Effects of Maternal Supplementation with Rare Earth Elements during Late Gestation and Lactation on Performances, Health, and Fecal Microbiota of the Sows and Their Offspring

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of maternal supplementation with rare earth elements (REEs) on sows and their offspring. During late gestation, 120 multiparous sows were divided randomly into the control group (Basal diet) and REE-G group (Basal diet supplemented with 200 mg REE/kg). After delivery, REE-G group was further divided into two groups: REE-L- (Change to basal diet during lactation) and REE-L+ group (REE diet all the time). Our results showed that maternal REE supplementation improved the antioxidant and immunity of sows and piglets. Additionally, REE supply during late gestation significantly decreased the coefficient of within-litter variation (CV) in birth weight and increased the weaning weights and the average daily gain (ADG) of piglets. During lactation, the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels in piglets of REE-L+ group were higher, while no difference between REE-L- and the control group. More beneficial bacteria (Christensenellaceae and Ruminococcaceae) were found in the REE-L+ group while some opportunistic pathogens (Proteobacteria and Campylobacter) were relatively suppressed. Fecal microbiota showed correlation with antioxidase, inflammatory factors, and average daily gain (ADG). Collectively, our findings indicated that REEs added in both gestation and lactation was more conducive to establish a healthier status for sows and their offspring.

Download Full-text

Garlic skin induced shifts in the rumen microbiome and metabolome of fattening sheep

10.21203/rs.3.rs-60203/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Wen Zhu ◽

Zhen Su ◽

Wei Xu ◽

Hanxue Sun ◽

Jinfeng Gao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Diversity Indices ◽

Rumen Fermentation ◽

Control Group ◽

Rumen Microbiome ◽

Volatile Fatty Acid Concentration ◽

Α Diversity ◽

Daily Gain

Abstract Background Garlic and its constituents exhibit activities on modifying rumen fermentation and improving growth performance. As a by-product of garlic processing, garlic skin contains similar bioactive components as garlic bulb. However, studies in ruminants using garlic skin are scarce. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of garlic skin supplementation on rumen fermentation characterizes, growth performance, ruminal microbes and metabolites in ruminants. Twelve Hu lambs were randomly assigned into one of two treatments: basal diet (CON) or basal diet supplemented with 80 g/kg DM of gallic skin (GAS). The experiment lasted for10 weeks, with the first 2 weeks for adaptation. Results The results revealed that the average daily gain and volatile fatty acid concentration were higher (P < 0.05) in lambs fed GAS than that in the control group. Garlic skin supplementation did not significantly (P > 0.10) affect the α-diversity indices. Increased (P < 0.05) abundances of Prevotella, Bulleidia, Howardella, Methanosphaera but a decreased (P < 0.05) abundance of Fretibacterium were observed in GAS-fed lambs. In addition, the garlic skin supplementation favorably regulated (P < 0.05) pyrimidine metabolism, purine metabolism, vitamin B6 and B1 metabolism. Moreover, high correlations were observed between fluctuant rumen microbiota and metabolites. Conclusions Supplementation of garlic skin improved the growth performance of sheep by modifying rumen fermentation through inducing shifts in the rumen microbiome and metabolome.

Download Full-text

Effect of probiotic containing Lactobacillus plantarum on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and fecal microbiota in weaning pigs

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1139/cjas-2019-0050 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 100 (1) ◽

pp. 205-209

Author(s):

Y. Yang ◽

J.H. Park ◽

I.H. Kim

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Experimental Period ◽

Fecal Microbiota ◽

Nutrient Digestibility ◽

Gross Energy ◽

Weaning Pigs ◽

Daily Gain

A total of 150 weaning pigs (7.53 ± 1.23 kg) were randomly assigned to three treatments consisting of basal diet, and the basal diet supplemented with 300 and 600 mg kg−1 of probiotics, respectively, in a 42 d trial. The incremental levels of probiotics linearly increased average daily gain during week 1 and through the overall experimental period (P < 0.05). The average daily feed intake, body weight, and the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen, and gross energy also increased (P < 0.05) with the increased level of probiotics. A significant reduction in Escherichia coli counts (P = 0.0037) and increase (P = 0.0016) in Lactobacillus counts were observed on day 42.

