Search

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) has been observing since 2002 and 2015 in Turkey and Adana, respectively. However, there were no previous seroepidemiological data on CCHFV in Adana. This study, thus, aimed to investigate the seroepidemiological status of Adana province for CCHFV in ruminants, according to species, breed, age, gender and geographical location. The study was carried out in 15 districts from sea level to plateaus (0-1472 m), within a 14,030 km² area. 485 samples were tested with modified anti-CCHFV IgG ELISA. A human-based IgG ELISA was adapted to recognize cattle, sheep and goats IgG antibodies. The conjugation (anti-human IgG peroxidase) was replaced with appropriate conjugate in each species. Statistical analyses indicated a significant relationship between antibody presence and animal age, species, breed and location but there was no relation with animal gender. Out of 485 samples, 154 were seropositive (31.8%). It was determined that the statistical cluster varied between 5.8% and 74.3% according to location and seropositivity. The most important variable associated with antibody presence was geographic location. While high seropositivity is found at altitudes above 555 meters, it is found to be 7% and 3% at sea level. The seropositivity reached 100% in the village where human deaths were seen in 2015, and 74.3% in the Tufanbeyli district where this village is located. The results indicate that Adana is an endemic province for CCHFV infection, especially in high altitude regions.

Objective: Bioactive compounds in ruminant products are related to functional compounds in their diets. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of forage sources, Italian ryegrass (IR) silage vs corn silage (CS) in the total mixed ration (TMR), on milk production, milk composition, and phytanic acid content in milk, as well as on the extent of conversion of dietary phytol to milk phytanic acid.Methods: Phytanic acid content in milk was investigated for cows fed a TMR containing either IR silage or CS using 17 cows over three periods of 21 days each. In periods 1 and 3, cows were fed CS-based TMR (30% CS), while in period 2, cows were fed IR silage-based TMR (20% IR silage and10% CS).Results: The results showed that there were no differences in fat, protein, lactose, solidsnot-fat, somatic cell count, and fatty acid composition of milk among the three experimental periods. There were no differences in the plasma concentration of glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and nonesterified fatty acids among the three experimental periods, while the blood urea nitrogen was higher (p

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary administration of l-arginine (Arg) or N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) on hepatic energy status and mitochondrial functions in suckling Hu lambs with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Forty-eight newborn Hu lambs of 7 d old were allocated into 4 treatment groups of 12 lambs each, in triplicate with 4 lambs per replicate (2 males and 2 females) as follows: CON (lambs of normal birth weight, 4.25 ± 0.14 kg), IUGR (3.01 ± 0.12 kg), IUGR + 1% Arg (2.99 ± 0.13 kg), or IUGR + 0.1% NCG (3.03 ± 0.11 kg). The experiment lasted for 21 d, until d 28 after birth, and all lambs were fed milk replacer as a basal diet. Compared with IUGR lambs, NCG or Arg administration increased (P

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of adding formic acid and corn flour supplementation to banana pseudostem silages on the nutritional quality of these silages, growth, digestion, rumen fermentation and cellulolytic bacterial community of Nubian black goats fed these silages. Banana pseudostem silage was prepared either conventionally without any additives (CON) or mixed with 0.6% formic acid (F), 10% corn flour (C), or both (F+C). Four experimental diets containing 40% of the corresponding silages were designed with roughage to concentrate ratio of 50:50 (dry matter (DM) basis). A total of 48 Nubian black castrated goats (body weight (BW), (22.64±1.82) kg; 4-mon-old) were randomized into one of the four treatment groups with 12 replicates of one castrated goat per replicate for each treatment in a completely randomized design. Each group was fed on one of the four experimental diets for 40 days. A factorial arrangement of treatments of 2 (formic acid levels: 0 and 0.6%)×2 (corn flour: 0 and 10%) was adopted. Formic acid supplementation increased (P0.05) for any of the other indices except for the apparent digestibility of non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC) (P

