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% taurine DW diet) in replicates of 4 tanks/treatment for 58 days. Grey mullet juveniles demonstrated (P<0.05) a specific requirement for a 0.5% taurine DW diet for improved growth. Fish fed the taurine diets displayed populations with a markedly (P < 0.05) higher average number of surviving fish (23.4±1.1) of moderately sized (10- 20 g) cohorts than smaller (< 10 g) individuals (12.5±1.1). In contrast, the fish fed the taurine control (0% taurine) exhibited similar average numbers of small and moderate sized fish (18.0±3.6-20.0±4.1). Dietary taurine accumulated highly (P<0.05) in the muscles in a dose dependent manner but less so (P<0.05) in eyes, and liver. The gene expression of liver cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase (CSD) exhibited an upregulation (P<0.05) with taurine diets from 0 to 1% but was down regulated (P<0.05) in fish fed the 2% taurine DW diet.

EFFECT OF A BIODEGRADABLE SUBSTRATE SUGARCANE BAGASSE ON EGG AND SPERM QUALITY OF THE CATFISH, CLARIAS BATRACHUS (LINN.)

The present investigation has been conducted to evaluate the egg and sperm quality of thecatfish, Clarias batrachus (Linn.) cultured in sugarcane bagasse substrate medium. Adult Clariasbatrachus (av. wt. 196 g for males and 215 g for females) were reared at 20 per tank. No feed wasprovided to the fish in 3 of the substrate-added tanks (T1), while a pelleted diet was fed to the fish inthe remaining 3 substrate-added tanks (T2) and the other 3 tanks without substrate (T3). Five pairs ofmatured male and female Clarias batrachus were bred by hypophysation using OVAPRIM. Spawningsubstrates made from cut nylon mosquito nets were spread inside the tank to a depth of 10cm for thepurpose of incubation. Fertilized eggs obtained by mixing stripped eggs and spermatozoa fromOvaprim-induced brood fish were immediately spread thinly on the substrate for between 24-36hours for incubation and hatching. The brood fish fed the fishmeal-based diet and diet with sugarcanebagasse substrate had significantly higher (p<0.05) oocyte diameter, milt density, milt volume,sperm motility, higher percentage of egg fertilization, hatching and crude protein and lipid contents.These results showed that sugarcane bagasse can effectively be use as a substrate for the culture ofthe catfish Clarias batrachus.

Effects of extruded and pelleted diets with different protein levels on growth performance and nutrient retention of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

This study investigated effects of extruded diet (ED) and pelleted diet (PD) with differing dietary protein levels on growth performance and nutrient utilization in juvenile largemouth bass (LMB). Nine hundred LMB (initial body weight of 6.47 ± 0.1 g)were fed for eight weeks in five levels of crude protein (40%, 44%, 48%, 52% and 56%) with pelleting or extruding processing technology. The results showed the weight gain (WG, 380.65%), apparent digestibility of crude protein (ADCP, 55.76%), dry matter (DM, 89.70%) and whole-body crude protein (66.32%) of LMB fed with ED52 group were significantly higher than those of other groups (P < 0.05), and FCR (0.96) was lowest. The WGmax was obtained when dietary protein level was 51.6% in ED. Activities of digestive enzymes in liver of LMB fed ED groups were generally higher than those fed PD groups. In addition, lipase, tryptase and α-amylase activities were at higher values between ED48 to ED56. The levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides in serum of LMB were lowest at ED52 group. The liver glycogen content, GLUT1, P-GSK-3β and GYS2 gene expression level in ED groups were significantly higher than those of in PD groups at same protein level (P < 0.05), and the gene expression levels of LMB were lowest in ED52 group. However, the gene expression levels in ED56 group were significantly higher than those of the other groups (P < 0.05). These results indicated that juvenile LMB achieve maximum growth when fed diet for ED at 51.6% protein level.

Growth Rates, Carcass Traits, Meat Yield, and Fatty Acid Composition in Growing Lambs under Different Feeding Regimes.

