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Abstract Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a debilitating inflammatory bowel disease characterized by intestinal inflammation, barrier dysfunction, and dysbiosis, with limited treatment options available. This study systematically investigates the therapeutic potential of a synbiotic composed of galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and Limosilactobacillus reuteri in a murine model of colitis, revealing that GOS and L. reuteri synergistically protect against intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction by promoting the synthesis of pentadecanoic acid, an odd-chain fatty acid, from Bacteroides acidifaciens. Notably, the synbiotic, B. acidifaciens, and pentadecanoic acid are each capable of suppressing intestinal inflammation and enhancing tight junction by inhibiting NF-κB activation. Furthermore, similar reduction in B. acidifaciens and pentadecanoic acid levels are also observed in the feces from both human UC patients and lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal inflammation in pigs. Our findings elucidate the protective mechanism of the synbiotic and highlight its therapeutic potential, along with B. acidifaciens and pentadecanoic acid, for UC and other intestinal inflammatory disorders.

Objective The main objective of this study was to determine available energy and nutritional digestibility of extruded cereals and the effect of extrusion on the nutritional value of feed ingredients, aiming to provide scientific basis for efficient application of extrusion in the diets of growing pigs. Methods In Exp. 1, 48 crossbred growing pigs (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire) with an initial body weight (BW) of 34.6±2.2 kg were selected and fed with eight diets (non-extrusion or extrusion) to determine the digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), and nutrients digestibility. Eight diets included extruded grains (barley, wheat, sorghum, or broken rice), while four had unprocessed grains. In Exp. 2, 9 diets were formulated including 4 cereals with extrusion or non-extrusion and a N-free diet. In addition, 9 growing pigs (BW = 22.3±2.8 kg) were fitted with T-cannula in the distal ileum and arranged in a 9×6 Youden square design. Results Results show that apparent total tract digestibility of gross energy, dry matter, organic meal, ether extract, neutral and acid detergent fiber was not affected by the extrusion process and there was no interaction between cereal type and extrusion treatment on DE, ME. However, the apparent total tract digestibility for crude protein (CP) increased markedly (p

Abstract Backgrounds The intestinal development in early life is profoundly influenced by multiple biological components of breast milk, in which milk-derived extracellular vesicles (mEVs) contain a large amount of vertically transmitted signal from the mother. However, little is known about how maternal fiber-rich diet regulates offspring intestinal development by influencing the mEVs. Results In this study, we found that maternal resistant starch (RS) consumption during late gestation and lactation improved the growth and intestinal health of offspring. The mEVs in breast milk are the primary factor driving these beneficial effects, especially enhancing intestinal cell proliferation and migration. To be specific, administration of mEVs after maternal RS intake enhanced intestinal cell proliferation and migration in vivo (performed in mice model and indicated by intestinal histological observation, EdU assay, and the quantification of cyclin proteins) and in vitro (indicated by CCK8, MTT, EdU, and wound healing experiments). Noteworthily, miR-146a-5p was found to be highly expressed in the mEVs from maternal RS group, which also promotes intestinal cell proliferation in cells and mice models. Mechanically, miR-146a-5p target to silence the expression of ubiquitin ligase 3 gene NEDD4L, thereby inhibiting DVL2 ubiquitination, activating the Wnt pathway, and promoting intestinal development. Conclusion These findings demonstrated the beneficial role of mEVs in the connection between maternal fiber rich diet and offspring intestinal growth. In addition, we identified a novel miRNA-146a-5p-NEDD4L-β-catenin/Wnt signaling axis in regulating early intestinal development. This work provided a new perspective for studying the influence of maternal diet on offspring development. Graphical Abstract

This study investigates the effects of oil quality and trace mineral source on the growth performance, antioxidant activity, and meat quality of growing–finishing pigs. A total of 180 crossbred pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Large White [64.4 ± 1.95]) were randomly allocated five dietary treatments based on body weight (BW) and sex in a 30 d trial. Pigs were fed five diets: (i) fresh soy oil + inorganic trace minerals (ITMs) + inorganic selenium (FISI), (ii) oxidized soy oil + ITMs + inorganic selenium (OISI), (iii) fresh soy oil + ITMs + selenium yeast (FISY), (iv) oxidized soy oil + ITMs + selenium yeast (OISY), and (v) oxidized soy oil + organic trace minerals (OTMs) + selenium yeast (OOSY). Each dietary treatment included six replicates and six pigs per replicate (three barrows and three gilts). Feeding OISI resulted in lower average daily gain (ADG) and dressing percentage (p < 0.05). The OOSY group had a higher dressing percentage and activities of serum CAT and GSH-Px in growing–finishing pigs (p < 0.05). In addition, the relative abundance of Campylobacterota in the colonic digesta varied with the quality of soy oil and source of trace minerals (p < 0.05), but no significant differences in short-chain fatty acid concentrations were observed among all dietary groups. In conclusion, adding oxidized soy oil to the diet negatively impacted the ADG and dressing percentage of growing–finishing pigs, and replacing ITMs with OTMs and SY alleviated these negative impacts. A combination of OTMs and SY can support antioxidant capacity to mitigate the negative impacts of oxidized oil on the growth performance and dressing percentage of growing–finishing pigs.

Weaned stress may damage the tissue development, barrier function, and balance of microbiota of gut, resulting in the diarrhea and reduced growth performance of piglets. Probiotics with excellent characteristics can enhance the resistance of piglets to weaned stress. Under a poor sanitary condition, the Limosilactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) SLZX19-12 was supplemented to check its effects for piglets. Results showed that supplementation of L. reuteri significantly decreased the diarrhea incident, improved the growth performance, and enhanced the barrier integrity of gut. In ileum, L. reuteri decreased inflammation by NFκB p65 pathway, increased propionate, TCDCA, and THDCA contents, and regulated microbiota. In colon, L. reuteri decreased the inflammation by NFκB p65 pathway, reduced DCA content, and regulated microbiota. Therefore, the supplementation of L. reuteri may alleviate weaned stress by improving immune function and regulating the gut microbiota in piglets.

Abstract Elimination of specific enteropathogenic microorganisms is critical to gut health. However, the complexity of the gut community makes it challenging to target specific bacterial organisms. Accumulating evidence suggests that various foods can change the abundance of intestinal bacteria by modulating prophage induction. By using pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) ATCC 25922 as a model in this research, we explored the potential of dietary modulation of prophage induction and subsequent bacterial survival. Among a panel of sugars tested in vitro, D-xylose was shown to efficiently induce prophages in E. coli ATCC 25922, which depends, in part, upon the production of D-lactic acid. In an enteric mouse model, prophage induction was found to be further enhanced in response to propionic acid. Dietary D-xylose increased the proportion of Clostridia which converted D-lactic acid to propionic acid. Intestinal propionic acid levels were diminished, following either oral gavage with the dehydrogenase gene (ldhA)-deficient E. coli ATCC 25922 or depletion of intestinal Clostridia by administration of streptomycin. D-Xylose metabolism and exposure to propionic acid triggered E. coli ATCC 25922 SOS response that promoted prophage induction. E. coli ATCC 25922 mutant of RecA, a key component of SOS system, exhibited decreased phage production. These findings suggest the potential of using dietary components that can induce prophages as antimicrobial alternatives for disease control and prevention by targeted elimination of harmful gut bacteria.