This study was aimed at elucidating the protective effects of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (18βGA) against acrylamide (Acr)-induced cellular damage in diabetic rats. Rats were randomly assigned into eight groups (n = 8) following 12 h of fasting: control group, a single dose of 50 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneally (diabetic group), 50 mg/kg 18βGA orally after 2 weeks from STZ injection (18βGA group), 20 mg/kg Acr after 1month from STZ injection (Acr group), STZ plus Acr (STZ-Acr group), STZ plus 18βGA (STZ-18βGA group), Acr plus 18βGA (Acr-18βGA group), or STZ plus Acr plus 18βGA (STZ-Acr-18βGA group). Administration of 18βGA alone increased GSH, GSH-PX, SOD, and CAT in both liver and kidneys. While STZ injection was associated with diabetic and oxidative stress changes as indicated by the higher serum glucose, cholesterol, creatinine, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and antioxidant enzyme activities, together with increased lipid peroxides and decreased antioxidant biomarkers in the liver and kidneys. Similarly, the co-administration of STZ and Acr was associated with similar, more augmented effects, compared to STZ alone. The administration of 18βGA normalized STZ and Acr-induced elevations in oxidative defense variables in the liver and kidney tissues and blood biomarkers. Thus, our study demonstrated that the damaging effects of Acr were more exaggerated in diabetic rats. Furthermore, it showed the ability of 18βGA to inhibit reactive oxygen species generation and restore the antioxidant defenses in diabetic rats with Acr-induced liver and kidney cytotoxicity.

This study was conducted as a survey study in the 2017 (from September to December) to analyze the current status and husbandry practices of Anatolian water buffalo enterprises in Igdir, Turkey. Using the Simple Random Sampling procedure, a sample of 98 enterprises was selected among 319 Anatolian water buffalo producers to apply a questionnaire as a primary source of data collection. The data revealed that the average age of the owners was 56.87±1.27 years and they are literate and have mixed enterprises. The first age of the breeding of buffalo, postpartum service internal, insemination after estrus detection, lactation length and the number of inseminations per gestation were 28.20±0.67 months, 72.47±2.82 days, 2.91±0.23 hours, 236.74 days and 1.29±0.06 times, respectively. The average intake time of first colostrum, the amount of milk intake within the first two hours after birth and the weaning age in the Anatolian water buffalo calves were 1.59±0.72 hours, 2.71±0.97 kg and 208.42±48.25, respectively. Implementation of effective policies to develop the breeding of Anatolian water buffalo in Igdir is mandatory. Such policies include extension services (on nutrition, veterinary care, product processing…etc.), increasing the herd numbers, and establishing a union for Anatolian Water Buffalo Breeders in Igdir province.

Isolates of Streptococcus iniae were recovered from the diseased fish during summer season, identified and characterized using different laboratory techniques. Three hundred and sixty Nile tilapia (100 ± 5.0 g average weight) were divided into two subgroups in triplicates with 20 fish per replicate and received either sterile PBS (B0, B1 and B2, respectively) or S. iniae (B0+ S. iniae, B1+ S. iniae and B2 S. iniae, respectively). At 15 days post‐challenge, results showed low mortality rates in probiotic‐fed groups. The mortalities ranged from 6.67% in B2 to 81.67% in B0 following S. iniae challenge. The haematological parameters showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in haemoglobin, red blood cells and white blood cells in B1, B1+S. iniae, B2 and B2+ S. iniae groups compared to B0+ S. iniae group. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level was elevated (p < 0.05) in tilapia challenged with S. iniae compared to the control groups. Glucose and creatinine levels were elevated (p < 0.05) in all groups compared with B0. Both albumin and globulin levels were significantly low (p < 0.05) in B0+ S. iniae compared to other groups. The total protein level, phagocytosis and phagocytic index were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in B0+ S. iniae than other groups. Histological analysis showed that the hepatopancreas of B0, B1 and B2 groups represents normal hepatocyte architecture, while the infected tilapia showed severe diffused necrosis, mononuclear cell infiltration and loss of the normal architecture. Spleen of PBS control groups did not show any pathological changes, while that of infected tilapia revealed several necrotic areas in addition to marked depletion of lymphoid cells. A loss of skin layers was observed in infected tilapia with marked interstitial oedema and leucocytic cell infiltration which was not observed in the probiotic‐fed fish. The current study highlights the immunomodulatory effect of Bacillus probiotic mixture against S. iniae infection in tilapia that can be further applied to control the disease in farms.

