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This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of brown rice (Japonica) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood parameters of weanling pigs. A total of 60 weanling pigs (28-day-old, 30 barrows and 30 gilts, 6.73 ± 0.77 kg body weight [BW]) were randomly allotted to 2 dietary treatments (6 pigs per pen; 5 replicates per treatment) in a randomized complete block design with the initial BW and sex as blocks. The dietary treatments were a typical nursery diet based on corn and soybean meal (CON) and the CON replaced 50% of corn with brown rice (BR). Pigs were fed respective dietary treatments for 5 weeks. For the last week of experiment period, pigs were fed respective dietary treatments containing 0.2% chromic oxide as an indigestible marker. Fecal samples were collected from randomly selected 1 pig in each pen daily for the last 3 d after the 4-d adjustment period. Blood was collected from randomly selected 1 pig in each pen on d 0, 3, 7, and 14 after weaning. Compared with pig fed CON diet, pigs fed the BR diet were found to have higher (p < 0.05) final BW, overall average daily gain, and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter and energy. However, there were no significant differences between the groups with respect to average daily feed intake, gain to feed ratio, frequency of diarrhea, and the AID and ATTD of crude protein during overall experimental period. Similarly, there were no significant differences on blood parameters between the groups. Thus, the findings of this study indicate that brown rice (Japonica) can be used to replace 50% of corn in the diet of pigs during the nursery period without negatively affecting growth performance, nutrient digestibility, or blood parameters.

This study was conducted to evaluate the supplementation of glutamic acid (Glu) to reduced protein diets on the performance of weanling pigs. One hundred and eighty crossbred weanling pigs ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc, 21 d old) having similar body weight (BW) of 6.45 kg were randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments (5 pigs per pen [2 barrows and 3 gilts]; 6 pens per treatment) based on BW and sex during a 6-week trial. Dietary treatments consisted of positive control (PC) diet formulated to have 226.9, 205.6, and 188.8 g crude protein (CP) during phases 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and negative control (NC) diets with 20 g CP reduction from PC diets and addition of Glu with increasing levels, resulting in the calculated Lys-to-Glu ratios of 1:2.25, 1:2.30.1:2.35, 1:2.40, and 1:2.45, designated as NC, NC1, NC2, NC3, and NC4, respectively. The BW of pigs receiving PC diet was higher (P

Effect of xylanase (Xyl) and live yeast (LY) supplementation on gut microbiome composition, growth performance, and nutrient digestibility of weanling pigs was determined. A total of 180 weanling pigs were assigned to five treatments from weaning to market. Treatments were designated based on whether Xyl, LY, or their combination were fed in the first 2 wk postweaning or thereafter until finishing at day 141 postweaning. Treatments were (days 1–15; days 15–141): control–control, control–Xyl, Xyl–Xyl, LY–Xyl, Xyl + LY–Xyl. Xylanase was added at 16 000 BXU·kg−1 and LY at 1 kg·t−1. Pigs fed with LY and LY + Xyl from days 0–15 had greater body weight and average daily gain at day 15 compared with control (P

Several studies have focused on Ca and P requirements for pigs. These requirements are estimated from their retention and bone formation. However, modern pig breeds have different responses to dietary Ca and P than traditional breeds, and their requirements are expected to change on an annual basis. Besides individual Ca and P needs, the Ca to P ratio (Ca/P) is an important factor in determining requirements. This study aimed to implement a linear and quadratic regression analysis to estimate Ca and P requirements based on average daily gain (ADG), apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of Ca (ATTD-Ca), ATTD of P (ATTD-P), and crude protein (CP) digestibility. Results show that Ca/P had linear and quadratic effects on ADG in the phytase-supplemented (PS) group in both the 6–11 kg and 11–25 kg categories. In the latter category, the CP digestibility was linearly increased in response to increasing Ca/P in the without-phytase (WP) group. In the 25–50 kg category, there was a linear response of ADG and linear and quadratic responses of CP digestibility to Ca/P in the PS group, while a linear and quadratic increase in CP digestibility and a quadratic effect on ATTD-Ca were observed in the WP group. In the 50–75 kg category, Ca/P had significant quadratic effects on ADG in the PS and WP groups, along with significant linear and quadratic effects on ATTD-Ca. In addition, Ca/P had significant quadratic effects on ATTD-P and led to a significant linear and quadratic increase in the CP digestibility in the WP group. In the 75–100 kg category, analysis showed a significant decrease in ATTD-Ca and ATTD-P in the PS and WP groups; in the latter, ATTD-P and ATTD-Ca were linearly decreased by increasing Ca/P. In conclusion, our equations predicted a higher Ca/P in the 6–25 kg bodyweight categories and a lower Ca/P in the 50-100 kg category than that recommended in the literature.

