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1. The hypothesis that air-classified faba bean protein fraction (FBP) can replace soybean meal (SBM) in pelleted or extruded broiler diets without adverse effect on performance or nutrient digestibility was tested. 2. At 17 d of age, male broilers were randomly distriibuted among four dietary treatments consisting of either SBM or FBP (main dietary protein source) and pelleting or extrusion as processing methods. Treatments had 10 replicate pens containing five birds each. 3. Compared to SBM, birds fed FBP had significantly lower feed intake, less weight gain and had poorer feed conversion. 4. Pellet durability was high (above 92%) for all diets. In pelleted diets, FBP was harder than SBM whereas extruded diets had similar hardness. Pelleting increased water stability compared to extrusion. FBP diets were more water stable than the SBM diets. 5. Gizzard content weight was 2.2-fold higher (P = 0.002) for birds given FBP compared to those fed SBM. The weight of the jejunum and ileum with contents was 1.4-fold lower for the FBP diets, and this effect was larger (P < 0.05) for the extruded FBP diet. 6. Birds fed FBP diets had significantly higher nitrogen digestibility in the lower jejunum and ileum compared to those given SBM diets, while the starch digestibility coefficient was above 0.980 in all treatments. 7. The high nutrient digestibility of FBP diets indicates that the poor performance of the FBP group was due to lower feed intake which was not explained by the differences in pellet durability or hardness. The reduced palatability of the FBP and the longer retention of the FBP diets in the upper gut are more likely to have depressed feed intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heavy reliance on imported soybean meal (SBM) as a protein source makes it necessary for the European pig industry to search for alternatives and to develop pigs that perform efficiently when fed such ingredients. Digestion and metabolism are major physiological processes contributing to variation in feed efficiency. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to assess the effects of replacing SBM with increasing levels of rapeseed meal (RSM) in diets for young pigs on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and nutrients, nitrogen (N) balance, energy metabolism and carbohydrate, protein and fat oxidation. Four diets were fed to 32 pigs (22.7±4.1 kg initial BW) for three weeks. The diets consisted of a control cereal grain-SBM basal diet and three test diets where SBM and wheat were partially replaced with 10%, 20%, and 30% of expeller RSM. Increasing level of RSM in the diets linearly reduced ATTD of organic matter, CP, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber and energy. Utilization of digested nitrogen (DN) for N retention and total N excretion were not affected by RSM inclusion, however, RSM inclusion induced a shift in N excretion from urine to feces. Despite a linear increase in liver to metabolic BW ratio, heat production and utilization of metabolizable energy (ME) for retention were not affected by increasing RSM inclusion. In conclusion, replacing SBM with up to 30% of expeller RSM in nutritionally balanced diets for young pigs reduced the ATTD of most nutrients and energy, but did not affect N and energy retention in the body or efficiency of utilization of DN or ME for retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigated morphological changes associated with soya bean meal‐induced enteritis (SBMIE) in distal intestine (DI) of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed a soya bean meal (SBM)‐based diet and exposed to normoxia or hypoxia created by optimal and low water flow rates, respectively. A 28‐day adaption period was followed by a 42‐day challenge period where 600 fish were subjected to dietary challenge and/or hypoxia. Twelve tanks each containing 50 juvenile trout were assigned randomly in triplicate to each treatment. Histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation revealed pathological features that have not previously been described in association with SBMIE. Vacuolar degeneration of epithelial cells mainly at the base of mucosal folds, epithelial cysts, epithelial dysplasia, necrosis, shedding of necrotic cells, and granulomatous inflammation including infiltration of enlarged, sometimes finely vacuolated or “foamy” macrophages, multinucleated giant cells and increased proliferation of fibroblasts were observed. Acid‐fast bacteria were not detected in enlarged macrophages; however, these cells contained AB‐PAS‐ and sometimes cytokeratin‐positive material, which was interpreted to be of epithelial/goblet cell origin. Hypoxia did not affect the morphological changes in DI. These results suggest that SBM was associated with a granulomatous form of enteritis in DI of rainbow trout regardless of water oxygen level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This experiment investigated intestinal enteropathy and digestive function of rainbow trout challenged with soybean meal‐based diet (SBM) at optimal or suboptimal environments created by normal or reduced water flow, respectively. Oxygen level remained above 7 mg L‐1 for optimal environment and between 4 and 5 mg L‐1 for suboptimal environment. Triplicate