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Raw potato fries are a type of potato by-product (PBP), and they have great potential as a partial replacement of grain in animal feeds to improve the environmental sustainability of food production. This study aimed to investigate the effects of replacing corn with different levels of PBP (0%, 12.84%, 25.65%, and 38.44%) in the total mixed ration (TMR) of Angus bull. Sixty 16-month-old Angus bulls (548.5 ± 15.0 kg, mean ± SD) were randomly assigned to four treatments. The results indicated that with the increase in the substitution amount of PBP, the body weight decreased significantly. The dry matter apparent digestibility and starch apparent digestibility linearly decreased as PBP replacement increased. The feed ingredient composition in the TMR varied, leading to a corresponding change in the rumen microbiota, especially in cellulolytic bacteria and amylolytic bacteria. The abundance of Succiniclasticum in the 12.84% PBP and 38.44% PBP diets was significantly higher than that in the 0% PBP and 25.65% PBP diets. The abundance of Ruminococcus linearly increased. In conclusion, using PBP to replace corn for beef cattle had no negative impact on rumen fermentation, and the decrease in apparent digestibility explained the change in growth performance. Its application in practical production is highly cost-effective and a strategy to reduce food waste.

Polyphenol-rich grape pomace (GP) represents a valuable processing by-product with considerable potential as sustainable livestock feed. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of GP on the growth performance and nitrogen utilization efficiency, antioxidant activity, and rumen and rectum microbiota of Angus bulls. Thirty Angus bulls were allocated three dietary treatments according to a completely randomized design: 0% (G0), 10% (G10), and 20% (G20) corn silage dry matter replaced with dried GP dry matter. The results showed that the average daily gain (ADG) of the G0 group and G10 group was higher than that of the G20 group (p < 0.05); urinary nitrogen levels decreased linearly with the addition of GP (linear, p < 0.05). In terms of antioxidants, the levels of catalase (CAT) in the G10 group were higher than in the G0 and G20 groups (p < 0.05), and the total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) was significantly higher than that in the G20 group (p < 0.05). In addition, in the analysis of a microbial network diagram, the G10 group had better microbial community complexity and stability. Overall, these findings offer valuable insights into the potential benefits of incorporating GP into the diet of ruminants.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to investigate the effects of compound probiotics (consisting of 108 cfu/g of Lactobacillus plantarum, 108 cfu/g of Pediococcus acidilactici, 108 cfu/g of Pediococcus pentosaceus, 107 cfu/g of and Bacillus subtilis) on growth performance, rumen fermentation, bacteria community, blood parameters, and health status of Holstein calves at the first 3 mo of age. Forty-eight newborn calves were randomly divided into the following 3 groups: control group (milk replacer with no compound probiotics), low compound probiotics group (milk replacer + 0.12 g of compound probiotics per head per day), and high compound probiotics group (HP; milk replacer + 1.2 g of compound probiotics per head per day). Starter pellets of the low compound probiotics and HP groups were coated with 0.05% compound probiotics. Milk replacer was provided from 2 to 63 d of age (6 L at 2–10 d, 8 L at 11–42 d, 6 L at 43–49 d, 4 L at 50–56 d, and 2 L at 57–63 d), and starter pellets were provided ad libitum from 7 to 90 d of age. Body weight and body size (d 1, 30, 60, and 90), blood (d 40 and 80), and rumen fluid (d 90) were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA procedure; fecal score was recorded daily and analyzed as repeated measures using the mixed model procedure. Results showed that diet supplemented with compound probiotics had no effects on the body weight, average daily gain, dry matter intake, and feed efficiency. At 90 d of age, diet supplemented with compound probiotics decreased the withers height. Immunity activities increased in the HP group, supported by the increased concentrations of serum total protein and immunoglobulins at 40 d of age, and by the increased activity of superoxide dismutase at 80 d of age. Diet supplemented with compound probiotics altered rumen fermentation, indicated by the decreased rumen acetic acid and propionic acid, and the increased butyric acid concentrations. Diet supplemented with compound probiotics improved the health status of calves, indicated by the decreased fecal score at 3 wk of age and the decreased medicine treatments. In summary, although diet supplemented with HP decreased the withers height, this level of probiotics is recommended to improve rumen development and health status of newborn Holstein calves.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of potato vine and leaf mixed silage (PVS) on rumen fermentation and the microbe in ruminants and to improve the utilization of PVS resources in ruminants through in vitro gas production and feeding trials. The experiment was divided into three groups: PVS1 (50% corn + 50% potato vine and leaf silage), PVS2 (75% potato vine and leaf + 15% rice straw + 10% cornmeal silage) and whole-plant corn silage (CS). The in vitro gas production results showed that there was a significant reduction in PVS groups in the indexes of total gas (p < 0.05) and CH4 production (p < 0.05). The digestibility of dry matter (p < 0.05), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (p < 0.05), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (p < 0.05) at 48 h were decreased in the PVS group. For the rumen fermentation indexes, the pH (p < 0.05), microbial crude protein (MCP) (p < 0.05), and acetate to propionate (p < 0.05) showed an increase in the PVS group, but a decrease in the total volatile fatty acid concentration (p < 0.05). In the feeding trial, different silages in diets had no significant effect on the rumen fermentation indexes (p > 0.05). In the rumen microbe composition, the PVS diet significantly reduced the abundance of Prevotella (p < 0.05) compared with the CS diet group. The PVS2 diet significantly increased the abundance of the Lachnospiraceae_XPB1014_group (p < 0.05) and Bacteroidales_bacterium_Bact_22 (p < 0.05) compared with the CS diet group. In conclusion, PVS had no negative effect on rumen fermentation characteristics and rumen microbial flora and could significantly reduce rumen gas production compared to CS, positively mitigating animal husbandry CH4 emissions and environmental protection.