A total of 300 juvenile crayfish (13.0±0.03 g) were randomly distributed among 5 dietary groups (n=60, 3 replicates) held within 15×500 L-1 fiberglass tanks connected to a recirculation system (RAS), at 20 crayfish per tank. Each group was fed for 12 weeks one of five experimental diets where the main protein sources were: 1) control, fish-meal-based diet (FM, 48% of the diet); 2) 10% FM + 52.5% poultry by-product meal (PoM); 3) 34.5% soybean meal + 34.5% corn gluten meal (Pmix); 4) 34.5% PoM + 32.soybean/corn gluten meal mix (PoM/Pmix); and 5) 10% FM + 27.5% soybean + 27.5% corn gluten meal (FM/Pmix). The results demonstrated that there were no significant differences among diets in terms of growth and feed utilization efficiency. Muscle amino acid profile of redclaw crayfish fed the FM diet had the highest level of total essential amino acids, followed by FM/PMix, Pmix, PoM/Pmix, and PoM diets. Particularly, in all experimental groups, the highest essential amino acids (EAA) were lysine, arginine, and leucine. Based on these findings, we conclude that redclaw can perform well with FM-free vegetable diets and PoM-based diets although more research is needed into the total composition of EAA and FA in muscle.

This study aimed at estimating the trace minerals net requirements for maintenance and growth of Dorper × Hu ram lambs using the comparative slaughter techniques in 35 lambs of 35–50 kg body weight (BW). Seven lambs were slaughtered at the initial BW (34.93 ± 0.37 kg) to determine the basal whole-body composition. Another seven lambs were fed ad libitum (AL) and then slaughtered when it reached 41.73 ± 0.53 kg BW. The remained 21 lambs were assigned into three treatment groups, seven animals each, and fed 100, 70 or 40% of AL intake, respectively, and were slaughtered when they reached a BW of 49.93 ± 1.03 kg. The net requirements of maintenance were 5.1, 429.3, 94.0 and 48.8 µg/kg empty BW (EBW) for Mn, Fe, Zn and Cu, respectively. The net requirements of growth at 35 kg BW were 0.86, 70.41, 33.46 and 4.31 mg/kg EBW for Mn, Fe, Zn and Cu, respectively. At a BW of 50 kg, the net growth requirements were 0.93, 68.40, 35.20 and 4.15 mg/kg EBW for Mn, Fe, Zn and Cu, respectively. Our data indicated that the Mn and Zn requirements increase, whereas those of Fe and Cu decrease when BW increases. In addition, the net Cu, Mn and Fe requirements for maintenance and Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe requirements for growth of Dorper × Hu hybrid ram lambs were higher than those reported in the NRC but Zn requirements for maintenance matched that of the NRC.Highlights Trace minerals requirements for maintenance and growth vary with sheep genotype or breed. The comparative slaughter method could be a reliable tool for estimating the net requirements of trace minerals in Dorper × Hu ram lambs. Our estimated values for maintenance (Cu, Mn and Fe) and growth (Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe) requirements were higher than those reported in the NRC ().