The composition of skeletal muscle fiber types affects the quality of livestock meat and human athletic performance and health. L-arginine (Arg), a semi-essential amino acid, has been observed to promote the formation of slow-twitch muscle fibers in animal models. However, the precise molecular mechanisms are still unclear. This study investigates the role of Arg in skeletal muscle fiber composition and mitochondrial function through the mTOR signaling pathway. In vivo, 4-week C56BL/6J male mice were divided into three treatment groups and fed a basal diet supplemented with different concentrations of Arg in their drinking water. The trial lasted 7 weeks. The results show that Arg supplementation significantly improved endurance exercise performance, along with increased SDH enzyme activity and upregulated expression of the MyHC I, MyHC IIA, PGC-1α, and NRF1 genes in the gastrocnemius (GAS) and quadriceps (QUA) muscles compared to the control group. In addition, Arg activated the mTOR signaling pathway in the skeletal muscle of mice. In vitro experiments using cultured C2C12 myotubes demonstrated that Arg elevated the expression of slow-fiber genes (MyHC I and Tnnt1) as well as mitochondrial genes (PGC-1α, TFAM, MEF2C, and NRF1), whereas the effects of Arg were inhibited by the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. In conclusion, these findings suggest that Arg modulates skeletal muscle fiber type towards slow-twitch fibers and enhances mitochondrial functions by upregulating gene expression through the mTOR signaling pathway.

A proof-of-concept gas sensor based on a miniaturized and integrated fiber-optic photoacoustic detection module was introduced and demonstrated for the purpose of developing a custom tuning-fork (TF)-enhanced photoacoustic gas sensor. Instead of piezoelectric quartz tuning fork (QTF) in conventional quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS), a low-cost custom aluminum alloy TF fabricated by mechanical processing was employed as a photoacoustic transducer and the vibration of TF was measured by fiber-optic Fabry-Pérot (FP) interferometer (FPI). The mechanical processing-based TF design scheme greatly increases the flexibility of the TF design with respect to the complex and expensive manufacture process of custom QTFs, and thus it can be better exploited to detect gases with slow vibrational-translational (V-T) relaxation rates and combine with light sources with poor beam quality. The resonance frequency and the quality factor of the designed custom TF at atmospheric pressure were experimentally determined to be 7.3 kHz and 4733, respectively. Dual-prong differential measurement method was proposed to double the photoacoustic signal and suppress the external same-direction noise. After detailed optimizing and investigating for the operating parameters by measuring H2O, the feasibility of the developed sensor for gas detection was demonstrated with a H2O minimum detection limit (MDL) of 1.2 ppm, corresponding to a normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA) coefficient of 3.8 × 10−8 cm−1 W/Hz1/2, which are better than the QTF-based photoacoustic sensors. The proposed gas sensing approach combined the advantages of QEPAS and fiber-optic sensing, which can greatly expand the application domains of PAS-based gas sensors.

Wuwei Shexiang Pill (WSP) is a Tibetan traditional medicine, which has been demonstrated to exhibit potent anti-inflammatory and anti-gout effects. However, the specific pharmacological mechanism is not elucidated clearly. In the present study, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics was applied to investigate the alteration of serum metabolites induced by WSP treatment in MSU-induced gouty rats. Subsequently, bioinformatics was utilized to analyze the potential metabolic pathway of the anti-gout effect of WSP. The pharmacodynamic data discovered that WSP could ameliorate ankle swelling and inflammatory cell infiltration, as well as downregulate the protein expression of IL-1β, p-NF-κB p65, and NLRP3 in the synovial membrane and surrounding tissues of gouty ankles. LC-MS-based metabolomics revealed that there were 30 differential metabolites in the serum between sham-operated rats and gouty ones, which were mainly involved in the metabolism of fructose and mannose, primary bile acid biosynthesis, and cholesterol metabolism. However, compared to the model group, WSP treatment upregulated 11 metabolic biomarkers and downregulated 31 biomarkers in the serum. KEGG enrichment analysis found that 27 metabolic pathways contributed to the therapeutic action of WSP, including linoleic acid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis. The comprehensive analysis-combined network pharmacology and metabolomics further revealed that the regulatory network of WSP against gout might be attributed to 11 metabolites, 7 metabolic pathways, 39 targets, and 49 active ingredients of WSP. In conclusion, WSP could ameliorate the inflammation of the ankle in MSU-induced gouty rats, and its anti-gout mechanism might be relevant to the modulation of multiple metabolic pathways, such as linoleic acid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis. This study provided data support for the secondary development of Chinese traditional patent medicine.

In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a symmetric multi-resonant cavity photoacoustic cell (MR-PAC) with dual microphones detection, based on multi-resonator photoacoustic spectroscopy (MR-PAS). The designed photoacoustic cell contains three interconnected acoustic resonators to facilitate simultaneous control of three lasers for multi-gas sensing. Two microphones are symmetrically located at both sides of photoacoustic cell to implement two-point detection. The length of acoustic resonator is about 50 mm to minimize the photoacoustic cell, and the resonant frequency is around 3000 Hz. Feasibility and performance of the MR-PAC was demonstrated by simultaneous detection of C2H2, NO and CF4 using a near infrared diode laser and two mid infrared quantum cascade lasers. The minimum detection limits (MDLs) of C2H2, NO and CF4 are 480 ppb, 260 ppb and 0.57 ppb respectively with a 1 s integration time at normal atmospheric pressure. This minimized MR-PAS system is promising for the portable multi-gas sensing.

ABSTRACT Undigested amylopectin fermentation in the hindguts of humans and pigs with low digestive capacity has been proven to be a low-efficiency method of energy supply. In this study, we researched the effects and mechanisms of amylopectin fermentation on hindgut microbiota and metabolite production using an in vitro fermentation trial and ileal infusion pigs model. In addition, we also researched the effects of interaction between amylopectin and cellulose during hindgut fermentation in this study. Our results showed that amylopectin had higher short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production and dry matter digestibility (DMD) than cellulose but was not significantly different from a mixture of amylopectin and cellulose (Amycel vitro) during in vitro fermentation. The Amycel vitro group even had the highest reducing sugar content and amylase activity among all groups. The ileal infusion trial produced similar results to vitro fermentation trial: the mixture of amylopectin and cellulose infusion (Amycel vivo) significantly increased the levels of reducing sugar, acetate, and butyrate in the hindgut compared with the amylopectin infusion (Amy vivo). The mixture of amylopectin and cellulose infusion also resulted in increased Shannon index and probiotic colonization in the hindgut. The relative abundance of Romboutsia in the Amycel vivo group, which was considered a noxious bacteria in the Amycel vivo group, was also significantly lower than that in the Amy vivo group. In summary, the high level of amylopectin fermentation in the hindgut was harmful to intestinal microbiota, but amylopectin partially substituted with cellulose was beneficial to SCFA production and probiotic colonization. IMPORTANCE A high-starch (mainly amylopectin) diet is usually accompanied by the fermentation of undigested amylopectin in the hindgut of humans and pigs with low digestive capacity and might be detrimental to the intestinal microbiota. In this research, we investigated the fermentation characteristics of amylopectin through an in vitro fermentation method and used an ileal infusion pig model to verify the fermentation trial results and explore the microbiota regulatory effect. The interaction effects between amylopectin and cellulose during hindgut fermentation were also researched in this study. Our research revealed that the large amount of amylopectin fermentation in the hindgut was detrimental to the intestinal microbiota. Amylopectin partially substituted by cellulose was not only beneficial to antioxidant ability and fermentation efficiency, but also promoted SCFA production and probiotic colonization in the hindgut. These findings provide new strategies to prevent intestinal microbiota dysbiosis caused by amylopectin fermentation.

