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The objective of this study was to study the effect of probiotic supplementation in diet on egg production, egg quality, intestinal morphology, and bacterial population in caecum of laying hens. A total of 768 Lohmann Brown-Classic laying hens, aged 42 - 54 weeks, were used. The laying hens were divided into 3 groups, each with 8 subgroups of 32 birds each. The experiment was planned to use a completely randomized design method. The 3 experimental groups were classified based on their dietary treatment as follows: 1) Basal diet (without probiotic supplementation), 2) Basal diet with probiotic 0.01 and 0.02 % in 3, respectively. Data was collected for 12 weeks. Adding probiotic in the diet was no significant difference on egg production, egg quality, and bacterial population in caecum. However, probiotic supplementation in the diet increased villi height of the duodenum significantly improved (p < 0.02), villi height per depth crypt of the duodenum significantly improved (p < 0.05), villi height per depth crypt of the jejunum significantly improved (p < 0.01), and villi height per depth crypt of the ileum significantly improved (p < 0.02). Therefore, studies have shown that dietary probiotic supplementation can improved small intestinal morphology are the most important indexes for measuring the digestive and absorption function of the small intestine are more efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the intervention of herbal plants in the fish diet has drawn a lot of interest due to their unique nutritional value and pharmacological properties. To assess the impact of dietary incorporation of Egyptian mallow, Malva parviflora leaves powder (MPLP), a 10-week feeding trial was carried out on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The assessment encompassed the effects on growth, digestive/absorptive efficiency, biochemical, and immuno-antioxidant responses. Four treatments containing a total of 200 fish (n = 50 fish/treatment; five replicates/treatment; 10 fish/replicate) with an average weight of 37.50 ± 0.22 g (means ± SE) were randomly assigned. The MPLP was added to the basal diet at 0 (control diet, MPLP0), 5 (MPLP5), 10 (MPLP10), and 15 (MPLP15) g/kg diet concentrations and served to the fish for 10 weeks. After the trial, the fish were exposed to pathogenic yeast (Candida albicans) and bacterium (Streptococcus agalactiae) infection. Results displayed that MPLP-incorporated diets significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the growth, intestinal digestive enzymes (amylase and lipase), and intestinal morphometrics (villous length and width and goblet cell count). The increases were in a level-dependent way, and the MPLP15 diet showed the highest values. Dietary MPLP notably (P < 0.05) enhanced growth hormone and declined leptin hormone, glucose, and cholesterol levels. Moreover, the immunological (serum bactericidal activity, myeloperoxidase, and complement 3) and antioxidant (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity) biomarkers were augmented in the MPLP-fed groups in a level-dependent way (P < 0.05). Fifteen days post-infection with C. albicans and S. agalactiae, the survival rates among the infected fish enhanced as dietary MPLP levels rose; the MPLP15 group had the highest survival rates (90.91 and 81.82%), respectively. Overall, dietary MPLP intervention can boost the growth, digestive capacity, disease resistance, and immune-antioxidant status of Nile tilapia. These positive effects may contribute to a sustainable aquaculture industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of substituting fish meal with pork meal in feed on the growth performance, feed utilization, intestinal morphology, and immune function of Penaeus monodon. Methods: A total of 600 uniformly sized juvenile shrimp with an initial weight of 1.20 ± 0.03 g were randomly assigned to four groups, with each group consisting of six replicates of 25 shrimp each. Fish meal protein was replaced with 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% pork meal, and crystalline amino acids and fish oil were supplemented accordingly. The groups were designated as P0, P5, P10, and P15, and the study duration was 70 days. Results: Results indicated no significant difference in specific growth rate (SGR) between the P5 and P10 groups compared to the P0 group. However, the SGR in the P15 group was significantly lower than that in the P5 and P10 groups. Feed conversion rates (FCRs) for the P5 and P10 groups were comparable to the P0 group, whereas the P15 group showed a significantly higher FCR than the other groups. There were no significant differences in whole body composition among all the groups. Apart from alanine, the amino acid composition of muscles did not differ significantly among all the groups. Results of enzyme activity in plasma revealed that the replacement of fish meal with pork meal reduced levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Specifically, levels of AST in the P5 and P15 groups were significantly lower compared to the P0 and P10 groups. Histological examination of midgut tissues showed that villus height initially increased and then decreased with higher replacement ratios. The P5 group had the highest villus height, while the P15 group had the lowest villus height. Analysis of gene expression related to liver immune functions indicated that genes in TLR signaling pathway were significantly elevated in the P15 group compared to the other groups. Discussion: In conclusion, even with the supplementation of crystalline amino acids and fish oil, pork meal should not replace more than 10% of fish meal in the feed of P. monodon to maintain optimal growth and feed efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: We investigated the effects of dietary oregano oil supplementation with different concentrations on the egg quality, intestinal morphology and cecal microbiome of late-phase laying hens. The results showed that dietary oregano oil supplementation could enhance eggshell thickness and increase the content of PUFA, thiamine, riboflavin, selenium and phosphorus in egg yolk. Meanwhile, oregano oil supplementation had a good effect on the intestinal morphology and structure of laying hens in the late laying period. The differential microorganisms were significantly correlated with egg quality characteristics. Oregano oil may enhance the amino acid content of eggs by increasing the abundance of Synergistota, which in turn enhances egg quality. These results will support the use of oregano oil as a new feed additive to improve egg quality. Overall, 25 mg/kg of dietary oregano oil had the best effects. Improving egg quality is one of the main objectives of the poultry industry. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary oregano oil supplementation with different concentrations on the egg quality, intestinal morphology and cecal microbiome of late-phase laying hens. A total of 300 55-week-old Snowy white laying hens were randomly divided into five groups and fed a basal diet (control) or basal diets supplemented with oregano oil at 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg (O25, O50, O75 and O100) over a 100-day period. Compared with the control group, eggshell thickness and eggshell weight were increased significantly in eggs when oregano oil was added (p < 0.05). The highest content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and C18:2n6c was observed in yolks with 25 mg/kg supplement among 5 groups (p < 0.05). The highest average content of riboflavin in egg yolk and thiamine in egg white was observed in the O25 group (p < 0.05). When the supplemental levels of oregano oil were 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg, the selenium and phosphorus content in the egg was significantly increased (p < 0.05). The ratio of villus height to crypt depth (V/C) and villus height of the small intestine was significantly increased compared with the chickens fed the basal diet (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the abundance of Megamonas was increased in the O50 group (p < 0.05). The unclassified_o__Bacteroidales in the O25 group were significantly higher than those in the other four groups (p < 0.05). These differential microorganisms were significantly correlated with egg quality characteristics. Dietary supplementation of oregano oil can significantly improve egg quality via gut microbiota alteration in laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigated the changes in the intestinal morphology and gut microbiota of Spinibarbus sinensis under two aquaculture systems: traditional pond and in-pond tank culture systems. The results demonstrated significant differences in villus width and goblet cell numbers between the two groups regarding intestinal morphology. Additionally, there were significant differences in gut microbiota richness, diversity, and predicted potential functions. The specific mechanisms by which an aquaculture system influences the intestine of S. sinensis merit further exploration. Fish gut health is influenced by various factors, with the environment being a significant one. S. sinensis is a key aquaculture species in China, yet research on the impact of different aquaculture systems on its intestinal health remains limited. This study aims to explore the changes in intestinal morphology and gut microbiota of S. sinensis under two aquaculture systems. The juveniles of S. sinensis were divided into two groups and cultured in traditional ponds (CT) and an in-pond tank culture system (JY), with equal amounts of feed provided daily over a 72-day experimental period. The results showed no significant differences in growth performance metrics, including the specific growth rate, weight gain rate, hepatosomatic index, and viscerosomatic index between the two groups. In terms of intestinal morphology, the JY group villus width was significantly wider than the CT group, and the number of goblet cells in the CT group was significantly higher than that of the JY group (p < 0.05), which suggested that the fish in the JY group may have better intestinal nutrient absorption capacity, while the water quality in the CT group may be worse. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis of the gut microbiota showed that the JY group had a significantly higher Shannon index compared to the CT group (p < 0.05), indicating greater species richness and evenness. Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) revealed a distinct clustering of gut microbiota between the two groups. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Fusobacteriota was significantly higher in the CT group, whereas Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria were significantly higher in the JY group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, KEGG pathway predictions indicated differences in the potential metabolic capabilities of the gut microbiota between the two groups (p < 0.05). Overall, this study is the first to conduct a comparative analysis of the growth performance, intestinal tissue morphology, and gut microbiota of S. sinensis under two different aquaculture systems, which has valuable implications for the further optimization of aquaculture practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to investigate the impact of adding Bacillus, Lactobacillus, and compound probiotics preparation to the diet on the laying performance, egg quality, intestinal morphology, and digestive enzyme activity of aged Roman Brown laying hens. A total of 700 Roman Brown laying hens at 570 days of age were randomly divided into five groups, with 20 replicates per group and seven hens per replicate. The control group was fed a basic diet, while the Bacillus group, Lactobacillus group, and compound probiotics group were fed the basic diet supplemented with 500 g/t of Bacillus, 500 g/t of Lactobacillus, and 250 g/t of Bacillus + 250 g/t of Lactobacillus, respectively. The aureomycin group was fed the basic diet with an addition of 5 mg/kg aureomycin. The pre-test lasted for seven days and the formal test lasted for 30 days. The results showed that compared to the control group, the laying rate and average daily feed intake of all probiotic treatment groups were extremely increased (P<0.01), while the average egg weight was extremely decreased in the Lactobacillus group, compound probiotics group, and aureomycin group (P<0.01), and the feed-to-egg ratio was extremely decreased in the compound probiotics group (P<0.01). Compared to the control group, the yolk color was significantly increased in the compound probiotics group (P<0.05), the albumen height was extremely increased in the Lactobacillus group and compound probiotics group (P<0.01), and the Haugh unit was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH/CD) in the duodenum and jejunum was extremely increased in all three probiotic treatment groups (P<0.01), and the activities of α -amylase, β -amylase, and trypsin in the duodenum and jejunum were extremely increased (P<0.01). The study indicates that the addition of probiotics to the feed of aged Roman Brown laying hens can improve the laying performance, enhance intestinal morphology, and increase the activity of digestive enzymes in the gut, the comprehensive effect of compound probiotics is better than that of single probiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the effects of varying dietary energy and protein levels on growthrelated gene expression and intestinal morphology in Hubbard broilers. A total of 234 one-day-old chicks were used and divided into six groups, with 39 chicks per group. Group I: Received a basal diet containing standard energy and protein. Group II: Received a diet with standard protein and 10% reduced energy. Group III: Received a diet with standard protein and 20% reduced energy. Group IV: Received a diet with standard energy and 10% reduced protein. Group V: Received a diet with standard energy and 20% reduced protein. Group VI: Received a diet with 20% reduced energy and 10% reduced protein. Gene expression of IGF1, Myostatin, and Ghrelin was measured. Histological and morphometric analyses of the intestines were also conducted. The results revealed that IGF1 gene expression was downregulated in all groups, except for group IV, which showed no significant change compared to the control group. Group III and group VI exhibited the lowest IGF1 expression. For Myostatin, the highest expression levels were observed in group III and group VI, while group IV showed no significant difference (p<0.05) compared to the control group. Ghrelin gene expression was significantly upregulated in all groups, with the highest upregulation seen in group III and group VI. Regarding intestinal histomorphology, all groups showed a significant decrease in villi length compared to the control group. The jejunal crypt depth was significantly reduced (p<0.05) in the group III and group VI. In conclusion, low energy had a more pronounced effect on the expression of growth-related genes and intestinal indices than low protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance in poultry farms is a significant global public health concern that has led farmers to explore alternative antibiotics, such as prebiotics in poultry production. This study aimed to examine the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic shallot extract (ESE) and the effects of adding shallot powder (SP) to broiler feed on broiler growth, immune response to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccination, and gastrointestinal tract bacteria. Materials and Methods: We determined the antimicrobial effects of ESE against Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EOH) and Lactobacillus acidophilus TISTR 2365 (L2365) using the agar well diffusion method. We used a complete randomized design to assign 120 1-day-old Arbor Acre chicks to six groups with four replicates of five broiler chickens over 42 days. The treatment groups were as follows: T1-basal diet (B) + NDV vaccination (positive control), T2-B (negative control), T3-B + 2 g SP per kg of feed, T4-B + 2 g SP per kg of feed + NDV, T5-B + 4 g SP per kg of feed, and T6-B + 4 g SP per kg of feed + NDV. Results: The minimum inhibitory concentrations of ESE on EOH and L2365 were 62.50 and 125.00 mg/mL, respectively. The body weight gain, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio in the 4 g SP of T5 and T6 groups were significantly improved compared with the other groups (p < 0.05). The immune organ (IO) and thymus gland weights in the T4 group were significantly greater than those observed in the positive and negative control groups (p < 0.05). The IO weights of the bursae of Fabricius and spleen tended to be greater in the T4 group than in the other groups. T5 group broilers had the highest ratio of villus height to crypt depth. The humoral immunity titers against NDV vaccination were improved in the SP-supplemented groups compared with the non-supplemented groups (p > 0.05). SP supplementation reduced the levels of coliform (p < 0.05) and E. coli in the broiler intestine by adding 4 g of SP per kg of feed. However, L2365 was more tolerant to ESE in vitro and tended to increase in line with increased SP levels. Conclusion: ESE showed strong antimicrobial activity to reduce harmful bacteria, and SP supplementation may exhibit prebiotic effects to increase broiler chicken growth, immunity, and microbial balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Traditional Chinese herbal resources are abundantly available in China and have garnered significant attention owing to their distinctive pharmacological attributes, such as their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties, and their ability to regulate their host's health. Nevertheless, a considerable amount of residue remains after the extraction of these herbal medicines. Presently, limited research on the utilization of this residue has led to both resource wastage and environmental pollution. Numerous studies have indicated that the extracted residue of the Isatidis Root still contains various organic components, including amino acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, and other nutrients. Consequently, this study's objective was to explore the potential of Isatidis Root residue as an unconventional feed resource. Our findings revealed that Isatis Root residue positively impacted the diarrhea rate and intestinal health of weaned piglets. Weaning stress can trigger diarrhea, cause intestinal damage, and disrupt the intestinal flora of piglets, ultimately resulting in retarded growth or even the death of the animals. Traditional Chinese medicine residues encompass numerous bioactive compounds and essential nutrients; however, their efficient utilization remains a challenge. Consequently, our study sought to explore the impact of traditional Chinese medicine residues, specifically Isatidis Root residue (IRR), on the growth performance, intestinal function, and occurrence of weaning diarrhea in newly weaned piglets. Forty healthy, castrated Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire males, weaned at 21 days old and exhibiting similar body conditions, were randomly allocated into five groups, with eight piglets in each group. The results indicated that the dietary inclusion of IRR at concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 4.0% notably decreased the incidence of diarrhea in weaned piglets compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Serum LDL-C and globulin (GLB) contents were reduced in response to dietary IRR concentrations (0.5% to 4.0%), while serum albumin (ALB) and albumin/globulin (A/G) contents were enhanced (p < 0.05). Dietary 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% IRR resulted in significant increases in villus height (VH) and villus height/crypt depth (V/C) ratios in the jejunum, V/C ratios in the ileum, and the number of villi goblet cells both in the jejunum and ileum. IRR also led to a significant decrease in the crypt depth (CD) of the jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the expression of IL-6 in the jejunum was significantly increased in IRR-fed piglets (0.5% to 4.0%) (p < 0.05). IRR demonstrated inhibitory effects on harmful bacteria in the gastrointestinal microbiome, including Campylobacter, Actinobacillus minor, and Ralstonia pickettii, indicating its broad-spectrum bacteriostatic properties. In conclusion, dietary IRR alleviated diarrhea in weaned piglets and improved gut function and microbial compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, medical plants have been widely used as replacements for antibiotics in disease treatment. Because of its multiple medicinal uses, peppermint (Mentha piperita, MP) is a common herbal remedy. In the present study, MP powder was used as a feed additive to assess growth performance; hematological; biochemical and immune parameters; intestinal histology; and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) gene expression, as well as protection against Vibrio alginolyticus infection in Oreochromis niloticus. O. niloticus (n = 120, 25.66 ± 0.16 g) were fed diets containing 0 (CTR), 2, 3, or 4% MP for 60 days. The results revealed that the inclusion of 2% MP significantly improved the growth indices, intestinal morphological parameters, and reduced the feed conversion ratio. The 2% MP treatment significantly (P < 0.05) increased hematological parameters (red blood cell (RBC) count, white blood cell (WBC) count, packed cell volume% (PCV%), hemoglobin) compared with those of the CTR (P < 0.05). Additionally, feeding fish 2% MP diets decreased the levels of cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein). There were significant increases in immune responses (serum protein and phagocytic activity and index) and non-significant increases in the expression of IL-1β in the 2% MP group comparing with the other groups and the CTR group (P < 0.05). At the end of the feeding trial (60 days), fish were challenged with a virulent strain of Vibrio alginolyticus and the results showed that the mortality rate decreased in the 2% MP treatment group, followed by the 3% and 4% MP groups. Overall, the results revealed that the dietary inclusion of 2% MP can exhibit growth-promoting and immunostimulant effects for sustainable aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of in ovo injection and post-hatch supplementation of Citrus aurantiifolia seed on hatchability, growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune organs weight, and intestinal morphology of Cobb 500 broilers chickens. On day 18 of incubation, 450 fertile eggs were randomly allocated into three sets: non-injected group, 0.5 µg/ml Citrus aurantiifolia seed extract (CASE) group and 0.75 µg/ml CASE group. After hatch, each set was allocated into two groups (5 replicates of 10 birds/replicate each) and was fed on a standard diet with or without Citrus aurantiifolia seed powder (CASP) supplementation (5 g/kg). The groups were divided as follows: IoCA0-C, IoCA0-CA, IoCA5-C, IoCA5-CA, IoCA75-C and IoCA75-CA where IoCA0-C was: non-injected group fed standard diet (negative control group), IoCA0-CA: non-injected and fed CASP supplemented diet (positive control group), IoCA5-C: 0.5 µg/ml of CASE-injected and fed standard diet, IoCA75-C: 0.75 µg/ml of CASE-injected and fed standard diet, IoCA5-CA: 0.5 µg/ml of CASE-injected and fed CASP supplemented diet and IoCA75-CA: 0.75 µg/ml of CASE-injected and fed CASP supplemented diet. The results revealed that the interaction between CASE in ovo injection at 0.5 µg/ml and dietary CASP supplementation at 5 g/kg in the diet increased body weight and weight gain (p

Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance in poultry farms is a significant global public health concern that has led farmers to explore alternative antibiotics, such as prebiotics in poultry production. This study aimed to examine the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic shallot extract (ESE) and the effects of adding shallot powder (SP) to broiler feed on broiler growth, immune response to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccination, and gastrointestinal tract bacteria. Materials and Methods: We determined the antimicrobial effects of ESE against Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EOH) and Lactobacillus acidophilus TISTR 2365 (L2365) using the agar well diffusion method. We used a complete randomized design to assign 120 1-day-old Arbor Acre chicks to six groups with four replicates of five broiler chickens over 42 days. The treatment groups were as follows: T1-basal diet (B) + NDV vaccination (positive control), T2-B (negative control), T3-B + 2 g SP per kg of feed, T4-B + 2 g SP per kg of feed + NDV, T5-B + 4 g SP per kg of feed, and T6-B + 4 g SP per kg of feed + NDV. Results: The minimum inhibitory concentrations of ESE on EOH and L2365 were 62.50 and 125.00 mg/mL, respectively. The body weight gain, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio in the 4 g SP of T5 and T6 groups were significantly improved compared with the other groups (p < 0.05). The immune organ (IO) and thymus gland weights in the T4 group were significantly greater than those observed in the positive and negative control groups (p < 0.05). The IO weights of the bursae of Fabricius and spleen tended to be greater in the T4 group than in the other groups. T5 group broilers had the highest ratio of villus height to crypt depth. The humoral immunity titers against NDV vaccination were improved in the SP-supplemented groups compared with the non-supplemented groups (p > 0.05). SP supplementation reduced the levels of coliform (p < 0.05) and E. coli in the broiler intestine by adding 4 g of SP per kg of feed. However, L2365 was more tolerant to ESE in vitro and tended to increase in line with increased SP levels. Conclusion: ESE showed strong antimicrobial activity to reduce harmful bacteria, and SP supplementation may exhibit prebiotic effects to increase broiler chicken growth, immunity, and microbial balance.