Download Full-text

Dietary Supplementation with Compound Probiotics and Berberine Alters Piglet Production Performance and Fecal Microbiota

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10030511 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 511

Author(s):

Xiaoxiang Xu ◽

Canyu Yang ◽

Juan Chang ◽

Ping Wang ◽

Qingqiang Yin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Average Daily Gain ◽

Dietary Supplementation ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Fecal Microbiota ◽

Diet Group ◽

Nutrient Digestibility ◽

Production Performance ◽

Control Group ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Relative Abundances

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with compound probiotics and berberine (CPB) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and fecal microflora in weaned piglets. A total of 200 piglets 35 days old were randomly allocated to 5 groups, 4 replications in each group, and 10 piglets in each replication. Group A was the basal diet; group B was supplemented with antibiotics and zinc oxide; groups C, D and E were supplemented with 0.06%, 0.12% and 0.18% CPB, respectively. The experimental period was 42 d. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rate (FCR) among five groups (p > 0.05). However, mortality, diarrhea and rejection rates in the control group were higher than that in other groups. CPB could increase protein digestibility and serum IgG content (p < 0.05), while it could decrease serum urea nitrogen content and alkaline phosphatase activity (p < 0.05). Analysis of fecal microbiota showed that the relative abundances of Bacteroides and Firmicutes were increased, while the relative abundances of opportunistic pathogens such as Spirochaetae and Protebactreria were dramatically decreased in piglets fed with CPB or antibiotics, compared with the control group. Furthermore, CPB intervention increased the relative abundances of Prevotella_9, Megasphaera and Prevotella_2, while decreased the relative abundance of Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group. Correlation analysis revealed that there was good correlation between serum indexes and fecal microbiota. It was suggested that CPB might be a promising antibiotic alternative for improving piglet health and immunity, decreasing mortality by positively altering gut microbiota.

Download Full-text

Influence of the efficacy of a probiotic complex containing Bacillus subtilis and Pichia farinosa on the growth performance and fecal microbiota of finishing pigs

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1139/cjas-2018-0226 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 99 (4) ◽

pp. 966-970

Author(s):

Huan Wang ◽

In Ho Kim

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Subtilis ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Fecal Microbiota ◽

Finishing Pigs ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Daily Gain ◽

Pichia Farinosa

A total of 120 finish pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc; 52.61 ± 2.37 kg] were randomly allotted into three treatments for a 70 d trial to evaluate the growth performance and fecal microbiota counts in finishing pigs. Treatment groups were (i) basal diet (CON), (ii) CON + 0.1% probiotic complex (TRT1), and (iii) CON + 0.2% probiotic complex (TRT2). Each treatment consisted of eight replicate pens with five pigs per pen. The average daily gain and fecal Lactobacillus counts of TRT2 were increased (P < 0.05) compared with CON treatment. The result showed that 0.2% complex probiotic was more effective than 0.1%.

Download Full-text

Garlic Skin Induced Shifts in the Rumen Microbiome and Metabolome of Fattening Sheep

10.21203/rs.3.rs-57466/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

WEN Zhu ◽

Zhen Su ◽

Wei Xu ◽

Hanxue Sun ◽

Jinfeng Gao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Diversity Indices ◽

Rumen Fermentation ◽

Control Group ◽

Rumen Microbiome ◽

Volatile Fatty Acid Concentration ◽

Α Diversity ◽

Daily Gain

Abstract Background: Garlic and its constituents exhibit activities on modifying rumen fermentation and improving growth performance. As a by-product of garlic processing, garlic skin contains similar bioactive components as garlic bulb. However, studies in ruminants using garlic skin are scarce. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of garlic skin supplementation on rumen fermentation characterizes, growth performance, and involved mechanism in ruminants. Twelve Hu lambs were randomly assigned into one of two treatments: basal diet (CON) or basal diet supplemented with 80 g/kg DM of gallic skin (GAS). The experiment lasted for10 weeks, with the first 2 weeks for adaptation. Results: The results revealed that the average daily gain and volatile fatty acid concentration were higher (P < 0.05) in lambs fed GAS than that in the control group. Garlic skin supplementation did not significantly (P > 0.10) affect the α-diversity indices. Increased (P < 0.05) abundances of Prevotella, Bulleidia, Howardella, Methanosphaera but a decreased (P < 0.05) abundance of Fretibacterium were observed in GAS-fed lambs. Besides, the garlic skin supplementation favorably regulated (P < 0.05) pyrimidine metabolism, purine metabolism, vitamin B6 and B1 metabolism. Moreover, high correlations were observed between fluctuant rumen microbiota and metabolites. Conclusions: Supplementation of garlic skin improved the growth performance of sheep by modifying rumen fermentation through inducing shifts in the rumen microbiome and metabolome.

