Tannic Acid Supplementation Research Articles

Effects of Tannic Acid Supplementation on Growth Performance, Nutrients Digestibility, and Blood Metabolite in Lohi Male Lambs

The objective of the current study was to assess the effects of tannic acid supplementation on growth performance, nutrients digestibility, and blood urea nitrogen in the Lohi male lambs. Fifteen animals with an average age of 9-10 months and live body weight of 26.4 ± 0.52 kg were selected randomly. Three total mixed rations (TA0, TA4, TA8) having tannic acid 0, 4 g and 8 g/animal/day, respectively were given to the lambs (n = 5/treatment) for a period of 60 days under a Completely Randomized Design. Data regarding dry matter intake, body weight gain, nutrients digestibility, feed efficiency and blood urea nitrogen were collected. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed among the treatments in dry matter intake, body weight gain, apparent digestibility of nutrients, and feed efficiency. The blood urea nitrogen levels were significantly lower (17.0 mg/dL) in the TA8 treatment group compared to the TA0 group (22.1 mg/dL; SE = 1.3), indicating the protein bypass characteristic of tannic acid. It was concluded that supplementation of tannin may not have appreciable effects on growth performance and digestibility of the nutrients in lambs, but bypass value of protein was increased.

Tannic acid alleviates ETEC K88-induced intestinal damage through regulating the p62-keap1-Nrf2 and TLR4-NF-κB-NLRP3 pathway in IPEC-J2 cells.

Tannic acid (TA), a naturally occurring polyphenol, has shown diverse potential in preventing intestinal damage in piglet diarrhea induced by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88. However, the protective effect of TA on ETEC k88 infection-induced post-weaning diarrhea and its potential mechanism has not been well elucidated. Therefore, an animal trial was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with TA on the intestinal diarrhea of weaned piglets challenged with ETEC K88. In addition, porcine intestinal epithelial cells were used as an in vitro model to explore the mechanism through which TA alleviates intestinal oxidative damage and inflammation. The results indicated that TA supplementation (2 and 4 g kg-1) reduced diarrhea rate, enzyme activity (diamine oxidase [DAO] and Malondialdehyde [MAD]) and serum inflammatory cytokines concentration (TNF-α and IL-1β) (P < 0.05) compared to the Infection group (IG), group in vivo. In vitro, TA treatment effectively alleviated ETEC-induced cytotoxicity, increased the expression of ZO-1, occludin and claudin-1 at both mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, TA pre-treatment increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes (such as T-SOD) and decreased serum cytokine levels (TNF-α and IL-1β). Furthermore, TA increased cellular antioxidant capacity by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway and decreased inflammatory response by down-regulating the expression of TLR4, MyD88, NF-kB and NLRP3. The present study showed that TA reduced the diarrhea rate of weaned piglets by restoring the intestinal mucosal mechanical barrier function, alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation. The underlying mechanism was achieved by modulating the p62-keap1-Nrf2 and TLR4-NF-κB-NLRP3 pathway. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tannic acid extracted from gallnut improves intestinal health with regulation of redox homeostasis and gut microbiota of weaned piglets

AbstractThe objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of tannic acid (TA) derived from gallnut supplementation on growth performance and health status of weaned piglets. A total of 432 weanling piglets (7.05 ± 1.05 kg) were randomly allocated into 4 treatment groups with 6 replicates of 18 pigs/pen. Piglets were fed either a basal diet (CON), or basal diets supplemented with 1.5 kg/t TA, 3.0 kg/t TA, or 1.8 kg/t zinc oxide (ZnO) for 21 days. The results showed that, compared to the CON, dietary TA supplementation did not affect (p &gt; 0.05) growth performance and serum biochemistry of weaned piglets. However, 3.0 kg/t TA had higher SOD, GPX, and CAT activities and a lower MDA concentration in the jejunum than those of the CON or the ZnO group. Meanwhile, 3.0 kg/t TA increased (p &lt; 0.05) villus height and villus height/crypt depth, and decreased (p &lt; 0.05) crypt depth in the small intestine. Dietary TA also downregulated (p &lt; 0.05) IL‐1β and TNF‐α expression in jejunum. Furthermore, 3.0 kg/t TA reduced (p &lt; 0.05) the abundance of Candidatus Brocadia and Escherichia‐Shigella in cecal digesta. Notably, both Candidatus Brocadia and Escherichia‐Shigella had a negative correlation with antioxidant enzymes activities (R &lt; −0.60, p &lt; 0.01), but Escherichia‐Shigella was positively correlated with MDA concentrations (R = 0.44, p &lt; 0.05) in the jejunum. In conclusion, compared to the CON, 3.0 kg/t TA supplementation improved the gut health status of weaned piglets, potentially by regulating redox homeostasis and gut microbiota.