A total of 75 male Awassi (mean BW 23.5 ± 2.0 kg; 3 months old) were used in an 84-day trial to investigate the effects of different feeding regimes on productive performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality, and the fatty acid profile of growing lambs. Animals were randomly allocated into 3 groups of 25 lambs each. The dietary treatments were as follows: (1) whole barley grain (60%) plus alfalfa hay (40%; GB-AH; the basal diet); (2) a concentrate pelleted diet plus alfalfa hay (CP-AH); and (3) a complete pelleted diet (CPD). Feed intake was measured weekly, and all lambs were weighed every two weeks for an evaluation of the productive parameters. Blood samples were collected from all lambs for the measurement of biochemical and enzymatic variables. At the end of the experiment, 13 lambs from each treatment were slaughtered to evaluate the carcass characteristics, meat quality, and fatty acid composition. The final body weight, body weight gain, average daily gain, and feed efficiency of lambs were lowest (p < 0.05) in lambs on the grain and alfalfa diet compared with the other groups. Feeding lambs either the CP-AH or CPD diets resulted (p < 0.05) in increases in slaughter weight, carcass weights (hot and cold), the percentage of liver and shoulder, carcass length, back fat thickness, and the area of longissimus thoracis muscle compared with those lambs on the GB-AF diet. The proportion of saturated fatty acids in meat was greater (p = 0.04) in lambs fed on the GA-AH diet than in those of lambs fed on the pelleted diets. Lambs on the CP-AH diet had (p < 0.05) the highest ratios of PUFA to SFA and omega 6 to omega 3, and the proportion of omega 6. The atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes were lower (p < 0.05) in the CP-AH group compared with the GB-AH group. In conclusion, the results indicate that feeding growing lambs on concentrate pellets instead of whole barley grain improves the growth rate, traits, meat quality, and fatty acid profile, which have important implications for productivity, efficiency, and profitability in the livestock industry.

Apigenin ameliorates hypercholesterolemic-induced kidney injury via modulating renal KIM-1, Fn1, and Nrf2 signaling pathways.

Hypercholesterolemia (HC) is a devastating metabolic disorder that has a negative effect on the kidneys' functional and structural modalities via oxidative stress and inflammation. The aim of this paper is to elaborate on the role of the flavonoid apigenin (Apg), considering its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic capabilities, in alleviating hypercholesterolemic-induced kidney injury. Twenty-four adult Wister male rats were allocated into four equal groups and treated for eight consecutive weeks: a control group, supplemented with a normal pellet diet (NPD); the Apg group, supplemented with NPD and Apg (50 mg/Kg); the HC group, fed with NPD enriched with 4% cholesterol and 2% sodium cholate; and the HC/Apg group, concomitantly rendered hypercholesterolemic and gavaged with Apg. At the end of the experiment, serum samples were collected to measure renal function parameters, lipid profile, MDA, and GPX-1. Thereafter, the kidneys were processed for histological study and homogenized to assess IL-1β, IL-10, and the gene expression of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), fibronectin 1 (Fn1), and NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) via RT-qPCR. HC disturbed the renal function, lipid profile, and serum redox balance. In addition, HC elicited a proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory imbalance, upregulating KIM-1 and Fn1 and downregulating the Nrf2 gene expression of the kidney tissue. Moreover, HC induced marked histopathological changes in the kidney cytoarchitecture. Efficaciously, upon concomitant Apg supplementation with a high-cholesterol diet, most functional, histological, and biomolecular impairments of the kidney were comparatively restored in the HC/Apg group. Apg mitigated HC-induced kidney injury via modulating the KIM-1, Fn1, and Nrf2 signaling pathways, a promising effect that may be useful as an adjunct to antihypercholesterolemic medications to treat the devastating renal complications of HC.

