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Nutrition, Inflammation and Health Outcomes in Animals

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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 16401

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Vincent Yeong-Hsiang Cheng

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Guest Editor

Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science, National Ilan University, Yilan 26047, Taiwan
Interests: research and development of functional feed additives; probiotic feeds and additives; mycotoxins and mushroom health foods for immune modulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Kuo-Feng Hua

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science, National Ilan University, Yilan 26047, Taiwan
Interests: inflammation; NLRP3 inflammasome; anti-inflammatory; anti-cancer drug development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammation is an important defense mechanism of animals against foreign pathogen infections. However, acute or chronic inflammation is like a flame that burns without a spark. It causes harm at all times, and can easily cause common diseases, poor productive performance, and lower the quality of animal products. Examples of these negative effects include mastitis; pneumonia; microbiota crosstalk with diarrhea; intestinal disorders caused by pathogens; coccidiosis; inflammatory bowel disease; colitis; and even fatty liver in long-life breeding animals, cows, and small ruminants. The effective reduction of the occurrence of inflammation is an important strategy to prevent and improve inflammation-related disorders to improve animal health and welfare.

Papers discussing and presenting compounds, natural phytogenic feed additives, enzymes, essential oils, and fermentation secondary metabolites with anti-inflammatory properties or which prevent inflammation are of interest. We also encourage works that focus on the mechanisms of inflammation, signal transduction pathways, animal products quality, and animal welfare.

High-producing farm animals are challenged by a variety of factors: lack of proper nutrition, environment, infection, and stress. The incidence, course, and outcome of production of inflammation-related conditions are changing continuously. Therefore, works on the mechanisms of the prevention, diagnosis, and impact on production of inflammation-related diseases are needed.

We invite original research papers that address mechanisms of inflammation induced by toxins, environment/heat stress, and nutrient imbalance, as well as disease infection models of poultry, pigs, cows, small ruminants, and laboratory animals. Papers addressing natural infections in companion animals are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Vincent Yeong-Hsiang Cheng
Prof. Dr. Kuo-Feng Hua
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Nutrition
Inflammation
Mechanism
Domestic Animals
Laboratory Animals
Poultry
Small Ruminants

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1594 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surfactin Containing Bacillus licheniformis-Fermented Products Alleviate Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis by Inhibiting Colonic Inflammation and the NLRP3 Inflammasome in Mice

by Wei-Che Tsai, Wei-Ting Wong, Hsien-Ta Hsu, Yeong-Hsiang Cheng, Yu-Hsiang Yu, Wei-Jung Chen, Chen-Lung Ho, Hui-Chen Hsu and Kuo-Feng Hua

Animals 2022, 12(24), 3456; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12243456 - 07 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1147

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a non-infectious disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Currently, management of IBD is still a clinical challenge. The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of surfactin containing Bacillus licheniformis-fermented products (SBLF) and commercial surfactin (CS) on the treatment of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in a mouse model. We found that mice that received drinking water containing 3% DSS developed significant colitis symptoms, including increased disease activity index, body weight loss, shortening of the colon length, splenomegaly, colonic inflammation and colonic NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. Notably, orally received SBLF, CS or clinical anti-inflammatory drug 5-aminosalicylic acid improved DSS-induced colitis symptoms in mice. These findings show that SBLF can improve IBD in mice by reducing colonic inflammation and inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome activation, suggesting that SBLF has the potential to be used as a nutraceutical in humans or a feed additive in economic and companion animals for preventing IBD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Inflammation and Health Outcomes in Animals)

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11 pages, 2407 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of a Single and Triple Dose of Levamisole on Hematological Parameters in Controlled Inflammation Model

by Piotr Kuropka, Anna Leśków, Katarzyna Małolepsza-Jarmołowska, Maciej Dobrzyński, Małgorzata Tarnowska, Jacek Majda, Maciej Janeczek, Katarzyna Żybura-Wszoła and Andrzej Gamian

Animals 2022, 12(16), 2110; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12162110 - 17 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1411

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of single and triple administration of levamisole on the dynamics of hematological parameters during experimental pleuritis. The experiment was performed on female Buffalo rats. Rats were randomly assigned to two equal groups that received 1 and 3 doses of levamisole every 2, 24 and 48 h, respectively. Following the experiment, blood samples for the measurement of hematological parameters were collected. The study group receiving three doses of levamisole observed a significant reduction of red blood cell count at 48 h post administration and an increase in mean corpuscular volume compared to the control inflammation group. The administration of a single dose of levamisole results in a significant increase in hematocrit at 72 h, an increase in white blood cell count at 24 h and 72 h, and an increase in neutrophil count at 72 h compared to the control inflammation group. Administration of a single and triple dose of levamisole showed statistically significant modification of some hematological parameters and thus modulates the inflammatory process. In the lungs, this results in a reduction in leukocyte infiltrations around the bronchi and blood vessels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Inflammation and Health Outcomes in Animals)

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10 pages, 263 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytase Supplementation of Four Non-Conventional Ingredients Instead of Corn Enhances Phosphorus Utilization in Yellow-Feathered Broilers

by Chengkun Fang, Qifang Yu, Jianhua He, Rejun Fang and Shusong Wu

Animals 2022, 12(16), 2096; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12162096 - 17 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1420