Effects of Tannic Acid Supplementation of a High-Carbohydrate Diet on the Growth, Serum Biochemical Parameters, Antioxidant Capacity, Digestive Enzyme Activity, and Liver and Intestinal Health of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides.

We investigated the effects of dietary tannic acid (TA) supplementation of a high-carbohydrate diet on growth, feed utilization, whole-body proximate composition, serum biochemical indicators, antioxidant capacity, digestive enzyme activity, and liver and intestinal health of juvenile largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (initial mean weight: 8.08 ± 0.08 g). Five diets were prepared, including a positive control (dietary carbohydrate level, 16%, LC0), a negative control (dietary carbohydrate level, 21%, HC0), and three TA-supplementation diets based on the negative control diet with TA addition at 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg, respectively. After 8 weeks of feeding, the results showed that compared with the LC0 diet, 400-800 mg/kg dietary TA significantly improved the survival rate of largemouth bass (P < 0.05) while significantly reducing its weight-gain rate and specific growth rate (P < 0.05). Compared with the HC0 diet, 400 mg/kg dietary TA significantly increased serum catalase activity (P < 0.05), and significantly decreased serum malondialdehyde, liver glycogen, lightness (L ∗), and yellowness (b ∗) (P < 0.05). Moreover, compared with the HC0 diet, 200-400 mg/kg dietary TA effectively improved the vacuolation of hepatocytes caused by the high-carbohydrate diet and reduced the occurrence of intestinal epithelial cell vacuolation and necrosis. In turn, 800 mg/kg dietary TA significantly inhibited protease activity in the pyloric caecum and intestine (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with TA inhibited protease activity, which resulted in decreased growth performance in largemouth bass. However, it was also found that 200-400 mg/kg TA enhanced the antioxidant capacity of largemouth bass in the case of the high-carbohydrate diet, reduced liver glycogen levels, and improved liver and intestinal health. Finally, it should be noted that, when the dietary TA level exceeded 800 mg/kg, TA appeared to play a pro-oxidation role in the liver, which may cause oxidative stress in the liver.

Prospective Application of Tannic Acid in Acetaminophen (APAP)-Induced Acute Liver Failure.

This study investigated the effect of tannic acid (TA), a natural plant-derived polyphenol, on hepatocyte viability and function, focusing on both hepatoprotective and hepatocurative aspects within liver failure models. In an in vitro prevention model, the TA-containing group exhibited 1.5-fold and 59-fold higher relative cell viability and albumin synthesis, respectively, in injured mature hepatocytes (MHs) and 1.14-fold and 1.10-fold higher values in injured small hepatocytes (SHs), compared with the TA-free group. In the in vitro curative model, the TA-containing group exhibited 3.25-fold and 113-fold higher relative cell viability and albumin synthesis, respectively, in injured MHs and 0.36-fold and 3.55-fold higher values in injured SHs, compared with the TA-free group. In the in vivo disease model, the administration of 300 μL of 1 μg/mL TA significantly mitigated acute liver failure damage and post-APAP toxicity in mice. This was evident in serum analysis, where the levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin notably decreased, in agreement with histological observations. The study findings reveal that TA can enhance hepatic function at specific additive concentrations. Furthermore, even when injured by APAP, hepatocytes could revert to their preinjury state after additional TA supplementation. Additionally, pretreating hepatocytes with TA can alleviate subsequent damage. Thus, TA holds clinical potential in the treatment of APAP-induced liver failure.

Comprehensive Analyses of Breads Supplemented with Tannic Acids.

