Search Results (275)

Cinnamaldehyde (CA) is a potential substitute for antibiotic growth promoters in animal breeding. In this study, we investigated its effects as a dietary supplement on growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, intestinal digestive enzyme activities, intestinal morphology, and caecal microbiota in meat rabbits. Weaned meat rabbits (n = 450) were randomly assigned to five groups, Groups A, B, C, D, and E, and fed 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg CA diets, respectively, for 47 days. Biological samples including serum (antioxidants), duodenal/caecal content (enzymes), intestinal tissue (morphology), and caecal digesta (microbiota) were collected at day 47 postweaning for analysis. Groups C and D showed significantly higher final body weights than Group A, with Group D (150 mg/kg CA) demonstrating superior growth performance including 11.73% longer duodenal villi (p < 0.05), 28.6% higher microbial diversity (p < 0.01), and 62% lower diarrhoea rate versus controls. Digestive enzyme activity as well as serum antioxidant capacity increased with increasing CA dose, Microbiota analysis revealed CA increased fibre-fermenting Oscillospiraceae (+38%, p < 0.01) while reducing Ruminococcaceae (−27%, p < 0.05). Thus, dietary CA supplementation at 150 mg/kg was identified as the optimal CA dose for improving meat rabbit production. These findings highlight CA as a functional feed additive for promoting sustainable rabbit production. Full article

Phosphorus (P) is an essential mineral in poultry nutrition, but its low bioavailability from conventional feed ingredients presents a significant challenge for efficient utilization. This study investigated the effects of different P sources (monocalcium phosphate (MCP) and calcium humophosphate (CHP)) and three phytase concentrations (0, 1000, or 2000 FTU/kg of feed) on broiler performance and ileal nutrient digestibility. A total of 600 Cobb 500 male broilers were fed one of six different dietary treatments with 10 replicates per treatment from 11 to 21 d of age. The birds and feed were weighed at 1, 10, and 21 d of age to determine growth performance. At 21 d of age, ileal digesta was collected from all the birds to determine dry matter, organic matter, Ca, P, and ash digestibility. The results indicated that phytase supplementation at 1000 and 2000 FTU/kg improved the feed conversion ratio and P digestibility compared with the non-supplemented group. The broilers fed CHP showed superior P digestibility compared to those fed MCP, regardless of phytase concentration. The results also indicated interactive effects between P source and phytase concentration on the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and ash. The findings suggest that CHP enhances nutrient digestibility and could optimize P utilization in broiler diets with phytase inclusion. This report reveals a better understanding of the effects of P sources and phytase concentration on feed digestibility. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and support improvements in broiler performance under commercial production conditions. Full article

Global warming represents one of the most pressing environmental challenges to cold-water fish farming. Heat stress markedly alters the mucosal symbiotic microbiota and intestinal microbial metabolites in fish, posing substantial barriers to the healthy artificial breeding of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). However, the relationship between mucosal commensal microbiota, intestinal metabolites, and host environmental adaptability under heat stress remains poorly understood. In this study, rainbow trout reared at optimal temperature (16 °C) served as controls, while those exposed to maximum tolerated temperature (24 °C, 21 d) comprised the heat stress group. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS), we analysed the mucosal commensal microbiota—including gastrointestinal digesta, gastrointestinal mucosa, skin mucus, and gill mucosa—and intestinal metabolites of rainbow trout under heat stress conditions to explore adaptive and regulatory mechanisms. Analysis of microbial composition and diversity revealed that heat stress exerted the greatest impact on the diversity of gill and skin mucus microbiota, followed by gastrointestinal digesta, with relatively minor effects on the gastrointestinal mucosa. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were predominant in the stomach, intestine, and surface mucosa. At the genus level, Acinetobacter showed the greatest increase in abundance in skin and gill mucosa under heat stress, while Enterobacteriaceae exhibited the most pronounced increase in intestinal digesta, gastric digesta, and gastric mucosa. Differential metabolites in the intestinal digesta under heat stress were predominantly enriched in pathways associated with amino acid metabolism, particularly tryptophan metabolism. This study provides a comprehensive characterisation of microbiota and metabolic profile alterations in rainbow trout under heat stress condition, offering a theoretical foundation for understanding the response mechanisms of fish commensal microbiota to thermal stress. Full article