This study aims to explore the different growth performances of the Angus bull on potato vine and leaf mixed silage in the early fattening period and to provide a reference animal production trial. Thirty-six 13-month-old Angus bulls were divided into three groups with 403.22 ± 38.97 kg initial body weight and fed with three different silage diets: (1) control: whole-plant corn silage as control (CS); (2) treatment 1: 50% whole-plant corn +50% potato vine and leaf silage (PVS1); and (3) treatment 2: 75% potato vine and leaf +15% rice straw +10% cornmeal silage (PVS2). After the 14 days pre-feeding, the formal experiment was carried out for 89 days. The result showed that the ash content of the potato vine and leaf mixed silage (PVS) in the treatment groups was higher than that in control group, and the ash content of PVS1 and PVS2 even reached 10.42% and 18.48% (DM%), respectively, which was much higher than that of the CS group at 4.94%. The crude protein content in silage also increased with the additional amount of potato vine and leaf. The apparent crude protein digestibility of the PVS groups was also significantly higher than that of the CS group (p < 0.05). In terms of serum biochemical indexes, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in the experimental groups was significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). Compared with PVS2, cholesterol (CHO) was significantly lower in the CS and PVS1 groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of PVS2 were significantly higher than those of the CS and PVS1 group (p < 0.05), and daily gain (ADG) as a key production index had a significantly negative correlation with the CHO (r = −0.38, p < 0.05) and HDL-C (r = −0.40, p < 0.05) of cattle. In conclusion, PVS had higher crude protein content and ash but less starch than whole-corn silage. The PVS could replace whole-plant corn silage at the same dry matter status and did not affect the weight gain in this trial.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of isopropyl ester of 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)-butyrate acid (HMBi) on ruminal and cecal fermentation, microbial composition, nutrient digestibility, plasma biochemical parameters, and growth performance in finishing beef cattle. The experiment was conducted for 120 days by a complete randomized block design. Sixty 24-month-old Angus steers (723.9 ± 11.6 kg) were randomly assigned to one of the flowing three treatments: basal diet (the concentrate: 7.6 kg/head·d−1, the rice straw: ad libitum) supplemented with 0 g/d MetaSmart® (H0), a basal diet supplemented with 15 g/d of MetaSmart® (H15), and a basal diet supplemented with 30 g/d of MetaSmart® (H30). Results showed that the average daily gain (ADG) increased linearly (P = 0.004) and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) decreased linearly (P < 0.01) with the increasing HMBi supplementation. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration significantly decreased in the H30 group (P < 0.05) compared with H0 or H15. The ruminal pH value tended to increase linearly (P = 0.086) on day 56 with the increased HMBi supplementation. The concentrations of ammonia–nitrogen (NH3-N), propionate, isobutyrate, butyrate, isovalerate, valerate, and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) were linearly decreased in the cecum (P < 0.05). The results of Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) showed that the abundance of most pathways with a significant difference was higher in the rumen and lower in the cecum in the H30 group compared to the H0 group, and those pathways were mainly related to the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids. Correlation analysis showed that ADG was positively associated with the ratio of firmicutes/bacteroidetes both in the rumen and cecum. Additionally, the abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Saccharofermentans, Lachnospiraceae_XPB1014_group, and Ruminococcus_1 was positively correlated with ADG and negatively correlated with FCR and BUN in the rumen. In the cecum, ADG was positively correlated with the abundances of Peptostreptococcaceae, Romboutsia, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-013, and Paeniclostridium, and negatively correlated with the abundances of Bacteroidaceae and Bacteroides. Overall, these results indicated that dietary supplementation of HMBi can improve the growth performance and the feed efficiency of finishing beef cattle by potentially changing bacterial community and fermentation patterns of rumen and cecum.

