Supplementing a Clay Mineral-Based Feed Additive Modulated Fecal Microbiota Composition, Liver Health, and Lipid Serum Metabolome in Dairy Cows Fed Starch-Rich Diets

Starch-rich diets are a commonly adopted strategy in order to sustain high milk yields in dairy cows. However, these diets are known to increase the risk of gut dysbiosis and related systemic health disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementing a clay mineral-based feed additive (CM; Mycofix® Plus, BIOMIN) on fecal microbiota structure, fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) fermentation, serum metabolome, and liver health in primiparous (PP, n = 8) and multiparous (MP, n = 16) early-lactation Simmental cows (737 ± 90 kg of live body weight). Cows were randomly assigned to either a control or CM group (55 g per cow and day) and transitioned from a diet moderate in starch (26.3 ± 1.0%) to a high starch diet (32.0 ± 0.8%). Supplementation of CM reversed the decrease in bacterial diversity, richness, and evenness (p < 0.05) during high-starch diet, demonstrating that CM supplementation efficiently eased hindgut dysbiosis. The CM treatment reduced levels of Lactobacillus in PP cows during starch-rich feeding and elevated fecal pH, indicating a healthier hindgut milieu compared with that in control. Butyrate and propionate levels were modulated by CM supplementation, with butyrate being lower in CM-treated MP cows, whereas propionate was lower in MP but higher in PP cows. Supplementing CM during high-starch feeding increased the concentrations of the main primary bile salts and secondary bile acids in the serum and improved liver function in cows as indicated by reduced levels of glutamate dehydrogenase and γ-glutamyl-transferase, as well as higher serum albumin and triglyceride concentrations. These changes and those related to lipid serum metabolome were more pronounced in PP cows as also corroborated by relevance network analysis.

A High Starch Diet Alters the Composition of the Intestinal Microbiota of Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides, Which May Be Associated With the Development of Enteritis

Starch is an inexpensive feed ingredient that has been widely used in fish feed. However, starch utilization by carnivorous fish is limited and excess starch is detrimental to the health of the organism. High starch diets often lead to liver damage, but the effects on the intestine are often overlooked. Therefore, in this study, two isonitrogenous and isolipidic semi-pure diets (NC: 0% α-starch, HC: 22% α-starch) were formulated and fed to largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) for 45 days. The effects of the high starch diet on the intestine of largemouth bass were comprehensively investigated by intestinal microbiota, histopathology, ultrastructural pathology, and enzymology analyses. Feeding the HC diet did not affect the growth of largemouth bass during the experimental period. However, the high starch diet led to a reduction in the diversity and abundance of intestinal microbiota in largemouth bass, with a significant increase in the abundance of harmful bacteria (Aeromonas) and a decrease in the abundance of beneficial bacteria (Clostridium, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium). Feeding the HC diet caused the development of enteritis, with goblet cell hyperplasia, epithelial necrosis and detachment and inflammatory cell infiltration, and leading to enlarged apical openings and mitochondrial damage in goblet cells. Long-term feeding of the HC diet inhibited intestinal α-amylase activity. changes in the intestinal microbiota, such as an increase in Aeromonas and a decrease in Clostridium, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium, may be closely related to the development of enteritis. Therefore, adding these beneficial bacteria as probiotics may be an effective way to prevent damage to the intestine of largemouth bass from a high carbohydrate diet. Our results suggest reducing the amount of starch added to the largemouth bass diets. This study provides a reference for protecting the largemouth bass gut during modern intensive culture.

Feed efficiency of lactating Holstein cows is less reproducible when changing dietary starch and fibre concentrations than within diet over subsequent lactation stages