Tannic acid (TA) has been recently considered as a new dough additive for improving the bread-making quality of wheat. However, the effects of TA supplementation on the sensory quality parameters (color, crumb grain structure, and sensory properties) of bread have not been studied. Further, the potential of TA supplementation in bread-making quality improvement has not been evaluated by using commercial flour. In the present study, three commercial wheat flours (namely, XL, QZG, and QZZ) with different gluten qualities were used to evaluate the effects of TA supplementation (in concentrations of 0.1% and 0.3%, respectively). TA supplementation did not change the proximate composition of the breads but increased the volumes and specific volumes of XL and QZG breads. TA supplementation enhanced antioxidant activities, with 0.3% TA significantly increasing the antioxidant capacities of bread made from all three flour samples by approximately four-fold (FRAP method)/three-fold (ABTS method). Positive effects of TA on the reduction in crumb hardness, gumminess, and chewiness were observed in the XL bread, as determined by the texture profile analysis. For the analyses on visual and sensory attributes, our results suggest that TA did not affect the crust color, but only slightly reduced the L* (lightness) and b* (yellowness) values of the crumb and increased the a* (redness) value. TA supplementation also increased the porosity, total cell area, and mean cell area. Satisfactorily, the sensory evaluation results demonstrate that TA-supplemented breads did not exhibit negative sensory attributes when compared to the non-TA-added breads; rather, the attributes were even increased. In summary, TA-supplemented breads generally had not only better baking quality attributes and enhanced antioxidant activities, but, more importantly, presented high consumer acceptance in multiple commercial flour samples. Our results support the commercial potential of TA to be used as a dough improver.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of tannic acid as an antibacterial agent in broilers infected with Salmonella Typhimurium

This study was conducted to evaluate tannic acid (TA) as an antibacterial agent against Salmonella Typhimurium in in vitro and in vivo chicken models. The TA formed an inhibitory zone against Salmonella enterica serotypes including S. Typhimurium, S. Enteritidis, and S. Infantis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of TA against Salmonella Typhimurium nalidixic acid resistant strain (STNR) were determined as 40 and 700 μg/mL, respectively. Sublethal doses of TA (5, 10, and 20 μg/mL) restricted swimming and swarming motility and biofilm formation of STNR compared to the control group (0 μg/mL) (P < 0.05). The TA-bovine serum albumin (BSA) complex formed at simulated gastric pH (pH 3.75) was hydrolyzed at pH 6.75 and 7.25 (P < 0.05), and the hydrolysis of the TA-BSA complex was stronger at pH 7.25 compared to the pH 6.75 (P < 0.05). The inhibitory zone of the TA-BSA complex against STNR at pH 6.75 was lower than TA without BSA at 30 and 60 min (P < 0.05), but not at 120 min (P > 0.1). The inhibitory zone of the TA-BSA complex against STNR at pH 7.25 was not decreased at 0, 30, and 60 min compared to TA without BSA (P > 0.1). The recovery rate of TA was 83, 54.8, 10.5, and 19.6% in the gizzard, jejunum, ileum, and ceca, respectively, in broiler chickens. The STNR-infected broilers fed 0.25 g/kg of TA had significantly lower unweighted beta diversity distance compared to the sham-challenged control (SCC) and challenged controlled (CC) group on D 21. TA supplementation linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (tendency; P = 0.071) reduced relative abundance of the family Peptostreptococcaceae in broilers infected with STNR on D 7. TA supplementation linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (tendency; P = 0.06) increased the relative abundance of the family Erysipelotrichaceae in broilers infected with STNR on D 21. Therefore, TA has potential to be used as an antibacterial agent against the S. Typhimurium infection in broilers.

Effects of Tannic Acid Supplementation on the Intestinal Health, Immunity, and Antioxidant Function of Broilers Challenged with Necrotic Enteritis.

Clostridium perfringens causes necrotic enteritis (NE) after proliferation in the intestine of poultry, resulting in considerable losses to the poultry industry. This study aimed to investigate the impact of tannic acid on the antioxidant, immunity, and gut health of broilers with NE. In the experiment, 630 one-day-old Cobb500 male chicks were randomly divided into six treatment groups, with seven replicate cages and with fifteen birds in each cage. The treatment groups were as follows: control group (NC), challenged group (PC), and challenged NE chickens treated with 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mg/kg tannic acid (PTA1, PTA2, PTA3, and PTA4, respectively). To induce NE, coccidia vaccine and Clostridium perfringens were administered on day 19 and days 22-28, respectively. Indexes related to antioxidant, immune, and intestinal health were measured on days 28 and 35. During the infection period, we observed significant increases in fecal water content, D-LA, TNF-α, and malondialdehyde concentrations (p < 0.05). Conversely, significant decreases were noted in chyme pH and in T-AOC, IL-4, and IL-10 concentrations (p < 0.05). The addition of tannic acid exhibited a linear decrease in fecal water content and TNF-α concentration (p < 0.05). Furthermore, tannic acid supplementation resulted in a quadratic curve decrease in D-LA concentration and linear increases in T-AOC, IL-4, and IL-10 (p < 0.05). Cecal microbiological analysis revealed that Ruminococcaceae and Butyricimona were dominant in PTA3. In conclusion, the dietary addition of tannic acid may reduce the negative effects of NE by increasing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity, improving the intestinal barrier, and regulating the intestinal flora.