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM), due to poor energy and/or protein intake, is associated with poor growth, depressed immune function, and long-term impacts on metabolic function. As the liver is a major metabolic organ and malnutrition poses metabolic stress, we hypothesize that SAM will be associated with alterations in the hepatic metabolome reflective of oxidative stress, gluconeogenesis, and ketogenesis. Thus, the purpose of this secondary analysis was to understand how SAM alters hepatic metabolism using a piglet model. Weanling piglets were feed either a reference (REF) or protein-energy deficient diet (MAL) for 5 weeks. After dietary treatment MAL piglets were severely underweight (weight-for-age Z-score of -3.29, Welch's t test, P = .0007), moderately wasted (weight-for-length Z-score of-2.49, Welch's t test, P = .003), and tended toward higher hepatic triglyceride content (Welch's t test, P = .07). Hematologic and blood biochemical measurements were assessed at baseline and after dietary treatment. The hepatic metabolome was investigated using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Hepatic concentrations of betaine, cysteine, and glutathione tended to be lower in MAL (Welch's t test with FDR correction, P < .1), while inosine, lactate, and methionine sulfoxide concentrations were higher in MAL (inosine: P = .0448, lactate: P = .0258, methionine sulfoxide: P = .0337). These changes suggest that SAM is associated with elevated hepatic oxidative stress, increased gluconeogenesis, and alterations in 1-carbon metabolism.

The most common target organ for toxicity in the endocrine system is the adrenal gland, and its function is dependent upon the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Histopathologic examination of the adrenal glands and pituitary gland is routinely performed in toxicity studies. However, the function of the adrenal gland is not routinely assessed in toxicity studies. Assessment of adrenal cortical function may be necessary to determine whether a histopathologic finding in the adrenal cortex results in a functional effect in the test species. As juvenile toxicity studies are more commonly performed in support of pediatric indications for pharmaceuticals, it is important to establish historical control data for adrenal gland function. In this study, adrenal cortical function was assessed in control neonatal and weanling beagle dogs as part of an ongoing juvenile toxicology program. Measurements of serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol prior to and following administration of exogenous ACTH, and aldosterone were conducted beginning at 2 weeks of age continuing through 26 weeks of age. Serum electrolyte concentrations were determined at 4, 13, and 26 weeks of age. Dogs as young as 2 weeks of age synthesize and secrete adrenal cortical hormones and exhibit a functional hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis.

Feed contamination is a major concern to the pig farming industry. There is a growing concern towards the harmful effects that mycotoxins and especially ochratoxin A have on the overall health and development of pigs. However the deleterious effects on the gastro-intestinal microbiota has not been studied thoroughly, especially at a low dose exposure. The current study proposed to investigate the effect of a sub-chronic dose of OTA on some of the important bacterial populations colonizing the pig gut as well as assessing the impact on SCFA production. The changes induced in bacterial populations not only affect the immune system of the pig but also influence the development of the mycotoxicosis. This paper highlights the impact of 0.05mg/kg feed of OTA on the large intestine microbiota and on the SCFA production associated with it.

The aim of this was evaluate the efficacy of lysozyme on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, excreta microflora population, and blood profiles of weanling pigs under Escherichia coli (E. coli) challenge. A total of 30 piglets weaned at 25 days, 7.46 kg body weight, were assigned to three dietary treatments, composed of five replications, two piglets per replication, for 7 days. The dietary treatment groups were negative control (NC; without antibiotics and lysozyme), positive control (PC; NC + antibiotics), lysozyme (NC + 0.1% lysozyme). All piglets were challenged orally with 6 ml suspension, containing E. coli K88 (2 × 109 CFU/mL). Dietary supplementation with lysozyme and PC resulted in no significant differences in average daily gain and gain to feed efficiency. Weanling pigs fed with E. coli challenge with lysozyme and PC treatments had significantly enhanced nutrient retentions of dry matter and energy (p < 0.05); however, there was a tendency to increase nitrogen digestibility. Furthermore, dietary inclusion of lysozyme and antibiotics treatment groups had a beneficial effect on excreta, ileal, and cecal of the fecal microbial population as decreased E. coli (p < 0.05) counts, without effects on lactobacillus counts. A significant effect were observed on a white blood cells, epinephrine and cortisol concentrations were reduced in piglets fed diets containing E. coli challenge with lysozyme and antibiotics supplementation comparison with the NC group. Therefore, the present data indicate that lysozyme in diet could ameliorate the experimental stress response induced by E. coli in piglets by decreasing intestinal E. coli, white blood cells and stress hormones and improving nutrient digestibility.

Autonomic dysfunction is involved in the onset of salt-sensitive hypertension as baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) is blunted in salt-sensitive hypertension. However, salt sensitivity exhibits sex disparity because in salt-sensitive hypertension, blood pressure (BP) is usually higher in males when compared with females. The mechanism(s) underlying this sexual dimorphism is not clear. We, therefore, designed this study to determine BRS in weanling male Sprague – Dawley rats that were either bilaterally orchidectomized or sham-operated (under ketamine and xylazine anaesthesia (90 mg and 10 mg/kg/body weight i.m) respectively, with or without testosterone replacement (10 mg/kg sustanon 250® i.m once in 3 weeks) and were placed on normal (0.3%) or high (8%) NaCl diet for 6 weeks. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measured via arterial cannulation under urethane and α-chloralose anesthesia (5 ml/kg body weight i.p). BRS was determined as change in HR per unit change in BP in response to 30 seconds bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCO). Serum concentration of testosterone was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). High salt diet (HSD) increased both the basal BP and peak BP after BCCO when compared with control. Orchidectomy attenuated but testosterone replacement restored the elevated BP in rats fed HSD. HSD blunted BRS to BCCO. However, this effect of HSD was lost in the absence of testosterone as there was no significant difference in BRS between rat fed a normal or high salt diet. Our results suggest that blunting of the BRS may be one of the mechanisms by which testosterone promotes salt-induced hypertension and serves as one of the bases for sex disparity in salt-sensitive hypertension.