The study was conducted to evaluate effects of short-term or long-term administration of 25- hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)VD3] on growth performance, bone characteristics, meat quality in growing pigs. A total of 144 pigs were allocated into three groups and fed diet contained 2000 IU vitamin D3 (VD3) or 25(OH)VD3 for a short-term and long-term administration. The results showed that long-term 25(OH)VD3 administration increased BW on d 56 and average daily gain in d 28–56. Furthermore, long-term feeding increased bone calcium content and mRNA expressions of calcium ion channel protein and anti-oxidases genes in the liver. In short, adding 25(OH)VD3 to the diet improved weight gain, bone characteristics, deposition of polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant capacity compared with the VD3, while the long-term feeding of 25(OH)VD3 was particularly effective focusing on calcium deposition and mRNA expression of GPx1, Cu/Zn SOD and CaBP-D9K.

Fermentation of dietary fiber (DF) is beneficial for gut health, but its prebiotic effects are often impeded in the distal large intestine because of the fast degradation of fermentable substrates. One way to enhance the prebiotic effect of DF is to deliver fibers to the lower parts of the gut, which can be achieved by mixing different kinds of fiber. Therefore, in the present study, an ileum-cannulated pig model was employed to investigate the fermentation influence in the large intestine by infusing resistant starch solely (RS, fast fermentable fiber) and mixing with other fibers (xylan or cellulose). Twenty-four ileum-cannulated growing pigs were divided into four groups: one control group receiving saline ileal infusions and three experimental groups infused with RS, RS with xylan, or RS with cellulose. Fecal and plasma samples were analyzed for gut microbiota composition, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and blood biochemistry. Results indicated no significant differences between the RS and control group for the microbiome and SCFA concentration (p > 0.05). However, RS combined with fibers, particularly xylan, resulted in enhanced and prolonged fermentation, marked by an increase in Blautia and higher lactate and acetate production (p < 0.05). In contrast, RS with cellulose infusion enriched bacterial diversity in feces (p < 0.05). Blood biochemistry parameters showed no significant differences across groups (p > 0.05), though a trend of increased glucose levels was noted in the treatment groups (p < 0.1). Overall, RS alone had a limited impact on the distal hindgut microbiota due to rapid fermentation in the proximal gut, whereas combining RS with other fibers notably improved gut microecology by extending the fermentation process.

The offspring of super-multiparous sows face problems such as decreased growth performance, poor meat quality and even diseases in animal husbandry. Gama-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has long been known to promote growth and suppress inflammation, but little is known about the mechanisms. A total of 72 growing-finishing pigs from the 8th generation were randomly allotted to 2 groups with 6 replicates per treatment to receive a corn–soybean basal diet or the basal diet supplemented 20 mg/kg GABA for 60 d. After the animal-trial period, samples of serum and liver were collected for further analysis. Additionally, a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory model using HepG2 cells was established to explore the role of GABA on regulating hepatic inflammation. The results indicated that inflammatory cell infiltration occurs in the liver of progeny of super-multiparous sows, and dietary supplementation with GABA influenced liver morphology, increased activities of antioxidant enzymes and decreased the expression abundance of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin (IL)-1β, in the liver of growing-finishing pigs (P

Dietary fiber is named as “the 7th nutrient” for humans, which is beneficial to improve intestinal health and prevent metabolic disease of the host. Mechanisms of dietary fiber administration on improved host health are mediated by short chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are reported to activate G protein-coupled receptors (GPR) and suppress activity of histone deacetylase (HDAC) to down-regulate expression of nuclear factor-к-gene binding (NF-кB) signaling. Arabinoxylan is fermented by gut microbiota to produce SCFA and improved microbial community composition, intestinal barrier functions and host health. Interestingly, the latest publications have observed that ferulic acid combined with the arabinose in arabinoxylans from various cereal grains can be released through gut microbial fermentation. Ferulic acid can improve antioxidase activity and decrease reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration by activating the signaling pathway of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1 and nuclear factor E2-related factor-2 (Keap1-Nrf2). However, the role of ferulic acid in cooperation with SCFA produced from microbial fermentation of cereal-derived arabinoxylan to regulate the intestinal health and host metabolisms, has been widely unclear. This review summarizes the potential mechanisms of ferulic acid from microbial fermentation of cereal-derived arabinoxylans on immunological functions and physiological metabolisms of the host. The evidence presented in the review indicates that dietary supplementation with cereal-derived arabinoxylans improves antioxidant capacity of intestinal epithelial cells due to the production of ferulic acid and SCFA from microbial fermentation. Ferulic acid can cooperate with SCFA to regulate intestinal integrity and immunological functions of the host. Peroxisome proliferator activated-receptor γ (PPARγ) may play an important role in integrating ferulic acid and SCFA to regulate host health and metabolism.

The cropping system affects the physicochemical property and microbial community of paddy soil. Previous research mostly focused on the study of soil 0–20 cm underground. However, there may be difference in the laws of nutrient and microorganism distribution at different depths of arable soil. In surface (0–10 cm) and subsurface (10–20 cm) soil, a comparative analysis including soil nutrients, enzymes, and bacterial diversity was carried out between the organic and conventional cultivation patterns, low and high nitrogen levels. Analysis results suggested that under the organic farming pattern, the contents of total nitrogen (TN), alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and soil organic matter (SOM) as well as alkaline phosphatase and sucrose activity increased in surface soil, but the SOM concentration and urease activity decreased in subsurface soil. A moderate reduction of nitrogen applied to soil could enhance soil enzyme activity. It was demonstrated by α diversity indices that high nitrogen levels remarkably undermined soil bacterial richness and diversity. Venn diagrams and NMDS analysis manifested great difference in bacterial communities and an apparent clustering tendency under different treatment conditions. Species composition analysis indicated that the total relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi retained stable in paddy soil. LEfSe results revealed that a low nitrogen organic treatment could elevate the relative abundance of Acidobacteria in surface soil and Nitrosomonadaceae in subsurface soil, thereby tremendously optimizing the community structure. Moreover, Spearman’s correlation analysis was also performed, which proved the significant correlation of diversity with enzyme activity and AN concentration. Additionally, redundancy analysis disclosed that the Acidobacteria abundance in surface soil and Proteobacteria abundance in subsurface soil exerted conspicuous influence on environmental factors and the microbial community structure. According to the findings of this study, it was believed that reasonable nitrogen application together with an organic agriculture cultivation system could effectively improve soil fertility in Gaoyou City, Jiangsu Province, China.

ABSTRACT Alginate (ALG) is known to alleviate intestinal inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease, but its mechanism of action remains elusive. In the present study, we studied the involvement of the intestinal microbiota and bile acid (BA) metabolism in ALG-mediated anti-inflammatory effects in mice. A combination of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, shotgun metagenomic sequencing, and targeted BA metabolomic profiling was employed to investigate structural and functional differences in the colonic microbiota and BA metabolism in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-treated mice with or without dietary supplementation of ALG. We further explored the role of the intestinal microbiota as well as a selected ALG-enriched bacterium and BA in DSS-induced colitis. Dietary ALG alleviated DSS-mediated intestinal inflammation and enriched a small set of bacteria including Bifidobacterium animalis in the colon (P

A small-volume highly-sensitive photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) methane detection system based on differential silicon cantilever optical microphones (SCOMs) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The system contains a compact non-resonant photoacoustic cell with a small volume of 1.2 mL and symmetrically-located dual SCOMs, as well as a distributed feedback laser at 1650.96 nm. The two identical SCOMs utilize the Fabry-Perot interferometric fiber-optic structure, with the differential Q-point demodulation algorithm to suppress the external vibration noise. Experimental results show that the SCOM has a high displacement sensitivity about 7.1 µm/Pa at 150 Hz and within 2.5 dB fluctuation between 5 Hz and 250 Hz. In the PAS gas sensing experiment, the normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient of the PAS system is estimated to be 1.2 × 10−9 cm−1·W·Hz−1/2 and the minimum detection limit for methane is about 111.2 ppb with 1 s integration time. External disturbance is also applied to the dual SCOM system and results show excellent stability and noise resistance. The proposed PAS system exhibits superiorities of low gas consumption, high sensitivity and immunity to vibration and electromagnetic interference, which has an enormous potential in medicine, industry and environment.