Hypoviral-regulated HSP90 co-chaperone p23 (CpCop23) determines the colony morphology, virulence, and viral response of chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica.

We previously identified a protein spot that showed down-regulation in the presence of Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV1) and tannic acid supplementation as a Hsp90 co-chaperone p23 gene (CpCop23). The CpCop23-null mutant strain showed retarded growth with less aerial mycelia and intense pigmentation. Conidia of the CpCop23-null mutant were significantly decreased and their viability was dramatically diminished. The CpCop23-null mutant showed hypersensitivity to Hsp90 inhibitors. However, no differences in responsiveness were observed after exposure to other stressors such as temperature, reactive oxygen species, and high osmosis, the exception being cell wall-disturbing agents. A severe reduction in virulence was observed in the CpCop23-null mutant. Interestingly, viral transfer to the CpCop23-null mutant from CHV1-infected strain via anastomosis was more inefficient than a comparable transfer with the wild type as a result of decreased hyphal branching of the CpCop23-null mutant around the peripheral region, which resulted in less fusion of the hyphae. The CHV1-infected CpCop23-null mutant exhibited recovered mycelial growth with less pigmentation and sporulation. The CHV1-transfected CpCop23-null mutant demonstrated almost no virulence, that is, even less than that of the CHV1-infected wild type (UEP1), a further indication that reduced virulence of the mutant is not attributable exclusively to the retarded growth but rather is a function of the CpCop23 gene. Thus, this study indicates that CpCop23 plays a role in ensuring appropriate mycelial growth and development, spore viability, responses to antifungal drugs, and fungal virulence. Moreover, the CpCop23 gene acts as a host factor that affects CHV1-infected fungal growth and maintains viral symptom development.

Effects of tannic acid supplementation on growth performance, gut health, and meat production and quality of broiler chickens raised in floor pens for 42 days.

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of tannic acid (TA) supplementation on growth performance, gut health, antioxidant capacity, gut microbiota, and meat yield and quality in broilers raised for 42days. A total of 700 one-day-old male broiler chickens (Cobb500) were allocated into 5 treatments with 7 replicates of 20 birds per pen. There were five treatments: 1) tannic acid 0 (TA0: basal diet without TA); 2) tannic acid 0.25 (TA0.25: basal diet+0.25g/kg TA); 3) tannic acid 0.5 (TA0.5: basal diet+0.5g/kg TA); 4) tannic acid 1 (TA1: basal diet+1g/kg TA); and 5) tannic acid 2 (TA2: basal diet+2g/kg TA). The dietary phases included starter (D 0 to 18; crumble feed), grower (D 18 to 28; pellet feed), and finisher (D 28 to 42; pellet feed). On D 18, the supplementation of TA linearly reduced body weight (BW) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) (p < 0.05), and on D 28, the supplementation of TA linearly reduced BW, average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p < 0.05). Relative mRNA expression of genes related to mucin production (MUC2), tight junction proteins (CLDN2 and JAM2), and nutrient transporters (B0AT1 and SGLT1) was linearly increased by the supplementation of TA (p < 0.05). The supplementation of TA tended to linearly increase the relative abundance of the family Enterobacteriaceae (p = 0.08) and quadratically increased the relative abundance of the families Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae in the cecal microbial communities (p < 0.05). On D 36, the ratio of the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes was quadratically reduced by the supplementation of TA (p < 0.05). On D 42, bone mineral density and the lean to fat ratio were linearly decreased by the supplementation of TA (p < 0.05). On D 43, total chilled carcass weight was linearly reduced (p < 0.05), and proportion of leg weight was increased by supplementation of TA (p < 0.05). The supplementation of TA linearly reduced pH of the breast meat (p < 0.05) and linearly increased redness (a*) (p < 0.05). Although the supplementation of TA positively influenced gut health and gut microbiota in the starter/grower phases, it negatively affected overall growth performance, bone health, and meat production in broilers on D 42.