Twenty Yorkshire piglets, weaned at approximately 4 weeks of age were used in this study designed to study the variation in the plasma alkaline phosphatase levels as influenced by dietary calcium and phosphorus and 3% Cestrum diurnum ingestion. Plasma alkaline phosphatase values decreased significantly in the pigs fed either normal calcium: phosphorus or low calcium: high phosphorus diets supplemented with 3% C. diurnum. The decrease in the enzyme values was attributed to the observed histological lesion of retarded osteocytic osteolysis and chondrolysis due to the direct toxic action of C. diurnum factor(s) on resorbing osteocytes.

Twenty Yorkshire piglets weaned at approximately 4 weeks of age, were used in this study to investigate the variations in plasma calcium and phosphorus as influenced by dietary calcium and phosphorus and 3 Cestrum diurnum. In the CCD and TCD pigs, hypercalcemia developed rapidly and persisted following the feeding of 3% C. diurnum. While hypophosphatemia occurred in the CCD pigs, there was an initial and transient hyperphosphatemia with subsequent and terminal hypophosphatemia in the TCD pigs The hypercalcemia induced by the ingestion of 5% C. diurnum in the CCD and TCD pigs is attributed to increased intestinal absorption of calcium and not to bore resorption. The initial hyperphosphatemic response in TCD pigs is also believed to be due to increase absorption of phosphorus from the high phosphorus diet.

Dried plantain (Musa paradisiaca) peels (DPP), either ripe or unripe (green), were given to Weaned rabbits to replace maize at O, 10, 20 and 30% levels in isonitrogenous (18% crude protein) diets for 56 days in a 2 x 4 factorial experiment. The 30% inclusion level of DPP depressed (P < 0.05) the final weight gain, daily weight gains, and feed conversion efficiency. Ripe or unripe DPP had no significant (P < 0.05) effect on the performance parameters except feed intake, which was improved (P < 0.05). The interaction between ripe or unripe DPP and inclusion levels significantly (P < 0.05) affected weight gain and feed conversion efficiency. Inclusion of DPP depressed (P < 0.05) dressing percentage and lumbar and limbs weights while the viscera weight was increased Ripeness the plantain peels had no significant effect (P < 0.05) on the carcass yield. There was also increase in profit margin expressed in terms of feed cost/ kg live weight gain with inclusion of plantain peel in the diet. The results of this study showed that ripeness slightly improved the nutritive value of DPP which can be included al 20% in weaned rabbits ' diet to replace maize.

The effects of dietary fumonism B1 (FB1), an environmental mycotoxin produced by fungi of the genus Fusarium, on performance and haematological parameters was investigated using 24 male Large White weanling pigs. The animals were divided into four groups, with six animals per group. Each group received one of the four diets containing approximately 0.20, 5.0, 10.0 and 15.0 mg FB1/kg constituting diets 1 - 4 respectively, in a completely randomized design. Blood sample was collected from each of the ear vein of each animal at the end of the 4- month feeding trial for haematological analysis. Lower feed intake and a non-significant (P>0.05), but FB1 concentration-dependent decrease in live and daily weight gains in animal fed diets 2, 3, and 4 were observed. Also, dietary FB1 generally ahd significant influence on haematological parameters. The daily and the final live weight gains of animals fed diet 4 were 92.3 and 92.6% respectively, of the control values. Animals fed diets containing 10 and 15 mg FB1/kg suffered significantly (P

Amino acid analysis and 2 growth studies were carried out to determine the effect of period of boiling of full-fat soyabeans on their nutritive value for weanling and growing pigs. Soyabeans were boiled in water for 15, 20, 25 or 30 minutes in Experiment 1 and 25, 30, 35 or 40 minutes in Experiment 2. Forty cross-bred (Large White x Hampshire) pigs were used in each of the Experiments. Period of boiling bad no effect on amino acid analysis of full-fat soyabeans. Weanling pigs had the best growth performance when soyabeans were boiled for 30 minutes and this was not significantly different (P>0.05) from the soyabean meal control diet. Period of boiling of full-fat soyabeans did not significantly (P>0.05) affect the performance of the heavier pigs, although improvement was observed up to 30 minutes of boiling. Keywords: Pigs, soyabeans, ammo acid, growth.