Effect of Bay leaf (Laurus nobilis L.) and its isolated (flavonoids and glycosides) on the lipids profile in the local Iraqi female rabbits

The present study aimed to explain the effect of Bay leaf and its isolated flavonoids and glycosides on the levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and VLDL-C in the local Iraqi female rabbits. Isolation of flavonoids and glycosides from Bay leaf were carried out, the study design included four groups (n=6): Control group-C fed with standard pellet diet; group1-G1 orally administrated daily dose 100 mg/ml/kg of Bay leaf crude for 30 days; group2-G2 orally administrated daily dose 50 mg/ml/kg of isolated flavonoids for 30 days; group3-G3 orally administrated daily dose 12.5 mg/ml/kg of isolated glycosides for 30 days. TC, TG and HDL-C were determined by enzymatic colorimetric method. The results showed that oral administration of Bay leaf and its isolated flavonoids and glycosides reduced levels of TC, TG, LDL-C and VLDL-C compared to control, therefore Bay leaf useful agent in reducing hyperlipidemia.

Effects of clove (Syzygium aromaticum) on productive performance, nutrients value and digestibility, blood lipid profile, antioxidant status and immune response of growing rabbits

The current study evaluated the effect of feeding clove (Syzygium aromaticum) as a natural additive on productive performance, digestibility and nutritive value, antioxidant enzymes activities, and immune response of growing rabbits. A total of 48 New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits aged 6 weeks were randomly allocated to 4 groups (12 rabbits/group). Clove buds powder (CLP) was supplemented at 0.5, 1, and 1.5% of basal diet. Four tested diets formulated to contain basal diet without CLP (treatment 1, T1), 0.5% CLP (T2), 1% CLP (T3), and 1.5% CLP (T4). The animals were provided pelleted diets and fresh water ad libitum throughout the experimental period. The rabbits fed diets containing CLP improved FCR (P=0.007) and consumed (P&lt;0.0001) less than those fed control group. The diet containing 1.5% CLP had the best feed conversion ratio (FCR) value (P&lt;0.05). No significant differences were observed among experimental groups in all nutrients digestibility except CP digestibility significantly (P=0.0261) increased with 0.5 and 1% CLP groups compared to control group. Blood total lipid (TL) was significantly decreased (P&lt;0.009) with increasing the dietary level of CLP, (being 379.17 and 361.11 mg/dl for 1% and 1.5% CLP groups vs. 470.84 for control group). The catalase and total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) concentrations significantly (P&lt;0.0001) increased with CLP groups compared to control group. The immunoglobulins titres (IgG and IgM) improved (P&gt;0.05) with rabbits fed CLP diets when compared to those fed the control diet. In conclusion, using CLP as an alternative feed additive in rabbit’s diets up to 1.5% without any adverse effect on productive performance and vital activities. The CLP inclusion in rabbit diets decreased feed intake (FI), improved FCR and increased profitability, moreover, had a positive effect on antioxidant enzyme activity and immunity (IgG and IgM) titres.

The Effect of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Senna (Cassia Angustifolia Vahl.) on Lipid Profiles in Hyperlipidemic Rats

Background: Abnormality in metabolism of lipids and hyperlipidemia is a risk factor for atherosclerosis which is the major cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Several herbal drugs are used for the treatment of dyslipidemia. The present study investigates the effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of Senna extract on serum lipid profile among hyperlipidemic rats. Methods: Forty eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups of 8 animals, including group 1) normal pellet diet (control), group 2) high fat diet (HFD), group, 3) HFD with 100 mg/kg Senna extract treatment, group 4) HFD with 200 mg/kg Senna extract treatment, group 5) 100 mg/kg pure Senna extract, and group 6) 200 mg/kg pure Senna extract. All the dietary regimens and Senna extract treatments were continued for 30 days. At the end of the experiment, blood samples collected from heart of rats and the lipid profile levels were measured. Results: The results indicated that short-term treatment by hydroalcoholic of Senna extract produced a significant reduction in the level of cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL-C (P &lt; 0.05), as well as an increase in HDL-C. The body weight in the HFD group was significantly higher than the other groups (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: Prescription of hydroalcoholic extracts of Senna is effective in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, and can inhibit the weight gain induced by HFD in rats. Some of these effects could be attributed to antioxidants activities, biological and pharmaceutical properties and other protective properties of the Senna extract requiring further investigations.