Hybridization in bovines is practiced with the main aim of improving production performance, which may imply the microbial variations in the rumen from the parental breed cross to their progeny. Besides, the interactions of offspring breed with sex in terms of rumen bacteria are not clear. This study aims to evaluate the variations in rumen bacterial communities in different breeds and sexes, and the correlations among fattening performance, serum biochemical parameters, and rumen fermentation. Forty-two 19.2 ± 0.67-month-old beef cattle (390 ± 95 kg of initial body weight) comprising two genetic lines (Yiling and Angus × Yiling) and two sexes (heifers and steers) were raised under the same high-grain diet for 120 d. On the last two days, blood samples were collected from each animal via the jugular vein before morning feeding for analyzing serum biochemical parameters; rumen fluid samples were obtained via esophageal intubation 2 h after morning feeding for analyzing rumen fermentation parameters and bacterial communities. The results show that both breed and sex had a certain impact on fattening performance, serum biochemical parameters, and rumen fermentation. No differences in the diversity and structure of rumen bacterial communities were observed. Significant interactions (p < 0.05) of breed and sex were observed for Succinivibrionaceae UCG-002 and Prevotellaceae UCG-001. The relative abundances of the Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, Prevotellaceae UCG-003, and Succinivibrio were different (p < 0.05) between breeds. Heifers had a higher (p = 0.008) relative abundance of the Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group than steers. Correlation analysis showed a significant relationship (p < 0.05) of rumen bacteria with serum biochemical parameters, rumen pH, and rumen fermentation patterns. Additionally, only two genera, Prevotellaceae UCG-003 and Prevotellaceae UCG-001, had positive correlations with feed efficiency. In conclusion, serum biochemical parameters, rumen fermentation, and rumen bacterial communities are partly driven by the breed and sex of cattle fed a high-grain diet.

Objective This study investigated the effect of dietary crude protein (CP) supplementation on nutrient intake, nitrogen (N) utilisation, blood metabolites, ruminal fermentation and growth performance of young Holstein bulls. Methods Twenty-one young bulls weighing 277±11.2 kg were equally divided into three groups and were offered diets formulated with low CP (LCP; 10.21% CP and 4.22% rumen degradable protein [RDP]), medium CP (MCP; 12.35% CP and 5.17% RDP) and high CP (HCP; 14.24% CP and 6.03% RDP). Yellow corn silage was used as a unique forage source and was mixed with concentrate. This mixed feed was given ad libitum to the young bulls included in the study. Results Results showed that CP intake, blood urea nitrogen, N intake, total N excretion and N balance increased linearly with an increase in dietary CP level (p

Objective Wheat is an alternative to corn silage for ruminant feeding in northern China. This study examined the effects of harvest time and added molasses on nutritional content, ensiling characteristics and in vitro degradation of whole crop wheat (WCW). Methods Fresh WCW at the milk-ripe stage was harvested at 0700 h (i.e., in the morning [Mo]) and 1700 h (i.e., in the afternoon [Af]), and then immediately used to prepare silage and make hay. Commercial molasses was added to Af WCW at 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% (fresh weight) proportions. The WCW treated with molasses was mixed thoroughly prior to ensiling. Results Dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber, water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content (p