One hundred and ten (110) weanling male winstar strain rats were used to determine the protein efficiency ration (PER) and net protein ration (NPR) of five cowpea samples. PER ranged from 1.06 in IT 8JD-1137 to 1.91 in IT84E-1-108 while values in autoclaved samples ranged from 1.55 in IT8ID-1137 to 2.78 in IT84E-1-108. for NPR, raw samples gave values that ranged between 2.44 and 3.57 in IT81D-1137 and IT84E-1-108 respectively. Autoclaved samples gave NPR values that ranged from 2.72 to 4.47 in IT 81D-1137 and IT84E-1-108 respectively. In the raw and autoclaved cowpea diets, trypsin inhibitor, lectin and tannic acid were negatively correlated with PER and NPR while HCN and phytic acid had positive relationship with these indicators of protein quality. In autoclaved samples cowpea variety IT84E-1 1-108 had the highest PER and NPR values showing that it would support growth to a reasonable extent. Keywords: Protein efficiency ratio, net protein ratio, autoclaving, antinutritional factors, cowpea varieties

This study aimed to determine the effects of the antimicrobial peptide WK3, as an alternative to antibiotics, on diarrheic piglets. Before treatment, all pigs were orally challenged with 108 CFU/ml enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88 for 3 days. Piglets were randomly divided into 3 treatments of eight piglets each, namely, the control treatment, antibiotic treatment and antimicrobial peptide treatment. The experimental results show that the addition of the antibacterial peptide WK3 to the diet can significantly reduce the chance of diarrhea. Compared with the CON group, average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of the WK3 group (P

Submitted 2020-06-15 | Accepted 2020-07-01 | Available 2020-12-01 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2020.23.mi-fpap.23-28 The aim of the study was to ascertain the potential effects of fumonisins on nutrients’ digestibility in the gastrointestinal tract. Eighteen (n= 6 x 3) weanling pigs from the age of 35 days were administered 0, 15 or 30 mg/kg dietary fumonisins (FB1, FB2 and FB3) for a period of 21days, after an acclimatization period of 14 days. Titanium dioxide (0.5%) was added as indigestible marker to the feed and representative fecal samples were taken during a 5-day collection period in order to determine the digestibility of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, starch, ash, calcium, phosphorus and energy. The final body weights, cumulative feed intake and relative organ weights of all groups were were not influenced by treatment (p>0.05). Digestibility of energy, crude fiber, ash, calcium and phosphorus were significantly higher (p

BACKGROUND Alpha-tocopherol (αT), the bioactive constituent of vitamin E, is essential for fertility and neurological development. Synthetic αT (8 stereoisomers; all rac-αT) is added to infant formula at higher concentrations than natural αT (RRR-αT only) to adjust for bio-potency differences, but its effects on brain development are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES The objective was to determine the impact of bio-potency-adjusted dietary all rac-αT versus RRR-αT, fed to dams, on the hippocampal gene expression in weanling mice. METHODS Male/female pairs of C57BL/6J mice were fed AIN 93-G containing RRR-αT (NAT) or all rac-αT (SYN) at 37.5 or 75 IU/kg (n = 10/group) throughout gestation and lactation. Male pups were euthanized at 21 days. Half the brain was evaluated for the αT concentration and stereoisomer distribution. The hippocampus was dissected from the other half, and RNA was extracted and sequenced. Milk αT was analyzed in separate dams. RESULTS A total of 797 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the hippocampi across the 4 dietary groups, at a false discovery rate of 10%. Comparing the NAT-37.5 group to the NAT-75 group or the SYN-37.5 group to the SYN-75 group, small differences in brain αT concentrations (10%; P

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of hot-melt extrusion (HME)–processed copper (Cu) sulfate supplementation on the growth performance, gut microbiota, metabolic function of Cu, and bioavailability of Cu in weanling pigs fed a corn-soybean meal basal diets. A total of 180 piglets (Yorkshire × Landrace × Duroc) of mixed-sex randomly were allotted to six treatments on the basis of initial average body weight (6.36 ± 0.39 kg) to six dietary treatments. There were six replicates in each treatment with 5 pigs per replicates. The dietary treatments included levels of CuSO4 (IN6, 6 mg Cu/kg diets; IN125, 125 mg Cu/kg diets), nano-CuSO4 (HME6, 6 mg Cu/kg diets; HME65, 65 mg Cu/kg diets; and HME125, 125 mg Cu/kg diets), and Cu-methionine (ORG125, 125 mg Cu/kg diets). The weanling pigs fed diets supplemented with the HME65 and HME125 showed a greater body weight and feed intake compared with IN6 and IN125 (P