All-optical light-induced thermoacoustic spectroscopy (AO-LITS) is reported for the first time for highly sensitive and selective gas sensing, in which a commercial standard quartz tuning fork (QTF) is employed as a photothermal detector. The vibration of the QTF was measured by the highly sensitive fiber-optic Fabry-Pérot (FP) interferometry (FPI) technique, instead of the piezoelectric detection in the conventional LITS. To improve the stability of the sensor system, a compact QTF-based fiber-optic FPI module is fabricated by 3D printing technique and a dual-wavelength demodulation method with the ellipse-fitting differential-cross-multiplication algorithm (DW-EF-DCM) is exploited for the FPI measurement. The all-optical detection scheme has the advantages of remote detection and immunity to electromagnetic interference. A minimum detection limit (MDL) of 422 ppb was achieved for hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which was ~ 3 times lower than a conventional electrical LITS sensor system. The AO-LITS can provide a promising approach for remote and non-contact gas sensing in the whole infrared spectral region.

The emergence of drug-resistant genes and concerns about food safety caused by the overuse of antibiotics are becoming increasingly prominent. There is an urgent need for effective alternatives to antibiotics in the fields of livestock production and human medicine. Antimicrobial peptides can effectively replace antibiotics to kill pathogens and enhance the immune functions of the host, and pathogens cannot easily produce genes that are resistant to them. The ability of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to kill pathogens is associated with their structure and physicochemical properties, such as their conformation, electrical charges, hydrophilicity, and hydrophobicity. AMPs regulate the activity of immunological cells and stimulate the secretion of inflammatory cytokines via the activation of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. However, there are still some limitations to the application of AMPs in the fields of livestock production and human medicine, including a restricted source base, high costs of purification and expression, and the instability of the intestines of animals and humans. This review summarizes the information on AMPs as effective antibiotic substitutes to improve the immunological functions of the host through suppressing pathogens and regulating inflammatory responses. Potential challenges for the commercial application of AMPs in animal husbandry and human medicine are discussed.

The study was conducted to explore the effects of tetrabasic zinc chloride (TBZC), as an alternative to zinc oxide (ZnO), on growth performance, serum indexes, and fecal microbiota of weaned piglets. A total of 108 weaned piglets (average initial body weight of 7.84 ± 0.97 kg) were randomly allocated into one of three dietary treatments with six replicate pens and six piglets per pen. The dietary treatments included a control diet (CON, negative control), a ZnO diet (CON + 1,600 mg Zn/kg from ZnO, positive control), and a TBZC diet (CON + 1,000 mg Zn/kg from TBZC). The average daily gain of pigs in the TBZC group was greater (P < 0.05) than those in CON and ZnO groups during the whole period. Piglets fed the ZnO and TBZC diets showed lower (P < 0.05) diarrhea incidence than those fed the CON diet during d 1-14 and the whole period. Piglets fed the TBZC diet had higher (P < 0.05) digestibility of crude protein and gross energy than those fed the CON diet. Serum concentrations of IGF-I and GH, as well as ALP activity, were significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in the TBZC treatment group compared to the CON group on d 14. Piglets fed the ZnO diet had greater (P < 0.05) acetate and total short-chain fatty acids concentrations, while the TBZC diet had greater (P < 0.05) fecal acetate and propionate concentrations on d 28. Moreover, TBZC supplementation significantly increased (P < 0.05) microbial α-diversity compared with the CON group. The fecal microbiota of piglets in ZnO and TBZC treatment groups tended (P = 0.08) to have greater relative abundance of Prevotellaceae compared with the CON piglets. In conclusion, TBZC acted as a suitable alternative to ZnO to reduce zinc excretion, and improve growth performance of weaned piglets.

ABSTRACT Limosilactobacillus reuteri plays an important role in regulating intestinal functions and maintaining barrier integrity in animals. In this study, Limosilactobacillus reuteri strain SLZX19-12 was isolated from the fecal microbiota of Tibetan pigs, and it was found that this strain is sensitive to common antibiotics and has strong resistance to stress. Upon being administered by gavage at different doses, including low, medium, and high doses, for 14 days, Limosilactobacillus reuteri SLZX19-12 may enhance the intestinal barrier. After administration of a high dose of SLZX19-12, mice were challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SL1344. Infection with Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 led to disordered colonic microbiotas, colonic inflammation through the S100A8/S100A9–NF-κB pathway and potential apoptosis, and translocation of pathogens to parenteral visceral organs in mice. However, the mice pretreated with Limosilactobacillus reuteri SLZX19-12 showed lower loads of Salmonella in visceral organs, less colonic inflammation, and higher barrier integrity. More importantly, the administration of strain SLZX19-12 resulted in a more stable microbiota structure of the colon, in which the abundance of Alloprevotella was greatly enhanced. Therefore, this study suggests that Limosilactobacillus reuteri SLZX19-12 can protect the colon from infection by enhancing the stability of gut microbiota and barrier integrity and reducing inflammation. IMPORTANCE The use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections leads to a series of side effects. As an alternative method, the biocontrol strategy, which uses probiotics to suppress pathogens, is considered a potential way to deal with bacterial infections in gut. However, there are few probiotics that are currently safe and can protect against infection. In this study, Limosilactobacillus reuteri strain SLZX19-12 was obtained from Tibetan pigs, which have higher resistance to infection. This strain is sensitive to conventional antibiotics, secretes a wide spectrum of enzymes, and also promotes the intestinal barrier function in mice. In addition, Limosilactobacillus reuteri SLZX19-12 can promote the stability of the gut microbiota to avoid or alleviate the occurrence or development of foodborne infections.

In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate an ultra-sensitive all-optical PAS gas sensor, incorporating with a near-infrared (NIR) diode laser, fiber-optic microphones (FOMs) and a double channel differential T-type photoacoustic cell. The FOM is realized by Fabry-Perot interferometry and novel gold-chromium (Au-Cr) composite nanomembranes. To meet the demand of high sensitivity and flat frequency response for the FOMs, the Au-Cr composite diaphragm is deliberately designed and fabricated by E-beam evaporation deposition with 330 nm in thickness and 6.35 mm in radius. Experimental results show that the FOM has a sensitivity of about 30 V/Pa and a flat frequency response from 300 to 900 Hz with fluctuation below 1 dB. Moreover, a double channel differential T-type photoacoustic cell is designed and employed in the all-optical PAS gas sensor, with the first-order resonant frequency of 610 Hz. The all-optical gas sensor is established and verified for CH4 detection and the normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA) is 4.42 × 10−10 W∙cm−1∙Hz−1/2. The minimum detection limit (MDL) of 36.45 ppb is achieved with a 1 s integration time. The MDL could be further enhanced to 4.87 ppb with an integration time of 81 s, allowing ultra-sensitive trace gas detection.

