A low-protein soybean-free diet improves carcass traits and meat quality and modulates the colonic microbiota in Daweizi pigs.

Introduction: Soybean meal is an excellent protein source and is widely used in pig feed. However, the Americas account for more than 80% of global soybean production, so European and Asia swine production largely depends on soybean imports. The use of safe and functional unconventional feed sources can effectively alleviate worldwide protein shortage problems.

Fermented Cassava Residue Meal Improves Meat Quality by Regulating Muscle Fiber and Enhancing Lipid Metabolism in Huanjiang Mini-Pigs.

This research investigated the effects of cassava residue meal (CRM) and fermented CRM (FCRM) on the growth performance, serum lipid indicators, carcass traits, and meat quality of Huanjiang mini-pigs. One hundred twenty Huanjiang mini-pigs with similar BW (body weight, 8.85 ± 0.

Effects of weaning on intestinal longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus function in piglets.

Weaning piglets usually suffer from severe diarrhea (commonly known as postweaning diarrhea, PWD) along with intestinal motility disorder. Intestinal peristalsis is mainly regulated by the longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus (LM-MP). To understand the relationship between intestinal LM-MP function and the development of PWD, we compared the intestinal electrical activity, and the transcriptional profile of the LM-MP between 21-day-old piglets (just weaned, n=7) and 24-day-old piglets (suffered the most severe weaning stress, n=7).

The Effects of Phytase and Non-Starch Polysaccharide-Hydrolyzing Enzymes on Trace Element Deposition, Intestinal Morphology, and Cecal Microbiota of Growing-Finishing Pigs.

This study investigated the effects of supplementing phytase and non-starch polysaccharide-degrading enzymes (NSPases) to corn-soybean meal-based diet on the growth performance, trace element deposition, and intestinal health of growing-finishing pigs. Fifty pigs were randomly assigned into the control (basal diet), phytase (basal diet + 100 g/t of phytase), β-mannanase (basal diet + 40 g/t of β-mannanase), β-glucanase (basal diet + 100 g/t of β-glucanase), and xylanase (basal diet + 100 g/t of xylanase) groups. The results show that the supplementation of phytase and NSPases had no impacts (  >  0.

Dietary supplementation with a microencapsulated complex of thymol, carvacrol, and cinnamaldehyde improves intestinal barrier function in weaning piglets.

Background: The authors previously prepared a microencapsulated complex of thymol, carvacrol, and cinnamaldehyde (MEEO). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of MEEO on the intestinal mucosal barrier and homeostasis in weaning piglets. A comparison of the effect of MEEO versus chlortetracycline (CTC) was performed in this study.

Diets Partially Replaced With Cassava Residue Modulate Antioxidant Capacity, Lipid Metabolism, and Gut Barrier Function of Huanjiang Mini-Pigs.

Agricultural by-products have been identified as potential feed resources in animal production. The present study investigated the effects of cassava residue (CR) or fermented CR (FCR) on antioxidant capacity, immunity, gut barrier functions, and lipid metabolism in pigs. A total of 120 healthy Huanjiang mini-piglets were assigned into three groups, including control group (basal diet), CR group (basal diet + 5% CR), and FCR group (basal diet + 5% FCR).

Superiority of Microencapsulated Essential Oils Compared With Common Essential Oils and Antibiotics: Effects on the Intestinal Health and Gut Microbiota of Weaning Piglet.

Essential oils (EOs) have long been considered an alternative to antibiotics in the breeding industry. However, they are unstable and often present unpleasant odors, which hampers their application. Microencapsulation can protect the active gradients from oxidation and allow them to diffuse slowly in the gastrointestinal tract.

Effects of Phytic Acid-Degrading Bacteria on Mineral Element Content in Mice.

Trace minerals are extremely important for balanced nutrition, growth, and development in animals and humans. Phytic acid chelation promotes the use of probiotics in nutrition. The phytic acid-degrading strain psm16 was obtained from swine milk by enrichment culture and direct plate methods.

Zinc Supplementation Forms Influenced Zinc Absorption and Accumulation in Piglets.

The study aimed at determining the effect of different zinc (Zn) supplementation forms on Zn accumulation, activities of Zn-containing enzymes, gene expression of metallothionein (MT), and Zn transporters in piglets. Eighteen piglets were randomly divided into three groups: (a) a basal diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg Zn from Zn methionine (Zn-Met) in the feed (Zn-Met group), (b) a basal diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg Zn from Zn sulfate (ZnSO) in the feed (ZnSO, group), and (c) a basal diet supplemented with the same dose of Zn as in ZnSO4, group but in water (ZnSO, group). The results showed that Zn-Met added in feed and ZnSO dissolved in drinking water significantly improved ( < 0.

Exploring possible associations of the intestine bacterial microbiome with the pre-weaned weight gaining performance of piglets in intensive pig production.

The pre-weaned weight gain is an important performance trait of pigs in intensive pig production. The bacterial microbiome inside the host is vital to host health and growth performance. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible associations of the intestinal microbiome with the pre-weaned weight gain in intensive pig production.

Treatments for Iron Deficiency (ID): Prospective Organic Iron Fortification.