Tannic acid supplementation in the diet of Holstein bulls: Impacts on production performance, physiological and immunological characteristics, and ruminal microbiota.

This study was conducted to evaluate the influences of supplementing tannic acid (TA) at different doses on the production performance, physiological and immunological characteristics, and rumen bacterial microbiome of cattle. Forty-eight Holstein bulls were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments: the control (CON, basal diet), the low-dose TA treatment [TAL, 0.3% dry matter (DM)], the mid-dose TA treatment (TAM, 0.9% DM), and the high-dose TA treatment (TAH, 2.7% DM). This trial consisted of 7 days for adaptation and 90 days for data and sample collection, and samples of blood and rumen fluid were collected on 37, 67, and 97 d, respectively. The average daily gain was unaffected (P > 0.05), whilst the ruminal NH3-N was significantly decreased (P < 0.01) by TA supplementation. The 0.3% TA addition lowered (P < 0.05) the levels of ruminal isobutyrate, valerate, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and tended to (P < 0.1) increase the gain to feed ratio. The digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM), and crude protein, and percentages of butyrate, isobutyrate, and valerate were lower (P < 0.05), while the acetate proportion and acetate to propionate ratio in both TAM and TAH were higher (P < 0.05) than the CON. Besides, the 0.9% TA inclusion lessened (P < 0.05) the concentrations of glucagon and TNF-α, but enhanced (P < 0.05) the interferon gamma (IFN-γ) level and Simpson index of ruminal bacteria. The 2.7% TA supplementation reduced (P < 0.05) the intake of DM and OM, and levels of malondialdehyde and thyroxine, while elevated (P < 0.05) the Shannon index of the rumen bacterial populations. Moreover, the relative abundances of the phyla Fibrobacteres and Lentisphaerae, the genera Fibrobacter and Bradyrhizobium, and the species Bradyrhizobium sp., Lachnospiraceae bacterium RM29, and Lachnospiraceae bacterium CG57 were highly significantly (q < 0.01) or significantly (q < 0.05) raised by adding 2.7% TA. Results suggested that the TA addition at 0.3% is more suitable for the cattle, based on the general comparison on the impacts of supplementing TA at different doses on all the measured parameters.

Dietary Galla Chinensis tannic acid supplementation in the diets improves growth performance, immune function and liver health status of broiler chicken.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Galla Chinensis tannic acid (TA) on growth performance, immune function, and liver health status in broilers. A total of 288 1-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chickens were randomly divided into two groups in a 42-days study. The two groups were a basal diet (CON group) and a basal diet supplemented with 300 mg/kg Galla Chinensis tannic acid (TA group). The results showed that the TA group had significantly decreased feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) throughout the experiment (P < 0.05). The levels of total protein, albumin, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, urea, total cholesterol, and glucose in the TA group were significantly higher than in the CON group (P < 0.05). In addition, the serum immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin M, and complements (C3, C4) levels in the TA group were significantly higher than those in the CON group (P < 0.05). Compared with the CON group, the hepatic interleukin-6, interleukin-18, NLRs family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, and caspase-3 in the TA group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Besides, TA group had significantly lower mRNA expression levels of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and NLRP3 in liver (P < 0.05). The TA group had significantly higher the mRNA expression levels of Bcl-2 than CON group in liver (P < 0.05). Moreover, TA group tended to decrease Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in liver (P < 0.10). To sum up, dietary supplemented with microencapsulated TA from Galla Chinensis had beneficial effects on growth performance, immune function, and liver health status in broilers. The protective role of TA from Galla Chinensis in liver health of broilers might be related to the inhibition of hepatic apoptosis and pyroptosis via inactivation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Tannic acid reduced apparent protein digestibility and induced oxidative stress and inflammatory response without altering growth performance and ruminal microbiota diversity of Xiangdong black goats.