Glaciers experience periodic variations in flow velocity called surges, each of which influences the glacier’s characteristics and the occurrence of downstream disasters (e.g., ice-dammed lake outburst floods). The Karakoram region contains many surging glaciers, yet there are few comprehensive studies of multiple surge cycles. In this work, Landsat, topographic map, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X, ITS_LIVE, and Sentinel-1 glacier velocity data were used to systematically analyze the characteristics of Kyagar Glacier since the 1970s. Three surging events were identified, with active phases in 1975–1978, 1995–1997, and 2014–2016. The timing of these surges was similar, with a cycle of 19–20 years, an active phase of 3–4 years, and a quiescent phase of 16–17 years. During the quiescent phase, a large amount of ice accumulates in the lower part of the accumulation zone, and the terminal of the tongue thins significantly. According to the most recent surge event (2014–2016), glacier flow accelerated suddenly in the active phase and reached a maximum velocity of 2 ± 0.08 m d−1. Then, the glacier terminal thickened sharply, the reservoir zone thinned by 12 ± 0.2 m, and the terminal receiving zone thickened by 28 ± 0.2 m. The glacier may have entered a quiescent phase after July 2016. The glacier surge causes a large amount of material to transfer from upstream to downstream, forming an ice dam and creating conditions for a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). At the termination of the active phase, the subglacial drainage channel became effective, triggering the GLOF. For a period of the quiescent phase, the glacier ablation intensifies and the GLOF repeats constantly. One surge caused 7–8 GLOFs, and then a continuous reduction in the ice dam elevation. Eventually, the ice dam disappeared, and the GLOF no longer continued before the next glacier-surging event.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of xylose with different polymerizations on growth performance, intestinal barrier function, and gut microbial composition in weaned piglets. A total of 144 weaned piglets were assigned to 3 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design according to their body weight and sex. Dietary treatments included a corn-soybean meal basal diet (CON) and 2 additional diets formulated with 1% arabinoxylan (AX) and 1% xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS), respectively. Results showed that dietary supplementation of XOS or AX reduced diarrhea incidence of weaned piglets compared with the CON group (p < 0.05). XOS or AX increased the ileal villus height and intestinal activity of antioxidases in weaned piglets compared with the CON group (p < 0.05). XOS or AX reduced the ileal and colonic IL-6 content and increased the colonic sIgA and IL-10 concentrations in weaned piglets compared with the CON group (p < 0.05). XOS or AX increased the total organic acids concentrations in the ileum and in vitro fermentation (p < 0.05). XOS increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the ileal digesta (p < 0.05), while AX increased the population of Lactobacillus in the ileal digesta and the abundance of Bifidobacterium in the colonic digesta of weaned piglets (p < 0.05). In conclusion, both XOS and AX reduce diarrhea incidence and improve antioxidant capacity, immune function, and populations of beneficial bacteria, while microbial fermentation of XOS with a lower polymerization and molecular mass can produce more organic acids and an increased abundance of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the upper gut of weaned pigs compared with AX.

Abstract Lactose plays a crucial role in the growth performance of pigs at weaning because it is a palatable and easily digestible energy source that eases the transition from milk to solid feed. However, the digestibility of lactose declines after weaning due to a reduction in endogenous lactase activity in piglets. As a result, some lactose may be fermented in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. Fermentation of lactose by intestinal microbiota yields lactic acid and volatile fatty acids, which may positively regulate the intestinal environment and microbiome, resulting in improved gastrointestinal health of weanling pigs. We hypothesize that the prebiotic effect of lactose may play a larger role in weanling pig nutrition as the global feed industry strives to reduce antibiotic usage and pharmacological levels of zinc oxide and supra-nutritional levels of copper. Evidence presented in this review indicates that high dietary lactose improves growth performance of piglets, as well as the growth of beneficial bacteria, particularly Lactobacillus, with the positive effects being more pronounced in the first 2 weeks after weaning. However, the risk of post-weaning diarrhea may increase as pigs get older due to reduced lactase activity, high dietary lactose concentrations, and larger feed intakes, all of which may lead to excessive lactose fermentation in the intestine of the pig. Therefore, dietary lactose levels exert different effects on growth performance and gastrointestinal physiological functions in different feeding phases of weanling pigs. However, no formal recommendation of lactose for weanling pigs has been reported. A meta-analysis approach was used to determine that diets fed to swine should include 20%, 15%, and 0 lactose from d 0–7, d 7–14, and d 14–35 post-weaning, respectively. However, sustainable swine production demands that economics must also be taken into account as lactose and lactose containing ingredients are expensive. Therefore, alternatives to lactose, so called “lactose equivalents” have also been studied in an effort to decrease feed cost while maintaining piglet performance with lower dietary lactose inclusions. In summary, the present review investigated dose-response effects of dietary lactose supplementation to exert positive responses and begin to elucidate its mechanisms of action in post-weaning pig diets. The results may help to replace some or all lactose in the diet of weanling pigs, while improving production economics given the high cost of lactose and availability in some swine production markets.

Objective The study was conducted to determine the effects of body weight (BW) and fiber sources on nutrient digestibility, fiber fermentation and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) concentration in different intestinal segments of growing pigs fed high-fiber diets. Methods Nine barrows with initial BW of 25.17±0.73 kg and 9 barrows with initial BW of 63.47±2.18 kg were allotted to a duplicate 9×2 Youden Square design with 3 dietary treatments and 2 periods. The dietary treatments were formulated with 3 different high-fiber ingredients: corn bran, sugar beet pulp, and soybean hulls, respectively. Each diet was fed to 3 barrows with different stage of BW in each period. Results There were no differences in the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of most nutrients between pigs at different BW stages. Pigs at 60 kg had greater (p

Abstract Background Flammulina velutipes stem waste (FVS) is the by-product of mushroom industry. The objectives of this study were to determine the available energy and amino acid digestibility of FVS fed to pigs, and to evaluate the effects of dietary FVS inclusion on growth performance, biochemical profile of serum, fecal short chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration, carcass traits, meat quality, intestinal morphology and microflora of pigs. In Exp. 1, twelve crossbred barrows with initial body weight (IBW) of 37.48 ± 4.31 kg were randomly allotted to 2 dietary treatments, including a corn basal diet and an experimental diet containing 24.35% FVS. In Exp. 2, twelve barrows fitted with an ileal T-cannula (IBW: 32.56 ± 1.67 kg) were randomly allotted to 2 dietary treatments, which included a N-free diet and an experimental diet containing 40.0% FVS. In Exp. 3, ninety growing pigs (IBW: 63.98 ± 6.89 kg) were allotted to 1 of 3 treatment diets for 63 d, including a basal diet and 2 experimental diets with 2.5% and 5% FVS, respectively. Results The digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) of FVS were 4.58 and 4.06 MJ/kg on dry matter basis, respectively, and the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of indispensable AAs ranged from 17.50% to 59.47%. Pigs fed diets with 2.5% FVS showed no difference on average daily gain (ADG) and gain to feed ratio (G/F). Although dietary 5% FVS inclusion impaired apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of organic matter and gross energy, it elevated the SCFA concentration (P ≤ 0.04) in gut and antioxidant capacity in serum. In addition, dietary FVS inclusion depressed the backfat thickness (P = 0.03) in pigs. The longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs fed FVS revealed higher n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration and optimized fatty acid composition. Dietary 2.5% FVS inclusion also improved the intestinal development and health by increasing the villius height to crypt depth ratio (V/C) in jejunum (P