Dietary administration of l-carnitine during the fattening period of early feed restricted lambs modifies lipid metabolism and meat quality

Early feed restriction of lambs promotes a permanent mitochondrial dysfunction that impairs β-oxidation of fatty acids along the whole life. Therefore, dietary l-carnitine might help to improve the mitochondrial function of these lambs, thus modifying lipid metabolism and meat quality traits. In order to test this hypothesis an experiment was carried out with 22 Merino lambs that were subjected to an early feed restriction during the suckling period. Once weaned, the lambs were allocated to a control group (CTRL, n = 11) being fed ad libitum a complete pelleted diet during the fattening phase, whereas the second group (CARN, n = 11) received the same diet formulated with 3 g/kg of l-carnitine. Carcass characteristics were not affected (P > 0.05) by treatment. However, lambs fed l-carnitine showed higher amounts of intramuscular fat (26.5 vs. 33.6 g/kg fresh matter; P = 0.047) with a lower ratio between polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids (0.425 vs 0.333; P = 0.023) and a higher atherogenic (0.507 vs 0.597; P < 0.001) and thrombogenic index (1.23 vs 1.42; P < 0.001). An increase in lightness (P < 0.05) and a tendency to improved oxidative stability in cooked meat (P = 0.066) were also observed in the CARN group. Consequently, dietary l-carnitine supplied during the fattening period of early feed restricted lambs modifies meat quality traits thus increasing lightness, oxidative stability and intramuscular fat content, but worsening the fatty acid profile.

Effect of straw particle size in high grain complete pelleted diet on growth performance, rumen pH, feeding behavior, nutrient digestibility, blood and carcass indices of fattening male goats

The study aimed to elucidate the effects of straw particle size of complete pelleted diet (CPD) on feed intake, growth performance, rumen pH, feeding behavior, selected blood metabolites, nutrient digestibility, and carcass attributes of fattening male goats. Sixteen male Beetal goats, averaging 27.0 ± 2.84 kg body weight (BW) were randomly assigned to one of the following dietary treatments (n = 8 male goats /treatment); 1) S4 (CPD having oat straw ground at 4 mm); 2) S8 (CPD having oat straw ground at 8 mm). The diets were iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric with forage to concentrate ratio of 15:85, and were designed to achieve low NDF contents of 20% by adding 63% corn grains. The experiment lasted for 16 weeks; 2 weeks of receiving and diet adaptability period, 13 weeks of data collection, and last one week for nutrient digestibility. Animals were housed individually and fed the corresponding diet and water ad libitum. Feeding behavior was recorded on day 30, 60, and 90 of the study. Blood samples were collected weekly, whereas, rumen samples were collected on a bi-weekly basis. Total tract nutrient digestibility was performed at the end of the experiment. All goats were slaughtered to determine changes in the carcass attributes. Results revealed that DMI and ADG were higher (P < 0.0001) in the S8 group compared with the S4 group. The feed-to-gain ratio (F: G), however, was lower (P = 0.047) in the S8 group compared with that of the S4 group. Ruminal pH was higher (P < 0.0001) in S8 than S4 only at the beginning of the trial, with no later differences (P > 0.05). There was a significant treatment × week interaction (P < 0.05) for rumen pH during weeks 2 and 4 which remained below 6.0 in the S4 compared with the S8. The odds for diarrhea were 5 times lower in the S8 compared to the S4 male goats. Animals fed on CPD with the straw ground at 8 mm had higher (P ≤ 0.05) rumination time, DMI intake, NDF intake, and drinking time than those fed on CPD with the straw ground at 4 mm. Furthermore, the dressing percentage and marbling score was higher (P ≤ 0.05) in the S8 compared with the S4. The findings of this study suggested that the use of oat straw ground at 8 mm in a complete pelleted diet improved growth performance and carcass yield by improving the feeding behavior and stabilizing the rumen environment.