A factorial experiment with a completely randomized design was carried out to examine the effects of reducing dietary crude protein (CP) and incorporating threonine, arginine, valine, isoleucine, and tryptophan synthetic amino acids supplements (SAA) on broiler chickens. The experiment involved 180 Ross 308 broilers divided into six treatments with six replicates each. The experimental treatments were as follows: 1- Standard diet, 2- Standard diet + SAA, 3- Diet with 2% reduced CP, 4- Diet with 2% reduced CP + SAA, 5- Diet with 4% reduced CP, and 6- Diet with 4% reduced CP + SAA. The 4% CP reduction diet decreased body weight gain in the starter and finisher periods (P < 0.05). The 4% lower CP also decreased feed intake in the grower, finisher and whole of the experiment (P < 0.05), and the same effect was observed for the 2% reduced CP diet only in the grower and entire experiment (P < 0.05). The same negative effects of lower dietary CP were also found for feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0.05). The SAA supplements improved weight gain in the starter and the whole experimental period (P < 0.05). Feed intake did not show any change following SAA incorporation; however, SAA had a significant positive effect on FCR (P < 0.05). The only significant effect of experimental factors on small intestine morphology was a higher villus thickness in birds fed 2% less CP compared to the control (P < 0.05). The lower dietary CP led to increased serum cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-c concentrations (P < 0.05). The serum total protein and albumen in the group fed 2% less CP was higher than the two other groups (P < 0.05). The only effect of SAA was an increased serum HDL level (P < 0.05). The results suggest that SAA supplementation could compensate for the negative effects of 2% but not the 4% lower dietary CP.

Background and Aim: With the increasing cost of bulk raw materials and advancements in the feed enzyme industry, corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) have shown more opportunities for use in broiler diets. Supplementation with multiple enzymes could mitigate anti-nutritional factors in DDGS, enhance nutrient digestibility, and thereby increase its utilization in broiler diets, leading to reduced feed costs. This study evaluated the effects of multienzyme supplementation on growth performance, nutrient utilization, intestinal morphology, and pellet quality in broiler chickens fed diets containing conventional levels of DDGS (C-DDGS) and higher levels of DDGS (H-DDGS). Materials and Methods: A total of 800 1-day-old Cobb 500 chicks was assigned to four dietary treatments with eight replicates of 25 birds each: C-DDGS (5% DDGS in Starter and 10% in Grower), C-DDGS + Enzyme (C-DDGS diet supplemented with multienzyme), H-DDGS (10% and 20%) + Enzyme (H-DDGS diet supplemented with multienzyme, 10% DDGS in Starter and 20% in Grower), and H-DDGS (15% and 30%) + Enzyme. Results: The C-DDGS + enzyme diet increased (p < 0.05) body weight gain (BWG), reduced the feed conversion ratio, enhanced (p < 0.05) digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein, and hemicellulose (HC), and improved (p < 0.05) intestinal villus height and villus: crypt ratio of broilers. The H-DDGS (10% and 20%) + enzyme diet exhibited no difference in (p > 0.05) growth performance, nutrient digestibility (except HC), and intestinal morphological parameters, whereas the H-DDGS (15% and 30%) + enzyme diet decreased (p < 0.05) feed intake and BWG and reduced (p < 0.05) energy and DM digestibility by impact (p < 0.05) intestinal morphology compared with the C-DDGS enzyme-free diet. The H-DDGS diet had lower (p < 0.05) pellet hardness and poorer durability than the C-DDGS diet. Conclusion: Supplementing multienzyme in the C-DDGS (5% and 10%) diet improved growth performance from day 0 to 28 and diminished growth performance in the H-DDGS (15% and 30%) diet by influencing intestinal morphology and feed pellet quality in broiler chickens. In addition, when supplemented with multienzyme, the dietary DDGS level can be safely included at levels of 10% in 0–7 days and 20% in 8–28 days of age.

Introduction: Plant carbon black (PCB) is a new feed additive for zearalenone adsorption in China. However, information regarding whether PCB can effectively absorb deoxynivalenol (DON) is limited. Methods: To explore this research gap, the present study examined the adsorption effectiveness of DON by PCB using a phosphate buffer, artificial gastric juice, and artificial intestinal juice. In a 21-day in vivo trial, 48 male piglets were randomly assigned to four treatment groups: (1) uncontaminated basal diet (CTR), (2) basal diet supplemented with 1 mg/kg PCB(PCB), (3) 2.3 mg/kg DON-contaminated diet (DON), and (4) 2.3 mg/kg DON-contaminated diet supplemented with 0.1% PCB (DON+PCB). Results: When DON concentration was 1 µg/mL, the adsorption rate of PCB on DON in phosphate buffer systems (pH 2.0 and 6.0) and the artificial gastric and intestinal juices were 100%, 100%, 71.46%, and 77.20%, respectively. In the in vivo trial, the DON group significantly increased the DON+deepoxy-deoxynivalenol (DOM-1) content in serum as well as the inflammation cytokine proteins (interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and tumor necrosis factor-a) and mRNA expression of interleukin-6 and longchain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 in the jejunum and ileum. It decreased the villus height, goblet cells, mucosal thickness, and mRNA expression of Claudin-1 compared to the CTR group. In addition, DON decreased the Shannon and Simpson indices; reduced the relative abundances of Firmicutes, Lactobacillus, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, and Ruminococcus; and increased the relative abundances of Terrisporobacter and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 in the cecal content. Discussion: In conclusion, these results suggest that PCB showed high adsorption efficacy on DON in vitro, and exhibit the protective effects against various intestinal toxicity manifestations in DON-challenged piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate (CPH) on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, serum biochemical indices, intestinal morphology, and enzyme activities of yellow‐feather broilers. We randomly divided 240 chicks into four groups, each with six replicates: a basal diet with 0% (CON), 1% (LCPH), 3% (MCPH), or 5% (HCPH) CPH. The trail spanned 63 days and included three phases: Days 1–21, 22–42, and 43–63. Increased average daily gain (ADG) and decreased ratio of feed to gain (F/G) with LCPH were observed in 21‐day‐old broilers (P < 0.05). MCPH led to higher ADG and average daily feed intake (ADFI) in 42‐day‐old broilers (P < 0.05). Additionally, CPH supplementation resulted in increased dressing percentage, percentage of half‐eviscerated yield, percentage of eviscerated yield, breast muscle rate, and leg muscle rate were observed (P < 0.05) with diet. The serum levels of total protein (TP), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P) were enhanced, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and triglyceride (TG) levels decreased with diet and CPH (P < 0.05). CPH increased the length of the jejunum and ileum and the weight of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum in 21‐day‐old broilers (P < 0.05). Alterations in the duodenal villus structure in broilers occurred on Days 21 and 42, and the CPH groups performed better; however, a similar change occurred in the jejunum on Days 42 and 63 (P < 0.05). MCPH and HCPH enhanced trypsin activity in the duodenum of 21‐day‐old and 63‐day‐old broilers (p < 0.05). Chymotrypsin activity increased (P > 0.05) in the duodenum of 63‐day‐old broilers fed MCPH. Lipase activity increased (P < 0.05) in the jejuna of 21‐day‐old broilers treated with HCPH. CPH increased trypsin activity in the ilea of 21‐day‐old broilers (P < 0.05). These results showed that CPH influenced the growth performance, carcass characteristics, serum biochemical indices, and intestinal morphology of yellow‐feather broilers, which are related to growth stage. The recommended CPH level in broilers is 1% before 21 days of age and 3% after 21 days of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to investigate the impact of substituting corn with fermented sweet potato potato on the growth performance, serum biochemical indexes, immune indexes, and intestinal morphology of yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 360 one-day-old yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into four groups, with six replicates in each group, and 15 broilers in each replicate. The broilers in control group were fed a basal diet. Groups I, II, and III were fed diets with 1%, 3%, and 5% fermented sweet potato pomace substituting corn, respectively, from 1 to 21 days of age, and 5%, 8%, and 10% from 22 to 42 days and 43 to 70 days of age, respectively. The trial lasted for 70 days. The results showed that substituting corn with fermented sweet potato pomace did not significantly affect the average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake, and feed conversion ratio of the yellow-feathered broilers (P>0.05). Compared to the control group, the levels of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in groups I and II were significantly increased (P<0.05). At 21 days of age, the villus height and crypt depth of the duodenum in group I were significantly reduced (P<0.05), while the crypt depth in the ileum was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the villus height to crypt depth ratio (V/C) in the ileum of groups I and III were significantly decreased (P<0.05). At 42 days of age, the villus height of the duodenum and jejunum and crypt depth of the jejunum in group III were significantly reduced (P<0.05), the V/C of the duodenum in group I was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the villus height of the ileum in groups I and II were significantly increased (P<0.05). At 70 days of age, the villus height and V/C of the duodenum in groups I and II were significantly increased (P<0.05), the crypt depth was significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the villus height and V/C of the jejunum in group II were significantly increased (P<0.05). The study indicates that adding fermented sweet potato pomace to the diet as a substitute for corn can improve the serum immune indicators and intestinal tissue morphology of yellow-feathered broilers, and the optimal supplemental level is 5% at 1 to 21 days of age and 8% at 22 to 70 days of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the relieving effect of adhesive Bifidobacterium on constipation and its effect on intestinal flora and intestinal morphology in mice. Methods: Detection of adhesion of 14 strains of Bifidobacterium. Fifty mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, positive drug group, low adhesion group and high adhesion group, with 10 mice in each group. The control group and model group received 0.2 ml sterile double distilled water, the positive drug group received 0.2 ml 1.52 mg/kg lactulose solution, and the low and high adhesion groups received 0.2 ml 109 CFU/ml corresponding to Bifidobacterium solution for 37 days. The constipation model was established from the 31st day. The other 4 groups except the control group were given 0.2 ml 10 mg/ (kg·bw) loperamide hydrochloride aseptic aqueous solution for 7 days. After the establishment of the model, each mouse was fed with 0.2 ml activated carbon suspension, and the excretion time of the first black stool was measured. After fasting for 12 hours, the mice were given aseptic double steamed water or loperamide