This study was conducted to explore the proper time required to achieve stabilization in digestibility, serum metabolism, and rumen fermentation characteristics when different diets shift, thus providing decision-making of practical sampling frequency for basal nutritional research. For these purposes, 12 Holstein steers (body weight 467 ± 34 kg, age 14 ± 0.5 months) were equally assigned to two dietary treatments: high-density (metabolizable energy (ME) = 2.53 Mcal/kg and crude protein (CP) = 119 g/kg; both ME and CP were expressed on a dry matter basis) or low-density (ME = 2.35 Mcal/kg and CP = 105 g/kg). The samples of feces, serum, and rumen contents were collected with a 30-day interval. All data involved in this study were analyzed using the repeated measures in mixed model of SPSS. Results showed that nutrient apparent digestibility and serum metabolic parameters were stable across each monthly collection, while most rumen fermentation characteristics, namely concentrations of acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, and valerate, were affected by the interaction effects between collection period and dietary density. These findings indicate that rumen fermentation characteristics require more time to stabilize when diet shifts. It is recommended to collect ruminal digesta monthly to evaluate rumen fermentation characteristics, while unnecessary to sample monthly for digestion trials and blood tests in the long-term fattening of Holstein steers. This study may provide insights into exploring the associations between detected parameters and stabilization time, and between diet type and stabilization time when diet shifts.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of age and dietary straw levels on growth performance, carcass and meat traits, as well as tissue antioxidant status of Yiling cull cows. Twenty-four Yiling cull cows were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design: two age classes consisting of younger cull cows (YCC; appearing with three or four pairs of permanent teeth) and older cull cows (OCC; worn out teeth); two dietary treatments consisting of lower and higher rice straw levels (LRS and HRS; providing 0.7 kg/d and 1.2 kg/d rice straw per head based on air-dry basis, respectively). Cows were fed twice a day. Straw was offered at half of the predetermined weight each meal; concentrate was separately supplied ad libitum. After 300 d of feeding, final body weight (BW), total BW gain, average daily gain and gain:feed intake were higher (p < 0.01) in the YCC group than in the OCC group. Total dry matter intake was higher (p = 0.03) in the HRS group than in the LRS group, but neutral detergent fiber apparent digestibility was negatively affected (p = 0.01) by increased straw levels. Decreased C15:0, C17:0, C20:5n3c, and saturated fatty acids (SFAs) proportion as well as increased C18:1n9c and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) proportion in meat from YCC with HRS diet were observed as compared to that in meat from YCC with LRS diet (p < 0.05). Meat from HRS group had higher (p = 0.04) C18:3n3c proportion than meat from LRS group. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were found for meat quality attributes except for cooking loss, which was higher (p = 0.02) in the HRS group than in the LRS group. Both YCC group and HRS group had higher (p < 0.05) cold carcass weight compared to OCC group and LRS group. Moreover, catalase activity of liver tissue was higher (p = 0.045) in YCC than in OCC, while superoxide dismutase activity of muscle tissue was higher (p = 0.01) in LRS than in HRS. Based on results, we concluded that younger age and feeding high-level straw can improve the finishing performance of Yiling cull cows.

Abstract Twelve Holstein bulls were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to investigate the effects of using whole-crop wheat hay (WCWH) as a substitute for Leymus chinensis (LC) on apparent digestibility, plasma parameters, ruminal fermentation, and microbial communities. Experimental treatments were four proportions of WCWH, 0, 33, 67, and 100%, as a substitute for LC (WCWH0, WCWH33, WCWH67, and WCWH100, respectively). The WCWH100 group showed a higher nutritional intake of crude protein (CP) and higher apparent digestibility of organic matter (OM), CP, and ether extract (EE) than the WCWH0 group (P