The present study was performed to evaluate the impacts of tannic acid (TA) supplementation at different levels on the growth performance, physiological, oxidative and immunological metrics, and ruminal microflora of Xiangdong black goats. Twenty-four goats were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: the control (CON, basal diet), the low-dose TA group [TAL, 0.3 % of dry matter (DM)], the mid-dose TA group (TAM, 0.6 % of DM), and the high-dose TA group (TAH, 0.9 % of DM). Results showed that the growth performance was unaffected (P > 0.05) by adding TA, whilst the 0.3 % and 0.6 % TA supplementation significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP) and ruminal NH3-N concentration, and raised (P < 0.05) the level of total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) in rumen. The increments of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglyceride (TG), cortisol (CORT), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and serumamyloid A (SAA), and decrements of globulin (GLB), immunoglobulin G (IgG), cholinesterase (CHE), glutathione reductase (GR), creatinine (CRE), growth hormone (GH), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) to different extents by TA addition were observed. Although the Alpha and Beta diversity of rumen bacterial community remained unchanged by supplementing TA, the relative abundance of the predominant genus Prevotella_1 was significantly enriched (P < 0.05) in TAL. It could hence be concluded that the TA supplementation in the present trial generally decreased CP digestion and caused oxidative stress and inflammatory response without influencing growth performance and ruminal microbiota diversity. More research is needed to explore the premium dosage and mechanisms of effects for TA addition in the diet of goats.

Effects of supplemental tannic acid on growth performance, gut health, microbiota, and fat accumulation and optimal dosages of tannic acid in broilers.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different dosages of tannic acid (TA) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gut health, immune system, oxidative status, microbial composition, volatile fatty acids (VFA), bone mineral density, and fat digestion and accumulation in broilers and to find optimal dosages of TA for efficient growth and gut health in broilers. A total of 320 male Cobb500 broilers were randomly distributed to 4 treatments with 8 replicates including 1) tannic acid 0 (TA0): basal diet without TA; 2) tannic acid 0.5 (TA0.5): basal diet with 0.5 g/kg TA; 3) tannic acid 1.5 (TA1.5); and 4) tannic acid 2.5 (TA2.5). Supplemental TA at levels greater than 972 mg/kg tended to reduce BW on D 21 (p = 0.05). The TA2.5 had significantly lower apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of crude protein compared to the TA0 group. The AID of ether extract tended to be reduced by TA at levels greater than 525 mg/kg (p = 0.08). The jejunal lipase activities tended to be reduced by TA at levels less than 595.3 mg/kg (p = 0.09). TA linearly decreased goblet cell density in the crypts of the jejunum (p < 0.05) and reduced mRNA expression of mucin two at levels less than 784.9 mg/kg and zonula occludens two at levels less than 892.6 mg/kg (p < 0.05). The TA0.5 group had higher activities of liver superoxide dismutase compared to the TA0 group (p < 0.05). Bone mineral density and contents tended to be linearly decreased by TA (p = 0.05), and the ratio of lean to fat was linearly decreased (p < 0.01). Total cecal VFA production tended to be linearly reduced by TA at levels greater than 850.9 mg/kg (p = 0.07). Supplemental TA tended to increase the relative abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes (p = 0.1) and decrease the relative abundance of the phylum Proteobacteria (p = 0.1). The relative abundance of the family Rikenellaceae was the lowest at 500 mg/kg TA, and the relative abundance of the family Bacillaceae was the highest at 1,045 mg/kg TA. Collectively, these results indicate that the optimum level of supplemental TA would range between 500 and 900 mg/kg; this range of TA supplementation would improve gut health without negatively affecting growth performance in broilers under antibiotic-free conditions.

Antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects of tannic acid supplementation in broilers infected with Salmonella Typhimurium

