In the present research, two studies were performed to determine the effects of specific botanical compounds (BCs) on the innate feed preference and feed intake of piglets, as follows: Exp. 1 studied the innate feed preferences of post-weaning piglets using a double-choice feeding test. A total of 828 weaned piglets were distributed into 36 pens (23 pigs/pen) and assigned to three dietary pair choice feeding options ( = 12): unsupplemented prestarter diets (reference) versus reference plus D-limonene, -anethole, or eucalyptol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis research aims to determine whether a specific blend of phytogenic compounds (BPC) supplemented in gestating hyperprolific sow diets can promote prenatal maternal effects in terms of piglet gut function and morphology. Twenty-eight (Landrace × Yorkshire) gilts and sows (parity 0 to 7) were randomly distributed by parity number and body weight into two dietary treatments: unsupplemented Control (CON) ( = 14) or CON diet supplemented with 1 g/kg feed of BPC during gestation ( = 14). The BPC supplementation during gestation of sows downregulated the neonate piglets' jejunal genes involved in oxidation () and nutrient transport (, and ), while and related to immune response and barrier function, respectively, were upregulated ( < 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
February 2020
Climatic changes and heat stress have become a great challenge in the livestock industry, negatively affecting, in particular, poultry feed intake and intestinal barrier malfunction. Recently, phytogenic feed additives were applied to reduce heat stress effects on animal farming. Here, we investigated the effects of ginseng extract using various in vitro and in vivo experiments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Anim Sci
January 2020
Phytogenic actives (PA) are plant-derived natural bioactive compounds that may promote livestock health and well-being, as well as improve growth performance and production efficiency. The current study aims to evaluate their effects on sows and their offspring. Eighty-one hyperprolific sows (up to parity 7) were assigned to 3 experimental treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Homocysteine (Hcy) in humans represents a blood-borne biomarker which predicts the risk of age-related diseases and mortality. Using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we tested whether feeding betaine-rich sugar beet molasses affects the survival under heat stress in the presence of Hcy, in spite of a gene loss in betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase.
Methods: Knockdown of the genes relevant for remethylation or transsulfuration of Hcy was achieved by RNA interference (RNAi).