groups of fish (mean body weight 74 g) were fed fishmeal‐based diet (FM) or SBM at optimal environment in period 1 (28 days). In period 2 (42 days), fish were subjected to a change from FM to SBM or remained on the same diet as used in period 1. The fish were also exposed to change from optimal to suboptimal environment or remained under optimal conditions. The fish subjected to change from FM to SBM, regardless of their environment, showed similar degree of enteropathy from day 14. Lipid and starch digestibility was lower in SBM‐fed fish at suboptimal environment compared to fish fed the same diet at optimal environment. Crude protein digestibility, however, was highest in SBM‐fed fish at suboptimal environment throughout period 2. In conclusion, in SBM‐fed rainbow trout, exposure to suboptimal environment did not change the degree of enteropathy; however, lipid and starch digestibility were further reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of the present study were to quantify the amount of nucleic acids, to examine the nucleobase composition and to determine the digestibility of individual nucleobases in diets containing various products from bacterial biomass grown on natural gas, including autolytic and hydrolytic fractions, using mink ( Mustela vison) as a model animal. The diets consisted of cod fillet (control), commercial basic BioProtein®, and five experimentally produced autolytic and hydrolytic fractions of the bacterial protein meal as protein sources. Each diet was assigned to four adult male mink, housed individually in cages equipped for controlled feeding and quantitative collection of faeces. Faeces were collected for 4 days, and the individual nucleobases in diet and faeces were analysed by HPLC after hydrolysis using HClO4. The content of nucleobases in the diets containing bacterial protein meal was 37% to 205% higher than in the control diet. The nucleobase-nitrogen in the control diet amounted to 4.3% of the total nitrogen content, whereas the experimental bacterial protein diets contained from 7.4% to 17.4% of the total N content in the form of nucleic acids. The various methods used to produce the bacterial protein fractions clearly affected both the amount of nucleic acids and the molar proportions of the individual nucleobases. The average digestibility of the nucleobases was 95%, and all the individual nucleobases were highly digestible. Uracil showed the highest digestibility (on average 96.8%), whereas thymine showed the lowest digestibility (on average 93.6%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to compare the effects of post-ruminal and intravenous infusions of wheat starch or glucose (CHO) or a mixture of amino acids (AA) on milk protein yield, nitrogen (N) utilisation, plasma metabolites and mammary extraction rate of dairy cows in late lactation. Eight cow, ruminally fistulated, was assigned to two 4 × 4 Latin squares during 14-day periods, where the last 7 days were for infusions. Infusions were: (1) starch in the abomasum (SP), (2) glucose in the blood (GB), (3) AA in the abomasum (AP), and (4) AA in the blood (AB). The experiment started 165 ± 4 days (mean ± s.e.) post partum (milk yield 22.5 ± 1.1 kg) Daily amounts of nutrients infused were 257, 283, 233, and 260 g for SP, GB, AP and AB, respectively. The cows were fed a basal diet consisting of a concentrate mixture and grass silage (55:45 on a dry-matter (DM) basis), where total dry-matter intake (DMI) was 13.3 kg/day. Milk production was affected by site of infusion within substrate, whereas infusion substrates within infusion site (CHO or AA) were of minor importance. Responses to intravenous infusions (GB or AB) were similar to those in early lactation, but more pronounced. Compared with SP infusion, GB infusion increased ( P < 0.05) milk yield, energy-corrected milk (ECM), protein and lactose yield by 1.4 and 0.9 kg, 38 and 59 g, respectively. The AB infusion had 1.4 and 1.3 kg, 51, 52 and 50 g higher ( P < 0.05) milk yield, ECM, protein, fat and lactose yields than the AP infusion, respectively. N balance data indicated higher losses of metabolic faecal nitrogen (MFN) by abomasal than by intravenous infusions, but the catabolism of AA was lower than in early lactation indicated by no difference ( P < 0.05) in urinary N excretion between treatments. Intravenous AA infusion increased plasma glucose and insulin above that of intravenous glucose infusion. The treatment effects on plasma insulin concentrations were higher in late than in early lactation, suggesting a higher sensitivity in late lactation even at similar negative energy balance. Compared with the SP infusion, GB infusion showed lower ( P < 0.05) concentrations of essential AA (EAA) and branched-chain AA (BCAA) resulting in a higher AA utilisation because of a higher milk protein production. AP infusion increased ( P < 0.05) plasma non-essential AA concentration compared with AB infusion, but infusion site of AA had no effect ( P>0.05) on plasma EAA or BCAA. It is concluded that it is the nutrient supply and not the lactation stage per se that is important for the response in milk production. Nevertheless, stage of lactation affects the N metabolism and the response in plasma hormone concentrations even when cows are in negative energy balance in both lactation stages.