Objective Two experiments were conducted to evaluate tetrabasic zinc chloride (TBZC) on the health of weaned pigs, and to determine the optimal supplemental concentrations and whether dietary TBZC could replace the pharmacological concentrations of dietary zinc oxide (ZnO) to improve growth performance and decrease Zn excretion in weaned pigs. Methods In Exp. 1, 180 weaned pigs (8.92±1.05 kg body weight [BW]) were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatments, including the basal diet containing 125 mg/kg zinc sulfate (ZnSO4), and the basal diet with 1,200, 1,800, 2,400, or 3,000 mg/kg TBZC supplementation. In Exp. 2, 240 weaned pigs (7.66±1.09 kg BW) were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatments, including a negative control diet without Zn supplementation, a positive control diet (2,250 mg/kg ZnO), and 3 experimental diets with different concentrations of TBZC supplementation (1,000, 1,250, and 1,500 mg/kg). Results In Exp. 1, the average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency (G:F) and diarrhea incidence responded quadratically (p

This study was conducted to evaluate effects of Clostridium butyricum and corn bran supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, faecal volatile fatty acids, and microbiota in weaned pigs. Hundred and forty-four weaned pigs (7.01 ± 0.62 kg BW) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments, including the basal diet and 5% corn bran diet with or without Clostridium butyricum supplementation. The results showed the supplementation of 0.1% Clostridium butyricum in diets increased average daily gain (p

Effects of different dietary fiber (DF) sources on short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) production and absorption in the hindgut of growing pigs were studied by an in vivo–vitro (ileal cannulated pigs and fecal inoculum-based fermentation) method. Thirty-six cannulated pigs (body weight: 48.5 ± 2.1 kg) were randomly allocated to 6 treatments containing the same DF content (16.5%), with either wheat bran (WB), corn bran (CB), sugar beet pulp (SBP), oat bran (OB), soybean hulls (SH), or rice bran (RB) as DF sources. Pigs were allowed 15 days for diet adaptation, and then, fresh ileal digesta and feces were collected to determine SCFA concentration which was normalized for food dry matter intake (DMI) and the hindgut DF fermentability. Fecal microbiota was inoculated into the freeze-dried ileal digesta samples to predict the ability of SCFA production and absorption in the hindgut by in vitro fermentation. The SH group had the largest concentration of total SCFA and propionate in ileal digesta and fecal samples of growing pigs (p < 0.05). Nonetheless, the predicted acetate, total SCFA production, absorption in the SBP group were the highest (p < 0.01), but the lowest in the OB group (p < 0.01) among all groups. Even SBP and OB group had a similar ratio of soluble DF (SDF) to insoluble DF (IDF). The CB group had high determined ileal and fecal butyrate concentration but the lowest butyrate production and absorption in the hindgut (p < 0.01). Overall, the source of DF had a great impact on the hindgut SCFA production and absorption, and SBP fiber had a great potential to increase hindgut SCFA production and absorption.

Light-induced thermoelastic spectroscopy (LITES) is a promising optical approach for gas sensing, which uses a quartz tuning fork (QTF) as a photothermal detector, instead of a commercial photodetector. Since the QTF has the advantages of low cost, small size, high resonance frequency, high-quality factor (Q-factor), and a wide spectral response range, and the LITES sensor has received extensive attention and obtained great development. This review paper summarizes and discusses the advances of the QTF-based, state-of-the-art LITES gas sensing technique in recent years and presents the development prospects of LITES sensor in the future.

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of 25(OH)VD3 with different inclusion levels of 0, 25, 50 and 75 μg/kg in the diet on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, bone properties and pork quality in growing-finishing pigs. The results showed that the average daily gain (p < 0.05) and body weight (p < 0.10) of pigs showed a trend of increasing quadratically as inclusion levels of 25(OH)VD3 increased. Dietary supplementation of 50 μg/kg 25(OH)VD3 increased calcium digestibility compared with the 0 μg/kg group (p < 0.05), and calcium and phosphorus digestibility increased quadratically as inclusion levels of 25(OH)VD3 increased (p < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of 50 μg/kg 25(OH)VD3 increased concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and decreased contents of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in the longissimus dorsi of pigs (p < 0.05). The addition of 25, 50 and 75 μg/kg 25(OH)VD3 to the diet increased breaking strength and bone stiffness in the tibia compared with the 0 μg/kg group (p < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of 50 μg/kg 25(OH)VD3 improved the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and increased the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of Cu/Zn SOD in the longissimus dorsi compared with the 0 μg/kg group (p < 0.05). Supplementing 50 μg/kg 25(OH)VD3 improved the mRNA expression of calcium-binding protein D9k (CaBP-D9k) and D28k (CaBP-D28K) in the liver compared with the 0 μg/kg 25(OH)D3 group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a diet with an added dose of 50 μg/kg 25(OH)VD3 showed a greatest growth performance of growing-finishing pigs, and 25(OH)VD3 enhanced calcium deposition and antioxidant capacity in the longissimus dorsi, which may be associated with improved expression of calcium ion channel proteins.

A total of 168 weaned piglets (average initial body weight of 7.70 ± 0.75 kg) were used in a 4-week feeding trial to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with protein-chelated zinc (Zn-Pro) alone or combined with a mannan-rich fraction (MRF) to replace high-dose zinc oxide (ZnO) for weaned piglets. The dietary treatments included a basal diet as control (CON), a ZnO diet (basal diet + 1600 mg Zn/kg from ZnO), a Zn-Pro diet (basal diet + 60 mg Zn/kg from Zn-Pro), and a MRF plus Zn-Pro diet (MRP, basal diet + 800 mg/kg MRF + 60 mg Zn/kg from Zn-Pro). The average daily gain of piglets in the MRP group was higher (p ≤ 0.05) than that in CON and Zn-Pro groups during d 15–28 and d 1–28 of experiment. The apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein in the MRP group was higher (p ≤ 0.05) than that in the CON group. The serum insulin-like growth factor-1 level in the MRP group was markedly higher (p ≤ 0.05) than that of piglets in the other three treatment groups. Piglets fed the Zn-Pro and ZnO diets had greater (p ≤ 0.05) acetic acid in cecal digesta than those fed the CON diet, while the MRP diet had higher (p ≤ 0.05) cecal propionate concentration than those that were fed the CON diet on d 28 of experiment. Moreover, the villus height of ileum in the MRP group tended to be greater than the CON group (p = 0.09). Compared with the CON and MRP groups, the relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae (p = 0.08) and Lachnospiraceae (p = 0.09) in the Zn-Pro group showed an increasing trend. The relative abundance of Prevotellaceae in the Zn-Pro group was significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) than that in the MRP group. In conclusion, the combined addition of MRF and Zn-Pro acted as a suitable alternative to ZnO to beneficially support the growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets, as well as contribute to a lower diarrhea rate and environmental pollution from fecal zinc excretion.

This study was conducted to explore the effects of the joint application of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus subtilis on growth performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity, intestinal integrity, and gut microbiota composition in weaned piglets. The piglets were allocated randomly into 4 dietary groups, which were a control diet (NC), NC + 150 ppm mucilage sulfate (PC), and 3 additional diets containing 1 kg/t (LT), 1.5 kg/t (MT), or 2 kg/t (HT) mixture of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus subtilis, respectively. Results showed that joint application of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus subtilis increased ADFI and ADG of weaned piglets in d 14~28 and d 28~42 (p < 0.05), and decreased serum concentrations of DAO, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-2. The LT group increased jejunal and colonic sIgA contents compared with the PC group (p < 0.05). Groups of MT and HT increased colonic mRNA expression of host defense peptides and tight junction proteins compared with the NC and PC groups. The joint application of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus subtilis increased the abundance of colonic Lactobacillus compared with NC and PC groups (p < 0.10). In conclusion, the joint application of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus subtilis as an antibiotics alternative improved growth performance via promoting immune function and intestinal integrity of weaned piglets.

