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This study investigated the effects of citrus extract on growth, carcass and meat quality of Duroc × Landrace × Large White pigs. One hundred and eight pigs (54 barrows, 54 females) were assigned to one of three dietary treatments for 138 days. The dietary treatments were (1) basic diet; (2) basic diet supplemented with 75 mg/kg chlortetracycline; and (3) basic diet supplemented with citrus extract (0.25 ml/kg during 56-112 days of age and 0.20 ml/kg during 113-194 days of age). No significant differences among treatments were found for growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and free amino acids (p > 0.05). Feeding citrus extract tended to increase intramuscular fat (p = 0.052). Citrus extract and chlortetracycline increased C15:0 concentration (p = 0.016) and superoxide dismutase activity (p = 0.004). The pigs that received chlortetracycline exhibited the lowest (p = 0.033) muscle malondialdehyde concentration. Overall, citrus extract ameliorated some meat quality indicators without adverse effects on pig growth or carcass performance.

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of fermented okara on performance and meat quality, and to explore the feasibility of its partial substitution for corn‐soybean meal in pig production. A total of 48 pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with an average body weight of 58.60 ± 0.65 kg were randomly assigned to 2 groups, Control group and Fermented okara (FO) group. There were 8 replicate pens each with 3 pigs per treatment. Control pigs were fed a corn‐soybean meal basal diet, treatment pigs were fed a basal diet supplemented with FO throughout the 55‐d experimental period. Results showed that fermentation of okara using probiotics increased its microporous structure, polysaccharides, lactic acid, and free amino acids (FAA) by 46.06%, 150%, and 66.45% compared with unfermented okara, respectively (p, Fermentation of okara using probiotics increased its microporous structure, polysaccharides, lactic acid, and free amino acids. Diet supplemented with fermented okara improved growth performance, meat quality and antioxidant capacity, and it can be used to substitute partial corn‐soybean meal in pig industry.

The whole genomes of three strains were sequenced and annotated. COG (Clusters of Orthologous Groups) and GO (Gene Ontology) annotations of the protein-coding genes from three strains show a conservation of genome-wide protein functions in genus Pseudomonas. However, the AFB1-degrading strains HAI2 and HT3 harbor much more genes belonged to the pathway of xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism than non-degrading strain 48. Besides, the enzyme families potentially involved in the AFB1 degradation of bacteria are more abundant in the two AFB1-degrading strains. A pan-genome profile was then formed by comparing the genomes against other reference genomes of the corresponding Pseudomonas species. Accordingly, a total of 1,528 genes were found to be specific in AFB1-degrading strains, and 65 genes of them are related to oxidoreductase activity.

Amino acids provide key nutritional value, and significantly contribute to taste and flavor of meat. Here, we review the role of free amino acids in the muscle fibers in meat quality and sensory signals. We furthermore discuss how dietary supplementation of free amino acids and their derivatives (e.g. tryptophan, threonine, arginine, lysine, leucine, glutamate, threonine, sarcosine, betaines, and cysteamine) can influence these attributes. The available data shows that the quality of the meat is subject to the amino acids that are provided in the animal feed.

To investigate effects of dietary nitrogen level on nutrient absorption and utilization in small intestinal enterocyte of piglets, weaned piglets were fed for 10 days with diets containing 20%, 17%, or 14% crude protein (CP) with supplementation to meet requirements for essential amino acids in vivo, and IPEC-1 cells were cultured with different nitrogen levels (NL) in a culture medium (70%, 85%, and 100%) in vitro by monocultured and cocultured intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-1) and human gastric epithelial cells (GES-1). The results showed the following: (1) In animal trial, decreased dietary CP reduced transcript abundance of nutrient transporters like CAT1, PepT1, GLUT2, and SGLT-1 in jejunal mucosa (0.09 ± 0.03, P < 0.0001; 0.40 ± 0.04, P = 0.0087; 0.20 ± 0.07, P = 0.0003; 0.35 ± 0.02, P = 0.0001), but 17% CP diet did not affect jejunal protein synthesis. (2) The transcript abundance of nutrient transporters displayed similarly effective tendency in jejunal mucosa and cocultured IPEC-1 rather than that in monocultured IPEC-1. (3) Decreased nitrogen levels reduced expressive abundance of PI3K, Class 3 PI3K, TSC2, and 4E-BP1 in monocultured IPEC-1, but 85% nitrogen level did not affect expressive abundance of PI3K, TSC2, mTORC1, 4E-BP1, and S6K1 in cocultured IPEC-1. In general, decreased 3% CP or 15% nitrogen level reduced relative transcript expression of nutrient transporters, but did not affect protein synthesis in jejunal mucosa and cocultured IPEC-1. Therefore, decreased 3% dietary CP increased utilized and synthetic efficiency of nitrogen resource in small intestine and was beneficial in saving the dietary nitrogen resource.

This study evaluated the ability of Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma koningii to improve the quality of tea dregs (TDs) through solid-state fermentation as well as the value of the fermented tea dregs (FTDs) produced for use as bio-feed additives. After fermentation, FTDs differed in color and structure. Fermentation with A. niger and T. koningii increased the contents of crude protein, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber of TDs. Compared to the unfermented group, the contents of reducing sugar, total flavonoids, total polyphenols, and theasaponins were increased in A. niger FTDs, while in T. koningii FTDs caffeine was completely degraded, the theasaponins were lower, and the contents of reducing sugar and caffeine higher. Regarding free amino acids, A. niger FTDs had the highest content of total amino acids, total essential amino acids, total non-essential amino acids, total aromatic amino acids, total branched-chain amino acids, and total non-protein amino acids, and all types of essential amino acids, followed by T. koningii FTDs and the control TDs. Fungal fermentation had similar effects on the content of various hydrolytic amino acids as those on above free amino acids, and increased the content of bitter and umami components. The composition of essential amino acids of TDs or FTDs was similar to that of the standard model, except for sulfur-containing amino acids and isoleucine. Solid-state fermentation with A. niger and T. koningii effectively improved the nutritional value of TDs, increased the contents of functional substances, and improved the flavor of TDs. This study demonstrated a feasible approach to utilize TDs that not only increases animal feed resources, but also reduces the production of resource waste and pollution.