Growth retardation reduces the incomes of livestock farming. However, effective nutritional interventions to promote compensatory growth and the mechanisms involving digestive tract microbiomes and transcripts have yet to be elucidated. In this study, Qinghai plateau yaks, which frequently suffer from growth retardation due to malnutrition, were used as an experimental model. Young growth-retarded yaks were pastured (GRP), fed basal ration (GRB), fed basal ration addition cysteamine hydrochloride (CSH; GRBC) or active dry yeast (ADY; GRBY). Another group of growth normal yak was pastured as a positive control (GNP). After 60-day nutritional interventions, the results showed that the average daily gain (ADG) of GRB was similar to the level of GNP, and the growth rates of GRBC and GRBY were significantly higher than the level of GNP (P < 0.05). Basal rations addition of CSH or ADY either improved the serum biochemical indexes, decreased serum LPS concentration, facilitated ruminal epithelium development and volatile fatty acids (VFA) fermentation of growth-retarded yaks. Comparative transcriptome in rumen epithelium between growth-retarded and normal yaks identified the differentially expressed genes mainly enriched in immune system, digestive system, extracellular matrix and cell adhesion pathways. CSH addition and ADY addition in basal rations upregulated ruminal VFA absorption (SLC26A3, PAT1, MCT1) and cell junction (CLDN1, CDH1, OCLN) gene expression, and downregulated complement system (C2, C7) gene expression in the growth-retarded yaks. 16S rDNA results showed that CSH addition and ADY addition in basal rations increased the rumen beneficial bacterial populations (Prevotella_1, Butyrivibrio_2, Fibrobacter) of growth-retarded yaks. The correlation analysis identified that ruminal VFAs and beneficial bacteria abundance were significantly positively correlated with cell junction and VFA absorption gene expressions and negatively correlated with complement system gene expressions on the ruminal epithelium. Therefore, CSH addition and ADY addition in basal rations promoted rumen health and body growth of growth-retarded yaks, of which basal ration addition of ADY had the optimal growth-promoting effects. These results suggested that improving nutrition and probiotics addition is a more effective method to improve growth retardation caused by gastrointestinal function deficiencies.

Daidzein is one of the main bioactive substances of soybean isoflavones that has a wide range of health benefits. This research explored the anti-obesity effect of daidzein and the mechanism of lipid metabolism for adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by experiment design of reducing matrix effects. The results indicated that high concentrations of daidzein significantly inhibited preadipocyte proliferation, fat deposition and the ratio of linolenic acid in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Western blot and relative quantitative RT-PCR results indicated that daidzein significantly decreased protein and gene levels of the nuclear transcription factors C/EBPα and PPARγ. Meanwhile, daidzein also downregulated the expression of downstream genes (LPL, FAS, ACC, SCD1, FADS2); however, the relative expression levels were not dose-dependent for daidzein. Therefore, isolated from soybean, daidzein as a plant health product has a potential function for the prevention and therapy of obesity and related metabolic disorders.

This study determined the effects of wheat stage, preservation treatment, and harvest time on the fermentation characteristics, methane production, and bacterial diversity. In this study, processing wheat into hay can reduce methane production. The MWS7 (wheat harvested at 7:00 in milk stage and preserved as silage) group had a significantly lower CO2 compared with the DWS15 (wheat harvested at 15:00 in dough stage and preserved as silage) group. Neutral detergent fiber degradation in the hay treatment harvesting at 7:00 was significantly higher than that in other treatments. The butyrate proportion in the DWH7 (wheat harvested at 7:00 in dough stage and preserved as hay) group was higher than that in the MWS7 group. Results from high-throughput sequencing showed that there were differences in the relative abundance of some minor rumen microbiota among the treatments. The MWS7 group had greater microbial diversity and the MWH7 group (wheat harvested at 7:00 in milk stage and preserved as hay) had higher species richness. In addition, the MWH7 group had a lower Methanobrevibacter abundance and methane production. Overall, the MWH7 group may have advantages of rumen fermentation and reduce methane production.

Roughage particle size can influence rumen development, which is also determined by rumen microorganisms and their metabolic end-products. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the comprehensive effects of roughage length and rumen bacterial community on the rumen development of weaned calves. A total of thirty-six weaned Angus female calves (125 ± 3 d; 161.2 ± 13.0 kg) were randomly assigned to three diets differing in roughage particle size: 4 cm (short length); 24 cm (medium length); and 44 cm (long length). Results showed that chopping roughage increased dry matter intake and organic matter apparent digestibility; altered rumen fermentation indicated by the increased rumen butyrate and valerate concentrations; and increased plasma glucose, cholesterol, and total protein. Chopping roughage affected rumen bacterial community, as indicated by altering the diversity indices; by increasing ruminal bacteria Papillibacter and Eubacterium_hallii_group, which are involved in butyrate production; and by increasing Synergistetes and Mogibacterium, which are involved in bacterial colonization. In conclusion, chopping roughage at 4 cm was shown to improve the rumen bacterial community, alter rumen fermentation, eventually promote the development of rumen.

