Combined supplementation of betaine and vitamin C improves the performance of quails raised in the tropics with reduced floor space

This study investigated how combined betaine and vitamin C supplementation affects quails’ productive performance in reduced floor space. In total, 256 laying quails aged 23 weeks (154.6±5.0 g) were arranged in a completely randomized design of factorial 2×2 with four replicates. The birds were allocated to 16 cages with two floor spaces consisting of 250 cm2, 222 cm2. They were fed a diet without (Control) or with supplementation of 0.12% betaine in combination with 250 mg/kg vitamin C (BV). The collected data were analyzed by analysis of variance and continued to Duncan’s test. Interactions occurred in egg production and egg mass. The lower floor space without BV supplementation decreased egg production, but lower floor space with BV supplementation enhanced egg production (p<0.05). Supplementing BV enhanced egg mass in each floor space (p<0.05). Reducing floor space did not influence feed intake (FI), egg weight (EW), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and energy efficiency ratio (EER). BV enhances FI, egg production (EP), EW, PER, and EER and reduces the feed conversion (FCR; p<0.01). Thus, combined supplementation of betaine and vitamin C improves quails’ performance in the tropics raised with reduced floor space.

Effect of Calcium and Manganese Supplementation on Heat Resistance of Spores of Bacillus Species Associated With Food Poisoning, Spoilage, and Fermentation

Bacterial spores often survive thermal processing used in the food industry, while heat treatment leads not only to a decrease in the nutritional and organoleptic properties of foods, but also to a delay in fermentation of fermented foods. Selective reduction of undesirable spores without such impediments is an ongoing challenge for food scientists. Thus, increased knowledge of the spore-forming bacteria is required to control them. In this study, the heat resistance results (D100°C) of the spores of four Bacillus species were determined and compared to previous literature, and found that B. cereus has significantly lower heat resistance than the other Bacillus species, B. coagulans, B. subtilis, and B. licheniformis. Using the spores of these strains, this study also evaluated the effects of single and combined supplementation of calcium (0.00–2.00 mM) and manganese (0.00–0.50 mM) on heat resistance (D100°C). The results revealed that the spores of B. licheniformis and B. cereus displayed the smallest heat resistance when sporulated on media rich in calcium. Conversely, B. coagulans spores and B. subtilis spores exhibited the greatest heat resistance when sporulated under calcium-rich conditions. The opposite results (stronger heat resistance for B. licheniformis spores and B. cereus spores, and smaller heat resistance for B. coagulans spores and B. subtilis spores) were obtained when the spores were formed on media poor in the minerals (particularly calcium). Based on the results, the Bacillus species were divided into two groups: B. licheniformis and B. cereus; and B. coagulans and B. subtilis. The study provides valuable insight to selectively reduce spores of undesirable Bacillus species in the food industry.

288 Inclusion Effects of Quebracho (Schinopsis Balansaie) Extract and Active Dry Yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) in Beef Cattle Limit-fed a Grower Ration

Plant secondary metabolites (PSM) and yeast supplemented in growing cattle have been reported as improving dry matter digestibility (DMD) and reducing enteric methane emissions. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of combined supplementation with condensed tannin (CT; Schinopsis balansae) extract and active dry yeast (ADY; Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on fermentation dynamics, utilizing in vitro gas production (IVGP) technique. A 2 × 2 Latin square design was used to study fermentation patterns of four dietary treatments (CON- no CT and no ADY, ADY alone, CT alone or combined CT + ADY). Animals received daily CT at 1% DM and 10 g of ADY, respectively. On d 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 rumen inoculum was collected from 23 fistulated steers (284.3 ± 4.1 kg) four hours post-feeding. Samples were incubated under anaerobic conditions at 39oC for 48 h with 200 mg of a grower diet (14.8% CP, 40.6% NDF, 88.5% DM). Gas parameters were analyzed using a mixed linear statistical model. There was a day effect for total gas production (TGP; P &lt; 0.001), non-fiber carbohydrate degradation (P = 0.031) and fractional degradation assuming an asymptote model (P = 0.015). Both asymptote and non-fiber fractional degradation rate estimates had an interaction between Day × TRT (P = 0.001 and 0.0104, respectively). Data were analyzed using polynomial contrasts showed a difference in non-fiber fractional rate of fermentation for CON × CT and CT × ADY (P = 0.052 and 0.054, respectively). This was also true if an asymptote model was assumed (P = 0.0 34 and 0.034, respectively). We concluded that combined supplementation of CT and ADY exhibited similar IVGP trends over time, this may be because animals only received a grower diet at 1.5% shrunk BW. Future studies should investigate the impact of combined supplementation on varying levels of concentrate diets.

The effect of activated silicon dioxide and betaine supplementation on quails' growth and productivity

Background and Aim: Silicon dioxide and betaine supplements are essential in the poultry diet to improve growth and laying performance. This study aimed to determine the effect of activated silicon dioxide (ASD) and betaine supplementation on quails' growth performance during the starter period and on follicular development and productive parameters at the onset of the laying period. Materials and Methods: The research used 1064 quails, aged 7 days. Four treatments were employed: A basal diet (control), a diet supplemented with 200 ppm ASD, a diet supplemented with 0.12% betaine, and a diet supplemented with a combination of 200 ppm ASD and 0.12% betaine (ASD+Betaine). Each diet group included seven replicates of 38 quails. The observed parameters were the quails' growth performance during the starter period and follicular development and egg production during the onset of the laying period. Results: The results showed that combined supplementation with ASD+Betaine improved the quails' growth performance during the starter period (p<0.05). However, these supplements, either as single feed additives or in combination, did not affect ovarian and follicular characteristics during the onset of the laying period. Still, ASD and betaine enhanced egg production and weight. The highest magnitude of change resulted from combined supplementation with ASD+Betaine (p<0.05). Conclusion: The ASD+Betaine could be productively applied to quails' diets during the starter period and at the onset of the laying period.