Effects of different levels of egg protein replacement in weaned diets on hematology, kidney functions, and immunity biomarkers.

Eggs are good sources of nutrients essential for the growth and development of infants. Introducing eggs as a weaning food can improve dietary adequacy in infants at risk for protein energy malnutrition (PEM). To evaluate the current objective, 72 pups (36 males and 36 females) were used to calculate the impact of various egg protein levels on blood parameters. Nonisonitrogenous and isocaloric pellet diets were offered to pups for 28 days using nine pups with three replicates according to a completely randomized design (CRD). The water intake and ad libitum diet were offered to weaned pups. The pups were randomly assigned to different concentrations of diet, which contained WF0, control diet, 14% of soybean protein; WF1, 14% of egg protein; WF2, 16% of egg protein; and WF3, 18% of egg protein, respectively. After weaning, the intraperitoneal injection with the drug (xylazine with ketamine) was used to anesthetize before killing on the 28th day. Blood samples were used to measure the blood metabolites. The results indicated that the concentration of red blood cells, white blood cells, serum triglycerides, and serum protein was significantly (p ≤ .05) increased in pups fed with high egg protein levels compared to the control. The highest platelet count was observed in the pups fed WF3 diet. In contrast, the amount of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase was significantly (p ≤ .05) reduced with increasing the level of egg protein in the diets of weaned pups. Immunity biomarkers (immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, and immunoglobulin M) and kidney functions (creatinine and blood urine nitrogen) were nonsignificantly (p ≤ .05) increased in the pups fed a high level of protein due to a high biological value of soybean protein. Moreover, the concentration of immunoglobulin E in all pups remained unchanged. Egg protein in infant formula feed can be used for the growth and development of infants.

Feeding pellets inoculated with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain H57 improves production parameters in young Merino wethers

The objective of the study was to determine if feeding the probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain H57 (‘H57′) to young Merino wethers can improve their feed intake, productivity, energy metabolism and rumen fermentation parameters. Thirty-six Merino wethers were housed in individual pens and fed ad libitum a high-fibre pelleted diet (Control group, n = 18), or the same pelleted diet inoculated with H57 (H57 group, n = 18) for a four-week Treatment period. This was followed by a two-week Carry-over period when all wethers were fed the pelleted diet without H57. Intake of pellets was measured daily (dry matter intake, DMI), live weight (LW) and body condition score (BCS) were measured weekly, and the LW gain (LWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated from the DMI and LWG. During the six-week experimental period, samples of blood and rumen fluid were collected four times and analysed for blood enzymes, metabolites, hormones and rumen fermentation parameters. In the Treatment period, the H57 group had 25% larger final LW than the Control group (6.0 vs 4.8 kg, P = 0.045) and had a greater BCS (2.94 vs 2.44, P = 0.014) and DMI of pellets (1429 vs 1337 g/day, P = 0.033), resulting in a better FCR (6.8:1.0 vs 8.4:1.0, P = 0.049). The increases in final LW and BCS were most marked in the initial two weeks of the Treatment period, but persisted over the remaining two weeks and continued, albeit to a smaller extent, during the Carry-over period. Blood metabolites, enzymes and hormones did not differ between the two groups and were within the expected reference ranges for sheep. Rumen NH3 concentrations were elevated (P = 0.033) in the H57 group throughout the experiment, but overall the volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations were not different. B. amyloliquefaciens was present in H57 pellets throughout the Treatment period, and consequently was detected in the rumen fluid and faeces of the H57 group. In conclusion, young Merino wethers fed high-fibre pellets inoculated with H57 for four weeks grew faster, converted the pellets into final LW more efficiently and had a higher BCS than peers fed the same pellets without H57. This can be important when feeding high-fibre pellets to transition young Merino wethers onto a finishing diet. The mechanisms behind these responses remain to be elucidated.