Infection by Salmonella Typhimurium, a food-borne pathogen, can reduce the poultry production efficiency. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of tannic acid (TA) supplementation on growth performance, Salmonella colonization, gut barrier integrity, serum endotoxin levels, antioxidant capacity, gut health, and immune function in broilers infected with the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium nalidixic acid resistant strain (STNR). A total of 546 one-day-old broilers were arbitrarily allocated into 6 treatments including 1) Sham-challenged control (SCC; birds fed a basal diet and administrated peptone water); 2) Challenged control (CC; birds fed a basal diet and inoculated with 108 STNR); 3) Tannic acid 0.25 (TA0.25; CC + 0.25 g/kg TA); 4) TA0.5 (CC + 0.5 g/kg TA); 5) TA1 (CC + 1 g/kg TA); and 6) TA2 (CC + 2 g/kg TA). On D 7, supplemental TA linearly reduced STNR colonization in the ceca (P < 0.01), and TA1 and TA2 group had significantly lower reduced STNR colonization in the ceca (P < 0.01). On D 7 to 21, average daily gain tended to be linearly increased by supplemental TA (P = 0.097). The serum endotoxin levels were quadratically decreased by supplemental TA on D 21 (P < 0.05). Supplemental TA quadratically increased ileal villus height (VH; P < 0.05), and the TA0.25 group had higher ileal VH compared to the CC group (P < 0.05). Supplemental TA linearly increased percentage of peripheral blood CD8+ T cells on D 18 (P < 0.01). The TA0.5 group had significantly lower lymphocyte numbers compared to the CC groups (P < 0.05). The abundance of monocytes linearly increased with TA supplementation (P < 0.01). Therefore, broilers fed TA had reduced STNR colonization, increased growth performance, decreased serum endotoxin levels, enhanced gut health in the broilers, and stimulated the immune system in broilers infected with STNR. Supplementation of TA (1–2 g/kg) enhanced growth performance and gut health via antimicrobial and immunostimulatory effects in broilers infected with STNR.

Effects of Tannic Acid Supplementation on Growth Performance, Oocyst Shedding, and Gut Health of in Broilers Infected with Eimeria Maxima.

Simple SummaryE. maxima, an intracellular protozoan parasite propagating in the jejunum, can cause severe negative effects on growth and gut health of chickens. Tannic acid (TA), a polyphenol compound that can precipitate proteins, was hypothesized to control E. maxima infection and attenuate its negative effects in broilers due to their antimicrobial, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory effects. Our study showed that supplementation of TA reduced oocyst shedding of E. maxima. Supplementation of TA at the level of 500 to 2750 mg/kg reduced gut permeability, increased nutrient digestibility, and improved intestinal development in broilers infected with E. maxima. However, supplementation of 5000 mg/kg TA showed anti-nutritional effects including reducing growth performance, increasing gut permeability, and decreasing nutrient digestibility in broilers infected with E. maxima. In summary, supplementation of TA at the level of 500 to 2750 mg/kg showed potential as an anti-coccidial agent by decreasing oocyst shedding and improving nutrient digestibility and intestinal integrity in broilers infected with E. maxima.The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of tannic acid (TA) on growth performance, fecal moisture content, oocyst shedding, gut permeability, lesion score, intestinal morphology, apparent ileal digestibility, and the antioxidant and immune system of broilers infected with Eimeria maxima. A total of 420 one-day-old broilers were distributed to five treatments with seven replicates of 12 birds. The five treatments were the (1) sham-challenged control (SCC; birds fed a control diet and administrated with PBS); (2) challenged control (CC; birds fed a control diet and inoculated with E. maxima); (3) tannic acid 0.5 (TA0.5; CC + 500 mg/kg TA); (4) tannic acid 2.75 (TA2.75; CC + 2750 mg/kg TA); and (5) tannic acid 5 (TA5; CC + 5000 mg/kg TA). The TA2.75 group had significantly lower gut permeability compared to the CC group at 5 days post-infection (dpi). Supplementation of TA linearly reduced oocyst shedding of E. maxima at 7 to 9 dpi (p < 0.05). At 13 dpi, the TA2.75 group had significantly greater apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) compared to the CC group. At 13 dpi, supplementation of TA linearly increased jejunal villus height (VH). Thus, this study showed that supplementation of TA at levels of 500 to 2750 mg/kg has the potential to be an anti-coccidial agent against E. maxima in broilers.

Biochemical changes associated with the administration of aqueous pulp extract of Irvingia gabonensis fruit on adult male Wistar rats

Biochemical changes associated with the administration of aqueous pulp extract of Irvingia gabonensis fruit on adult male Wistar rats

Interaction between hypoviral-regulated fungal virulence factor laccase3 and small heat shock protein Hsp24 from the chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica.