ABSTRACTBackgroundImproving feed efficiency has become a common target for dairy farmers to meet the requirement of producing more milk with fewer resources. To improve feed efficiency, a prerequisite is to ensure that the cows identified as most or least efficient will remain as such, independently of diet composition. Therefore, the current research analysed the ability of lactating dairy cows to maintain their feed efficiency while changing the energy density of the diet by changing its concentration in starch and fibre. A total of 60 lactating Holstein cows, including 33 primiparous cows, were first fed a high starch diet (diet E+P+), then switched over to a low starch diet (diet E−P−). Near infra-red (NIR) spectroscopy was performed on each individual feed ingredient, diet and individual refusals to check for sorting behaviour. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to analyse if the variability in NIR spectra of the refusals was explained by the differences in feed efficiency.ResultsThe error of reproducibility of feed efficiency across diets was 2.95 MJ/d. This error was significantly larger than the errors of repeatability estimated within diet over two subsequent lactation stages, which were 2.01 MJ/d within diet E−P− and 2.40 MJ/d within diet E+P+. The coefficient of correlation of concordance (CCC) was 0.64 between feed efficiency estimated within diet E+P+ and feed efficiency estimated within diet E−P−. This CCC was smaller than the one observed for feed efficiency estimated within diet between two subsequent lactation stages (CCC = 0.72 within diet E+P+ and 0.85 within diet E−P−). The first two principal components of the PCA explained 90% of the total variability of the NIR spectra of the individual refusals. Feed efficiency was poorly correlated to those principal components, which suggests that feed sorting behaviour did not explain differences in feed efficiency.ConclusionsFeed efficiency was significantly less reproducible across diets than repeatable within the same diet over subsequent lactation stages, but cow’s ranking for feed efficiency was not significantly affected by diet change. The differences in sorting behaviour between cows were not associated to feed efficiency differences in this trial neither with the E+P+ diet nor with the E−P− diet. Those results have to be confirmed with cows fed with more extreme diets (for example roughage only) to ensure that the least and most efficient cows will not change.

High-Starch Diet Consumption Impaired Intestinal Barriers of Juvenile Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides)

The intestinal barrier is primarily composed of physical, physiological and microbial barriers, and intestine microbe-immune interactions influenced by diet in fish still remain increasingly unexplored. The intestinal barriers of Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) (4.1±0.2g) were explored after they were fed three different starch diets for eight weeks (low starch,7%; middle starch, 12%; high starch, 17%). The results showed that high starch diet led slight infiltration of inflammatory cells and moderate loss of mucous membrane layer in midgut. Meanwhile, high starch diet decreased the antioxidant enzymes (T-SOD) activities and genes (SOD1, SOD2, SOD3a, CAT, GPX) expression significantly (P < 0.05). The MDA content was significantly increased with increasing starch level (P < 0.05). High starch diet up-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory genes (IL-8, IL-1β and TNFα) and apoptosis genes (bax, caspase3, caspase8 and caspase9), whereas down-regulated the expression of anti-apoptosis genes bcl-2 and tight junction proteins genes (occludin and claudin7). In addition, the high starch diet increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, resulted in microbial dysbiosis. In conclusion, high dietary starch impaired intestinal barriers, and increased the risk of disease outbreaks.

Dietary adaptation to high starch involves increased relative abundance of sucrase-isomaltase and its mRNA in nestling house sparrows

Dietary flexibility in digestive enzyme activity is widespread in vertebrates, but mechanisms are poorly understood. When laboratory rats are switched to higher carbohydrate diet, activity of intestinal sucrase-isomaltase (SI) increases within 6-12 h, mainly by rapid increase in enzyme transcription followed by rapid translation and translocation to the intestine's apical, brush border membrane (BBM). We performed the first unified study of the overall process in birds, relying on activity, proteomic and transcriptomic data from nestling house sparrows (Passer domesticus). They switch naturally from low-starch insect diet to higher-starch seed diet, and SI is responsible for all their intestinal maltase and sucrase activities. Twenty-four hours after a switch to a high-starch diet, SI activity was increased, but not at 12 h post-diet switch. SI was the only hydrolase increased in the BBM, and its relative abundance and activity were positively correlated. Twenty-four hours after a reverse switch back to the lower-starch diet, SI activity was decreased, but not at 12 h post-diet switch. Parallel changes in SI mRNA were associated with the changes in SI activity in both diet switch experiments. This is the first demonstration that birds may rely on rapid increase in abundance of SI and its mRNA when adjusting to high starch diet. Although the mechanisms underlying dietary induction of intestinal enzymes seem similar in nestling house sparrows and laboratory rodents, time course for modulation in nestlings seemed half as fast compared to laboratory rodents. This may be understandable considering differences in ecology and evolution.