The recent rapid economic development in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) has led to atmospheric destruction; therefore, it is imperative to solve the issue of atmospheric environmental pollution to ensure stable long-term development. Based on the NO2 column concentration observed by the TROPOMI (a tropospheric monitoring instrument) on the Sentinel-5P, the spatial–temporal distribution characteristics of the NO2 column concentration in the YRD from 2019 to 2020 were analyzed using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, and the Geographical Detector (Geodetector) model was used to determine the driving factors of the NO2 column concentration. The results show that the correlation between the NO2 column concentration and the ground-monitored NO2 concentrations reached 70%. The annual variation trend of the NO2 column concentration exhibited a ‘U’-shaped curve, with the characteristics of ‘high in winter and low in summer, with a transition between spring and autumn’. It exhibited obvious agglomeration characteristics in terms of the spatial distribution, with a high-value agglomeration in the central region of the YRD, followed by the northern region, and a low-value agglomeration in the southern region, with higher altitudes. The change in the NO2 column concentration in the YRD was affected by both physical geographical factors and socio-economic factors; it is clear that the influence of socio-economic factors has increased.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)VD3) and Vitamin D3 (VD3) supplemented in the diet of weaned piglets on their growth performance, bone quality, intestinal integrity, immune function and antioxidant capacity. A total of 192 weaned piglets were allocated into four groups and they were fed a control diet containing 2000 IU VD3 (negative control, NC), NC + 100 ppm colistin sulfate (positive control, PC), NC + 2000 IU VD3 (VD3) and NC + 2000 IU 25(OH)VD3 (25(OH)VD3). The results showed that 25(OH)VD3 improved the growth performance, bone quality and antioxidase activity of piglets compared with the other groups. Meanwhile, 25(OH)VD3 up-regulated ileal mRNA expressions of tight junction proteins and host defense peptides. The VD3 group had an increased intestinal sIgA content and mRNA expression of pBD-1 compared with the NC group. Both groups of VD3 and 25(OH)VD3 altered the microbial β-diversity compared with the NC group, and 25(OH)VD3 increased ileal concentrations of acetate and butyrate. In conclusion, our findings indicated that a regular dosage of 2000 IU VD3 in the weaned piglets’ diet did not achieve optimal antioxidant capacity and immune function. 25(OH)VD3 had better growth performance than VD3 at the same inclusion level, which is associated with the improved intestinal integrity and antioxidant capacity.

This study aimed to explore effects of different fiber-rich foods on bacterial community and their metabolites in pig model. Thirty-six pigs were allotted to 6 dietary treatments including corn bran (CB), wheat bran (WB), oat bran (OB), soybean hulls (SH), sugar beet pulp (SBP) and rice bran (RB). The results demonstrated that lactate was mainly produced in the foregut, whereas propionate and butyrate were generated in the hindgut of pig. The ileal acetate and fecal butyrate production were positively correlated with the dietary acid detergent fiber and cellulose content, respectively. Different dietary fiber supplementation altered Filifactor and Intestinibacter abundances in ileal digesta and Ruminococcus_1 and Lachnoclostridium populations in feces of pigs. The differences in fiber fermentation and SCFAs production in ileal and fecal samples were associated with microbial compositions. Overall, this study would help to better understand how to promote the gut health through different fiber-rich foods intake in humans.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of different growing stages on digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) in soybean meal (SBM), cottonseed meal (CSM), rapeseed meal (RSM), corn gluten meal (CGM), and corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) fed to crossbred barrows. Thirty-six growing barrows (GS 1: 29.1 ± 2.85 kg BW), 36 growing barrows (GS 2: 59.2 ± 4.91 kg BW), and 36 finishing barrows (GS 2: 105.4 ± 6.91 kg BW) were allotted to 6 diets in a completely randomized design with 6 replicated pigs per diet per growth stage or BW. Faecal and urine samples were collected for 5 days after a 12-day adaption period. The results showed that the concentration of DE in corn for pigs at GS 3 was greater (P

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary Chinese herb medicine extracted from Dandelion root on growth performance, serum immune markers, faecal bacterial community and their metabolites in weaned pigs. The results showed that dietary Dandelion root extract (CHE) supplementation decreased (P

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different SDF to IDF ratios on growth performance, serum indexes and fecal microbial community in pigs. Weaned and growing-finishing pigs were fed a diet containing five different ratios of SDF to IDF from 1:5 to 1:9 and from 1:3 to 1:7, respectively. Results showed a linear tendency that average daily gain (ADG) of weaned pigs decreased but the feed intake to weight gain ratio (F/G) increased as the ratio of SDF to IDF increased from 1:5 to 1:9 (p = 0.06). The ADG of growing-finishing pigs showed quadratic changes (p < 0.05) as ratios of SDF to IDF increased from 1:3 to 1:7. The Shannon index of fecal microbial diversity increased first and then decreased as the SDF to IDF ratio increased from 1:5 to 1:9 (p < 0.05). The Shannon and Chao indexes of fecal microbial diversity in growing-finishing pigs showed significant incremental linearly as the SDF to IDF ratio increased from 1:3 to 1:7 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the recommended inclusion ratios of SDF to IDF in weaned and growing-finishing pigs diets are 1:7 and 1:5.

Constipation is a common problem in sows and women during late pregnancy. Dietary fiber has potential in the regulation of intestinal microbiota, thereby promoting intestinal motility and reducing constipation. However, the effects of fibers with different physicochemical properties on intestinal microbe and constipation during late pregnancy have not been fully explored. In this study, a total of 80 sows were randomly allocated to control and one of three dietary fiber treatments from day 85 of gestation to delivery: LIG (lignocellulose), PRS (resistant starch), and KON (konjaku flour). Results showed that the defecation frequency and fecal consistency scores were highest in PRS. PRS and KON significantly increased the level of gut motility regulatory factors, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), motilin (MTL), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in serum. Moreover, PRS and KON promoted the IL-10 level and reduced the TNF-α level in serum. Furthermore, maternal PRS and KON supplementation significantly reduced the number of stillborn piglets. Microbial sequencing analysis showed that PRS and KON increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing genera Bacteroides and Parabacteroides and decreased the abundance of endotoxin-producing bacteria Desulfovibrio and Oscillibacter in feces. Moreover, the relative abundance of Turicibacter and the fecal butyrate concentration in PRS were the highest. Correlation analysis further revealed that the defecation frequency and serum 5-HT were positively correlated with Turicibacter and butyrate. In conclusion, PRS is the best fiber source for promoting gut motility, which was associated with increased levels of 5-HT under specific bacteria Turicibacter and butyrate stimulation, thereby relieving constipation. Our findings provide a reference for dietary fiber selection to improve intestinal motility in late pregnant mothers.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of extrusion on available energy, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients and energy, and amino acid (AA) digestibility of full-fat rice bran (FFRB) and corn distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS) fed to growing pigs. Methods: In Exp. 1, a total of 30 growing pigs with initial body weight (BW) of 36.0 ± 1.8 kg were fed five different diets, including one corn basal diet and four experimental diets which were formulated by 29.06% FFRB or DDGS with or without extrusion processing. In Exp. 2, 30 ileal-cannulated pigs (initial BW: 20.3 ± 1.8 kg) were fed five different diets including 40% FFRB or DDGS with or without extrusion, and a N-free diet. Results: The results showed that there were no significant differences in DE and ME contents or ATTD of GE, DM, and OM between DDGS and FFRB (p > 0.05), but the ATTD of CP, NDF, and ADF showed significant differences between DDGS and FFRB (p < 0.05). In addition, the DE and ME values (p < 0.01) and ATTD of GE, DM, OM, and NDF improved when pigs were fed extruded diets (p < 0.05), and a trend to increase the ATTD of CP and ADF was observed when pigs were fed extruded diets (p = 0.06 and 0.07, respectively). The AID and SID levels of CP were not different when pigs were fed diets with or without extrusion. The AID of total indispensable AA increased when pigs were fed extrusion diets (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Feed processing of extrusion could improve nutritive values of FFRB and DDGS.

