Microbial and metabolomic mechanisms mediating the effects of dietary inulin and cellulose supplementation on porcine oocyte and uterine development

Background Dietary fiber (DF) is often eschewed in swine diet due to its anti-nutritional effects, but DF is attracting growing attention for its reproductive benefits. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of DF intake level on oocyte maturation and uterine development, to determine the optimal DF intake for gilts, and gain microbial and metabolomic insight into the underlying mechanisms involved. Methods Seventy-six Landrace × Yorkshire (LY) crossbred replacement gilts of similar age (92.6 ± 0.6 d; mean ± standard deviation [SD]) and body weight (BW, 33.8 ± 3.9 kg; mean ± SD) were randomly allocated to 4 dietary treatment groups (n = 19); a basal diet without extra DF intake (DF 1.0), and 3 dietary groups ingesting an extra 50% (DF 1.5), 75% (DF 1.75), and 100% (DF 2.0) dietary fiber mixture consisting of inulin and cellulose (1:4). Oocyte maturation and uterine development were assessed on 19 d of the 2nd oestrous cycle. Microbial diversity of faecal samples was analysed by high-throughput pyrosequencing (16S rRNA) and blood samples were subjected to untargeted metabolomics. Results The rates of oocytes showing first polar bodies after in vitro maturation for 44 h and uterine development increased linearly with increasing DF intake; DF 1.75 gilts had a 19.8% faster oocyte maturation rate and a 48.9 cm longer uterus than DF 1.0 gilts (P < 0.05). Among the top 10 microbiota components at the phylum level, 8 increased linearly with increasing DF level, and the relative abundance of 30 of 53 microbiota components at the genus level (> 0.1%) increased linearly or quadratically with increasing DF intake. Untargeted metabolic analysis revealed significant changes in serum metabolites that were closely associated with microbiota, including serotonin, a gut-derived signal that stimulates oocyte maturation. Conclusions The findings provide evidence of the benefits of increased DF intake by supplementing inulin and cellulose on oocyte maturation and uterine development in gilts, and new microbial and metabolomic insight into the mechanisms mediating the effects of DF on reproductive performance of replacement gilts.

Production performance and carcass characteristics of broiler treated with graded level of acetic acid

To investigate the effect of graded level of acetic acid on the production performance and carcass characteristics of broiler, present study was conducted for a period of 35 days in a controlled shed. A total of 240 Cobb 500 day old broiler chicks were divided into four dietary treatment groups (T0, T1, T2 and T3), each group with three replications and each replication having 20 birds. Control group (T0) birds were fed with the basal diet without any acetic acid. Birds of T1, T2 and T3 group were treated with 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3% acetic acid in drinking water, respectively along with basal diets. Recorded data were analysed in SPSS software by using ANOVA and significance level was considered as 5%. Results showed that, acetic acid has significantly (P<0.05) improved live weight, live weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and some meat characteristics (carcass weight, thigh weight and breast weight) of experimental broilers. However, there were no significant (P>0.05) differences were observed between control group and acetic acid treated groups of birds in terms of feed intake, dressing percentage, liver weight, heart weight and abdominal fat. Net profit was higher in birds treated with acetic acid than the control group and the best performances were observed in the birds treated with 0.3% acetic acid. Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.8(3): 311-319, December 2021

Gut-Microbiome Composition in Response to Phenylketonuria Depends on Dietary Phenylalanine in BTBR Pahenu2 Mice

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disorder caused by a hepatic enzyme deficiency causing high blood and brain levels of the amino acid Phenylalanine (Phe), leading to severe cognitive and psychological deficits that can be prevented, but not completely, by dietary treatment. The behavioral outcome of PKU could be affected by the gut-microbiome-brain axis, as diet is one of the major drivers of the gut microbiome composition. Gut-microbiome alterations have been reported in treated patients with PKU, although the question remains whether this is due to PKU, the dietary treatment, or their interaction. We, therefore, examined the effects of dietary Phe restriction on gut-microbiome composition and relationships with behavioral outcome in mice. Male and female BTBR Pahenu2 mice received either a control diet (normal protein, “high” Phe), liberalized Phe-restricted (33% natural protein restriction), or severe Phe-restricted (75% natural protein restriction) diet with protein substitutes for 10 weeks (n = 14 per group). Their behavioral performance was examined in an open field test, novel and spatial object location tests, and a balance beam. Fecal samples were collected and sequenced for the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) region. Results indicated that PKU on a high Phe diet reduced Shannon diversity significantly and altered the microbiome composition compared with wild-type animals. Phe-restriction prevented this loss in Shannon diversity but changed community composition even more than the high-Phe diet, depending on the severity of the restriction. Moreover, on a taxonomic level, we observed the highest number of differentially abundant genera in animals that received 75% Phe-restriction. Based on correlation analyses with differentially abundant taxa, the families Entereococacceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, and the genus Alloprevotella showed interesting relationships with either plasma Phe levels and/or object memory. According to our results, these bacterial taxa could be good candidates to start examining the microbial metabolic potential and probiotic properties in the context of PKU. We conclude that PKU leads to an altered gut microbiome composition in mice, which is least severe on a liberalized Phe-restricted diet. This may suggest that the current Phe-restricted diet for PKU patients could be optimized by taking dietary effects on the microbiome into account.