This study was aimed at investigating the effect of the aqueous extracts of Khaya grandifoliola stem bark on some disaccharidases (lactase and sucrase) in diet-induced anemia in weanling rats. Weanling rats of 21 days old were maintained on iron-deficient diets for four weeks to induce anemia before treatment. A total of 35 weanling rats were used, grouped into five rats per group of iron-deficient diet/distilled water, iron-sufficient diet/distilled water, change of iron-deficient diet after four weeks to iron-sufficient diet, iron-deficient diet/ Standard drug, iron-deficient diet/25 mg/kg body weight of aqueous plant extract, iron-deficient diet/50 mg/kg body weight of aqueous plant extract, and iron-deficient diet/100 mg/kg body weight of aqueous plant extract. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, tannins, anthraquinones and flavonoids. The extract administered orally produced significant increase in the activity of intestinal mucosa sucrase and lactase (P < .05). The change of diet from iron deficient diet to iron sufficient diet increased disaccharidases activities in the intestinal mucosa. However, the aqueous extract of Khaya grandifoliola showed a higher disaccharidases activity when compared to the group of rats that were fed iron-sufficient diet. This study revealed that plant extract administered increased disaccharidases activity in the intestinal mucosa in diet-induced anemic group of weanling rats and thus lends credence to Khaya grandifoliola use in folklore medicine in the management of anemia.

A total of 150 crossbred pigs [(Duroc × Yorkshire) × Landrace; body weight (BW) = 5.74 ± 1.15 kg; weaned at day 21 after birth] were assigned to one of five dietary treatments (six pens per treatment and five pigs per pen) by BW and sex (two barrows and three gilts) for a 6 wk experiment. The pen was considered the experimental unit in the statistical model. Treatments were corn–soybean meal diets supplemented with 0.0033% tiamulin as well as 0%, 0.05%, 0.10%, or 0.20% fermented garlic (FG). The average daily gain, average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed conversion ratio were linearly (p 3), total mercaptan emissions, and Escherichia coli counts were linearly (p 3emissions compared with pigs fed tiamulin. In conclusion, the results indicate that FG can enhance growth performance and digestibility, and reduce fecal E. coli counts as well as fecal gas emissions in weanling pigs.

Obesity and high-fat (HF) diet are associated with over activation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). We have demonstrated that maternal HF diet induces early obesity and modulates cannabinoid signaling in visceral (VIS) and subcutaneous (SUB) white adipose tissue (WAT) in weanling rat offspring. We hypothesized that perinatal maternal HF diet would program the expression of ECS in adipose tissue in a long-term way in parallel to alterations in epigenetic markers and sex hormone signaling. Progenitor female rats received control diet (C, 9% fat) or isocaloric high-fat diet (HF, 28% fat) for 8 weeks before mating, gestation, and lactation. All pups were weaned to C diet and they were euthanized at 180 days old. Maternal HF diet induced overweight and increased SUB WAT mass of male and female adult offspring. Maternal HF diet induced hypertrophy of VIS and SUB adipocytes only in female offspring associated with increased type 1 cannabinoid receptor protein (CB1) and mRNA (Cnr1) levels. These changes were associated with increased estrogen receptor α binding to Cnr1 promoter in SUB WAT of adult female offspring, which may contribute to higher expression of Cnr1. Increased CB1 signaling in adipose tissue might contribute to higher adiposity programmed by maternal HF diet because endocannabinoids stimulate the accumulation of fat in the adipose tissue. Our findings provide molecular insights into sex-specific targets for anti-obesity therapies based on the endocannabinoid system.

BACKGROUND: Although iron deficiency is known to interrupt vitamin A (VA) metabolism, the ability of iron repletion to restore VA metabolism and kinetics in iron-deficient rats is not well understood. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we examined the effects of dietary iron repletion on VA status in rats with pre-existing iron deficiency. METHODS: Weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a VA-marginal diet (0.35 mg retinol/kg diet) containing either a normal concentration of iron [35 ppm, control group (CN)] or reduced iron (3 ppm, iron-deficient group, ID−); after 5 wk, 4 rats/group were killed for baseline measurements. A (3)H-labeled retinol emulsion was administered intravenously to the remaining rats (n = 6, CN; n = 10, ID−) as tracer to initiate the kinetic study. On day 21 after dosing, n = 5 ID− rats were switched to the CN diet, generating an iron-repletion group (ID+). Blood samples were collected at 34 time points ≤92 d after dose administration, when all rats were killed and iron and VA status were determined. RESULTS: At baseline, ID− rats had developed iron deficiency, with a reduced plasma VA concentration (0.67 compared with 1.20 μmol/L in ID− and CN rats, respectively; P

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of zinc oxide/zeolite on growth performance, serum biochemistry, intestinal morphology, and microflora of weaned piglets. Two hundred and fifty-six weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Large) at 21 days of age were randomly assigned to 2 groups with 8 replicates and 16 piglets in each pen. The diets of high dose of zinc oxide group (HD-ZnO) supplemented with 1500 mg/kg zinc as zinc oxide, but the diet of experimental group supplemented with 500 mg/kg zinc as zinc oxide that supported on zeolite (SR-ZnO). The experiment was conducted for 2 weeks after weanling. The results showed replacement of high-dosed zinc oxide by SR-ZnO had no significant effects on growth performance and intestinal morphology. However, the dietary supplementation of SR-ZnO reduced the diarrhea rate (P