Previous studies have revealed that dietary

This study addressed the effect of unconventional by-products on growth performance, carcass characteristics, some blood parameters, and caecal activities in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. A total of 48 weaned NZW rabbits (748 ± 9.50 g BW, 6 weeks old), randomly assigned into three treatment groups (16 each, individually housed), were fed a basal diet containing BBP at 0.00 (Control), 1.00 (Broc1) or 3.00 (Broc2) % on a dry matter (DM) basis as feed additives, for 8 weeks. The Broc2 rabbits showed the highest (P < 0.05) body weight gain and feed intake followed by the Broc1 group compared to the control one. Feed conversion ratio and performance index did not differ (P > 0.05) among treatments. Nutrient digestibility was higher (P < 0.05) for Broc1 and Broc2 rabbits compared to the control. Both Broc1 and Broc2 rabbits showed higher (P < 0.05) empty edible carcass, giblets, dressing, head, liver, heart and kidney weights, but showed a lower non-edible carcass weight compared to the control. Blood proteins and liver function enzymes were increased (P < 0.05) whereas the glucose, total cholesterol, uric acid and creatinine were decreased (P < 0.05) in Broc1 and Broc2 rabbits compared to the control. The caecal concentration of total volatile fatty acids was increased (P < 0.05) but that of ammonia was decreased (P < 0.05) with Broc1 and Broc2 groups of rabbits compared to those of control. Thus, dietary supplementation of BBP at 3% of DM in rabbits’ diets could improve their growth performance, carcass traits, liver function and blood profile as well as the caecal fermentation parameters.

The aquafeed industry continues to expand in response to the rapidly growing aquaculture sector. However, the identification of alternative protein sources in aquatic animal diets to replace conventional sources due to cost and sustainability issues remains a major challenge. Recently, insects have shown tremendous results as potential replacers of fishmeal in aquafeed. The present study aimed to review the utilization of insects in aquafeeds and their effects on aquatic animals' growth and feed utilization, immune response and disease resistance, and fish flesh quality and safety. While many insect species have been investigated in aquaculture, the black soldier fly (

The present food system (including production, transportation, processing, packaging, storing, retail, and consumption) is a source of nutrition for the great majority of the world population in addition to supporting the livelihoods of about 200 million people. Food supply per capita has increased by more than 30% since 1961, this is accompanied by more use of nitrogen fertilizers (showing an increase of about 800%) and water resources for irrigation (with an increase of more than 100%). Global food security will continue to be an international concern for the coming 50 years and even beyond. Crop yield has fallen in many areas recently due to decreasing investments in infrastructure and research, as well as due to growing water scarcity. Climate change is a global concern irrespective of borders. The poor nations are highly vulnerable to climate change and are at high risk. Food security is directly dependant on the food chain and the associated food system process. All dimensions of food security could be affected by climate change in complex ways. Approximately, 15 countries are highly vulnerable to food insecurity due to climate change, from Asia and Africa. Most of these nations are not able to cope with or counter the impact of climate change on an urgent basis. However, some countries have developed their national strategies and adaptation plans to alleviate the negative impacts of climate change.

Three rumen-protected lysine (RPL) products (AjiPro® -L, LysiPEARLTM , and Feedtech Bypass LysineTM : A, B, and C, respectively) were tested for stability in two forage-based total mixed rations (TMR1, 41.3% dry matter (DM), and TMR2, 49.5% DM) (experiment 1) and for Brix value (experiment 2). In experiment 1, each RPL product (2 g each) and TMR diet (200 g) were mixed and stored in plastic bags at 20°C for 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hr. In experiment 2, each RPL product (2 g) was dispensed into ion-exchanged water (20 ml) and kept at 20°C for 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hr. At each time point, free lysine (Lys) content and Brix values of extracts were measured, and Lys release (LR, %) was calculated. All RPL products LR% varied with varying diets DM and increased with increasing of time exposed to diets; it was highest in C, followed by B, and then A. Water LR% positively correlated with that from diets and with Brix values of Lys dissociated in water. Our results indicated that Lys dissociation from RPL products is affected by diet DM content. Brix value may be used as a potential marker for RPL protection efficacy.