The aim of this study is to track the dynamic alterations in nutrient intake and digestion, rumen fermentation and plasma metabolic characteristics, and rumen bacterial community of Holstein finishing steers in response to three nutrient density diets as fattening phases advanced. A total of eighteen Holstein steers were randomly allocated into three nutrient density groups and steers in each group were fed under a three-phase fattening strategy, with nutrient density increased in each group when fattening phase advanced. Results showed that both fattening phase and dietary nutrient density significantly influenced the nutrient digestion, most of the rumen fermentation parameters, and part of bacteria at phylum and genus levels. Individually, dietary nutrient density affected the concentrations of plasma alanine aminotransferase and urea N, bacterial richness and evenness. All determined nutrient intake and plasma biochemical parameters, except for alanine aminotransferase and triglyceride, differed among fattening phases. Spearman correlation analysis revealed strong correlations between fiber intake and bacterial richness and evenness, rumen fermentation characteristics and certain bacteria. Moreover, Patescibacteria abundance was positively correlated with ambient temperature and plasma total protein. These results indicate that rumen fermentation and nutrient digestion were influenced by both dietary nutrient density and fattening phase, and these influences were regulated by certain rumen bacterial community and ruminal bacteria may be affected simultaneously by ambient temperature. This study may provide insights into diet optimization and potentially adaptive mechanism of rumen bacterial community in response to fattening phases and gradually climatic change.

Background Freemartinism generally occurs in female offspring of dizygotic twins in a mixed-sex pregnancy. Most bovine heterosexual twin females are freemartins. However, about 10% of bovine heterosexual twin females are fertile. Farmers mostly cull bovine fertile heterosexual twin females due to the lack of a practical diagnostic approach. Culling of such animals results in economic and genetic-material losses both for dairy and beef industry. Methods In this study, a comparative test, including qualitative detection of SRY gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative detection of relative content of SRY by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and quantitative detection of H-Y antigen, was performed to establish the most accurate diagnosis for freemartin. Twelve Holstein heterosexual twin females were used in this study, while three normal Holstein bulls and three normal Holstein cows were used as a positive and negative control, respectively. Results Polymerase chain reaction results revealed that SRY gene were absent in three heterosexual twin females and only two of them were verified as fertile in later age. The qPCR results showed that relative content of SRY was more than 14.2% in freemartins and below 0.41% in fertile heterosexual twin females. The H-Y antigen test showed no significant numerical difference between freemartin and fertile heterosexual twin female. Discussion Our results show that relative content of SRY quantified by qPCR is a better detection method for diagnosis of freemartin in Holstein cattle as compare to qualitative detection of SRY gene by PCR or quantitative detection of H-Y antigen. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time we applied qPCR to diagnosing freemartin by quantifying SRY gene and got relative SRY content of each freemartin and fertile heterosexual twin female. We concluded that low-level of SRY would not influence fertility of bovine heterosexual twin female.

Marbling is an important trait regarding the quality of beef. Analysis of beef cattle transcriptome and its expression profile data are essential to extend the genetic information resources and would support further studies on beef cattle. RNA sequencing was performed in beef cattle using the Illumina High-Seq2000 platform. Approximately 251.58 million clean reads were generated from a high marbling (H) group and low marbling (L) group. Approximately 80.12% of the 19,994 bovine genes (protein coding) were detected in all samples, and 749 genes exhibited differential expression between the H and L groups based on fold change (>1.5-fold, p

The objective of this study was to explore whether collecting rumen samples of finishing steers at monthly intervals differed, and whether this difference or similarity varied with diets. For these purposes, 12 Chinese Holstein steers were equally divided into two groups. The dietary treatments were either standard energy and standard protein (C) or low energy and low protein (L). Rumen samples were obtained on day 30, day 60 and day 90 from both dietary treatments and were analyzed by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that monthly intervals had no effect on the richness and evenness of the rumen bacterial community in the two diets. However, taxonomic difference analysis (relative abundance >0.5%) revealed that the relative abundance of three phyla (Proteobacteria, Fibrobacteres and Cyanobacteria) and six genera (Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, Fibrobacter, Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-010 and Ruminobacter) were significantly different between monthly sampling intervals, and the difference was prominent between sampling in the first month and the subsequent two months. Moreover, the differences in abundances of phyla and genera between monthly sampling intervals were affected by diets. Analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) showed no significant differences between monthly sampling intervals in the C diet. However, ANOSIM results revealed that significant differences between the first month and second month and between the first month and third month were present in the L diet. These results indicated that temporal dynamics in rumen bacterial community composition did occur even after an adaptation period of three months. This study tracked the changes in rumen bacterial populations of finishing cattle after a shift in diet with the passage of time. This study may provide insight into bacterial adaptation time to dietary transition in finishing steers.