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are pervasive environmental contaminants implicated as risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Immune dysregulation is another NDD risk factor, and developmental PCB exposures are associated with early life immune dysregulation. Studies of the immunomodulatory effects of PCBs have focused on the higher-chlorinated congeners found in legacy commercial mixtures. Comparatively little is known about the immune effects of contemporary, lower-chlorinated PCBs. This is a critical data gap given recent reports that lower-chlorinated congeners comprise >70% of the total PCB burden in serum of pregnant women enrolled in the MARBLES study who are at increased risk for having a child with an NDD. To examine the influence of PCBs, sex, and genotype on cytokine levels, mice were exposed throughout gestation and lactation to a PCB mixture in the maternal diet, which was based on the 12 most abundant PCBs in sera from MARBLES subjects. Using multiplex array, cytokines were quantified in the serum and hippocampus of weanling mice expressing either a human gain-of-function mutation in ryanodine receptor 1 (T4826I mice), a human CGG premutation repeat expansion in the fragile X mental retardation gene 1 (CGG mice), or both mutations (DM mice). Congenic wildtype (WT) mice were used as controls. There were dose-dependent effects of PCB exposure on cytokine concentrations in the serum but not hippocampus. Differential effects of genotype were observed in the serum and hippocampus. Hippocampal cytokines were consistently elevated in T4826I mice and also in WT animals for some cytokines compared to CGG and DM mice, while serum cytokines were usually elevated in the mutant genotypes compared to the WT group. Males had elevated levels of 19 cytokines in the serum and 4 in the hippocampus compared to females, but there were also interactions between sex and genotype for 7 hippocampal cytokines. Only the chemokine CCL5 in the serum showed an interaction between PCB dose, genotype, and sex. Collectively, these findings indicate differential influences of PCB exposure and genotype on cytokine levels in serum and hippocampal tissue of weanling mice. These results suggest that developmental PCB exposure has chronic effects on baseline serum, but not hippocampal, cytokine levels in juvenile mice., Graphical Abstract Unlabelled Image, Highlights • Mice were developmentally exposed to a human-relevant mixture of PCBs. • PCBs altered cytokine levels in serum but not hippocampus from juvenile mice. • Genotype had a large influence on hippocampal cytokine concentrations. • Sex differences: males had increased levels of cytokines, especially in serum. • Interactions between factors were observed for a minority of cytokines.

Objective This study was conducted to investigate the effects of hot-melt extruded ZnO nano-particles (HME-ZnO) as an alternative for P-ZnO on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, Zn bioavailability, intestinal microbiota, and intestinal morphology of weanling pigs. Methods A total of 450 piglets (Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc) were randomly allotted to five treatments based on initial body weight and sex. The experimental diets were fed in a meal form as phase 1 from d 0 to 14 and phase 2 from d 15 to 28. Treatments were the control diet without ZnO supplementation, the diet containing 2,500 ppm Zn as ZnO, and three diets containing 500, 1,000, or 2,500 ppm Zn as HME-ZnO. Results The overall result showed a higher (p

The present study assessed the modulatory potentials of dietary n-3 [α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3 + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 22:6n-3), and n-6 fatty acid (LA, 18:2n-6)] on anthropometric parameters and fertility indices in high-fat-fed rats. Weanling female Wistar rats were fed with control diet (7% lard), high-fat diet (35% lard, HFL), high-fat with fish oil (21% fish oil + 14% lard, HFF), high-fat with canola oil (21% canola oil + 14% lard, HFC) and high-fat with sunflower oil (21% sunflower oil + 14% lard, HFS) for 2 months, mated and continued on their diets during pregnancy. At gestation day 18–20, the intra-uterine environment was examined in representative rats, and the rest were allowed for delivering pups. The pups after lactation were subjected to mating and feeding trials as above. Growth parameters (body weight, body length (BL), abdominal circumference (AC), thoracic circumference (TC), and Lee index and fertility parameters (litter size and sex ratio) were studied. Feeding HFL diet increased BL (16%), AC (33%) and TC (21%) compared to control (p

Background The objective of this study was to determine the effects of supplementing Cu on growth performance, Cu metabolism and Cu-related enzyme activities of weanling pigs fed diets with two different Cu sources, and to estimate optimal Cu requirements and relative bioavailability from these two sources for pigs. Methods Weanling pigs were allocated to 14 treatments arranged factorially, including 6 added Cu levels (5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160 mg/kg), and 2 mineral sources (tribasic Cu chloride, TBCC and copper proteinate, CuPro), as well as one negative control (0 mg/kg added Cu level) and one maximum allowed level treatment (200 mg/kg TBCC) for the entire 38-d experiment. Growth performance, mineral status and enzyme activities were measured at the end of this study. Results Increasing levels of Cu showed linear and quadratic responses (P < 0.01) for final BW, ADG and FCR regardless of the sources. Supplementation with TBCC (> 80 mg/kg) and CuPro (> 20 mg/kg) significantly decreased (P < 0.05) diarrhea incidence of weanling pigs. There were linear and quadratic increases (P < 0.01) in bile, hepatic, and intestinal Cu concentrations, fecal Cu contents, and plasma enzyme activities (alkaline phosphatase, ceruloplasmin, Cu, Zn-Superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD), and glutathione peroxidase), whereas plasma malondialdehyde decreased (P < 0.01) linearly and quadratically as dietary Cu level increased. Similarly, pigs fed CuPro absorbed and retained more Cu and excreted less Cu than those fed TBCC when supplemented 80 mg/kg and above. Optimal dietary Cu requirements for pigs from 28 to 66 d of age estimated based on fitted broken-line models (P < 0.05) of bile Cu, plasma Cu/Zn SOD and growth performance were 93–140 mg/kg from TBCC, and 63–98 mg/kg from CuPro accordingly. According to slope ratios from multiple linear regression, the bioavailability value of CuPro relative to TBCC (100%) was 156–263% (P < 0.01). Conclusion The findings indicated that Cu recommendation from current NRC (5–6 mg/kg) was not sufficient to meet the high requirement of weanling pigs. Cu from CuPro was significantly more bioavailable to weanling pigs than TBCC in stimulating growth and enzyme activities, decreasing diarrhea frequency and fecal Cu contents to the environment.