Sodium Humate And Glutamine Combined Supplementation Alleviate Diarrhea of Weaned Calves Via Alter Intestinal Microbiota And Metabolites

Background: Weaning is one of the most stressful periods that cause gastrointestinal tract dysfunction and diarrhea in calves. HNa and Gln were reported to exert beneficial effects on promoting growth performance, decreasing diarrhea incidence, and modulating intestinal microbiota in animals. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of HNa and Gln combined supplementation on growth performance, diarrhea incidence, serum parameters, intestinal microbiome, and metabolites of weaned calves.Results: In Exp. 1, 40 calves at 51±3 days of age with similar body weight (66.82±4.31 kg) were randomly assigned to 4 treatments fed with a basal diet (NC group), and a basal diet supplemented with 100 mL of 1%, 3%, or 5% HNa+1% Gln, twice daily, respectively. In a 21-day trial, calves on the 5% HNa+1% Gln group had higher ADG and lower fecal score and diarrhea incidence than those in the control group (P < 0.05). In Exp. 2, 20 calves at 51±3 days of age with similar body weight (69.37±6.28 kg) were randomly assigned to 2 treatments fed with a basal diet (NC group) and a basal diet supplemented with 100 mL of 5% HNa+1% Gln, twice daily (H+G group, the dose was obtained from Exp. 1). In a 21-day trial, calves supplemented with HNa and Gln had higher final BW and ADG, serum IgG concentration and GSH-Px and T-AOC activities, but lower fecal score, diarrhea incidence, as well as serum DAO, D-lac, TNF-α, and MDA concentrations compared to NC group (P < 0.05). Analysis of intestinal microbiota indicated that supplemented with HNa and Gln significantly increased the abundance of phyla Firmicutes and genus of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Olsenella, Ruminiclostridium 9, Howardella, and uncultured organism, whereas the abundance of phyla Bacteroidetes, genus of Helicobacter and Lachnoclostridium were decreased as compared with NC group. Moreover, untargeted metabolomics analysis revealed that supplemented with HNa and Gln altered 18 metabolites and enriched 6 KEGG pathways (primary fatty acid biosynthesis) compared to the NC group. Conclusions: This study showed that combined supplemented with HNa and Gln could decrease diarrhea of weaned calves, which may be associated with improved intestinal microbial ecology and altered metabolism profile.

Maternal Supplementation with Herbal Antioxidants during Pregnancy in Swine

The effects of a combined supplementation with herbal antioxidants during pregnancy on reproductive traits and piglet performance (number of live, dead, and mummified newborns and litter weight at birth and individual body weight at both birth and weaning) were assessed in a total of 1027 sows (504 treated and 523 control females) kept under commercial breeding conditions. The supplementation increased the number of live-born piglets (13.64 ± 0.11 vs. 12.96 ± 0.13 in the controls; p = 0.001) and the total litter weight, decreasing the incidence of low-weight piglets without affecting the number of stillbirths and mummified newborns. Such an effect was modulated by the number of parity and the supplementation, with supplementation increasing significantly the number of living newborns in the first, second, sixth, and seventh parities (0.87, 1.10, 1.49, and 2.51 additional piglets, respectively; p < 0.05). The evaluation of plasma vitamin concentration and biomarkers of oxidative stress (total antioxidant capacity, TAC, and malondialdehyde concentration, MDA) performed in a subset of farrowing sows and their lighter and heavier piglets showed that plasma levels of both vitamins were significantly higher in the piglets than in their mothers (p < 0.05 for vitamin C and p < 0.005 for vitamin E), with antioxidant supplementation increasing significantly such concentrations. Concomitantly, there were no differences in maternal TAC but significantly higher values in piglets from supplemented sows (p < 0.05). On the other hand, supplementation decreased plasma MDA levels both in the sows and their piglets (p < 0.05). Finally, the piglets from supplemented mothers showed a trend for a higher weaning weight (p = 0.066) and, specifically, piglets with birth weights above 1 kg showed a 7.4% higher weaning weight (p = 0.024). Hence, the results of the present study, with high robustness and translational value by offering data from more than 1000 pregnancies under standard breeding conditions, supports that maternal supplementation with herbal antioxidants during pregnancy significantly improves reproductive efficiency, litter traits, and piglet performance.

Vitamin K and D Supplementation and Bone Health in Chronic Kidney Disease—Apart or Together?

Vitamin K (VK) and vitamin D (VD) deficiency/insufficiency is a common feature of chronic kidney disease (CKD), leading to impaired bone quality and a higher risk of fractures. CKD patients, with disturbances in VK and VD metabolism, do not have sufficient levels of these vitamins for maintaining normal bone formation and mineralization. So far, there has been no consensus on what serum VK and VD levels can be considered sufficient in this particular population. Moreover, there are no clear guidelines how supplementation of these vitamins should be carried out in the course of CKD. Based on the existing results of preclinical studies and clinical evidence, this review intends to discuss the effect of VK and VD on bone remodeling in CKD. Although the mechanisms of action and the effects of these vitamins on bone are distinct, we try to find evidence for synergy between them in relation to bone metabolism, to answer the question of whether combined supplementation of VK and VD will be more beneficial for bone health in the CKD population than administering each of these vitamins separately.