hydrochloride, and 1 hour later, 0.2 ml activated carbon suspension was given to the stomach. After 30 min, all the mice were killed. The distance between the intestinal length and the intestinal propulsion of the activated carbon suspension was measured, and the intestinal propulsion rate was calculated. The fresh feces of mice on the 30th and 36th day were collected within 4 hours, and the fecal moisture content and short chain fatty acid (SCFAs) content were determined. Observation of histology of small intestine by HE staining. The expression of zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1) and Occludin was detected by immunofluorescence. Detection of aquaporin, c -kit and serotonin related gene transcription by qRT-PCR. The levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), IL-1β and TNF-α were detected by ELISA. The relative content of intestinal microflora was detected by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Results: CCFM 622, CCFM 624, CCFM 626, CCFM 641 and CCFM 642 were selected as the bacteria group used in the low adhesion group, and CCFM 16, CCFM 625, CCFM 643, CCFM 666 and CCFM 668 as the bacteria group used in the high adhesion group. Compared with control group, the first black stool excretion time, AQP4, AQP8 mRNA, 5-HT, IL-1β and TNF-α levels in the model group, positive drug group, low adhesion group and high adhesion group increased (P<0.05), while the intestinal propulsion rate, fecal water content, ZO-1, Occludin fluorescence intensity, c -kit, 5-HT4R, Tph1 mRNA, acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid decreased (P<0.05) . Compared with positive drug group and high adhesion group, the first black stool excretion time, AQP4, AQP8 mRNA, 5-HT, IL-1β and TNF-α in low adhesion group increased (P<0.05), while intestinal propulsion rate, fecal water content, ZO-1, Occludin fluorescence intensity, c -kit, 5-HT4R, Tph1 mRNA, acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid decreased in low adhesion group (P<0.05) . In the control group, the mucosal structure was intact, the small intestinal villi were neat and uniform, there was no injury or wrinkle, and the cell structure was intact；in model group, the intestinal villi were seriously ruptured and atrophied, and the goblet cells were incomplete；compared with model group, the morphology of small intestinal villi in positive drug group, low adhesion group and high adhesion group were improved, and the number of goblet cells increased, and the improvement in positive drug group and high adhesion group were more obvious than that in low adhesion group. Compared with control group, the Shannon index and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F to B) ratio in model group decreased (P<0.05), and there were differences in genus level (P<0.05) . Compared with model group, Shannon index and F to B ratio increased in positive drug group, low adhesion group and high adhesion group (P<0.05) . The sample points in the model group could be distinguished from the control group, positive drug group, low adhesion group and high adhesion group, but the coincidence degree of sample points in control group, positive drug group, low adhesion group and high adhesion group were higher. Conclusion: Bifidobacterium can regulate intestinal flora of constipation mice, improve intestinal running efficiency and protect intestinal mucus barrier. Bifidobacterium with high adhesion is better than Bifidobacterium with low adhesion in relieving constipation in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An alternative to culling male hatchlings of layers is breeding dual‐purpose chickens. One breeding objective is the ability to digest low‐quality feed. Certain measurements of the gastrointestinal tract may be useful indicators of this ability. The present study compared the gastrointestinal tract of adult hens of two layer‐type breeds (White Rock (WR), New Hampshire (NH)) and the meat‐type ÖTZ (Ökologische Tierzucht gGmbH) Bresse Gauloise (BR), used for the production of dual‐purpose organic chickens. Flocks had the same housing and feeding conditions. At slaughter at 19 months, the body weight and gastrointestinal organs of 134 hens (51 WR, 55 NH and 28 BR) were measured. The muscle thickness of the proventriculus and ventriculus and the length and width of the duodenum, jejunoileum, caeca and colorectum were measured and variances between the groups were analysed using a one‐factor covariance analysis. Significant differences between the breeds were found in total intestine length and the lengths and/or widths of single gastrointestinal segments. For example NH showed the highest mean total intestinal length and BR showed the lowest mean (NH: 186.73 cm, WR 185.86 cm, BR 157.91 cm; p = 0.001). To our knowledge, this is the first study comparing the gastrointestinal tract size of adult female layer‐ and meat‐type chicken breeds kept under the same feeding and housing conditions. Given the possible relationship between intestinal length parameters and chicken performance, measurement of the gastrointestinal tract may be a simple, quick and inexpensive additional method to help select layer‐, meat‐type and dual‐purpose chickens suitable for organic production when a selection process using genetic markers is not possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study aimed to elucidate the protective effects of hesperidin on intestinal damage induced by high-temperature heat stress in yellow-feathered broilers. The findings indicate that dietary supplementation with hesperidin significantly attenuated serum corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels elevated by heat stress. Specifically, supplementation with 300 mg/kg and 450 mg/kg of hesperidin was associated with enhanced intestinal morphology, reduced endotoxin and D-lactic acid levels, and the upregulated expression of tight junction proteins in the small intestine. Hesperidin supplementation was observed to decrease pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and NF-κB mRNA expression. These results indicate that hesperidin may serve as a viable intervention to mitigate intestinal damage induced by heat stress in broilers, thereby providing novel insights for enhancing broiler health and welfare. To investigate the possible protective effect of hesperidin on intestinal damage caused by high-temperature heat stress in yellow-feathered broilers, 960 broilers aged 21 days were randomly divided into four groups: HT, HT300, HT450, and HT600, with each group receiving different amounts of hesperidin supplementation (0, 300, 450, and 600 mg/kg). The dietary supplementation of hesperidin could mitigate the elevation of corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ATCH) levels in serum from yellow-feathered broilers induced by heat stress. The supplementation of 300 mg/kg and 450 mg/kg of hesperidin reduced crypt depth and increased the V/C ratio in the small intestine compared to the HT group. The dietary supplementation of hesperidin decreased endotoxin and D-lactic acid levels in the blood, and dietary supplementation of 300 mg/kg of hesperidin increased the expression of claudin-1 and ZO-1 mRNA in the jejunum compared with the HT group. Furthermore, the dietary supplementation of 300 mg/kg of hesperidin decreased serum IL-1β and IL-6 levels. In comparison, supplementation with 300 mg/kg and 450 mg/kg of hesperidin decreased serum TNF-α levels in yellow-feathered broilers compared to the HT group. Moreover, the dietary supplementation of hesperidin decreased NF-κB mRNA levels. Overall, these data suggest that dietary supplementation with hesperidin potentially improves intestinal injury caused by heat stress in yellow-feathered broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A factorial experiment with a completely randomized design was carried out to examine the effects of reducing dietary crude protein (CP) and incorporating threonine, arginine, valine, isoleucine, and tryptophan synthetic amino acids supplements (SAA) on broiler chickens. The experiment involved 180 Ross 308 broilers divided into six treatments with six replicates each. The experimental treatments were as follows: 1- Standard diet, 2- Standard diet + SAA, 3-Diet with 2% reduced CP, 4-Diet with 2% reduced CP + SAA, 5- Diet with 4% reduced CP, and 6- Diet with 4% reduced CP + SAA. The 4% CP reduction diet decreased body weight gain in the starter and finisher periods (P < 0.05). The 4% lower CP also decreased feed intake in the grower, finisher and whole of the experiment (P < 0.05), and the same effect was observed for the 2% reduced CP diet only in the grower and entire experiment (P < 0.05). The same negative effects of lower dietary CP were also found for feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0.05). The SAA supplements improved weight gain in the starter and the whole experimental period (P < 0.05). Feed intake did not show any change following SAA incorporation; however, SAA had a significant positive effect on FCR (P < 0.05). The only significant effect of experimental factors on small intestine morphology was a higher villus thickness in birds fed 2% less CP compared to the control (P < 0.05). The lower dietary CP led to increased serum cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-c concentrations (P < 0.05). The serum total protein and albumen in the group fed 2% less CP was higher than the two other groups (P < 0.05). The only effect of SAA was an increased serum HDL level (P < 0.05). The results suggest that SAA supplementation could compensate for the negative effects of 2% but not the 4% lower dietary CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nutritional requirement of fish larvae remains a limiting factor in advanced aquaculture. Micronutrients are crucial for early development, but their dietary inclusion level in the larval feed of carps has not been standardized. The present study was executed to determine the optimum dietary inclusion level of organic and inorganic selenium in the larval feed of Rohu, Labeo rohita. A 35-day feeding trial in triplicate under semi-control conditions was conducted in 21 troughs divided into seven groups. Each trough (capacity 4.0 L) contained 200 larvae (average body weight 0.4 mg). The first group (control) was reared on nano-particulate basal diet (CP 50%), while three groups Se-Na(0.5), Se-Na(1), and Se-Na(1.5) were fed basal diet supplemented with graded levels (0.5–1.5 mg/kg diet) of inorganic form of Se, sodium selenite (Se-Na). The last three groups (Se-Met(0.5), Se-Met(1), and Se-Met(1.5)) were fed organic form of dietary Se, selenium methionine (Se-Met) at the same inclusion level as Se-Na. Results indicated the curvilinear relationship of dietary Se levels with body weight, activity of digestive enzymes (protease, amylase, lipases, and trypsin), and antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, POD, and GSH-Px) activity, intestinal villi, width, and absorptive area. A positive correlation was observed with up to 0.5 and 1 mg/kg diet of Se-Na and Se-Met, respectively; however, above these levels, a negative impact was observed. The upregulation of growth hormone mediator (IGF-1) and downregulation of heat shock protein (HSP-70) also followed a similar trend in response to Se-Na and Se-Met inclusion. Based on the results, 1 mg/kg diet Se-Met could be considered the optimum level and is recommended for the early rearing of rohu larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weaning is a critical stage in the swine production cycle, as young pigs need to adjust to sudden and dramatic changes in their diet and environment. Among the various organ systems affected, the gastrointestinal tract is one of the more severely impacted