This study aimed to elucidate the response of broiler chickens to the dietary nano-zinc supplementation in terms of immune response and antioxidant activity. Ninety-one-day-old chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments in three replicates, in a feeding trial that lasted for 5 weeks. Birds were fed a basal diet supplemented with inorganic zinc oxide at 40 mg/kg diet (control), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) at 40 mg/kg diet (ZN1), or ZnONPs at 80 mg/kg diet (ZN2). Birds were injected with DNP-KLH at the 7th and 21st days from the beginning of the experiment, and blood samples were collected on days 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 to determine the levels of immunoglobulin Y (IgY) and malondialdehyde as well as the antioxidant enzyme activities. Cellular immunity was assayed by estimation of phagocytic percentage and index of peripheral monocytes of blood and estimation of the T lymphocyte activity using a lymphocyte transformation test. The results showed that feeding broiler chickens a diet supplemented with ZnONPs increased (p

Controlling rumen fermentation using buffering agents could contribute to enhancing ruminant productivity and performance. This study was realized to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of AcidBuf, sodium bicarbonate, calseapowder and WMC seaweed (Utva Lactuca extra) on the animal performance, volatile fatty acids, rumen pH, rumen histology and carcass characteristics of growing male Awassi lambs. A total of 60 lambs was divided into five groups. One group served as a control and fed only on a concentrate diet without any buffering, whereas the other four groups were fed the concentrate diet supplemented with 0.4% AcidBuf (Buf1), 0.4% AcidBuf plus sodium bicarbonate, 50 : 50 (Buf2), 0.4% calseapowder (Buf3) or 0.4% WMC Seaweed (Buf4) for 98 days. The feed conversion ratio was (P

The rapidly increasing human population is an alarming issue and would need more food production under changing climate. Abiotic stresses like heat stress and temperature fluctuation are becoming key issues to be addressed for boosting crop production. Maize growth and productivity are sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Grain yield losses in maize from heat stress are expected to increase owing to higher temperatures during the growing season. This situation demands the development of maize hybrids tolerant to heat and drought stresses without compromising grain yield under stress conditions. The chapter aimed to assess the updates on the influence of high-temperature stress (HTS) on the physio-biochemical processes in plants and to draw an association between yield components and heat stress on maize. Moreover, exogenous applications of protectants, antioxidants, and signaling molecules induce HTS tolerance in maize plants and could help the plants cope with HTS by scavenging reactive oxygen species, upregulation of antioxidant enzymes, and protection of cellular membranes by the accrual of compatible osmolytes. It is expected that a better thought of the physiological basis of HTS tolerance in maize plants will help to develop HTS maize cultivars. Developing HTS-tolerant maize varieties may ensure crops production sustainability along with promoting food and feed security under changing climate.

This study was aimed at elucidating the protective effects of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (18βGA) against acrylamide (Acr)-induced cellular damage in diabetic rats. Rats were randomly assigned into eight groups (n = 8) following 12 h of fasting: control group, a single dose of 50 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneally (diabetic group), 50 mg/kg 18βGA orally after 2 weeks from STZ injection (18βGA group), 20 mg/kg Acr after 1month from STZ injection (Acr group), STZ plus Acr (STZ-Acr group), STZ plus 18βGA (STZ-18βGA group), Acr plus 18βGA (Acr-18βGA group), or STZ plus Acr plus 18βGA (STZ-Acr-18βGA group). Administration of 18βGA alone increased GSH, GSH-PX, SOD, and CAT in both liver and kidneys. While STZ injection was associated with diabetic and oxidative stress changes as indicated by the higher serum glucose, cholesterol, creatinine, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and antioxidant enzyme activities, together with increased lipid peroxides and decreased antioxidant biomarkers in the liver and kidneys. Similarly, the co-administration of STZ and Acr was associated with similar, more augmented effects, compared to STZ alone. The administration of 18βGA normalized STZ and Acr-induced elevations in oxidative defense variables in the liver and kidney tissues and blood biomarkers. Thus, our study demonstrated that the damaging effects of Acr were more exaggerated in diabetic rats. Furthermore, it showed the ability of 18βGA to inhibit reactive oxygen species generation and restore the antioxidant defenses in diabetic rats with Acr-induced liver and kidney cytotoxicity.

Aquaculture Reports 18, 100549 (2020). doi:10.1016/j.aqrep.2020.100549, Published by Elsevier, Amsterdam [u.a.]