Laccase3 is an important virulence factor of the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica. Laccase3 gene (lac3) transcription is induced by tannic acid, a group of phenolic compounds found in chestnut trees, and its induction is regulated by the hypovirus CHV1 infection. CpHsp24, a small heat shock protein gene of C. parasitica, plays a determinative role in stress adaptation and pathogen virulence. Having uncovered in our previous study that transcriptional regulation of the CpHsp24 gene in response to tannic acid supplementation and CHV1 infection was similar to that of the lac3, and that conserved phenotypic changes of reduced virulence were observed in mutants of both genes, we inferred that both genes were implicated in a common pathway. Building on this finding, in this paper we examined whether the CpHsp24 protein (CpHSP24) was a molecular chaperone for the lac3 protein (LAC3). Our pull-down experiment indicated that the protein products of the two genes directly interacted with each other. Heterologous co-expression of CpHsp24 and lac3 genes using Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in more laccase activity in the cotransformant than in a parental lac3-expresssing yeast strain. These findings suggest that CpHSP24 is, in fact, a molecular chaperone for the LAC3, which is critical component of fungal pathogenesis.

Tannic acid extracted from gallnut prevents post-weaning diarrhea and improves intestinal health of weaned piglets.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different levels of tannic acid (TA) on growth performance, diarrhea rate, nutrient digestibility and intestinal health in weaned piglets. A total of 180 weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, 24 d of age, initial average BW = 7.77 ± 0.17 kg) were allotted to 5 groups (6 pigs/pen and 6 replicates/group) in a randomized complete block design according to their gender and body weight. Piglets were fed a basal diet, or the basal diet supplemented with 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2% or 0.4% TA for 28 d. The supplementary levels of TA in the diets were obtained by adding tannalbin containing 51% TA and 40.17% protein. The results showed that, compared with the CON group, dietary TA did not affect ADFI, ADG or F:G, and linearly reduced (P < 0.01) the diarrhea rate and diarrhea index of piglets. There were no significant effects on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) in the 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.2% TA groups, while negative effects (P < 0.05) on apparent digestibility of crude protein and gross energy were observed in the 0.4% TA group. In addition, the nutrient digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and gross energy linearly decreased (P < 0.01) with the increase of TA dosage. Supplementation of TA increased (P < 0.05) the villus height of the duodenum and jejunum, as well as increased (P < 0.05) catalase (CAT) activity in serum. Dietary TA improved (P < 0.05) the Bacillus counts in cecal digesta. Further, TA significantly improved (P < 0.05) Bacillus counts and reduced (P < 0.05) the Escherichia coli counts in colonic digesta. The concentration of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and isovaleric acid in cecal digesta were significantly increased (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression level of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), zonula occludens-2 (ZO-2), and claudin-2 (CLDN-2) in the jejunum were greater (P < 0.05) in TA supplemented groups. The study showed that, compared to the control, TA prevented post-weaning diarrhea and improved intestinal health of weaned piglets, and the appropriate level of TA supplementation would be from 0.1% to 0.2%.

Functional analysis of an essential Ran-binding protein gene, CpRbp1, from the chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica using heterokaryon rescue

A Ran binding protein (RanBP) homolog, CpRbp1, from Cryphonectria parasitica, has been identified as a protein that is affected by hypovirus infection or tannic acid supplementation. In this study, functional analyses of CpRbp1 were performed by constructing a knockout mutant and analyzing the resulting heterokaryon. Transformation-mediated gene replacement resulted in two putative CpRbp1-null mutants and genotype analyses identified these two mutants as heterokaryotic transformants consisting of two types of nuclei, one with the wild-type CpRbp1 allele and another with the CpRbp1-null mutant allele. Although stable mycelial growth of the heterokaryotic transformant was observed on selective medium containing hygromycin B, neither germination nor growth of the resulting conidia, which were single-cell monokaryotic progeny, was observed on the medium. In trans complementation of heterokaryons using a full-length wild-type allele of the CpRbp1 gene resulted in complemented transformants. These transformants sporulated single-cell monokaryotic conidia that were able to grow on media selective for replacing and/or complementing markers. These results clearly indicate that CpRbp1 is an essential gene, and heterokaryons allowed the fungus to maintain lethal CpRbp1-null mutant nuclei. Moreover, in trans complementation of heterokaryons using chimeric structures of the CpRbp1 gene allowed for analysis of its functional domains, which was previously hampered due to the lethality of the gene. In addition, in trans complementation using heterologous RanBP genes from Aspergillus nidulans was successful, suggesting that the function of RanBP is conserved during evolution. Furthermore, in trans complementation allowed for functional analyses of lethal orthologs. This study demonstrates that our fungal heterokaryon system can be applied effectively to determine whether a gene of interest is essential, perform functional analyses of a lethal gene, and analyze corresponding heterologous genes.