Download Full-text

An investigation into the effects of maternal supplementation with excess iodine on the mechanisms and impacts of reduced IgG absorption in the lamb postpartum

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114517000575 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 117 (7) ◽

pp. 951-963 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

F. M. McGovern ◽

T. Sweeney ◽

M. T. Ryan ◽

S. Lott ◽

F. P. Campion ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thyroid Hormone ◽

Thyroid Hormone Receptor ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Excess Iodine ◽

Serum Igg ◽

Faecal Egg Count ◽

Hormone Status ◽

Maternal Supplementation ◽

Daily Gain

AbstractAn experiment was conducted to determine: (1) the effect of excess maternal I supplementation on the thyroid hormone status of the ewe and her progeny; (2) potential mechanisms underpinning the failure of passive transfer associated with excess I and (3) the growing lambs’ response to natural gastrointestinal infection. Twin-bearing ewes received one of two treatments (n 32/treatment group): basal diet (C) or C plus 26·6 mg of iodine/ewe per d (I), supplied as calcium iodate. Ewes were individually fed from day 119 of gestation to parturition. Progeny of I ewes had lower (P<0·01) serum IgG concentrations from 24 h to 28 d postpartum but higher serum IgG concentrations at day 70 postpartum (P<0·05). I supplementation increased the relative expression of Fc receptor, IgA, IgM high affinity and polymeric Ig receptor in the ileum of the lamb at 24 h postpartum; however, thyroid hormone receptor-β (THRB) and β-2-microglobulin (B2M) expression declined (P<0·05). Progeny of I ewes had higher growth rates to weaning (P<0·05) and lower faecal egg count (FEC) for Nematodirus battus (P<0·05) between weeks 6 and 10 postpartum. In conclusion, excess maternal I supplementation negatively affected the thyroid hormone status, serum IgG concentration, ileal morphology and the gene expression of THRB and B2M in the ileum and ras-related protein (RAB) RAB25 and the mucin gene (MUC) MUC1 in the duodenum of the lamb postpartum. These effects were followed by an enhancement of average daily gain and lower N. battus FEC in the pre-weaning period of I-supplemented lambs.

Download Full-text

Use of Hydrolyzed Chinese Gallnut Tannic Acid in Weaned Piglets as an Alternative to Zinc Oxide: Overview on the Gut Microbiota

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11072000 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 2000

Author(s):

Junying Sun ◽

Kaijun Wang ◽

Baichang Xu ◽

Xiaomin Peng ◽

Beibei Chai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Zinc Oxide ◽

Tannic Acid ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Treated Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Weaned Piglets ◽

Lactobacillus Amylovorus ◽

Daily Gain

The effects of dietary hydrolyzed Chinese gallnut tannic acid(GCT) as a replacement for ZnO were investigated on weaned piglets. A total of 72 weaned piglets at 31 ± 1 day (six replicate pens per treatment with six piglets per pen) were selected and divided randomly into two groups: a control group, with a basal diet of + 1600 mg/kg ZnO; and a treated group, with a basal diet of + 1899.5 mg/kg GCT. Data analysis showed that the significance of average daily gain and average daily feed intake between the two groups was p = 0.731 and p = 0.799, respectively. Compared with the control group, the diarrhea rate of piglets in the treated group underwent no noticeable change on days 0–7 (p = 0.383) and 7–14 (p = 0.263), but decreased significantly on days 14–21 (p < 0.05). Additionally, we found GCT can reduce the crypt depth of the ileum and improve its antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05). High throughput sequencing showed that GCT increased the richness of the bacteria Lachnospiraceae (p = 0.005), Prevotella_2 (p = 0.046) and Lactobacillus amylovorus (p = 0.081), which are associated with the degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose. The study indicated that 1899.5 mg/kg GCT could be an alternative for 1600 mg/kg ZnO in the diet of piglets.

Download Full-text

Modulation of Gut Microbiota and Oxidative Status by β-Carotene in Late Pregnant Sows

Frontiers in Nutrition ◽

10.3389/fnut.2020.612875 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Xupeng Yuan ◽

Jiahao Yan ◽

Ruizhi Hu ◽

Yanli Li ◽

Ying Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Dietary Supplementation ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Fecal Microbiota ◽