Long term excessive zinc supplementation in diet induced alteration in serum lipids, hormones and minerals profile in wistar rats and has carry over effect in their F1 generation rats

The use of the zinc in various areas such as animal husbandry, agricultural techniques and multivitamin supplements has increased in recent decades and will increase over time. In this study, the impact of Zn overload for long period in the body, and their carry-over effect on the next generation is determined. Three groups of rats were fed on basal diets having 20 mg Zn in one kg diet (group-1), control group, 50 mg Zn in one kg diet (Group-2) and 80 mg Zn in one kg diet (Group-3) for 180 days. The F1- generation rats obtained from each group of parent rats were fed only on rat pellet diet. The investigation revealed that body weight rise with increased concentration of Zn in parent and F1-generation rats. The blood lipid profile in serum showed an increase in triglycerides, cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol whereas lowered level of high-density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels was recorded in both generation of rats. A significant increase in serum Insulin, HbA1c, and C-reactive protein level was recorded in group-2 and 3 rats while no significant changes in the FI- generation of rats. In F1- rats, Zn showed increase in its level while decreased level of Mn and Cu in the kidney and liver of group-F1-2 and F1-3 was observed in comparison to their control counterparts. The results of the study suggest long term treatment of diet rich in Zn induced alteration in serum lipids, hormones and profile of minerals and has carry over effect to their F1- generations.

Level of feeding and stage of maturity affects diet digestibility and protein and fat deposition in cross-bred lambs.

Metabolizable energy intake is the key determining factor for the expression of an animal's genetic potential for growth, and current predictive growth models are not capable of accounting for all the nutritional variation that is commonly observed. The current study was designed to investigate energy transactions as lambs grow using CT scanning to assess body compositional changes at two levels of intake and two stages of maturity, and compare results to predictive equations. A pelleted diet was provided to cross-bred lambs (n=108) at approximately 2.5 and 3.5% of liveweight (LW) in dry matter when the lambs were approximately four (31.8 ± 0.3kg LW) and eight (40.5 ± 0.3kg LW) months of age. A digestibility trial was run sequentially using 10 lambs of the same genetic and nutritional history fed at the same feeding levels to determine the digestibility of the diet. In the first feeding period, metabolizable energy intake was 15.3 ± 0.03 and 9.5 ± 0.03 MJ ME/d for high and low feeding levels respectively, resulting in higher rates of empty body gain for high feeding level lambs (197.7 ± 7.8 v. 72.8 ± 8.2g/d; P<0.001). In the second feeding period, metabolizable energy intake was 15.2 ± 0.01 and 12.0 ± 0.01 MJ ME/d for high and low feeding levels respectively, resulting in higher rates of empty body gain for high feeding level lambs (176.3 ± 5.4 v. 73.9 ± 5.3; P<0.001). Lambs at later stages of maturity retained proportionately more energy as fat for every unit of retained energy compared to younger lambs (95.4 ± 0.40 v. 90.0 ± 0.42%; P<0.001). Lambs fed the lower feeding level in period two also retained proportionately more energy as fat for every unit of retained energy than lambs at the higher feeding level (97.1 ± 0.36 v. 94.0 ± 0.37%; P<0.001) which is hypothesised to be because of the rapid response of visceral lean tissue to changes in nutrition. There were no significant interactions between treatments in the first and second feeding periods, indicating an absence of a compensatory gain response to a nutritional restriction in the first feeding period. This experiment highlights the significance of a changing feed supply and the subsequent effects on body composition and the partitioning of energy to lean and fat tissue deposition. For improvements in the accuracy of predictive ruminant growth models it is necessary to gain a greater understanding of the different tissue responses over time to changes in nutrition.