Intestinal diseases in nursery pigs harm health and performance and drive antimicrobial resistance. This study evaluated whether early probiotic inoculation helps piglets to cope with weaning-related gut challenges. The probiotic, containing Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Enterococcus lactis, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, and Bifidobacterium breve, was given orally to newborn piglets daily until day 4 and then every other day until weaning at day 28 (at 4 × 10⁹ CFU/dose). The control piglets received a placebo. The results showed that the probiotic pigs had reduced fecal alpha-diversity on day 7 but greater Shannon diversity on day 28 (feces) and day 23 (intestinal contents) compared to those of the control pigs. Beta-diversity analysis showed microbial differences between the groups on day 35. Most zOTUs (zero-radius operational taxonomic units) found to significantly differentiate the two treatment groups were found pre weaning. Bifidobacterium breve, Ligilactobacillus salivarius, as well as Clostridium ramosum were significantly more abundant in the feces of the probiotic pigs more than once. The probiotic pigs had higher expression levels of mucin 2 (MUC2); solute carrier family 5, member 8 (SLC5A8); and interleukin 8 (IL-8) post weaning. In the early post-weaning period, the probiotic pigs had less diarrhea as well as lower cadaverine levels in digesta than the control pigs. In conclusion, early probiotic inoculation may induce lasting immunomodulation via microbial antigen changes, enhancing resilience during challenges, like weaning. Notably, the effects persisted beyond weaning and probiotic cessation. Full article

A 2 × 3 factorial design was used to examine the effects of maternal probiotic supplementation (Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) and/or piglet dietary Trp levels on sow performance and fecal microbiota composition, as well as offspring pre-weaning performance and intestinal health parameters on the day of weaning. On day 83 of gestation, 48 sows were allocated to either: (1) control, or (2) control + probiotic (1.1 × 10⁹ colony forming units/kg of feed). Their litters were assigned to 0.22, 0.27, or 0.33% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Trp diets (0.17, 0.21 and 0.25 SID ratio of Trp to lysine (Trp:Lys), SID lysine = 1.3%). At weaning, one piglet per litter was sacrificed for intestinal health analysis. Diet had no effect on sow reproductive or offspring growth performance pre-weaning (p > 0.05). Maternal probiotic supplementation led to distinct microbial communities in the sow feces on day 114 of gestation, increasing the relative abundance of Anaerocella and Sporobacter, while decreasing Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus, and Christensenella (p < 0.05). In the offspring colonic digesta, maternal probiotic supplementation increased Dorea, Sporobacter, and Anaerobacterium, while reducing the potentially harmful phylum Proteobacteria, specifically the family Enterobacteriaceae (p < 0.05), with a tendency for a reduction in the genus Escherichia (p < 0.1). Maternal probiotic supplementation enhanced duodenal morphology and modulated the expression of genes in the ileum, including a downregulation of certain immune and barrier defense genes (p < 0.05). Piglets from probiotic sows had reduced branch chain fatty acids (BCFA) in the cecal digesta and an increase in the total VFA and acetate in the colonic digesta (p < 0.05). There were limited effects of Trp level in the offspring’s creep diet or maternal × creep interactions, though this analysis was likely confounded by the low creep feed intake (total of ~0.83 kg/litter). Full article

The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of dietary supplementation with probiotics and yeast cell wall prebiotics on the intestinal microbiota of common carp (Cyprinus carpio). A total of 96 carp, with an average body weight of 932 ± 161 g, were distributed into 12 fish tanks (800 L), with 8 fish/tank. The fish were fed a variety of experimental diets, including a basal diet only (CD) or a basal diet supplemented with the probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici (PA), the yeast probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC), or the yeast cell wall prebiotic (YANG) at a concentration of 0.1% (1 g/kg) for a duration of 42 days. At the end of the trial, fish digesta were withdrawn, and the total bacterial community of the gut of common carp was analyzed using Illumina’s NGS targeting the 16S rRNA gene. A Krona phyla richness pie chart showed that 11 bacterial phyla were recorded in fish fed YANG, with the top three phyla being Fusobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. In addition, 10 phyla were identified in fecal samples from carp fed PA, with the top three phyla being Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Fusobacteria. Furthermore, nine phyla were recorded for carp fed SC, with the top three phyla being Fusobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. However, carp fed a basal diet exhibited 14 phyla, with the most abundant phyla being Fusobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Proteobacteria. This study concluded that the tested feed supplements could cause considerable alterations in the composition of the gut microbiome of carps reared in recirculating systems. Full article