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of reduced dietary protein at natural high temperature in summer on the growth performance and carcass quality of finishing pigs. A total of 72 crossbreed pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) at an average body weight (BW) of 77 ± 5.7 kg were randomly assigned to two treatments, based on BW and sex, in six replicates per treatment, with six pigs per pen, using a randomized complete block design. The dietary crude protein (CP) level of the normal protein diet (NP) and the reduced protein diet (LP) were 12% and 10%, respectively. The growth performance and serum biochemical parameters of the pigs were analyzed for a 28-day experimental period. At the end of the experiment, 12 pigs were harvested to measure carcass characteristics and pork quality. The average highest ambient temperature during the experiment period was about 32.4 °C. There was a trend for the average daily feed intake (ADFI) to be lower in the pigs on the reduced protein diet compared to the control (p < 0.10) in the 0–28 day period. The serum urea nitrogen was lower (p < 0.05) for pigs fed the reduced protein diets only on day 14. The carcass characteristics and pork quality were not affected by dietary treatments. In conclusion, decreasing dietary crude protein percentage from 12% to 10% in finishing pigs in summer may have no negative effects on growth performance and carcass quality.

This study was to illustrate the effects of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) on the antioxidant capacity, intestinal barrier function, and microbial community of weanling pigs. Results showed that FOS reduced the incidence of diarrhea (6.5 vs. 10.8%) of pigs (p < 0.05) but did not affect growth performance when compared with the control group. A diet supplemented with FOS increased ileal mRNA expression of occludin (1.7 vs. 1.0), claudin-1 (1.9 vs. 1.0), claudin-2 (1.8 vs. 1.0), and claudin-4 (1.7 vs. 1.0), as well as colonic mRNA expression of ZO-1 (1.6 vs. 1.0), claudin-1 (1.7 vs. 1.0), occludin (1.9 vs. 1.0), and pBD-1 (1.5 vs. 1.0) when compared with the control group (p < 0.05). FOS supplementation improved the anti-oxidase activity and expression of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), and decreased concentrations of D-lactate (3.05 U/L vs. 2.83 U/L) and TNF-α (59.1 pg/mL vs. 48.0 pg/mL) in the serum when compared with the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, FOS increased Sharpea, Megasphaera, and Bacillus populations in the gut when compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Association analysis indicated that mRNA expression of occludin and claudin-1 in the ileal mucosa were correlated positively with populations of Sharpea and Bacillus (p < 0.05). Furthermore, mRNA expression of occludin and claudin-1 in the colonic mucosa were correlated positively with abundances of Sharpea, Lactobocillus, and Bifidobacterium (p < 0.05). In conclusion, FOS activated Nrf2 signaling and increased the expression of specific tight junction proteins, which were associated with reduced diarrhea incidence.

Objective An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different diet formulations: F1 (Two complicated basal diets containing different crude protein levels plus tested feedstuff) vs F2 (A simple corn soybean meal [SBM] basal diet plus tested feedstuff) combined with total collection (TC) or chromic oxide (Cr2O3) marker or acid-insoluble ash (AIA) marker method, and freeze-dry or oven-dry (OD) technique on estimation of nutrient digestibility in diets fed to growing pigs. Methods In F1, twelve barrows were allocated to two 6×4 Youden Squares. The treatment diets included a high protein basal (HPB) diet, a low protein basal (LPB) diet, a corn diet and a wheat bran (WB) diet formulated based on the HPB diet, and a SBM diet and a rapeseed meal (RSM) diet formulated based on the LPB diet. In F2, eight barrows were allocated to two 4×4 Latin Squares. The treatment diets included a corn basal diet, a SBM basal diet formulated based on the corn diet, and a WB diet and a RSM diet formulated based on the SBM diet. Results Concentration of digestible (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME), and the apparent total tract digestibility of gross energy, ash, neutral detergent fibre, and acid detergent fibre determined by Cr2O3 marker method were greater than those determined by TC and AIA marker methods in HPB, LPB, and RSM diets formulated by F1 and in corn diet formulated by F2 (p

The objectives of this study were to determine: 1) the effects of konjac flour residues and ramie on digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients in diets fed to growing pigs, 2) the DE and ME contents of konjac flour residues and ramie. Thirty barrows were allotted to 1 of 5 treatments with 6 replicates per treatment. The 5 diets include a corn-soybean meal basal diet (CTL), konjac flour residues diets containing 15% konjac flour residues (LK) or 30% konjac flour residues (HK), and ramie diets containing 15% ramie (LR) or 30% ramie (HR). The experiment lasted 19 days, including 7 days for cage adaptation, 7 days for diet adaptation, and 5 days for total feces and urine collection. The energy values and ATTD of nutrients in each diet were determined, and DE and ME contents of konjac flour residues and ramie were calculated. The results showed that consumption of konjac flour residues significantly increased (P

Objective This experiment was conducted to determine the differences in the apparent ileal (AID) and total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients and indispensable amino acids (IAA) in high-fiber diets with wheat middlings, rice bran or alfalfa meal fed to Duroc×(Landrace× Yorkshire) (DLY) and Duroc× (Berkshire×Jiaxing) (DBJ) growing barrows. Methods Eighteen DLY and 18 DBJ growing barrows were randomly allotted to a 2×3 factorial arrangement involving 2 crossbreeds and 3 high-fiber diets. The experiment lasted 15 d with 10 d for diets adaptation, 3 d for feces collection and 2 d for digesta collection. Three diets were based on corn and soybean meal with 25% wheat middlings, rice bran and alfalfa meal respectively. Results DBJ had a greater (p

Objective An experiment was conducted to evaluate effects of inclusion level of palm kernel meal (PKM) and adaptation duration on the digestible energy (DE) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of chemical constituents in diets fed to growing-finishing pigs. Methods Thirty crossbred barrows (Duroc×Landrace×Large White) with an average initial body weight of 85.0±2.1 kg were fed 5 diets in a completely randomized design. The diets included a corn-soybean meal basal diet and 4 additional diets in which corn and soybean meal were partly replaced by 10%, 20%, 30%, or 40% PKM. After 7 d of adaptation to the experimental diets, feces were collected from d 8 to 12, d 15 to 19, d 22 to 26, and d 29 to 33, respectively. Results The DE and ATTD of gross energy (GE), dry matter (DM), ash, organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and crude protein (CP) in diets decreased linearly as the dietary PKM increased within each adaptation duration (p< 0.01). Diet containing 19.5% PKM had less DE value and ATTD of all detected items compared with other diets when fed to pigs for 14 days (p 0.05). Considering a stable determination, 21 days of adaptation to a diet containing 19.5% PKM is needed in pigs and a longer adaptation time is recommended as dietary PKM increases.