Control Group ◽

Metabolic Activities ◽

The Impact ◽

Positive Effect ◽

Β Carotene

Recent evidences suggest that gut microbiota plays an important role in regulating physiological and metabolic activities of pregnant sows, and β-carotene has a potentially positive effect on reproduction, but the impact of β-carotene on gut microbiota in pregnant sows remains unknown. This study aimed to explore the effect and mechanisms of β-carotene on the reproductive performance of sows from the aspect of gut microbiota. A total of 48 hybrid pregnant sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) with similar parity were randomly allocated into three groups (n = 16) and fed with a basal diet or a diet containing 30 or 90 mg/kg of β-carotene from day 90 of gestation until parturition. Dietary supplementation of 30 or 90 mg/kg β-carotene increased the number of live birth to 11.82 ± 1.54 and 12.29 ± 2.09, respectively, while the control group was 11.00 ± 1.41 (P = 0.201). Moreover, β-carotene increased significantly the serum nitric oxide (NO) level and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity (P < 0.05). Characterization of fecal microbiota revealed that 90 mg/kg β-carotene increased the diversity of the gut flora (P < 0.05). In particular, β-carotene decreased the relative abundance of Firmicutes including Lachnospiraceae AC2044 group, Lachnospiraceae NK4B4 group and Ruminococcaceae UCG-008, but enriched Proteobacteria including Bilophila and Sutterella, and Actinobacteria including Corynebacterium and Corynebacterium 1 which are related to NO synthesis. These data demonstrated that dietary supplementation of β-carotene may increase antioxidant enzyme activity and NO, an important vasodilator to promote the neonatal blood circulation, through regulating gut microbiota in sows.

Download Full-text

Effects of Dietary Supplementation of gEGF on the Growth Performance and Immunity of Broilers

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11051394 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 1394

Author(s):

Jianyong Zhou ◽

Jingyi Yao ◽

Luhong Bai ◽

Chuansong Sun ◽

Jianjun Lu

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Capacity ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Crude Extract ◽

Serum Alkaline Phosphatase ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Control Group ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Chicken Embryos ◽

Growth Of Animals

EGF has been shown to stimulate the growth of animals. In this study, the content of EGF in chicken embryos (gallus EGF, gEGF) aged from 1 to 20 days of incubation were determined by ELISA kit, and the 5-day-old chicken embryos with the highest content of 5593 pg/g were selected to make gEGF crude extracts. A total of 1500 1-day-old Xianju chickens were randomly divided into five groups with six replicates of 50 chickens each. The control group was fed a basal diet, and other treatment diets were supplemented with 4, 8, 16 and 32 ng/kg gEGF crude extract, respectively. The experiment lasted for 30 days. Chicks were harvested at the end of the experiment, and liver, spleen, thymus, bursa and serum samples were collected. Results showed that average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of 16 ng/kg group were higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The serum uric acid (UA) of the 16 ng/kg group was reduced (p < 0.01), and the serum alkaline phosphatase (AKP) of the 16 ng/kg group increased (p < 0.01). The gEGF extract also increased chick’s antioxidant capacity, decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased catalase (CAT) in the liver and serum of 16 ng/kg groups in compared to the control group (p < 0.01). Furthermore, immunity was improved by the addition of gEGF to broiler diets. The serum immunoglobin A (IgA) content of 8 and 16 ng/kg groups and the serum immunoglobin M (IgM) content of 4 and 8 ng/kg groups were increased (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. The bursa index of each experimental group was higher than the control group (p < 0.01). These findings demonstrate that the crude extract of gEGF prepared in this experiment could improve the growth performance, antioxidant capacity and immunity of broilers.

Download Full-text

Live Yeast or Live Yeast Combined with Zinc Oxide Enhanced Growth Performance, Antioxidative Capacity, Immunoglobulins and Gut Health in Nursery Pigs

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11061626 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1626

Author(s):

Shenfei Long ◽

Tengfei He ◽

Sung Woo Kim ◽

Qinghui Shang ◽

Tadele Kiros ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Average Daily Gain ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Conversion Ratio ◽

Gut Health ◽

Total Volatile ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Nursery Pigs ◽

Serum Iga ◽

Daily Gain ◽

Live Yeast

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary LY or LY combined with ZnO supplementation on performance and gut health in nursery pigs. 192 Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire piglets (weaned on d 32 of the age with 9.2 ± 1.7 kg BW) were allocated into four treatments with eight replicate pens, six piglets per pen. The treatments included a basal diet as control (CTR), an antibiotic plus ZnO diet (CTC-ZnO, basal diet + 75 mg/kg of chlortetracycline + ZnO (2000 mg/kg from d 1 to 14, 160 mg/kg from d 15 to 28)), a LY diet (LY, basal diet + 2 g/kg LY), and a LY plus ZnO diet (LY-ZnO, basal diet + 1 g/kg LY + ZnO). The results showed that pigs fed LY or LY-ZnO had increased (p < 0.05) average daily gain, serum IgA, IgG, superoxide dismutase, fecal butyric acid, and total volatile fatty acid concentrations, as well as decreased (p < 0.05) feed conversion ratio and diarrhea rate compared with CTR. In conclusion, pigs fed diets with LY or LY combined with ZnO had similar improvement to the use of antibiotics and ZnO in performance, antioxidant status, immunoglobulins, and gut health in nursery pigs.

Download Full-text