Prenatal programming of the small intestine in piglets: the effect of supplementation with 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyric acid (HMB) in pregnant sows on the structure of jejunum of their offspring

When discussing the scale of the occurrence of diseases of the digestive system in farm animals, particularly pigs in the weaning period, it may be beneficial to study physiological and nutritional factors that could potentially affect the growth, development, and modelling of the structure and function of the digestive tract. Taking into account the reports on the beneficial effects of ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) administration in the prenatal period on the development of various systems it was assumed that the HMB supplementation to pregnant sows can influence intestinal development in the offspring during weaning. Thus, the present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of HMB treatment of pregnant sows on jejunum development in offspring at weaning. From 70th day until the 90th day of gestation, sows received either a basal diet (n = 12) or the same diet supplemented with HMB (n = 12) at the dose of 0.2 g/kg of body weight/day. HMB given during prenatal time reduced the thickness of the longitudinal muscle; the apoptotic cell index in epithelium also significantly decreased after the HMB supplementation. Vasoactive intestinal (poly)peptide (VIP) expression in submucosal ganglia significantly increases in prenatally HMB treated piglets. The same strong reaction was observed with the expression of occludin, claudin-3, E-cadherin, and leptin in the jejunal epithelium. The obtained results indicate that the administration of HMB to pregnant sows significantly influenced the expression of VIP, leptin and some proteins of the intestinal barrier of their offspring less influencing the basal morphology.

The importance of nutrition in alleviating high stocking density stress in poultry

In recent decades, the number of birds reared per unit area has dramatically spiked to increase profitability in egg and meat production. However, nowadays, the increase in sensitivity to animal welfare and consumer demands brings along with it a raised interest in stocking density. Stocking density is defined either as the number of animals or body weight per unit area or as the area per animal. High stocking density, which is a stress factor, can be defined as an increase in the number of animals per unit area or a decrease in the area per animal. Stress caused by high stocking density negatively affects the bird’s physiology and performance as well as the quality of the product obtained. The ideal stocking density should be 9 laying hens, 35 kilogrammes for broilers, and 45 quails per square metre. Otherwise, one will observe stress indicators in birds reared in more than the recommended stocking density per unit area and, consequently, a decrease in bird growth, egg production, feed efficiency, and egg or meat quality. Apart from increasing the concentrations of amino acids such as lysine, methionine, tryptophan and arginine, minerals such as selenium and chromium, and vitamins such as C and E in the diet, the addition of additives such as probiotics, humates, phytophenol compounds, and propolis is also effective in reducing or eliminating these negative effects caused by high stocking density. As a result, regulations in the nutrition of animals are effective in reducing/preventing such negative effects, thus improving animal welfare and ensuring the maintenance of optimum yield.

Prenatal programming of the small intestine in piglets: the effect of supplementation with 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyric acid (HMB) in pregnant sows on the structure of jejunum of their offspring

When discussing the scale of the occurrence of diseases of the digestive system in farm animals, particularly pigs in the weaning period, it may be beneficial to study physiological and nutritional factors that could potentially affect the growth, development, and modelling of the structure and function of the digestive tract. Taking into account the reports on the beneficial effects of ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) administration in the prenatal period on the development of various systems it was assumed that the HMB supplementation to pregnant sows can influence intestinal development in the offspring during weaning. Thus, the present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of HMB treatment of pregnant sows on jejunum development in offspring at weaning. From 70th day until the 90th day of gestation, sows received either a basal diet (n = 12) or the same diet supplemented with HMB (n = 12) at the dose of 0.2 g/kg of body weight/day. HMB given during prenatal time reduced the thickness of the longitudinal muscle; the apoptotic cell index in epithelium also significantly decreased after the HMB supplementation. Vasoactive intestinal (poly)peptide (VIP) expression in submucosal ganglia significantly increases in prenatally HMB treated piglets. The same strong reaction was observed with the expression of occludin, claudin-3, E-cadherin, and leptin in the jejunal epithelium. The obtained results indicate that the administration of HMB to pregnant sows significantly influenced the expression of VIP, leptin and some proteins of the intestinal barrier of their offspring less influencing the basal morphology.