This study was designed to evaluate the influence of dietary supplementation of Tenebrio molitor larvae (TM) as an alternative source of protein to fish meal on growth response, retention of nutrient, hematological factors, immune system, and intestinal integrity in weaned pigs. A total of 180 weanling pigs (initial bodyweight of 6.27 ± 0.15 kg; 21 d) were distributed based on the bodyweight between 3 treatments with 6 replicates in each treatment including 10 piglets per replicate. The diets corresponding to treatments consisted of a fish meal diet (CON), a fish meal–dried mealworm diet (TM1, 50% replacement of fish meal with TM meal), and a dried mealworm diet (TM2, 100% replacement of fish meal with TM meal). This study was performed in two phases as phase 1 (d 0 to 14) and phase 2 (d 15 to 28). The pigs in the TM2 treatment showed a greater gain to feed ratio compared with the TM1 pigs in phase 1. Throughout the experimental period, the average daily gain (ADG) of the TM1 pigs was significantly greater than that of the TM2 treatment. The IgG concentration was increased in the TM1 and TM2 treatments compared with the CON pigs in phase 1. In conclusion, the supplementation of TM meal (50% replacement of fish meal) did not show any adverse effects in the performance of weanling pigs, however, 100% replacement of fish meal with TM meal is not recommended.

Aim: It has been reported that repeated sevoflurane exposure induces cognitive impairment. On the other hand, there is evidence that rivastigmine can attenuate or antagonize the cognitive dysfunctions caused by anesthetic agents. The aims of this study were to determine the effect of repeated sevoflurane exposure on spatial learning and memory (SLM) in weanling rats and to assess whether rivastigmine provides protection against the neurotoxic effects of sevoflurane at this early developmental stage. Methods: Thirty-two weanling rats were randomly divided into four equal groups: sevoflurane (S: 2% sevoflurane for 2 hours), sevoflurane + rivastigmine (SR: 2% sevoflurane and 2 mg/kg rivastigmine), rivastigmine (R: 2 mg/kg), and control (C: 100% oxygen for 2 hours). Rats were treated four times over 10 days. Four days after the last treatment, the rats were subjected to a Morris water maze test protocol to examine SLM.Results: The escape latencies of all groups gradually decreased day by day during the training trials performed to evaluate spatial learning (ρ0.05).Conclusion: Sevoflurane negatively affects learning in weanling rat pups but has no detrimental effect on spatial memory. On the other hand, it can be claimed that sevoflurane offsets the memory-sparing effects of rivastigmine.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of grape seed procyanidins (GSP) on growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, antioxidant enzyme activity and mRNA expression in weanling piglets. A total of 96 piglets (Pietrain × Large White) with an average initial body weight (BW) of 8.4 ± 1.7 kg were weaned at 28 days, and randomly divided into 4 groups. Four groups of animals were fed with a basic diet supplemented with various doses of GSP (0, 40, 70 and 100 mg/kg respectively) during the 28-day treatment period. The results showed that the group receiving 40 mg/kg GSP significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG, p < .05) and decrease the feed/gain ratio (F/G, p < .05). Interestingly, the incidence of diarrhoea was significantly reduced in the groups of 40 and 70 mg/kg GSP, but it was increased in the group of 100 mg/kg GSP. Subsequent biochemical studies indicated that dietary GSP significantly increased the activities of digestive enzymes and antioxidant enzymes, including amylase (Amy), lipase(LPS, p < .05), glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-Px, p < .05), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD, p < .05) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC, p < .05) in serum, liver and muscle, increased the expression of GSH-Px, SOD and CAT genes (p < .05) in the liver, and decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA, p < .05) in serum, liver and muscle. Taken together, these studies revealed that low GSP supplement in diets can improve growth performance of weaned piglets, which is associated with increased digestive and antioxidant enzyme activities and enhanced resistance to weanling stress.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of carbohydrases on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, and fecal microbiota in weanling pigs fed reduced energy diet. A total of 160 crossbred [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc)] weanling pigs with an initial body weight (BW) of 7.23 ± 1.08 kg were used in this 42 d trial. Pigs were randomly allocated in one of the following four dietary treatments: (1) CON, basal diet [net energy (NE) 2545 kcal kg−1]; (2) LE, low-energy diet (NE 2470 kcal kg−1); (3) LEC1, LE + 0.1% carbohydrase; and (4) LEC2, LE + 0.2% carbohydrase based on the sex and BW. There were eight replications (pens) per treatment with five pigs (two male and three female) per pen. During day 0–7, pigs fed with LE diet had lower (P