BACKGROUND Previous studies demonstrated that dietary l-arginine (Arg) alters the equilibrium between reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and biological defenses to resist oxidant-induced toxicity. Whether supplying Arg can protect ovine intestinal epithelial cells (OIECs) from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative damage is unclear. OBJECTIVES The current study aimed to examine the effect of Arg on mitophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis induced by H2O2 in OIECs. METHODS The OIECs were incubated in Arg-free DMEM supplemented with 100 μM Arg (CON) or 350 μM Arg (ARG) alone or with 150 μM H2O2 (CON + H2O2, ARG + H2O2) for 24 h. Cellular apoptosis, mitochondrial function, autophagy, and the related categories of genes and proteins were determined. All data were analyzed by ANOVA using the general linear model procedures of SAS (SAS Institute) for a 2 × 2 factorial design. RESULTS Relative to the CON and ARG groups, H2O2 administration resulted in 44.9% and 26.5% lower (P

The current work aimed at investigating the effects of the dietary supplementation of N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) or l-arginine (Arg) on the duodenal mitophagy, mitochondrial function, inflammation, and barrier function in suckling lambs suffering from intrauterine-growth-retardation (IUGR). Forty-eight neonate Hu lambs were used in this study: 12 lambs with normal birth weight (NBW: 4.25 ± 0.14 kg) and 36 lambs with IUGR (3.01 ± 0.13 kg). Seven day old lambs were assigned to 4 treatment groups (12 lambs in each group) as follows: control group (CON), IUGR group, IUGR + Arg, and IUGR + NCG. Lambs were fed the experimental diets for 21 days from 7 days to 28 days of age. Compared with IUGR lambs, the Arg or NCG-treated IUGR lambs had a markedly higher duodenal transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and lower fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FD4) (P < 0.05), respectively. The duodenal mitochondrial membrane potential change (ΔΨm), relative mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level, together with the activities of the respiratory complexes I, III, and IV were markedly higher in Arg or NCG-treated IUGR lambs than those in non-supplemented IUGR lambs (P < 0.05). The expressions of the integrity-related proteins (occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1)), antioxidant- and apoptosis-related proteins (B-cell lymphoma/leukaemia 2 (Bcl2), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1)), and the nitric oxide-dependent pathway-related proteins (epithelial NO synthase (eNOS) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS)) were higher in NCG or Arg-supplemented IUGR lambs than those in nontreated IUGR lambs (P < 0.05). The duodenal expressions of the mitophagy-related proteins (microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) I, LC3 II, Belin1, PTEN induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), and Parkin) and the immune function-related proteins (myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), IL-6, nuclear factor kappa B (p65), toll-like receptor (TLR4) and TNF-α) were reduced (P < 0.05) in NCG or Arg-supplemented IUGR lambs compared with non-supplemented IUGR lambs. These results demonstrated that the dietary supplementation of Arg or NCG enhanced the duodenal barrier function and mitochondrial function, mitigated duodenal inflammation, and suppressed mitophagy in suckling lambs suffering from IUGR.

BACKGROUND In nonruminants, many of the biological roles of l-arginine (Arg) at the intestinal level are mediated through the Arg-nitric oxide (Arg-NO) pathway. Whether the Arg-NO pathway is involved in controlling the immune response and viability in ovine intestinal epithelial cells (IOECs) is unclear. OBJECTIVES The current study aimed to examine the role of the Arg-NO pathway in apoptosis, antioxidant capacity, and mitochondrial function of IOECs. METHODS The IOECs were incubated in Arg-free DMEM supplemented with 150 μM Arg (CON) or 300 μM Arg (ARG) alone or with 350 μM Nw-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (l-NAME) (CON + NAME, ARG + NAME) for 24 h. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration, antioxidant capacity, and cell apoptotic percentage were determined. RESULTS Arg supplementation decreased (P