during this transition. Traditionally, challenges at weaning have been managed by prophylactic use of antibiotics, which not only provides protection against diarrhea and other gut dysfunction but also has growth-promoting effects. With banning or major restrictions on the use of antibiotics for this purpose, various alternative products have been developed as potential replacements, including direct-fed microbials (DFMs) such as probiotics and postbiotics. As their efficiency needs to be improved, a continued effort to gain a deeper understanding of their mechanism of action is necessary. In this context, this report presents a study on the impact of a Lactobacillus-based probiotic (LPr) and a Bifidobacterium-based postbiotic (BPo) when added to the diet during the nursery phase. For animal performance, an effect was observed in the early stages (Day 0 to Day 10), as pigs fed diets supplemented with either DFMs were found to have higher average daily feed intake (ADFI) compared to pigs fed the control diet (p < 0.05). Histological analysis of intestinal morphology on D10 revealed that the ileum of supplemented pigs had a higher villus height/crypt depth ratio (p < 0.05) compared to controls, indicating a benefit of the DFMs for gut health. In an effort to further explore potential mechanisms of action, the effects of the DFMs on gut microbial composition were investigated using fecal microbial communities as a non-invasive representative approach. At the bacterial family level, Lactobacillaceae were found in higher abundance in pigs fed either LPr (D10; p < 0.05) or BPo (D47; p < 0.05). At the Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) level, which can be used as a proxy to assess species composition, Ssd-00950 and Ssd-01187 were found in higher abundance in DFM-supplemented pigs on D47 (p < 0.05). Using nucleotide sequence identity, these OTUs were predicted to be putative strains of Congobacterium massiliense and Absicoccus porci, respectively. In contrast, OTU Ssd-00039, which was predicted to be a strain of Streptococcus alactolyticus, was in lower abundance in BPo-supplemented pigs on D47 (p < 0.05). Together, these results indicate that the DFMs tested in this study can impact various aspects of gut function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although β-glucan has diverse benefits for fish health, the potential adverse impacts of excessive supplementation are poorly understood. This study investigated the optimal dosage of β-glucan for coral trout and explored the adverse effects of excessive supplementation. The results revealed that moderate β-glucan supplementation (1) significantly enhanced the weight gain rate and specific growth rate (SGR); (2) significantly improved the intestinal villus length (0.10%), muscle thickness (0.05–0.15%), and α-amylase and chymotrypsin activities (0.05–0.15%); (3) significantly increased liver catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), alkaline phosphatase, complement 3, immunoglobulin M (IgM), lysozyme, serum superoxide dismutase, CAT, glutathione peroxidase, GR, total antioxidant capacity, acid phosphatase, complement 4, and IgM activities and significantly reduced malondialdehyde contents; (4) upregulated genes in the liver associated with copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD-1), manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD-2), CAT, GSH-Px1a, ACP6, AKP, LZ-c, IgM, C3, and C4-b. However, 0.20% β-glucan significantly inhibited the growth performance of coral trout compared with 0.10% β-glucan. Thus, 0.10% β-glucan represents the optimal dosage for promoting growth, antioxidant activity, and immune responses in coral trout, while higher β-glucan levels weakened these beneficial effects. With an SGR established by a cubic regression analysis, the optimal level of β-glucan for maximal growth of coral trout is 0.082%. This study provides new insights into the health impacts of β-glucan on fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have demonstrated that postbiotics possess bioactivities comparable to those of probiotics. Therefore, our experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of postbiotics derived from Enterococcus faecium on the growth performance and intestinal health of growing male minks. A total of 120 growing male minks were randomly assigned to 4 groups, each with 15 replicates of 2 minks. The minks in the 4 groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15% postbiotics derived from E. faecium (PEF), respectively. Compared to the control, PEF improved feed/gain (F/G) during the first 4 weeks and the entire 8 weeks of the study (p < 0.05); in addition, 0.1% PEF improved average daily gain (ADG) during the first 4 weeks and the entire 8 weeks of the study (p < 0.05), while 0.15% PEF improved ADG during the first 4 weeks of the study (p < 0.05). Consequently, 0.1% PEF minks displayed greater body weight (BW) at weeks 4 and 8 (p < 0.05), and 0.15% PEF minks had greater BW at week 4 (p < 0.05) than minks in the control. Furthermore, compared to the control, both 0.05 and 0.1% PEF enhanced the apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE) (p < 0.05) in the initial 4 weeks, while both 0.1 and 0.15% PEF enhanced the apparent digestibility of CP and DM in the final 4 weeks (p < 0.05). Additionally, trypsin activity was elevated in the 0.1 and 0.15% PEF groups compared to the control (p < 0.05). In terms of intestinal morphology, PEF increased the villus height and villus/crypt (V/C) in the jejunum (p < 0.05), and both 0.1 and 0.15% PEF decreased the crypt depth and increased the villus height and V/C in the duodenum (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. Supplementation with 0.1% PEF increased the SIgA levels but decreased the IL-2, IL-8, and TNF-a levels in the jejunum (p < 0.05). Compared to the control, E. faecium postbiotics decreased the relative abundances of Serratia and Fusobacterium (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the results indicate that the growth performance, digestibility, immunity, and intestine development of minks are considerably affected by E. faecium postbiotics. In particular, dietary supplementation with 0.1% E. faecium postbiotics provides greater benefits than supplementation with 0.05 and 0.15%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Zinc (Zn) is an essential microelement for normal poultry production. This study determined the microbiota, intestinal morphology and immune status after supplementation with two different doses of Zn in pigeons. The results revealed that Zn can increase the average daily gain and ileal gene expression and improve the serum immune indices and feces microbiota profiles. Our findings provides scientific basis for the application of Zn in pigeon production. We aimed to explore the effects of two different doses of Zn on the fecal microbiota in pigeons and the correlation between these effects and intestinal immune status. Zn doses affected pigeon growth performance, and pigeons in the T60 (60 mg/kg Zn) and T90 (90 mg/kg Zn) groups exhibited higher villus height and crypt depth in duodenum and ileum compared to the control group, respectively. Supplementation with Zn increased the expression of the IL8, CD798, TJP and NKTR genes (p < 0.05), while enhancing serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgM, and IgA concentrations compared to the control pigeons (p < 0.05). T60 treatment reduced relative Actinobacteriota abundance, while Lactobacillus spp. abundance was highest in the T90 group compared to the two other groups. The core functional genera significantly associated with immune indices in these pigeons were Rhodococcus erythropolis and Lactobacillus ponti. Our findings will help facilitate the application of dietary Zn intake in pig production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TGase-7S gels prepared after different HIU pretreatment times were used to intervene in healthy mice to analyze their effects on growth characteristics and intestinal morphology, and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was applied to fecal samples to investigate the effects of the gel on the structure and diversity of intestinal flora in mice. The results showed that the intestinal tissues of mice in different treatment groups showed better integrity, and the intake of gel increased the length of small intestinal villi in mice, among which the 30-gel group had the highest value of villi length (599.27 ± 44.28) μm (p < 0.05) and showed the neatest and tightest arrangement, indicating that the intake of gel did not have adverse effects on the intestinal tract. The effect of gel ingestion on the diversity of the intestinal microbial community structure was more significant, positively promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria such as Desferriobacterium, Synechococcus, and Bifidobacterium. In addition, the ingestion of the gel improved the intestinal health of mice by altering the physiological functions of the intestinal flora and modulating their participation in various metabolic pathways. The above findings provide some theoretical value for the safety of 7S gel in food applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics are a group of active microorganisms that form colonies within the body and alter the composition of the flora in a specific area to provide benefits to the host. In this study, a total of 96 DurocxLandracexYorkshire weaned piglets with an initial body weight (BW) of 8.56±0.53kg were employed in a randomized complete block design for a 28-day experiment. Pigs were randomly divided into two treatment groups: the control group (CON) and the complex probiotic group (CON+0.2% probiotics), respectively. The study found that through the 28-day experiment, the average daily gain (ADG) of the complex probiotic group was significantly higher than that of the CON (p <0.05). However, compared with the CON, the feed conversion efficiency significantly decreased on days 0-14 (p <0.05). The addition of dietary complex probiotic significantly increased the villus height (VH) of duodenum and ileum, acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces, and decreased fecal methyl mercaptans, acetic acid, and CO2 (p <0.05). It concluded that feeding weaned piglets 0.2% complex probiotic increased the VH of duodenum and ileum, as well as changed the content of SCFAs in feces. This ultimately led to an increase in ADG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of heat stress (HS) on production is intricately linked with feed intake. We investigated the effects of HS on intestines and diencephalic genes in Pekin ducks. One hundred and sixty adult ducks were allocated to two treatment rooms. The control room was maintained at 22°C and the HS room at 35°C for the first 10 h of the day then reduced to 29.5°C. After 3 weeks, 10 hens and 5 drakes were euthanized from each room and jejunum and ileum collected for histology. Brains were collected for gene expression analysis using qRT‐PCR. Intestinal morphology data were analyzed with two‐way ANOVA and diencephalic gene data were analyzed with Kruskal–Wallis test. There was an increase in villi width in the ileum (p = .0136) and jejunum (p = .0019) of HS hens compared to controls. HS drakes showed a higher crypt depth (CD) in the jejunum (p = .0198) compared to controls. There was an increase in crypt goblet cells (GC) count in the ileum (p = .0169) of HS drakes compared to HS hens. There was higher villi GC count (p = .07) in the jejunum of HS drakes compared to controls. There was an increase in the crypt GC density (p = .0054) in the ileum, not jejunum, of HS drakes compared to HS hens. Further, there were no differences in the proopiomelanocortin