The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of chestnut tannins (CHTs) on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, in situ crude protein (CP) digestibility, protease enzymes, and microbial community composition in sheep. Eighteen 1.5-year-old sheep (43.0 ± 2.0 kg initial BW) fitted with permanent ruminal cannula were selected and randomly divided into three groups, which were fed with CHTs added at 0, 2, and 6%/kg DM. The pre-feeding period lasted for 12 days, and the actual trial period was 18 days. Rumen fluid was collected to assess in situ crude protein (CP) degradability, while rumen digesta was analyzed for total and ruminal proteolytic bacterial populations. Using one-way ANOVA in SAS to analyze data, the results indicated that 2% CHT reduced in situ degradability by 26.23%, while 6% reduced it by 58.01% in the rumen of the sheep. The CP apparent digestibility, nitrogen metabolism, and population of proteolytic bacteria of sheep were decreased in the 6% CHT group (p < 0.05), while the above indices of the 2% CHT group were not affected. Furthermore, CHT supplementation significantly altered the ruminal microbial community structure. Particularly in the 2% CHT group, the relative abundances of Bacteroidota and Prevotella increased. LEfSe analysis revealed that Bacteroidale replaced U29-B03 as the dominant microbiota at 2% CHT. Doses of 2% CHT can be incorporated into sheep diets without impairing digestion. These findings support the inclusion of CHT doses of less than 2% for enhancing protein digestion and increasing the types of beneficial bacteria in the rumen, while doses above 6% should be avoided. Full article

The aim of this work is to highlight the beneficial effects of bioactive peptides present in fermented whey (FW) and carotenoids from pumpkin (P) against the pro-oxidant effects of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A at the neuronal level. For this purpose, SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma differentiated cells were exposed to (A) mycotoxins, (B) the digesta of mycotoxin-contaminated bread formulated with P, or (C) bread enriched with FW + P. A proteomic approach using HPLC-MS/MS-QTOF was then employed to characterize the metabolic pathways affected by the presence of these components, as well as their ability to modulate the toxic effects exacerbated by mycotoxins. Gene ontology functional analysis revealed proteins primarily associated with nucleosome structure, such as the H3-H4 tetramer, H2A-H2B dimer, and HIRA, which were overexpressed in the presence of mycotoxins and, interestingly, downregulated with the addition of the functional ingredients. Additionally, important metabolic pathways associated with the RHO GTPase family, estrogen-dependent gene expression, and androgen receptor transcription stimulated by PKN1 activation were discovered. Network interaction analysis highlighted the modulation of cytoskeletal dynamics, cell migration, and stress responses. These findings provide novel insights into the neuroprotective potential of functional food components, supporting their use in mitigating mycotoxin-induced neuronal damage and opening new avenues for dietary-based neuroprotection strategies. Full article

A study was conducted using 144 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (22 weeks old) to assess the impact of exogenous enzymes on energy utilisation and ileal nutrient digestibility in diets containing 300 g/kg wheat distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS). A basal diet was prepared and divided into eight treatments: a control (C) and diets supplemented with 2000 units/kg xylanase (XYL), 500 units/kg phytase (PHY), and 4000 units/kg protease (PRO), individually and in combination. The diets were fed for nine days to six coops, each housing three birds. Feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were recorded. The feed and excreta were analysed for gross energy, and the apparent metabolisable energy (AME) was calculated. On the final day, the birds were euthanised, and ileal digesta were collected, freeze-dried, and analysed for the digestibility coefficients of dry matter (DM), nitrogen, fat, and neutral detergent fibres (NDFs). XYL supplementation improved (p = 0.035) dietary AME but did not affect (p > 0.05) DM, nitrogen, fat, or NDF digestibility. No significant effects (p > 0.05) were observed for PHY or PRO, and no interactions (p > 0.05) were found between enzyme combinations. Substrates in experimental diets involving various enzyme combinations should be given careful consideration. Full article