The objective of this study was to track the dynamic variations in fecal bacterial composition and fermentation profile of finishing steers in response to three stepwise diets varied in energy and protein density. A total of 18 Holstein steers were divided into three groups in such a way that each group contained six animals and received one of three stepwise dietary treatments. Dietary treatments were C = standard energy and protein diet, H = high energy and protein diet, and L = low energy and protein diet. Animals were fattened for 11 months with a three-phase fattening strategy. Fecal samples were collected to evaluate the dynamics of fecal fermentation and bacterial composition in response to dietary treatments and fattening phases using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Fecal acetate, propionate, and butyrate increased with increasing density of diet and as the fattening phase continued. The relative abundances of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes dominated and showed 56.19% and 33.58%, respectively. Higher dietary density decreased the fecal bacterial diversity, Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, and the relative abundances of Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, and Bacteroides, whereas higher dietary density increased the abundance of Prevotella_9. Our results indicated that both fecal fermentation profile and bacterial composition share a time-dependent variation in response to different dietary densities. This knowledge highlights that both diet and fattening phase impact fecal fermentation profile and bacterial composition, and may provide insight into strategies to reduce fecal contamination from the origin by optimizing diet and fattening time.

UNLABELLED:The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2) and cysteamine (CS) administration on growth performance in yaks with growth retardation and try to elucidate its regulatory mechanisms. Trial 1, thirty-six 1-year-old Qinghai high plateau yaks (body weight 38-83.2 kg) were randomly chosen for body weight and jugular blood samples collection. The relationship between body weight and serum GHRH (P < 0.05, R = 0.45), GH (P < 0.05, R = 0.47), IGF-1 (P < 0.05, R = 0.62) was significantly correlated in yaks colonies with lighter body weights. Trial 2, fifteen 1-year-old Qinghai high plateau yaks with growth retardation (average body weight 54.8 ± 8.24 kg) were randomly selected and assigned to negative control group (NG), GHRP-2 injection group (GG) and cysteamine feeding group (CG), with 5 yaks per group. Another five 1-year-old Qinghai high plateau yaks with normal growth performance (average body weight 75.3 ± 2.43 kg) were selected as positive control group (PG). The average daily gain (ADG) of the GG and CG were significantly higher than those in the PG and NG (P < 0.05). Both GHRP-2 and CS administration significantly enhanced the myofiber diameter and area of skeletal muscle (P