Effects of probiotic fermented milk on management of obesity studied in high-fat-diet induced obese rat model

The current study aimed to explore the hypothesis that probiotic bacteria are significantly involved in the control of obesity using Wistar rats as the test group by feeding high fat diets (HFD) induced obesity. A total of four groups of rats were considered viz., normal pellet diet fed (NC), HFD fed (DC), HFD fed rats treated with probiotic fermented milk with soy protein isolate (SPI) and whey protein concentrate (WPC) (T1), HFD fed rats treated with probiotic fermented milk without WPC and SPI (T2). Body weight, abdominal fat weight, liver weight, serum Alanine aminotransferase level, and alkaline phosphatase level significantly (p < 0.05) decreased after giving daily probiotic milk product supplementation with @ 2 ml per day for continuous 4 weeks. Whereas, C-reactive protein and Aspartate aminotransferase levels were not altered to a significant extent. The histology of the liver from the disease model group showed large lipid vacuoles deposited in the parenchyma cells. Product T2 confirmed fewer micro vesicular fatty changes and the appearance of T2 was better than T1. Overall, the in vivo study results indicated that the probiotic fermented milk exerted a better anti-obesity effect.Graphical

The interactive effect of insoluble-fibre inclusion and feed form on the performance, tibia bone quality, and gastrointestinal histomorphology of Hy-Line W-36 laying pullets

Context Adding fibre to the diet is one of the factors that help the growth and development of the digestive system of pullets during the rearing period. Insoluble-fibre inclusion enhances the grinding competence and functionality of gizzards and increases the retention time of digesta in the gastrointestinal tract. Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction effects of insoluble fibre and the physical form of feed. Methods The interactive effect of two levels of sunflower hull (SH, 0 and 40 g/kg) and two feed forms (mash and pellet) on the growth of Hy-Line-W36 laying pullets from hatching until 8 weeks of age was investigated. For this purpose, 640 1-day-old chicks were randomly assigned to 64 cages. Key results Insoluble fibre had no effect on performance. Birds offered pelleted feed had a higher overall daily weight gain and daily feed intake than did those fed mash feed. A significant interaction between SH inclusion and feed form was observed for daily feed intake from 0 to 2 weeks. The pullets fed with mash feed without SH had a heavier weight of the gizzard than did the others. Feeding pelleted diets reduced caecum weight and the length of jejunum and ileum. Fibre inclusion resulted in a lower crypt depth in the jejunum. The jejunal villus height and muscle-layer thickness were higher in pellet-fed pullets. Feeding pelleted diets increased the tibia length and tibiotarsal index. The lowest propionate content of caecum was recorded in pellet-fed pullets without SH. Conclusions Overall, the inclusion of SH in diets had no significant effect on performance but improved the morphology of the intestine. Feeding pelleted diets improved the growth performance and intestinal morphology of pullets. Implications Compared to mash diets, feeding pelleted diets improved the performance. Adding fiber to the diet improves intestinal structure, which helps improve digestion and absorption of nutrients. Also, feed pelleting technology improves the effective parameters of the gastrointestinal tract in laying pullets. Also, the use of pelleted feed compared to mesh is associated with improved economic efficiency.

Effect of multi-enzyme complex and feed form on growth performance, slaughter characteristic, total tract nutrient digestibility, and energy utilization in broiler chickens

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of exogenous multi-enzyme complex and feed form on growth performance, slaughter characteristics, nutrient digestibility, phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) utilization in broilers fed corn–soybean meal diets. A total of 312 male one day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were allocated to 6 dietary treatment groups with 13 replicates (4 birds each) in a 2×3 factorial arrangement of treatments in a randomized design, which includes mash (M) or pellet (P) diets supplemented with three levels of a multi-enzyme complex (0, 125, or 175 mg/kg) for 42 days. The results indicated that the addition of 175 mg/kg multi-enzyme complex to pelleted feeds (P175) significantly increased (p&lt;0.05) the body weight and feed intake of the broilers during the grower period. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly improved (p&lt;0.05) by adding the multi-enzyme complex to the pelleted feeds. The feed form * multi-enzyme interaction was significant on d0-21 for BW and FI and all three periods in FCR (p&lt;0.05). Mash feed decreased the European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF) ratio compared to that of the pelleted feed, and it was observed that EPEF increased (p&lt;0.05) linearly with an increase in the multi-enzyme complex added to both the mash and pelleted feeds. Although there was no difference among the groups regarding the carcass yield and relative organ weights, the gizzard weight increased significantly in chickens fed with mash feeds (p&lt;0.05). In addition, the difference between treatment groups in terms of total tract nutrient digestibility does not differ (p&gt;0.05) significantly, while the highest (p&lt;0.05) AMEn utilization was found in the P175 group. As a result, the pelleted feed form and the increased level of multi-enzyme supplementation improved the performance and efficiency of broiler production.