Growth performance, haematology and serum lipid profile of broiler chickens fed three varieties of ripe Solanum melongena fruit meal supplements

The growth, haematological and serum characteristics of Cobb broilers (n = 112) fed inclusions of ripe Solanum melongena fruit meal (SMFM) varieties were incorporated in a 56-day trial. The completely randomized design was employed in assigning day-old chicks to four labeled groups (T1-T4) with four replications. Dietary treatment of SMFM varieties was according to study groups such that T1 had Abia var. Okpokwe, T2 contained Nsukka Ind × Jos, T3 enclosed Nsukka Ind × Nsukka Local, while T4 was control. Daily feed intake and weekly weights furnished the growth assay of the chicks, while their blood assessment was done at the termination of the study. Data analyzed showed T4 to have better (p < 0.05) final weights (2740.50 g), feed intake (131.39 g) and weight gain (48.13 g) than SMFM groups. Red blood cell count was highest (p < 0.05) in T2 and T3 (10.87 × 106 and 10.88 × 106 mm3, respectively) and lowly in T1 and T4 (10.04 × 106 mm3 each). Haemoglobin concentration was highest (p < 0.05) in T2 and T3 (8.73, 8.98 g dL–) and lowest in T4 (7.55 g dL–1). Treated birds had better (p < 0.05) serum cholesterol and lipoproteins than the control. Triglyceride of T4 (117.75 g dL–1) was different (p < 0.05) from T1 and T2 (107.00, 107.67 g dL–1) but similar (p > 0.05) to T3 (109.00 g dL–1). The SMFM varieties, mostly Nsukka Ind × Jos (T2), independently promoted superior haematology and serum lipid profile but poor growth of test broilers.

Vitamin B12 Reduces TDP-43 Toxicity by Alleviating Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a member of an evolutionarily conserved family of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins that modulate multiple steps in RNA metabolic processes. Cytoplasmic aggregation of TDP-43 in affected neurons is a pathological hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE). Mislocalized and accumulated TDP-43 in the cytoplasm induces mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxidative species (ROS) production. Here, we show that TDP-43- and rotenone-induced neurotoxicity in the human neuronal cell line SH-SY5Y were attenuated by hydroxocobalamin (Hb, vitamin B12 analog) treatment. Although Hb did not affect the cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, Hb attenuated TDP-43-induced toxicity by reducing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, a shortened lifespan and motility defects in TDP-43-expressing Drosophila were significantly mitigated by dietary treatment with hydroxocobalamin. Taken together, these findings suggest that oral intake of hydroxocobalamin may be a potential therapeutic intervention for TDP-43-associated proteinopathies.

Effects of Dietary Resveratrol Supplementation on Growth Performance and Anti-Inflammatory Ability in Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) through the Nrf2/HO-1 and TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathways

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of dietary resveratrol on the growth performance and anti-inflammatory mechanism in ducks. A total of 280 one-day-old specific pathogen-free male ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos) with an average body weight of 35 ± 1 g were randomly divided into two dietary treatment groups with different supplementation levels of resveratrol for growth performance experiments: R0 and R400 (0 and, 400 mg kg−1 resveratrol, respectively). At the age of 28 days, 16 ducks were selected from each treatment group and divided into four subgroups for a 2 × 2 factorial pathological experiment: R0; R400; R0 + LPS; R400 + LPS, (0 mg kg−1 resveratrol, 400 mg kg−1 resveratrol, 0 mg kg−1 resveratrol, 400 mg kg−1 resveratrol + 5 mg lipopolysaccharide/kg body weight). The results showed that resveratrol significantly improved final body weight and average daily gain (p < 0.01) and alleviated the lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response with a reduction in IL-1β and IL-6 in the plasma and the liver (p < 0.05). Resveratrol improved mRNA levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 and decreased the mRNA levels of TLR4 and NF-κB in duck liver (p < 0.05). Dietary resveratrol can improve growth performance and reduce inflammation through the Nrf2/HO-1 and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways in duck.