Effect of timing of xylanase supplementation to weanling pigs and its effect on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and fecal microbiota was investigated. A total of 128 weanling pigs [(Hampshire × Duroc) × (Yorkshire × Landrace); 6.2 ± 0.6 kg body weight (BW); weaning age: 21 d] were assigned to four treatments, with eight replicate pens and four pigs per pen. Treatments were a combination of two dietary treatments (without or with xylanase) in two periods; (period 1, days 0–14) and period 2 (days 14–42): xylanase–xylanase, xylanase–control, control–xylanase, and control–control. Fecal microbiota diversity and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) were determined. From days 0–14, pigs had lower (P

BACKGROUND Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is an important health burden in most developing countries mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, where it contributes to high rates of child morbidity and mortality. This study evaluated the efficacy of compositing with snail meat powder (SMP) on protein nutritional quality of sorghum-wheat buns using a rat bioassay. Nine diets -seven isonitrogenous diets, based on six variations of buns and a reference diet made using skimmed milk powder, in addition to the basal diet meant to estimate the endogenous nitrogen excretion and a 16% protein rehabilitation diet - were fed to male weanling albino rats. Protein efficiency ratio (PER), and food efficiency ratio (FER), net protein retention ratio (NPRR), apparent protein digestibility (APD), and true protein digestibility (TPD), protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS), and digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) indices of protein quality were determined. RESULTS Fortification with SMP significantly (P

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of brewer's yeast hydrolysate (BYH) supplementation on growth performance, blood profile, diarrhoea score, faecal microbial and rectal temperature in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenged in weanling pigs. A total of 40 cross-bred weanling pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] with an average body weight of 8.15 ± 0.87 kg were used in a 6 weeks experiment. Pigs were randomly allotted to the following four dietary treatments (five pigs/two replicate/treatment) according to their initial body weight and gender. Treatments were as follows: CON, basal diet + Saline injection; NC, basal diet + LPS challenge; PC1, basal diet + 1.0% BYH + saline injection; and PC2, basal diet + 1.0% BYH + LPS challenge. Our results demonstrated pig fed diets with BYH had higher (p < .05) average daily feed intake (ADFI) during week 2-4 as well as gain:feed (G:F) during the whole experimental period than pigs fed diets without BYH. At the end of experiment, faecal Escherichia coli counts in pigs with an LPS injection tended to increase (p = .08). Meanwhile, the rectal temperature concentration of IgM and lymphocyte percentage in pigs with an LPS injection increase (p = .05) at 6 and 12 hr. In conclusion, the supplementation of 1.0% BYH can improve ADFI and G:F, as well as may reduce the diarrhoea in weanling pigs.

Objective An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of L-arginine (L-Arg) and N-carbamoylglutamic acid (NCG) on the growth, metabolism, immunity and community of cecal bacterial flora of weanling and young rabbits. Methods Eighteen normal-grade male weanling Japanese White Rabbits (JWR) were selected and randomly divided into 6 groups with or without L-Arg and NCG supplementation. The whole feeding process was divided into weanling stage (Day 37 to 65) and young stage (Day 66 to 85). The effects of L-Arg and NCG on the growth, metabolism, immunity and development of the ileum and jejunum were compared via nutrient metabolism experiments and histological assessment. The different communities of cecal bacterial flora affected by L-Arg and NCG were assessed using high-throughput sequencing technology and bioinformatics analysis. Results The addition of L-Arg and NCG were able to enhance the growth of weanling and young rabbit by increasing the nitrogen metabolism, protein efficiency ratio, and biological value, as well as feed intake, daily weight gain. Both L-Arg and NCG were able to increase the concentration of IgA, IgM, and IgG. NCG was superior to L-Arg in promoting intestinal villus development by increasing villus height and V/C index, reducing the crypt depth. The effects of L-Arg and NCG on the cecal bacterial flora were mainly concentrated in different genera, including Parabacteroides, Roseburia, dgA-11_gut_group, Alistipes, Bacteroides, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005. These bacteria function mainly in amino acid transport and metabolism, energy production and conversion, lipid transport and metabolism, recombination and repair, cell cycle control, cell division, and cell motility. Conclusion L-Arg and NCG have promotional ability on the growth and immunity of weanling and young Japanese White Rabbits, as well as their effects on the jejunum and ileum villi. L-Arg and NCG have different effects in the promotion of nutrient utilization, relieving inflammation and enhancing adaptability through regulating microbial community.