Plant-based polymer as a thermoresistant carrier of phytase in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diets

A biodegradable soybean oil-based polymer produced following the Green Chemistry principles, was assessed as a thermoresistant vehicle of phytase aiming to improve the enzyme stability during fish diet processing. Juvenile Nile tilapia (70 ± 4.3 g) were submitted to a digestibility assay designed in a factorial model (3 ×2) to assess the polymer efficiency. The treatments comprised the combination of three phytase inclusion methods with two feed processing methods. The inclusion methods of phytase were: CPP- coating post processing, in which the enzyme was spread on top of pellets after processing, PAE- polymer associated to enzyme, which was adsorbed by the polymer and included in the ingredients mash prior feed processing and NE- no enzyme inclusion, playing a control role as phytase was not included. The feed processing methods were extrusion (120 °C) or pelleting (40 °C), exposing the polymer to different temperatures. Phytase was supplemented at 1500 units kg−1 using the CPP or PAE methods. There was a significant interaction for the apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) values of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca) and Ash (P < 0.05). CPP resulted in higher ADC values for P and Ca, compared to PAE and NE in extruded diets (P < 0.05). The PAE method resulted in higher ADC values of P, Ca, and Ash than NE in extruded diets (P < 0.05). In pelleted diets, PAE resulted in higher ADC values for P and Ca, and a similar ADCAsh in comparison to CPP (P < 0.05). As verified in extruded diets data, the polymer partially protected phytase from heat denaturation, resulting in higher ADC values in comparison to NE (P < 0.05). The polymer improved phytase effects in pelleted diets probably by reducing degradation in fish stomach. These results suggest that the polymer may be a potential protective carrier of phytase and other thermolabile additives in extruded and pelleted diets.

Effects of dry pelleted diets on growth and survival of the edible sea urchin Arbacia stellata (Blainville, 1825) for an echinoculture feasibility

Effects of dry pelleted diets on growth and survival of the edible sea urchin Arbacia stellata (Blainville, 1825) for an echinoculture feasibility

Protein Malnutrition in BALB/c Mice: An Experimental Model Resembling Clinical Scenario

Abstract Objectives The study aims to develop a stable malnourished experimental mice model resembling the human population for future experimental studies. Materials and Methodology At weaning, female BALB/c mice are separated into two groups: one receiving a low protein diet (LPD, 10% protein) and the other receiving a commercially available normal pellet diet (ND, 18% protein). Model development and stability were assessed using body mass index (BMI), biochemical parameters such as glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, calcium, and phosphorus using serum samples at the 12th and 15th weeks of the study, antioxidant assay, and liver histopathology observation. Antioxidant assay and histopathology observation using liver tissue sample excised after euthanasia. Results LPD mice are categorized under grade I malnutrition based on the body weight change with respect to ND as per the principles of Gomez's classification of malnutrition. A significant long-term decrease in BMI of the malnourished group indicates the development of the stable malnourished model. Elevated serum enzyme levels in the 15th week and decreased antioxidant activity suggest liver injury and oxidative stress at the cellular level in the malnourished group. Histopathology alterations in the liver tissue further strengthen these observations reported in the human population of malnutrition. Conclusion This study confirms the development of a stable malnourished experimental model using a LPD (10% protein). This model may be used to study the role of malnutrition in the pathophysiology of any disease, drug action, and its kinetics in the future.