Influence of nitrate supplementation on in-vitro methane emission, milk production, ruminal fermentation, and microbial methanotrophs in dairy cows fed at two forage levels

Modifying the chemical composition of a diet can be a good strategy for reducing methane emission in the rumen. However, this strategy can have adverse effects on the ruminal microbial flora. The aim of our study was to reduce methane without disturbing ruminal function by stimulating the growth and propagation of methanotrophs. In this study, we randomly divided twenty multiparous Holstein dairy cows into 4 groups in a 2×2 factorial design with two forage levels (40% and 60%) and two nitrate supplementation levels (3.5% and zero). We examined the effect of experimental diets on cow performance, ruminal fermentation, blood metabolites and changes of ruminal microbial flora throughout the experimental period (45-day). Additionally, in vitro methane emission was evaluated. Animals fed diet with 60% forage had greater dry matter intake (DMI) and milk fat content, but lower lactose and milk urea content compared with those fed 40% forage diet. Moreover, nitrate supplementation had no significant effect on DMI and milk yield. Furthermore, the interactions showed that nitrate reduces DMI and milk fat independently of forage levels. Our findings showed that nitrate can increase ammonia concentration, pH, nitrite, and acetate while reducing the total volatile fatty acids concentration, propionate, and butyrate in the rumen. With increasing nitrate, methane emission was considerably decreased possibly due to the stimulated growth of Fibrobacteria, Proteobacteria, type II Methanotrophs, and Methanoperedense nitroreducens, especially with high forage level. Overall, nitrate supplementation could potentially increase methane oxidizing microorganisms without adversely affecting cattle performance.

The assessment of the efficacy of STRs panels recommended by the ISAG for canine pedigrees analysis for forensic casework

Canine DNA is widely used in forensic investigations, particularly in dog attacks cases on humans. Nowadays, STR markers are employed worldwide in forensic laboratories to test human and animal genotypes. In the study we analysed the effectiveness of panel – 18 STR as previously recommended by ISAG and the same panel with three additional markers – 21 STR, which has been recommended by ISAG as the core panel for dog identification since 2016. We calculated the PD, PID for these sets of panels and estimated RMP based on the DNA profile obtained during an investigation of a woman bitten by a dog. The high combined CPD value for 18 and 21 STRs showed values close to 1.0. The CPID value for theses panels was 5.2 × 10−10 to 6.4 × 10−14. Statistical analysis estimated the random DNA match, in the case of the woman bitten by a dog, with a probability of 4.3×1019 and 2.8×1022, using 18 and 21 STR panels respectively, and that the canine DNA profile from the crime scene originated from the suspected dog and not from another random dog. Our results show that both STR panels can be used effectively for individual identification and forensic casework.

Potential of graded doses of neem (Azadirachta indica) seed oil on ruminal fermentation characteristics, degradability, and methane formation in vitro

Neem (Azadirachta indica) belongs to Meliaceae family, represented mainly by trees, and widely cultivated and adapted in many tropical regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of increasing doses of neem seed oil (NSO) on ruminal methane (CH4) formation, diet degradability, and fermentation characteristics 24 h of in vitro incubation. Treatments were randomly designed to four doses of NSO supplemented to the basal diet (0, 20, 40, or 60 ml/kg DM). Increasing NSO dose resulted in a quadratic decrease (P < 0.05) in net gas (expressed as ml/g DM and ml/g TDOM) and CH4 (expressed as ml/g TDNDF) production, while CH4 (expressed as ml/g TDOM), acetate and propionate proportions decreased linearly confirming a dose-related effect. A quadratic increase in TDOM and linear increase (P = 0.023) in DNDF, NH3-N concentrations, and total protozoal counts were observed. However, a linear increase (P = 0.009) was found in the ruminal butyrate proportion and partitioning factor as dietary NSO supplementation increased. In conclusion, dietary NSO supplementation mediated some desirable fermentation patterns, reducing ruminal NH3-N concentration and CH4 production with some adverse effects on fiber degradability. However, practical research under long-term conditions is required for further investigation.

β-glucan as a promising food additive and immunostimulant in aquaculture industry

The use of antibiotics in aquatic feed reduces the incidence of disease and enhances growth performance, although it presents harmful effects, such as development of resistant bacteria and accumulation in the natural environment. A variety of immune stimulants including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, phytobiotics, organic acids, nucleotides, antioxidants, microalgae, yeast and enzymes have been used in the aquaculture industry. In recent decades, much attention has been paid on finding a variety of immunostimulants with lower cost which also affect specific and non-specific immunity and improve fish resistance against a wide range of pathogens. These stimulants strengthen the fish’s immune system by increasing the number of phagocytes, lysozyme activity and level of immunoglobulin. The use of immune stimulants as an effective tool to overcome diseases and strengthen the immune system of farmed species, leads to the promotion of cellular and humoral defense mechanisms and increases resistance to infectious diseases. Among these immunostimulants used in aquaculture, β-glucans are of particular importance. Glucans are complex polysaccharide compounds extracted from the cell wall of yeasts and fungi. These compounds can stimulate fish growth, survival, and immune function. Therefore, this review discusses the role and importance of β-glucan as a food additive in aquaculture and examines the impact of these compounds on the growth performance, immunity and biochemical parameters of farmed species.