Background: Arabinoxylan (AX) concentrates from wheat can be produced from co-products from the starch and gluten industries. These fractions are rich in AX, have high solubility, can be incorporated into bread and breakfast cereals, and have the potential to enhance functional and nutritional effects beyond what is possible with cereal species. Methods: The aim of this review is to summarize the available literature on AX concentrates from wheat in terms of production, incorporation in breads, and influence on glucose homeostasis in human subjects and animals. Results: Breads enriched in AX fiber have been found to increase the viscosity of digesta from the small intestine but with no effect on the digestibility of starch. In the large intestine, AX is, to a large extent, degraded, producing short-chain fatty acids. Across acute human and animal studies, the intake of AX concentrates has been shown to reduce the rate and extent of glucose absorption and insulin responses in a dose-dependent fashion. No general influence of AX on incretins has been identified, and the role of AX-enriched diets in appetite sensation is unclear. Medium- and long-term human and animal intervention studies demonstrated improved glucose homeostasis (fructosamine and glycated hemoglobin A1c) during the consumption of AX-enriched diets compared to placebo. Although AX concentrates across studies improved glucose homeostasis, a confounding factor to be further investigated is to what extent protein being present in relatively high concentrations in some of the produced AX-rich wheat fractions, partly or fully, is responsible for the observed homeostatic effects. Full article

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of trace mineral (TM) source on: (1) nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation characteristics, (2) rumen TM solubility, and (3) TM binding strength on ruminal digesta. In experiment 1, twelve cannulated Angus steers were adapted to a high-concentrate diet, blocked by body weight, and randomly assigned to dietary treatments consisting of 18, 40, or 90 mg of supplemental Cu, Mn, and Zn/kg DM, respectively, from either sulfate (STM) or hydroxy (HTM) sources. Following diet adaptation, total fecal and rumen fluid were collected over a 5 d period. Nutrient digestibility was not affected (p > 0.15) by TM source. Steers supplemented with HTM had greater (p < 0.05) ruminal molar proportions of propionate and lower (p < 0.05) molar proportions of butyrate compared to STM-supplemented steers. In experiment 2, steers received a single pulse dose of their respective TM treatments via the cannula. Ruminal samples were obtained at 2 h intervals from −4 to 24 h post-dosing. Ruminal-soluble Cu concentrations were greater (p < 0.05) for STM-dosed steers. Steers receiving HTM had greater (p < 0.01) Cu and Zn and lower (p < 0.01) Mn released from digesta compared to those receiving STM. Full article

The study aimed to examine the effects of dietary supplementation with microencapsulated butyric acid (EBA) and yeast culture (YC) in broiler diets. A total of 450 Ross-308 broiler chicks were selected and randomly allocated to five dietary treatments with six replicates (15 birds per replicate) in a complete block design. The experimental diets included the following treatments: (1) Negative control (NC) with basal diet without any additives. (2) Positive control (PC) with basal diet + 0.2 g/kg enramycin. (3) EBA, basal diet + 0.3 g/kg EBA. (4) YC, basal diet + 1 g/kg YC. (5) EBA+YC, basal diet + 0.3 g/kg EBA and 1 g/kg YC. The results indicated a non-significant effect on feed intake (FI) during the experiment periods. However, the EBA+YC treatment exhibited significantly increased body weight gain (BWG), better feed conversion ratio (FCR), and enhanced carcass traits (p < 0.05) compared to other treatments. A significant effect was observed for the immune organ weights and ND titters. Villus height (VH) and the ratio of villus height-to-crypt depth (VH: CD) were noted for EBA+YC across all other treatments. Ileal microbial analysis revealed a significantly lower count of E. coli and Salmonella in the ileal digesta of broiler chickens in the EBA+YC treatment compared to the NC group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with any supplement positively influences the broiler’s performance, carcass characteristics, gut health, and immune status over the NC group. More pronounced improvements were obtained from the EBA+YC group, indicating that EBA and YC had a synergistic effect on broilers. Full article