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of unconventional feedstuff such as wheat, broken rice, distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS), and wheat bran, replacing 15% of the corn in the basal diet and the supplementation of bacterial phytase on nutrition digestibility. A total of 500 yellow-feathered broilers with similar body weights of 1.65 ± 0.15 kg were divided into 10 dietary treatments with 5 replicates per treatment (5 male and 5 females per cage). The AME and AIDE were significantly higher when supplied with phytase (p < 0.01) in the DDGS group. The ileal and total tract digestibility of calcium and phosphorus were significantly increased in the phytase-supplied group (p < 0.001). Additionally, the ileal digestibility of CP was increased when phytase was supplemented (p < 0.001). The results infer that the wheat, broken rice, DDGS, and wheat bran had no negative effect when replacing 15% corn. Supplementing 0.02% phytase in their diets can effectively optimize nutrient digestibility in yellow broilers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Inflammation and Health Outcomes in Animals)

12 pages, 1154 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effectiveness of Bacillus licheniformis-Fermented Products and Their Derived Antimicrobial Lipopeptides in Controlling Coccidiosis in Broilers

by Yu-Hsiang Yu, Chia-Min Wu, Wei-Jung Chen, Kuo-Feng Hua, Je-Ruei Liu and Yeong-Hsiang Cheng

Animals 2021, 11(12), 3576; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11123576 - 16 Dec 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2616

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the potential of Bacillus licheniformis-fermented products (BLFP) and their derived antimicrobial lipopeptide, surfactin, for the prevention of coccidiosis in broilers. Broilers were fed BLFP at 1.25 and 5 g/kg under Eimeria tenella challenge. At the end of experiment (35 days), the growth performance, survival rate, cecal morphology, cecal lesion scores, oocyst-count index, and anti-coccidial index were analyzed. The effects of the BLFP-derived surfactin on oocyst sporulation and sporozoite morphology in Eimeria species were also investigated in vitro. Results showed that BLFP supplementation at 1.25 and 5 g/kg improved cecal morphology and increased the survival rate of broilers under E. tenella challenge. Supplementation with 1.25 g/kg of BLFP reduced the lesion scores in the cecum of E. tenella-challenged broilers, while the oocyst-count index was reduced in broilers given 5 g/kg of BLFP. The anti-coccidial index of the 1.25 g/kg of BLFP-treated group was greater than 160, compared with the E. tenella-challenge-only group. Furthermore, surfactin inhibited Eimeria oocyst sporulation and disrupted sporozoite morphology. These results demonstrate that BLFPs and their derived antimicrobial lipopeptide, surfactin, exhibit anti-coccidial activity in vitro and in vivo. BLFP may be used as a natural feed additive for the prevention of coccidiosis in broilers, and 1.25 g/kg can be considered the optimum dosage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Inflammation and Health Outcomes in Animals)

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Review

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17 pages, 1849 KiB

Open AccessReview

Influence of Heat Stress on Poultry Growth Performance, Intestinal Inflammation, and Immune Function and Potential Mitigation by Probiotics

by Rafiq Ahmad, Yu-Hsiang Yu, Felix Shih-Hsiang Hsiao, Chin-Hui Su, Hsiu-Chou Liu, Isabel Tobin, Guolong Zhang and Yeong-Hsiang Cheng

Animals 2022, 12(17), 2297; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12172297 - 05 Sep 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6458

Abstract

Heat stress has emerged as a serious threat to the global poultry industry due to climate change. Heat stress can negatively impact the growth, gut health, immune function, and production and reproductive performances of poultry. Different strategies have been explored to mitigate heat stress in poultry; however, only a few have shown potential. Probiotics are gaining the attention of poultry nutritionists, as they are capable of improving the physiology, gut health, and immune system of poultry under heat stress. Therefore, application of probiotics along with proper management are considered to potentially help negate some of the negative impacts of heat stress on poultry. This review presents scientific insight into the impact of heat stress on poultry health and growth performance as well as the application of probiotics as a promising approach to alleviate the negative effects of heat stress in poultry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Inflammation and Health Outcomes in Animals)

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11 pages, 1167 KiB

Open AccessReview

Progress in Expression Pattern and Molecular Regulation Mechanism of LncRNA in Bovine Mastitis

by Li Jia, Jinpeng Wang, Zhuoma Luoreng, Xingping Wang, Dawei Wei, Jian Yang, Qichao Hu and Yun Ma

Animals 2022, 12(9), 1059; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12091059 - 20 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2109

Abstract

Bovine mastitis is an inflammatory disease caused by pathogenic microbial infection, trauma, or other factors. Its morbidity is high, and it is difficult to cure, causing great harm to the health of cows and the safety of dairy products. Susceptibility or resistance to mastitis in individual cows is mainly determined by genetic factors, including coding genes and non-coding genes. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of endogenous non-coding RNA molecules with a length of more than 200 nucleotides (nt) that have recently been discovered. They can regulate the immune response of humans and animals on three levels (transcription, epigenetic modification, and post-transcription), and are widely involved in the pathological process of inflammatory diseases. Over the past few years, extensive findings revealed basic roles of lncRNAs in inflammation, especially bovine mastitis. This paper reviews the expression pattern and mechanism of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in inflammatory diseases, emphasizes on the latest research progress of the lncRNA expression pattern and molecular regulatory mechanism in bovine mastitis, analyzes the molecular regulatory network of differentially expressed lncRNAs, and looks forward to the research and application prospect of lncRNA in bovine mastitis, laying a foundation for molecular breeding and the biological therapy of bovine mastitis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition, Inflammation and Health Outcomes in Animals)

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