Iron deficiency, one of the most common nutritional deficient disorders, frequently affects infants, adolescents and pregnant women and impairs growth, development and immune responses. Iron deficiency may also be secondary to gastrointestinal conditions such as gastrectomy and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as cancer and chronic uremia. Iron supplementation is the most commonly selected treatment option for iron deficiency.

Correction: Comparison of porous and nano zinc oxide for replacing high-dose dietary regular zinc oxide in weaning piglets.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Comparison of porous and nano zinc oxide for replacing high-dose dietary regular zinc oxide in weaning piglets.

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of dietary supplementation with low dose of porous and nano zinc oxide (ZnO) on weaning piglets, and to evaluate the possibility of using them as an alternative to high dose of regular ZnO. Piglets were randomly allocated into four treatment groups fed with four diets: (1) basal diet (NC), (2) NC+ 3000 mg/kg ZnO (PC), (3) NC + 500 mg/kg porous ZnO (HiZ) and (4) NC + 500 mg/kg nano ZnO (ZNP). The result showed that piglets in HiZ group had less diarrhea than ZNP group (P < 0.

Methionine restriction on oxidative stress and immune response in dss-induced colitis mice.

A strong correlation exists between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and oxidative stress involving alterations of several key signaling pathways. It is known that methionine promotes reactive oxygen species (ROS) production; we therefore hypothesize that a methionine restriction diet would reduce ROS production, inflammatory responses, and the course of IBD. We generated a murine colitis model by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) treatment and tested the effects of the methionine restriction diet.

Dietary Cell Wall Extract Supplementation Alleviates Oxidative Stress and Modulates Serum Amino Acids Profiles in Weaned Piglets.

This research aims to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with cell wall extract (SCCWE) on growth performance, oxidative stress, intestinal morphology, and serum amino acid concentration in weaned piglets. Utilizing a completely randomized design, 40 healthy piglets weaned at 21 d were grouped into 4 experimental treatments with 10 pigs per treatment group. Treatments consisted of a basal diet (T0), a basal diet with a 0.

Analysis of the Impact of Isoquinoline Alkaloids, Derived from Extract, on the Development and Innate Immune Response in Swine and Poultry.

Medicinal extract has been chronicled extensively in traditional Chinese medicine. Isoquinoline alkaloids, extract of (Willd.) R.

Toxicity assessment of hydrogen peroxide on Toll-like receptor system, apoptosis, and mitochondrial respiration in piglets and IPEC-J2 cells.

In this study, expressions of toll-like receptors (TLRs) and apoptosis-related genes in piglets and mitochondrial respiration in intestinal porcine epithelial cells were investigated after hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exposure. The in vivo results showed that H2O2 influenced intestinal expressions of TLRs and apoptosis related genes. H2O2 treatment (5% and 10%) downregulated uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) expression in the duodenum (P < 0.

The Effects of Powder as a Dietary Supplement on Growth Performance, Gut Morphology, Concentration of IgG, and Hematology Parameters in Broiler Rabbits.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of powder as a dietary supplement on the growth performance, gut morphology, serum concentration of IgG, and the hematology parameters of broiler rabbits. A total of 32 rabbits [New Zealand × Californian] were weaned at 35 days. They were randomly selected for two dietary treatments (eight repetitions per treatment), which consisted of a basal diet and a basal diet supplemented with 1.

Effects of Glutamate and Aspartate on Serum Antioxidative Enzyme, Sex Hormones, and Genital Inflammation in Boars Challenged with Hydrogen Peroxide.

. Oxidative stress is associated with infertility. This study was conducted to determine the effects of glutamate and aspartate on serum antioxidative enzymes, sex hormones, and genital inflammation in boars suffering from oxidative stress.

A metabonomic investigation on the biochemical perturbation in post-stroke patients with depressive disorder (PSD).

A metabonomics study based on GC/MS and multivariate statistical analysis was performed involving 28 post stroke depressed (PSD) patients, 27 post-stroke non-depressed (PSND) patients and 33 healthy subjects to investigate the biochemical perturbation in their plasma samples. The outcome of this study showed that there was distinctive metabolic profile for PSD patients. Seven sentinel metabolites showed marked perturbations in PSD patients' blood.

Development of a highly sensitive and specific immunoassay for enrofloxacin based on heterologous coating haptens.

In the paper, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent immunoassay (ELISA) for detection of enrofloxacin was described using one new derivative of enrofloxacin as coating hapten, resulting in surprisingly high sensitivity and specificity. Incorporation of aminobutyric acid (AA) in the new derivative of enrofloxacin had decreased the IC50 of the ELISA for enrofloxacin from 1.3 μg L(-1) to as low as 0.

[Synthesis and identification of penicillic-acid antigens from Penicillium cyclopium].

To establish a new immune assay for Penicillic Acid (PA) from Penicillium cyclopium, we studied the synthesis of conjugated complete antigens for penicillic acid. PA was conjugated to bovine serum album (BSA) and ovalbumin (OVA) by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl-aminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC). The artificial antigens PA-BSA and PA-OVA were identified by ultraviolet spectrometric scanning, SDS-PAGE and immunization.