Twenty-four male piglets were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments, with increasing Tetraselmis sp. incorporation levels (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%). Following a 4-day adaptation period to metabolic cages, the animals were used in a 2-week digestibility trial and slaughtered for digestive tract measurements and sampling. The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), N balance, small intestine digesta viscosity and histomorphology, and hindgut digesta volatile fatty acid (VFA) profile were determined. Polynomial contrasts were employed to examine linear and quadratic effects of Tetraselmis sp. dietary incorporation. The ATTD of most macronutrients and N retention efficiencies decreased linearly (p < 0.05) with Tetraselmis sp. dietary inclusion. The ileum villi height increased linearly (p < 0.001) and the hindgut VFA concentration increased linearly (p < 0.05) with dietary Tetraselmis sp. inclusion. The ATTD values estimated for Tetraselmis sp. biomass using the regression method were 68.3% ± 3.86 for dry matter (DM), 66.1% ± 5.11 for N, and 61.3% ± 4.28 for gross energy. The values calculated for digestible and metabolizable energy (MJ/kg DM) and digestible crude protein (% DM) for Tetraselmis sp. were 9.0, 8.8, and 18.3, respectively. Tetraselmis sp. biomass had lower ATTD values when compared to protein sources commonly used in swine nutrition. Full article

The use of nanofibers in farm animal diets can enhance nutrient absorption, minimize environmental problems, and generate a sustainable source of income. In this study, we investigated the effects of the partial inclusion of nanofibers produced from the pupunha heart of the palm sheath (nanopupunha) in the diet of growing New Zealand White rabbits on zootechnical performance, organ morphometry, digestive content pH, intestinal histology, biochemical and immunological parameters, and cecum microbiota. Twenty-four male and female New Zealand White rabbits were distributed into the control group fed a basal diet with 14% crude fiber and treatment groups with the basal diet supplemented with 3.5% or 10.5% of nanopupunha, according to their initial weight. After euthanasia on day 42, we analyzed the pH of the stomach contents, jejunum, and cecum, and the relative weights of the digestive tract, liver, kidneys, and spleen. Duodenal and jejunal samples were collected for structural and ultrastructural analyses of the intestinal villi. Additionally, blood samples were collected to analyze blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and immunological analysis (IgG and IgM), and digesta samples from the cecum were collected to count enterobacteria and lactic acid bacteria. The inclusion of dietary nanopupunha did not affect the zootechnical performance of animals, but resulted in a linear decrease in the relative weight of the stomach and a linear increase in the relative weight of the spleen. No significant differences were observed in the pH of the digestive tract. Nanopupunha inclusion also resulted in a linear increase in the crypt depth of the duodenum, total mucosal thickness, and total cholesterol levels in growing rabbits. Including 10.5% of nanopupunha added to the diet showed the best results in terms of the intestinal health of the growing rabbits. Full article

Observational studies have shown that human digestive function declines naturally with age. Oral enzyme supplementation is a candidate strategy to enhance macronutrient digestion in older adults. The objective of this study was to test the effects of a mixture of six microbial enzyme preparations (ENZ) on nutrient bioaccessibility from a mixed meal in an in vitro model of digestive senescence. The mixed meal included chicken meat, peas, and potatoes. The INFOGEST 2.0 static simulation of oro-gastric digestion was used to model human digestive physiology along with a consensus protocol to model aging. Analytical testing of gastric digesta included measurements of free amino nitrogen (FAN), amino acid (AA), fatty acid (FA), glycerol, maltose, and glucose concentrations. Peptide distribution profiles were evaluated by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and gel electrophoresis. After simulating digestion of the mixed meal, all nutrient bioaccessibility outcomes compared to pepsin-only controls, except glycerol, were further enhanced by ENZ in the aging condition compared to the standard condition (FAN: 77.1 vs. 39.3%; essential AA: 100.4 vs. 57.6%; total FA: 12.8- vs. 8.0-fold; maltose: 142.1 vs. 0.7%). SEC confirmed ENZ’s proteolytic capacity to generate more lower molecular weight peptides and free AAs in standard and aging conditions compared to pepsin alone. Gel electrophoresis confirmed proteolytic enhancement with ENZ. These data showcase ENZ’s hydrolytic activity toward macronutrients and suggest ENZ’s capacity to compensate for reduced pepsin activity in an aging-adapted oro-gastric digestion simulation. Full article