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To evaluate the protective effects of dietary resveratrol (RES) supplementation against oxidative stress in piglets, a total of 30 weaned piglets (aged 28 + 2 d) were randomly divided into five treatments (n = 6): C group (basal diet), NC group (basal diet + diquat challenge), and basal diet containing either 10, 30, or 90 mg/kg of RES administered to piglets injected with diquat. The trail lasted 21 d. On day 15 after the initiation of treatment, piglets were intraperitoneally injected with 10 mg/kg body weight (BW) diquat or the same amount of saline. The feed intake and faecal consistency were recorded daily. Blood samples were collected for antioxidative, immune parameters and cytokines analysis. RES addition showed a negative tendency (p =.052) on faecal score during the pre-challenge period. Diquat challenge reduced the growth performance and induced oxidative stress and inflammatory responses of piglets (p <.05). However, the growth performance was improved, and faecal score was decreased in 90 mg/kg RES groups (p <.05). Compared with the NC group, addition of 90 mg/kg RES increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and reduced malonaldehyde (MDA), cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ATCH) concentration (p <.05). Moreover, supplementation with 90 mg/kg RES increased serum concentration of interleukin-4 (IL-4) (p <.05) but decreased serum tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) (p <.05). In conclusion, the study indicated that RES showed overwhelming advantage in reducing diarrhoea and attenuating the oxidative stress of piglets challenged with diquat. Dietary resveratrol supplementation improved growth performance and reduce diarrhoea of piglets challenged with diquat. The protective effects of dietary resveratrol supplementation against oxidative stress and inflammation in diquat-challenged piglets were confirmed. The experimental results provide theoretical and practical value for further research on the antioxidant mechanisms of resveratrol in weaned piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effects of weaning age on intestinal mucosal morphology, expressions of tight junction proteins and inflammatory cytokines, as well as secretory IgA (sIgA) of Wuzhishan piglets, a total of 96 piglets at 1-day old with an average body weight of 0.56 ± 0.07 kg were randomly divided into four treatments with four replicates per treatment and 6 pigs per replicate. Piglets in those four treatments were weaned at the age of 21(21W), 28(28W), 35 (35W) and 42 (42W) days, respectively. Blood sample was collected for determining plasma diamine oxidase (DAO) and D-lactate at 28, 35, 42, 49 and 56 days old. The jejunum and ileum segments were collected for morphology analysis, and mucosa samples were collected for Real-time PCR and sIgA measurements at 56 days old. The results showed that: compared with the 21W groups, piglets in 35W and 42W groups significantly decreased DAO activity and D-lactate level at 28 to 35 days and 56 days old (p < .05), increased mRNA levels of occludin and zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1) in jejunal and ileal mucosa (p < .05) and claudin in ileal mucosa (p < .05) and reduced the sIgA contents in jejunum and ileum (p < .05) at 56 days old. By contrary, the intestinal mucosal morphology and mRNA levels of cytokines in jejuna and ileal mucosa at 56 days old were not significantly different among the treatments (p > .05). Results suggest that weaning at 35 or 42 days old may be beneficial to intestinal barrier function, whereas weaning at 21 days old promoted sIgA expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of α-lipoic acid (LA) on the carcase characteristics, antioxidant capability and meat quality of Hainan black goat were investigated in the present study. Thirty goats (10.71 ± 0.42 kg) were randomly assigned with three levels of LA in the concentration diet (0, 300, 600 mg/kg). The goats fed for 70 days. The results showed that goats fed the diet containing 600 mg/kg LA had a significantly (p < .05) higher ADG and better feed conversion rate (FCR) compared with goats offered the basal diet without LA. There were no differences in carcase characteristics among the three treatments. For antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and catalase (CAT) in serum significantly increased (p < .05) in goats fed with 600 mg/kg LA at day 70. The concentration of malondiadehhyde (MDA) was significantly lower (p < .05) in serum of goats that received 600 mg/kg LA than in the goats fed diet without LA. Addition level of LA had no significant impact on pH and intramuscular fat (IMF) oflongissimus dorsi muscle tissue (LM) and semimembranosus muscle tissue (SM) in the goats (p > .05). However, increasing additional LA in the diet caused a decrease on drip loss and WBSF (p < .05). Treatment of goats with 600 mg/kg of LA has the lowest drip loss and WBSF. These results indicate that diet supplementation with LA may enhance antioxidant capability, improved the growth performance and meat quality in Hainan black goats. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Our study aimed to determine the effect of increasing dietary levels of turmeric rhizome extract (TRE) on performance, carcass characteristics, antioxidant capability and meat quality of Wenchang broiler chickens. Three hundred, 1-day-old Wenchang broiler chickens were brooded together for 2 weeks, then randomly allocated into four treatments with five replicates of 15 birds each. Birds were fed a corn-soybean basal diet supplemented with TRE at 0, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg for 12 weeks. The results revealed that a TRE-supplemented diet had no significant effect (P>0.05) on the body weight, although birds fed a diet with TRE at 100 and 200 mg/kg had higher average daily weight gains and average daily feed as compared to controls from 9 to 12 week (P<0.05). Also, the addition of TRE at 100 to 300 mg/kg had a better feed conversion ratio compared to controls from week 9 to 12 (P<0.05). Dietary supplementation with TRE at 300 mg/kg increased the breast muscle weight ratio (P<0.05). Meanwhile, dietary supplementation with TRE at 100 to 300 mg/kg reduced the abdominal fat ratio (P<0.05), compared to that of the control group. TRE increased enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, and reduced malondiadehhyde concentrations, compared to the control group. Dietary TRE supplementation at 300 mg/kg decreased the drip loss in both breast muscle and thigh muscles, compared with the control group (P<0.05). In conclusion, dietary TRE supplementation enhanced antioxidant capability, growth performance, breast muscle weight ratio, and reduced the abdominal fat ratio of Wenchang broiler chickens [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of rare earth elements (REE) on feed digestibility, rumen fermentation, and urinary purine derivatives (PDs) in sheep. Eight sheep (44.58±2.9 kg of body weight) fitted with ruminal cannulas were used in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design 20-day experiment. Sheep were fed a basal diet containing 100, 200 and 300 mg REE-citrate per kg dry matter (DM). Mixture of REE mainly consisted of cerium (56.8%), lanthanum (35.0%) and praseodymium (6.5%). Ruminal pH value was linearly (P<0.01) and quadratically (P<0.01) decreased, and ammonia N concentration (9.73 to 11.83 mg/100 mL) was quadratically (P<0.05) decreased, whereas total volatile fatty acids concentration was linearly increased with increasing REE supplementation (P<0.05). The ratio of acetate to propionate was linearly (P<0.01) and quadratically (P<0.01) decreased due to increase of propionate concentration (P<0.05). In situ ruminal neutral detergent fibre (aNDF) degradation of Leymus chinensis was improved (P<0.01), but the in situ ruminal crude protein (CP) degradation of soybean meal was decreased by feeding REE (P<0.01). Moreover, digestibility of DM, organic matter, aNDF, acid detergent fibre and CP in the total tract and urinary excretion of PD were also linearly (P<0.01) and quadratically (P<0.01) increased with increasing REE addition. In conclusion, supplementation of the basal diet with REE improved rumen fermentation and feed digestion in sheep. It was suggested that REE stimulated rumen microbial activity, digestive microorganisms or enzyme activity in a dose-dependent manner. The optimum supplemental dose of REE was about 200 mg/kg dietary DM in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]