L-arginine (Arg) is a semiessential amino acid with several physiological functions. N-Carbamylglutamate (NCG) can promote the synthesis of endogenous Arg in mammals. However, the roles of Arg or NCG on hepatic inflammation and apoptosis in suckling lambs suffering from intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are still unclear. The current work is aimed at examining the effects of dietary Arg and NCG on inflammatory and hepatocyte apoptosis in IUGR suckling lambs. On day 7 after birth, 48 newborn Hu lambs were selected from a cohort of 432 twin lambs. Normal-birthweight and IUGR Hu lambs were allocated randomly (n=12/group) to control (CON), IUGR, IUGR+1% Arg, or IUGR+0.1% NCG groups. Lambs were fed for 21 days from 7 to 28 days old. Compared with CON lambs, relative protein 53 (P53), apoptosis antigen 1 (Fas), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), caspase-3, cytochrome C, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) p65, and NF-κB pp65 protein levels were higher (P<0.05) in liver from IUGR lambs, whereas those in liver from IUGR lambs under Arg or NCG treatment were lower than those in IUGR lambs. These findings indicated that supplementing Arg or NCG reduced the contents of proinflammatory cytokines at the same time when the apoptosis-related pathway was being suppressed, thus suppressing the IUGR-induced apoptosis of hepatic cells.

Micronutrient supplementation during late gestation can enhance the metabolic profile and physiological wellbeing of ewes and their lambs. This study was carried out to evaluate the impact of Spirulina platensis (SP) and vitamin A supplementation during late gestation on the pregnant ewes’ health and their newly born lambs’ viability and performance. One month before lambing, thirty six pregnant ewes (47.4±0.52 kg BW) were randomly assigned into three experimental groups (n=6 with 2 replicates for each treatment) and received one of three treatments: intramuscular injection of 1 mL saline per ewe twice a week (control); 1 g/10 kg BW of ewes /day of Spirulina platensis powder (SP) was added to the concentrate mixture; and intramuscular injection of 1 mL vitamin A (50,000 IU) per ewe twice a week. Results revealed that significantly (P< 0.05) decreased in the ewes’ serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and increased the serum creatinine level of control group after lambing. However, supplementation with SP and vitamin A normalized serum ALT activity and creatinine level after lambing. Also, SP enhanced serum levels of glucose, triacylglycerol and total cholesterol after lambing. In addition, supplementation of late pregnant ewes with SPincreased total leucocytes count and serum vitamin A concentration of their newly born lambs. Furthermore, SP and vitamin A supplementation to the pregnant ewes increased newly born lambs’ birth weights and body temperatures, while they decreased the stillbirth by 56% (11.1%) and 43% (14.3%), respectively compared to those of the control group (25%). Finally, SP and vitamin A ameliorated the lambing-induced stress in ewes and lambs represented by reducing serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha in both ewes and their lambs. Thus, supplementation of pregnant ewes with SP and vitamin A improved their health at lambing and enhanced their lambs’ survivability and performance.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application and harvesting stage on the contents of chlorophyll, phytol and carotenoids (β-carotene and lutein) in Italian ryegrass herbage before and after ensiling, and the extent of phytol preservation after ensiling. Three rates of N fertilizer (0, 60 and 120 kg N/ha) were applied by top-dressing as an additional fertilizer. The herbage harvested at booting stage (27 weeks of age) or heading stage (29 weeks of age) were wilted for 1 day, then ensiled for 60 days using a small-scale pouch system. In the pre-ensiled herbages, increasing N fertilizer application increased the contents of crude protein and photosynthetic pigments, and these contents were also higher at the booting stage compared with the heading stage. In the silage, increasing N fertilizer application also increased the contents of crude protein, the photosynthetic pigments and their derivatives (pheophytin and pheophorbide), while harvesting stage did not affect the contents of β-carotene, chlorophylls or pheophorbide. Nitrogen fertilizer application and early harvesting of herbage increased lutein and phytol contents in Italian ryegrass silage. Lutein and phytol in Italian ryegrass herbage are indicated to be well preserved during ensiling.