Effect of enzymatic pro-oxidant and antioxidant systems on bovine oocyte in vitro maturation

The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) is still controversial. Although an increase in ROS production may cause deleterious effects in cells, these reactive species may also act as signaling molecules influencing different cell functions. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of varying endogenous ROS levels during IVM on the process of bovine oocyte maturation. To do so, different enzymatic antioxidant (catalase, or superoxide dismutase + catalase, or diphenyl iodonium) or pro-oxidant systems (xanthine + xanthine oxidase, or xanthine + xanthine oxidase + catalase) were added to the culture medium. ROS levels were determined by 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate stain, nuclear maturation was evaluated by the presence of the metaphase II chromosome configuration at 22h of IVM and cleavage rate was recorded 48hs post- in vitro fertilization. ROS levels were only significantly increased (P<0.05) by the O2 .- generating system (xanthine + xanthine oxidase + catalase), but meiotic maturation rates were significantly lower (P<0.05) in all the evaluated systems compared with the control, except for the diphenyl iodonium group. However, this last group presented a significantly lower (P<0.05) cleavage rate in comparison to the control group. These results indicate that ROS would play an essential role during oocyte maturation, since its increase or decrease beyond a physiological level significantly reduced nuclear or cytoplasmic maturation rates in bovine oocytes.

Increased incidence and antimicrobial resistance among Vibrio parahaemolyticus in shellfishes from major fish markets in Cochin, South India: Seafood risk assessment

India remains as a top supplier of value-added seafoods to the global markets. Cochin is one of the leading fishing ports in India contributing to country’s major seafood export. As part of risk assessment, we analyzed the prevalence of multi-drug resistant Vibrio parahaemolyticus; seafood borne gastroenteritis-causing pathogen, in shellfishes collected from major fish markets in Cochin. This bacterial species was initially isolated on Thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose agar and HiCrome™ Vibrio agar, further confirmed by detection of V. parahaemolyticus species-specific toxR gene and by 16S r RNA sequencing. A total of 113 confirmed V. parahaemolyticus were recovered. Almost all the strains exhibited resistance towards three or more antibiotics (multiple-drug resistant) and harbored virulence related exoenzymes especially hemolysin (Kanagawa phenomenon); which is indeed a matter of concern. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of the isolates ranged from 0.21 to 0.57. Furthermore, our results also indicate a substantial increase in the incidence of the pathogen in seafood from the area compared to previous years. This may pose a risk to the local and international consumers of the seafood. Practicing complete hygiene and adequate cooking is strongly recommended. Regular monitoring of aquaculture areas and fish markets is urged to reduce dissemination of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus in seafood and to prevent fatal cases of human infection induced by this species in the country.

The effect of the application of diets with varied proportions of arginine and lysine on biochemical and antioxidant status in turkeys

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of two proportions of arginine (95% and 105%) relative to lysine (Lys), where Lys content in the diet is in accordance with NRC (1994) recommendations or 10% higher, on the metabolism, antioxidant status, and growth performance of turkeys. The experiment had a 2x2 factorial design with two levels of Lys and Arg. The diets with a low level of Lys were according to the NRC (1994) requirements. In the diets with a high level of Lys, the content of Lys was increased by 10% relative to the low level Lys. The two Arg levels in the experimental diets were determined so as to provide 95% and 105% Arg relative to the content of dietary Lys. An increase in the amount of Lys in the diet of turkeys by 10% relative to NRC nutritional recommendations (1994) was not shown to improve growth performance, but had beneficial effects on the metabolism and antioxidant status of the birds, as evidenced by the improvement of hepatic indices (reduction of AST and ALT activity at 9th week of life) and renal indices (reduction of UREA at 9th week of life and reduction of TP and increase level of ALB levels at 16th week of life), as well as an increase in the level of glutathione with strong antioxidant properties at 16th week of life. In comparison to the lower level of Arg in the diet, an increase in the amount of this amino acid to 105% Lys did not improve growth performance, metabolism, or antioxidant status. An Arg level of 95% Lys can be used in a diet for turkeys containing 10% more Lys than the level recommended by the NRC (1994).