gene expression in either sex but there was an increase in the expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene in HS hens (p = .031) only and a decrease in the corticotropin releasing hormone gene in the HS drakes (p = .037) compared to controls. These data show that there are sex differences in the effect of HS on gut morphology while the upregulation in NPY gene may suggest a role in mediating response to chronic HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to study the differences in intestinal morphological structure, short-chain fatty acids, and gut microbiota among pigs with different growth rates. Fifty piglets with similar dates and body weights were selected, and determined the growth index data for all pigs at the ages of 60 and 240 days, and the average daily gain (ADG) was calculated. Four pigs with the highest ADG were selected as the high daily weight gain group (HW group), and the four pigs with the lowest ADG were selected as the low daily weight gain group (LW group). Intestinal morphology, the content of short-chain fatty acids in the intestinal contents, and differences in the microbiota were measured. The results showed that in terms of intestinal morphological structure, the relative weight of the large intestine in the HW group was significantly lower than that in the LW group (P<0.05), while the weight, length, intestinal density, and length of the small intestine were all higher than those in the LW group. In terms of short-chain fatty acids in the intestinal contents, the content of acetic acid in the ileum and colon of the HW group was significantly higher than that in the LW group (P<0.05), while the content of valeric acid in the ileum and butyric acid in the colon was significantly lower than that in the LW group (P<0.05). Alpha diversity analysis of the microbial community structure showed that the Ace index in the ileum of the HW group was significantly lower than that in the LW group (P<0.05). Microbial composition analysis showed that there were two different phyla in ileum and genus, with 14 different genera respectively. The study indicates that there is a certain correlation between the weight, length, and density of the intestine and the growth rate of pigs, the content of volatile fatty acids such as acetic acid, valeric acid, and butyric acid, as well as the gut microbiota, have a regulatory effect on the growth rate of pigs, but the specific mechanisms still need further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction1: Antibiotics have been used for many years in animal production to treat infectious diseases and as growth promoters. However, the misuse of antibiotics causes problems such as bacterial antibiotic resistance. Also, the possible accumulation of antibiotic residues in livestock products is risky for consumers. After the ban on the use of antibiotic growth promoters in 2006, there was a need to use substitutes in animal feed to replace antibiotics. These alternatives include prebiotics, probiotics, phytobiotics and synbiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when consumed in sufficient amounts, have beneficial effects on the host by creating a microbial balance in the gut. The purpose of probiotics is to create a competition between the species that are naturally present in the intestinal flora of broilers. The most important advantage of probiotics is that they do not remain in animal products. Prebiotics are feed compounds that are not digested by the host when consumed but can support beneficial bacteria. These compounds are short-chain carbohydrates such as nondigestible oligosaccharides that cannot be digested by animal enzymes. Compounds containing prebiotics and probiotics used in nutrition are called synbiotics. Phytobiotics include a wide range of plant-derived products with bioactive compounds. Plant feed additives (PFAs) are widely effective in improving gut health, increasing digestibility and thus growth performance. These bioactive compounds include secondary metabolites (phenolic and flavonoid). In recent years, various marine organisms have been considered as valuable biological compounds for livestock. Marine algae, due to a wide range of bioactive components such as flavonoid, carotenoid, phenolic compounds, tocopherol, peptide and various sulfated and carboxylated polysaccharides such as alginate and fucoidan with antibacterial, antifungal and antiviruses have beneficial effects on health. Brown macroalgae such as Sargassum angustifolium have beneficial effects on health due to a wide range of bioactive components such as fucoidan, fucose sulfate and polysaccharides. Also, this group of algae is a rich source of sodium alginate oligosaccharides. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted in the form of a completely randomized design, lasted for 42 days at the Ali Abad Kamin research farm of the Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Shiraz, Iran. A total of 240 Ross 308 broilers were distributed in five treatments, four replications and 12 birds per replication. The dietary treatments included: 1 basal diet, without additives, 2 basal diet + 0.05% Oxytetracycline, 3 basal diet + 0.2% brown algae Sargassum and treatments 4 and 5 the basal diet was + 1% and 1.5% of synbiotics Limax, respectively. Ingredients and chemical composition of the ration are presented in (Table 1). At the end of each period, chickens in each group were weighed and the average body weight gain (g/b) in each period was calculated. Feed intake in each period was calculated and expressed as g/b/d. Based on weight gain and feed intake in each period, the FCR values of each group were calculated. Tow representative chickens from each group were selected for carcass analysis representing the average weight and variability of each group. The data obtained on various parameters studied during this experimental trial were analyzed statistically with SAS software. Results and Discussion: The results showed that the treatments had no significant effect on the feed conversion ratio of the birds. In the finisher period (25-42 days) and total period (1-42 days), oxytetracycline and Limax 1% treatments had the highest and lowest average daily weight gain, respectively. There wasn't any significant difference between average daily weight gain of the oxytetracycline treatment and other experimental treatments. In the finisher period, the highest amount of feed intake was for the control treatment and the lowest for the Limax 1% treatment (P<0.05). The highest value of production index was belonged to oxytetracycline and Limax treatments was 1.5% (295 and 272, respectively). The highest abdominal fat percentage in the day 42 was related to Oxytetracycline treatment and the lowest was related to Limax treatment of 1.5% (P<0.05). The highest villus width in the day 42 was belonged to Limax treatment of 1 and 1.5% and the lowest was belonged to Oxytetracycline, control and Sargassum treatments (P<0.05). The treatments did not show a significant difference in the feed conversion ratio. The highest value of production index was observed in oxytetracycline and Limex 1.5% treatments (295.25 and 271.71, respectively). Conclusion: The final result is that the two oxytetracycline and 1.5% of synbiotics Limax treatments shown the highest average daily weight gain and the production index among the experimental treatments. Also, the maximum width of villi and its absorption surface of villus was related to Limax treatment of 1.5%. Therefore, despite the problems of using antibiotics in the diet of birds, Limax synbiotic supplement can be a suitable substitute for oxytetracycline antibiotic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: This experiment aimed to assess the effects of combining early or late feeding programs with prebiotics on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood metabolites, mucin-2 gene expression, and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 720 day-old male and female (50:50) broiler chicks were randomly assigned to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with 24 experimental units (pens) and 30 birds/pen for 6 wk. Six treatments consisted of 2 feeding programs (early: fed at hatchery; or late: 48 h feed deprivation) and 3 levels of prebiotic supplementation (none, recommended dosage, or 3 times the recommended dosage). Late access to feed during the starter phase resulted in decreased feed intake (FI) and weight gain (WG), as well as increased feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0.05). During the entire rearing period, broilers in the early feeding program, fed diets without prebiotics had higher mortality rates compared to other treatment groups (P < 0.05). Also, the feeding programs and inclusion of prebiotics in the diets did not have a significant effect on FI, WG, or FCR. In both feeding programs, the supplementation of prebiotic resulted in improved ileal morphology indicators and increased mucin-2 gene expression (P < 0.05). The use of prebiotic in both the early and late access to feed groups led to decreased serum levels of triglycerides and uric acid (P < 0.05). In conclusion, late access to feed negatively affected the early growth performance of broiler chicks. Prebiotic supplementation positively influenced mucin-2 gene expression, especially in early feeding programs. Early feed access combined with prebiotics improved intestinal health compared to late access. While prebiotic did not affect overall growth performance, it reduced mortality rates. Further studies are recommended.

IntroductionThe present study aimed to evaluate the effects of substituting fish meal with pork meal in feed on the growth performance, feed utilization, intestinal morphology, and immune function of Penaeus monodon.MethodsA total of 600 uniformly sized juvenile shrimp with an initial weight of 1.20 ± 0.03 g were randomly assigned to four groups, with each group consisting of six replicates of 25 shrimp each. Fish meal protein was replaced with 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% pork meal, and crystalline amino acids and fish oil were supplemented accordingly. The groups were designated as P0, P5, P10, and P15, and the study duration was 70 days.ResultsResults indicated no significant difference in specific growth rate (SGR) between the P5 and P10 groups compared to the P0 group. However, the SGR in the P15 group was significantly lower than that in the P5 and P10 groups. Feed conversion rates (FCRs) for the P5 and P10 groups were comparable to the P0 group, whereas the P15 group showed a significantly higher FCR than the other groups. There were no significant differences in whole body composition among all the groups. Apart from alanine, the amino acid composition of muscles did not differ significantly among all the groups. Results of enzyme activity in plasma revealed that the replacement of fish meal with pork meal reduced levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Specifically, levels of AST in the P5 and P15 groups were significantly lower compared to the P0 and P10 groups. Histological examination of midgut tissues showed that villus height initially increased and then decreased with higher replacement ratios. The P5 group had the highest villus height, while the P15 group had the lowest villus height. Analysis of gene expression related to liver immune functions indicated that genes in TLR signaling pathway were significantly elevated in the P15 group compared to the other groups.DiscussionIn conclusion, even with the supplementation of crystalline amino acids and fish oil, pork meal should not replace more than 10% of fish meal in the feed of P. monodon to maintain optimal growth and feed efficiency.