Objective: Wheat is an alternative to corn silage for ruminant feeding in northern China. This study examined the effects of harvest time and added molasses on nutritional content, ensiling characteristics and in vitro degradation of whole crop wheat (WCW). Methods: Fresh WCW at the milk-ripe stage was harvested at 0700 h (i.e., in the morning [Mo]) and 1700 h (i.e., in the afternoon [Af]), and then immediately used to prepare silage and make hay. Commercial molasses was added to Af WCW at 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% (fresh weight) proportions. The WCW treated with molasses was mixed thoroughly prior to ensiling. Results: Dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber, water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content (p<0.01), accumulative gas production in 72 h (GP72h, 77.46 mL/g vs 95.15 mL/g) and dry matter disappearance in vitro (69.15% vs 76.77%) were lower (p<0.05), while crude protein (CP) content was higher for WCW silage (WCWS) compared to WCW (p<0.01). The propionic acid and butyric acid concentrations in WCWS from Mo WCW were 1.47% and 0.26%, respectively. However, the propionic and butyric acid concentrations were negligible, while the ammonia nitrogen/total nitrogen (NH3-N/TN, p<0.01) concentration was lower and the rate of gas production at 50% of the maximum (17.05 mL/h vs 13.94 mL/h, p<0.05) was higher for Af WCWS compared to Mo WCWS. The incubation fluid's NH3-N concentration was lower in WCWS and Af WCW compared to Mo WCW (p<0.05). The CP and WSC content increased with increasing molasses levels (p<0.05). Furthermore, the pH (p<0.01) and time when gas production was 50% of the maximum (2.78 h vs 3.05 h, p<0.05) were lower in silage treated with 4% molasses than silage without molasses. Conclusion: Harvesting wheat crops in the afternoon and adding molasses at 4% level to WCW optimally improved ensiling characteristics, leading to well-preserved silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marbling is an important trait regarding the quality of beef. Analysis of beef cattle transcriptome and its expression profile data are essential to extend the genetic information resources and would support further studies on beef cattle. RNA sequencing was performed in beef cattle using the Illumina High-Seq2000 platform. Approximately 251.58 million clean reads were generated from a high marbling (H) group and low marbling (L) group. Approximately 80.12% of the 19,994 bovine genes (protein coding) were detected in all samples, and 749 genes exhibited differential expression between the H and L groups based on fold change (>1.5-fold, p<0.05). Multiple gene ontology terms and biological pathways were found significantly enriched among the differentially expressed genes. The transcriptome data will facilitate future functional studies on marbling formation in beef cattle and may be applied to improve breeding programs for cattle and closely related mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The experiment evaluated the effect of nutrition levels and sex on the growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of F1 Angus × Chinese Xiangxi yellow cattle. Methods During the background period of 184 d,23 steers and 24 heifers were fed the same ration, then put into a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement under two levels of - dietary energy (TDN: 70/80% DM), protein (CP: 11.9/14.3% DM) and sex (S: male/female) during the finishing phase of 146 d. The treatments were - (1) high energy /low protein (HELP), (2) high energy /high protein (HEHP), (3) low energy /low protein (LELP) and (4) low energy/high protein (LEHP). Each treatment used 6 steers and 6 heifers, except for HELP- 5 steers and 6 heifers. Results Growth rate and final carcass weight were unaffected by dietary energy and protein levels or by sex. Compared with the LE diet group, the HE group had significantly lower dry matter intake (DMI,6.76 vs. 7.48 kg DM/d), greater chest girth increments (46.1 vs. 36.8 cm), higher carcass fat (19.9 vs.16.3%) and intramuscular fat content (29.9 vs. 22.8% DM). The HE group also had improved yields of top and medium top grade commercial meat cuts (39.9 vs.36.5%). The dressing percentage was higher for the HP group than the LP group(53.4 vs. 54.9%). Steers had a greater length increment (9.0 vs. 8.3 cm), but lower carcass fat content (16.8 vs. 19.4%) than heifers. The meat quality traits (shear force value, drip loss, cooking loss and water holding capacity) were not affected by treatments or sex, averaging 3.14 kg, 2.5, 31.5 and 52.9%, respectively. The nutritive profiles (both fatty and amino acid composition) were not influenced by the energy or protein levels or by sex. Conclusions The dietary energy and protein levels and sex significantly influenced the carcass characteristics and chemical composition of meat but not thegrowth performance, meat quality traits and nutritive profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of two dietary energy levels (TDN: 70 and 76% DM) and two rumen-degradable protein levels (RDP: 7.7 and 9.4% DM) on rumen fermentation, nutrients apparent digestibility and blood biochemical constituents of Chinese crossbred yellow bulls. Four ruminallyfistulated Charolais x Nan yang yellow bulls, about 540±23kg live weight, were randomly assigned to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement in a 4 x 4 Latin Square design to receive four dietary treatments. The treatments were as follows: low energy and high protein (LEHP; TDN: 70%, RDP: 9.4%), high energy and high protein (HEHP; TDN: 76%, RDP: 9.4%), low energy and low protein (LELP; TDN: 70%, RDP: 7.7%) and high energy and low protein (HELP; TDN: 76%, RDP: 7.7%). Ruminal pH and total volatile fatty acids were not different among treatments. The acetate concentration was lower and propionate concentration was greater (P<0.01) for bulls fed HE diet compared with LE diet. The higher ammonia nitrogen (NH3--N) concentration was found for bulls fed HP diet compared to bulls fed LP diet (P<0.01). Total apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM) and N utilization were greater for bulls fed HE vs LE diet (P<0.05). Bulls fed HP diet had increased N retention than those fed LP diet (P<0.05). Blood biochemical constituents were not different among all dietary treatments, except plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) which was higher in HP dietary treatment (P<0.05). These findings suggest that high energy and high protein (energy: 76%, RDP: 9.4%) treatment is the best for high performance of yellow bulls without affecting their health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]