Effect of Changes in Dietary Net Energy Concentration on Growth Performance, Fat Deposition, Skatole Production, and Intestinal Morphology in Immunocastrated Male Pigs

Nutritional requirements of heavy immunocastrated (IM) pigs and therefore appropriate feeding strategies have not yet been determined. Thus, the effects of changes in dietary net energy (NE) content were studied in 41 IM pigs, fed ad libitum diets with low, medium, and high NE content (LNE, MNE, and HNE diets, with 8.5, 9.3, and 10.0 MJ NE/kg, respectively), from 84 days of age until slaughter at an average age of 172 days and an average body weight of 122.5 kg. In the period from 143 to 170 days of age, there was a tendency for a greater NE intake (p = 0.08) in pigs fed the HNE diet along with greater (p &lt; 0.01) backfat gain. Dietary treatment affected carcass composition, as lower backfat thickness (p = 0.01) and lower area of fat over the longissimus muscle (p = 0.05) were observed in the LNE and MNE pigs. In addition, greater lean meat content (p = 0.04) was observed in the LNE pigs. Reducing the NE of the diet by replacement of cereals and soybean meal with high-fiber ingredients resulted in lower indole production in the ascending colon (p &lt; 0.01) and greater skatole production (p &lt; 0.01) in the cecum. Greater villus area, width, height and perimeter, crypt depth, and thickness of the intestinal mucosa in the jejunum, ileum, ascending colon, and descending colon were found in the LNE group (p &lt; 0.01) than in the HNE group, while those in the MNE group was intermediate. Cell proliferation was not affected by dietary treatment (p &gt; 0.05). The present results show that a reduction in dietary NE concentration lowers lipid deposition, without affecting performance or energy efficiency in IM pigs. This technique provides an advantage in terms of improved leanness, without affecting growth rate in IM pigs after immunization, which is particularly important when the backfat thickness is a determinant of carcass value and IM pigs are fattened to higher weights (e.g., in heavy pig production) or when a longer delay between immunization and slaughter is practiced.

NTBC Treatment Monitoring in Chilean Patients with Tyrosinemia Type 1 and Its Association with Biochemical Parameters and Liver Biomarkers

Treatment and follow-up in Hereditary Tyrosinemia type 1 (HT-1) patients require comprehensive clinical and dietary management, which involves drug therapy with NTBC and the laboratory monitoring of parameters, including NTBC levels, succinylacetone (SA), amino acids, and various biomarkers of liver and kidney function. Good adherence to treatment and optimal adjustment of the NTBC dose, according to clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters, can prevent severe liver complications such as hepatocarcinogenesis (HCC). We analyzed several laboratory parameters for 15 HT-1 patients over one year of follow-up in a cohort that included long-term NTBC-treated patients (more than 20 years), as well as short-term patients (one year). Based on this analysis, we described the overall adherence by our cohort of 70% adherence to drug and dietary treatment. A positive correlation was found between blood and plasma NTBC concentration with a conversion factor of 2.57. Nonetheless, there was no correlation of the NTBC level with SA levels, αFP, liver biomarkers, and amino acids in paired samples analysis. By separating according to the range of the NTBC concentration, we therefore determined the mean concentration of each biochemical marker, for NTBC ranges above 15–25 μmol/L. SA in urine and αFP showed mean levels within controlled parameters in our group of patients. Future studies analyzing a longer follow-up period, as well as SA determination in the blood, are encouraged to confirm the present findings.

Influence of an increased content of pea and yellow lupin protein in the diet of pigs on meat quality

Background The aim of the study was to test the effect of replacing soya beans with pea and yellow lupin seeds in the diet of pigs on meat quality. The meat for the tests was obtained from 60 fattening crossbred pigs F1 (Polish Large White × Polish Landrace) × F1 (Pietrain × Duroc). The animals belonged to three feeding groups depending on the feed used with the total share of soybeans and its reduction. Water holding capacity, colour, and tenderness were measured and visual and tactile evaluation (colour, marbling and firmness) was performed for meat samples collected from the longissimus lumborum muscle. The chemical composition of the meat and the content of minerals were determined. The content of amino acids, fatty acids and cholesterol was determined. Results There was no significant differences among the assessed physicochemical characteristics of the meat. The obtained meat was of good quality, regardless of the proportion of proteins from legumes in the diet of pigs. The results of the subjective evaluation of meat, its colour, and the content of muscle pigments were uniform in all food groups. Similarly, a uniform, high protein content was found in all tested groups (C—24.98%; E1—24.82%; E2—25.09%) and the content of macro- and micronutrients in the tested meat was equivalent. The profile of fatty acids was not significantly affected by dietary treatment. Palmitoleic acid content was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the E2 group compared to the E1 group (3.279% compared to 2.844%). The content of amino acids in meat samples was influenced by dietary treatment. Almost all the monitored essential amino acids (threonine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine and lysine) and some of nonessential amino acids’ proportion was increased in the experimental groups (E1, E2). Conclusion Replacing soya bean protein in the pigs’ diet with legume protein (peas and yellow lupin) did not adversely affect meat quality. This applies to both the physicochemical characteristics, the basic composition and the fatty acid profile. The meat of fattening pigs fed with the highest proportion of pea and lupin in the ration was characterized by more favourable proportion of essential amino acids.