Introduction: Antibiotics have been used for many years in animal production to treat infectious diseases and as growth promoters. However, the misuse of antibiotics causes problems such as bacterial antibiotic resistance. Also, the possible accumulation of antibiotic residues in livestock products is risky for consumers. After the ban on the use of antibiotic growth promoters in 2006, there was a need to use substitutes in animal feed to replace antibiotics. These alternatives include prebiotics, probiotics, phytobiotics and synbiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when consumed in sufficient amounts, have beneficial effects on the host by creating a microbial balance in the gut. The purpose of probiotics is to create a competition between the species that are naturally present in the intestinal flora of broilers. The most important advantage of probiotics is that they do not remain in animal products. Prebiotics are feed compounds that are not digested by the host when consumed but can support beneficial bacteria. These compounds are short-chain carbohydrates such as non-digestible oligosaccharides that cannot be digested by animal enzymes. Compounds containing prebiotics and probiotics used in nutrition are called synbiotics. Phytobiotics include a wide range of plant-derived products with bioactive compounds. Plant feed additives (PFAs) are widely effective in improving gut health, increasing digestibility and thus growth performance. These bioactive compounds include secondary metabolites (phenolic and flavonoid). In recent years, various marine organisms have been considered as valuable biological compounds for livestock. Marine algae, due to a wide range of bioactive components such as flavonoid, carotenoid, phenolic compounds, tocopherol, peptide and various sulfated and carboxylated polysaccharides such as alginate and fucoidan with antibacterial, antifungal and antiviruses have beneficial effects on health. Brown macroalgae such as Sargassum angustifolium have beneficial effects on health due to a wide range of bioactive components such as fucoidan, fucose sulfate and polysaccharides. Also, this group of algae is a rich source of sodium alginate oligosaccharides.Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted in the form of a completely randomized design, lasted for 42 days at the Ali Abad Kamin research farm of the Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Shiraz, Iran. A total of 240 Ross 308 broilers were distributed in five treatments, four replications and 12 birds per replication. The dietary treatments included: 1 basal diet, without additives, 2 basal diet + 0.05% Oxytetracycline, 3 basal diet + 0.2% brown algae Sargassum and treatments 4 and 5 the basal diet was + 1% and 1.5% of synbiotics Limax, respectively. Ingredients and chemical composition of the ration are presented in (Table 1). At the end of each period, chickens in each group were weighed and the average body weight gain (g/b) in each period was calculated. Feed intake in each period was calculated and expressed as g/b/d. Based on weight gain and feed intake in each period, the FCR values of each group were calculated. Tow representative chickens from each group were selected for carcass analysis representing the average weight and variability of each group. The data obtained on various parameters studied during this experimental trial were analyzed statistically with SAS software.Results and Discussion: The results showed that the treatments had no significant effect on the feed conversion ratio of the birds. In the finisher period (25-42 days) and total period (1-42 days), oxytetracycline and Limax 1% treatments had the highest and lowest average daily weight gain, respectively. There wasn't any significant difference between average daily weight gain of the oxytetracycline treatment and other experimental treatments. In the finisher period, the highest amount of feed intake was for the control treatment and the lowest for the Limax 1% treatment (P

In order to investigate the effect of long-term consumption of yak milk on the intestinal flora and metabolism and to explore the correlation between acclimation to monodiet and yak milk intake in high-altitude pastoral areas, this study used metagenomics and metabolomics to evaluate the gut microbial community structure and metabolites of mice fed yak milk or Holstein cow milk. Results showed that compared with the control group (normal saline solution), at the phylum level, ingestion of yak milk improved the relative abundance of Actinobacteria (33.27%), Bacteroidetes (24.31%) and Verrucomicrobia (11.08%), while ingestion of Holstein cow milk increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes (43.74%) and Bacteroidetes (24.75%). At the genus level, yak milk consumption increased the relative abundance of Ackermania (11.80%), Bacteroides (6.09%) and Limosilactobacillus (4.77%), while Holstein cow milk consumption increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus (28.62%), Duncaniella (6.15%) and Limosilactobacillus (6.49%). Both yak and Holstein cow milk up-regulated carbohydrate and nucleotide metabolism. Furthermore, yak milk significantly up-regulated amino acid metabolism, cofactor and vitamin metabolism, energy metabolism, the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and the biosynthesis and metabolism of peptidoglycan. Metabolomics revealed that yak milk increased the contents of metabolites such as VB1, (+/-) 12 (13)-DiHOME, coenzyme Q2 and sulfonymethazine, as well as steroid hormone biosynthesis, cofactor biosynthesis, 2-oxyarboxylate metabolism, VB6 metabolism and phenylalanine metabolism in mice. Investigation of intestinal tissue morphology showed that the intestinal wall became thicker with increasing diversity and richness of the gut microbiota and the intestinal villi became longer and denser without deformity or breakage. In conclusion, yak milk has a positive effect on the intestinal flora and metabolism in mice, and this study provides a scientific basis for further development and utilization of yak milk.

【Objective】The study aimed to explore the effects of Enterococcus faecium extracellular vesicles (Efm-EV) on growth performance, immunity, intestinal morphology and fecal microbiota in mice, providing theoretical basis for the application of E. faecium as a microbial feed additive in animal production.【Method】A total of 20 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group and experimental group with 10 replicates per group and 1 mouse per replicate. The experiment lasted for 5 days. Mice in the experimental group were given 500 μg Efm-EV suspension every other day by intragastric administration, with 150 μL for each mouse, and mice in the control group were given the same volume of PBS. Daily feed intake, and body weight at the beginning and end of the experiment of each mouse were recorded, average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed/gain (F/G) of mice were calculated accordingly.【Result】Compared with the PBS treatment group, no significant change was observed in the final body weight (FBW), ADG, ADFI and F/G of mice in the Efm-EV treatment group. The serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in the Efm-EV group were significantly decreased compared with those in PBS treatment group (P < 0.05), while the serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) level was significantly increased (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference in serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level. Compared with the PBS treatment, Efm-EV treatment significantly increased duodenal villus height/crypt depth ratio (VH/CD) (P < 0.05). There were no significant changes in villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD) of duodenum, and VH, CD and VH/CD of jejunum and ileum. Efm-EV intragastric administration increased the number of Firmicutes and decreased the number of Bacteroidetes at the phylum level, increased the abundance of Lachnospiraceae and decreased the abundance of Muribaculaceae at the family level, significantly increased the abundance of Ruminococcaceae UCG009 at the genus level (P < 0.05).【Conclusion】Intragastric administration of Efm-EV can improve the anti-inflammatory level, the duodenal morphology and the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae UCG009 in mice.

Abstract Background Optimal gut health is important to maximize growth performance and feed efficiency in broiler chickens. A total of 1,365 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly divided into 5 treatments groups with 21 replicates, 13 birds per replicate. The present research investigated effects of microbial muramidase or a precision glycan alone or in combination on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility, total blood carotenoid content, intestinal villus length, meat quality and gut microbiota in broiler chickens. Treatments included: NC: negative control (basal diet group); PC: positive control (basal diet + 0.02% probiotics); MR: basal diet + 0.035% microbial muramidase; PG: basal diet + 0.1% precision glycan; and MRPG: basal diet + 0.025% MR + 0.1% PG, respectively. Results MRPG group increased the body weight gain and feed intake (P

This study aimed to investigate the dose-effect of iron on growth performance, antioxidant function, intestinal morphology, and mRNA expression of jejunal tight junction protein in 1- to 21-d-old yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 720 1-d-old yellow-feathered male broilers were allocated to 9 treatments with 8 replicate cages of 10 birds per cage. The dietary treatments were consisted of a basal diet (contained 79.6 mg Fe kg–1) supplemented with 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 160, 320, 640, and 1,280 mg Fe kg–1 in the form of FeSO4·7H2O. Compared with the birds in the control group, birds supplemented with 20 mg Fe kg–1 had higher average daily gain (ADG) (P

Introduction: The drawbacks of using antibiotics as feed additives for blue foxes have gradually become apparent; moreover, thymol has wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity and has the potential to replace antibiotics in various animals. However, there are few reports on the effects of thymol on blue foxes. Methods: This study aimed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of thymol on the growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, serum biochemical indicators, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiota of blue foxes. Twenty-four male blue foxes (120 ± 5 d) of similar weight (6.05 ± 0.16 kg) were randomly divided into 4 groups. 0, 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg thymol were added to the basal diets of groups C, L, M, and H, respectively. Results: Compared with those in the C group, the addition of 100 mg/kg thymol to the diet significantly increased organic matter (OM) digestibility, crude protein (CP) digestibility, immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgM, the VH of the duodenum, the CD of the jejunum, the VH of the ileum, and the VH/CD of the ileum (P < 0.05) and strongly significantly increased IgG (P < 0.01). The addition of 200 mg/kg thymol to the diet increased the VH/CD of the duodenum (P < 0.05). The addition of 300 mg/kg thymol to the diet significantly increased the VH and CD of the jejunum (P < 0.05). The addition of 200 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg thymol to the diets increased the final weight (FW) (P < 0.05). Adding 100 mg/kg thymol significantly increased the levels of interleukin-4 (IL- 4) and catalase (CAT) compared with those in the other groups (P < 0.05). 16S rRNA gene detection revealed that thymol can change the abundances of Bifidobacterium, Fusobacterium, Allobaculum, Streptococcus, Megasphaera, and Lactobacillus in the gut. Conclusion: The addition of thymol to diets can increase the abundance of Bifidobacterium, Fusobacterium, and Allobaculum, which may contribute to improving the growth performance of blue foxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aims to study the effects of Morinda officinalis polysaccharide (MOP) added to the feed on the intestinal morphology, intestinal immune barrier function, and cecal microbiota of Wenchang chickens. Six hundred healthy female Wenchang chickens aged six days old were randomly divided into five groups, with eight replicates per group and 15 chickens per replicate. The control group was fed a basic diet, while each experimental group added 250, 500, 1 000, 2 000 mg/kg of MOP to the basic diet. The experiment lasted for 40 days. The results showed that compared with the control group, the villus height/crypt depth of the duodenum and jejunum in each experimental group were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the 500, 1 000, 2 000 mg/kg MOP groups significantly improved the villus height/crypt depth of the ileum (P<0.05). The relative expression of Occludin mRNA in the duodenum in the 250, 500, 1 000 mg/kg MOP groups was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the relative expression of TNF-α mRNA in the duodenum in the 1 000, 2 000 mg/kg MOP groups was significantly reduced (P<0.05). The number of observed species and the Ace index in the cecum in the 250, 500 mg/kg MOP groups were significantly increased (P<0.05). The Shannon index in all the experimental groups was significantly increased (P<0.05), the Simpson index in the 2 000 mg/kg MOP group was significantly increased (P<0.05), the Chao1 index in the 250, 500, 1 000 mg/kg MOP groups was significantly increased (P<0.05). The relative abundance of Campylobacter in the cecum in all the experimental groups was significantly reduced (P<0.05), the 1 000, 2 000 mg/kg MOP groups significantly reduced the relative abundance of the Bifidobacterium in the cecum (P<0.05), and significantly increased the relative abundance of the beneficial bacteria Parabacteroides (P<0.05). The addition of 2 000 mg/kg MOP in the feed significantly reduced the relative abundance of Streptococcus (P<0.05). The 250, 2 000 mg/kg MOP groups significantly reduced the relative abundance of Bacteroides (P<0.05), and significantly increased the relative abundance of the CHKCI001 genus (P<0.05). The study indicates that the addition of an appropriate amount of MOP to the feed of Wenchang chickens can improve intestinal mucosal morphology, increase the expression of the tight junction protein Occludin mRNA, reduce the expression of the inflammatory factor TNF-α mRNA, increase the Alpha-diversity and evenness of cecal microbiota, increase the content of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, and promote intestinal health. The appropriate amount of MOP is 500 mg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, the effects of different levels of wheat inclusion on growth performance and intestinal homeostasis in broilers were evaluated. We first analyzed the effects of dietary wheat ratio on liver function, serum glycolipid profile, and bone turnover, and showed that the dose of wheat in the diets of broilers had no deleterious effects on animal health. We also found that replacing corn with 55% wheat in the diet of broilers increased body weight and feed consumption, with improved intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota composition. These data indicated that the replacement of corn with 55% wheat in the diet promoted the growth performance of 21-day-old broilers via improving intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota. Replacing corn with different levels of wheat in the iso-energy and -protein diet of broilers and the impacts on growth performance and intestinal homeostasis of broilers under the condition of supplying the multienzyme complex were evaluated in this study. A total of 480 10-day-old male broilers were assigned randomly to the low-level wheat group (15% wheat and 35.18% corn), the medium-level wheat group (30% and 22.27%), and the high-level wheat group (55.77% wheat without corn) until 21 d. The different levels of wheat supplementation did not affect hepatic function, serum glycolipid profile, or bone turnover. The replacement of corn with 55% wheat in the diet of broilers increased the body weight at 21 d and feed intake during 10 to 21 d (both p < 0.05), with a comparable feed conversion ratio. Compared with the low-wheat group, the dietary addition of medium or high wheat levels notably increased the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the duodenum (p < 0.05) and the ileal villus height (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the supplementation of medium and high wheat in the diet increased the proportion of Bacteroidetes, and a diet with high wheat proportion elevated the content of Firmicutes when compared to the low-level wheat group (both p < 0.05). In addition, the diet containing 30–55% wheat enhanced the anti-inflammatory capability in both the ileum and the serum. These findings suggest that the replacement of corn with 55% wheat in the diet improved the growth performance of 21-day-old broilers, which might be linked to the alteration in intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of acid hydrolyzed processing on the nutritional value of soybean meal (SBM) and its influence on the growth performance, intestinal morphology, microbial population, digestive enzymes activity, and nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens fed with diets containing different levels of crude protein. A total of 300 one-day-old male broiler chickens were used in a design with 6 treatments and 5 replicates per each during 1 to 42 days of age. This experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments including two types of SBM (raw and treated with 0.50% citric acid) and three inclusion rates of crude protein (90, 95 and 100 % of requirements). The results showed that acid-treated SBM improved feed conversion ratio in broilers compared to raw-SBM group (P < 0.05). The decrease of protein requirements up to 90% declined growth performance of broilers compared to 95 and 100 % of requirements (P < 0.05). The villus length was greater in broiler chickens fed with acid-treated SBM compared with raw-SBM group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, reduction of protein requirements decreased the villus length, the ration of villus length to crypt depth and villus surface in broilers (P < 0.05). Acid processing of SBM increased digestibility coefficient of crude protein and protease and amylase activity in broiler chickens (P < 0.05). In addition, a decrease in protein digestibility and enzyme activity was observed in broilers fed low protein (90 % of the requirements) diet (P < 0.05). Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that acid processing of SBM improved its nutritional quality. Also, use of acid-treated SBM increased growth performance, intestinal morphometric indices, digestive enzymes activity and nutrient utilization in broiler chickens. In addition, reducing of crude protein requirements up to 95% in diets containing citric acid-treated SBM had not negative impact on growth performance in broiler chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the effects of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BA) as one woody forage addition (as a probiotic, 1 × 107 CFU/g) on tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Woody forage is one kind of fishery feed that could significantly enhance the growth, feed utilization, and digestibility of tilapia. At first, tilapia was divided into eight groups and fed with control, control + BA, Moringa oleifera, M. oleifera + BA, Neolamarckia cadamba, N. cadamba + BA, Broussonetia papyrifera, and B. papyrifera + BA diets, respectively. After dieting for 8 weeks, the intestinal morphology of tilapia in the eight groups was observed, and the effects of the B. amyloliquefaciens addition and wordy forage on the intestine functions were analyzed by two-way ANOVA. As no significant negative effects were found on the woody forage on tilapia, the villus height, density and width, and epithelial goblet cells in the posterior intestines of tilapia with BA supplementation were greater than those in the groups without BA supplementation, suggesting B. amyloliquefaciens SCAU-070 could promote the growth and development of tilapia intestinal tracts. Furthermore, it was found that B. amyloliquefaciens SCAU-070 enhanced the antioxidation capacity of tilapia posterior intestine tissue by promoting the activity of superoxide dismutase and content of malondialdehyde. In addition, the result of high-throughput sequencing (16S rDNA) showed that the beneficial bacteria Cetobacterium and Romboutsia in the probiotic groups increased significantly, while the potential pathogenic bacteria Acinetobacter decreased significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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【Objective】The study aimed to explore the effects of Enterococcus faecium extracellular vesicles (EfmEV) on growth performance, immunity, intestinal morphology and fecal microbiota in mice, providing theoretical basis for the application of E. faecium as a microbial feed additive in animal production.【Method】A total of 20 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group and experimental group with 10 replicates per group and 1 mouse per replicate. The experiment lasted for 5 days. Mice in the experimental group were given 500 μg Efm-EV suspension every other day by intragastric administration, with 150 μL for each mouse, and mice in the control group were given the same volume of PBS. Daily feed intake, and body weight at the beginning and end of the experiment of each mouse were recorded, average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed/gain (F/G) of mice were calculated accordingly.【Result】Compared with the PBS treatment group, no significant change was observed in the final body weight (FBW), ADG, ADFI and F/G of mice in the Efm-EV treatment group. The serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in the Efm-EV group were significantly decreased compared with those in PBS treatment group (P ＜ 0.05), while the serum interleukin-10 (IL10) level was significantly increased (P ＜ 0.05), and there was no significant difference in serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level. Compared with the PBS treatment, Efm-EV treatment significantly increased duodenal villus height/crypt depth ratio (VH/CD) (P ＜ 0.05). There were no significant changes in villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD) of duodenum, and VH, CD and VH/CD of jejunum and ileum. Efm-EV intragastric administration increased the number of Firmicutes and decreased the number of Bacteroidetes at the phylum level, increased the abundance of Lachnospiraceae and decreased the abundance of Muribaculaceae at the family level, significantly increased the abundance of Ruminococcaceae UCG009 at the genus level (P＜ 0.05).【Conclusion】Intragastric administration of Efm-EV can improve the anti-inflammatory level, the duodenal morphology and the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae UCG009 in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study hypothesizes that a natural multicomponent emulsifier (Lipidol) could improve production performance in broiler chickens by aiding lipid digestion and addressing digestive system limitations. Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary emulsifier inclusion on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, faecal microbiology, blood biochemistry and liver enzyme activities of broiler chickens fed low‐energy diets. Methods: The experiment involved 144 one‐day‐old male broiler chickens split into 4 treatments. Four diets were used: standard metabolizable energy (ME) as a control diet and three low‐ME diets, reducing by 100 kcal/kg by adding 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g/kg of exogenous emulsifier (Em). Results: No significant differences were observed in body weight gain and feed intake. However, during the finisher period (25–42 days), supplementation emulsifier to low‐ME diets notably improved feed efficiency. Although crude protein, organic matter and ash digestibility remained unaffected, dry matter (DM) digestibility significantly increased in broilers fed low‐ME diets with emulsifier. Broilers receiving 0.5 g/kg of emulsifier showed the highest villus width and surface area values. Moreover, including 1.5 g/kg of emulsifier led to the highest villus height to crypt depth ratio. Faecal microbiota, blood biochemistry and liver enzyme activities showed no significant differences. Conclusions: Emulsifier supplementation compensated for the energy reduction and enhanced performance, DM digestibility and some intestinal morphology parameters in broiler chickens fed low‐ME diet. Using 0.5 g/kg of emulsifier per 100 kcal of ME reduction in broiler diets is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Optimal gut health is important to maximize growth performance and feed efficiency in broiler chickens. A total of 1,365 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly divided into 5 treatments groups with 21 replicates, 13 birds per replicate. The present research investigated effects of microbial muramidase or a precision glycan alone or in combination on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility, total blood carotenoid content, intestinal villus length, meat quality and gut microbiota in broiler chickens. Treatments included: NC: negative control (basal diet group); PC: positive control (basal diet + 0.02% probiotics); MR: basal diet + 0.035% microbial muramidase; PG: basal diet + 0.1% precision glycan; and MRPG: basal diet + 0.025% MR + 0.1% PG, respectively. Results: MRPG group increased the body weight gain and feed intake (P < 0.05) compared with NC group. Moreover, it significantly increased total serum carotenoid (P < 0.05) and MRPG altered the microbial diversity in ileum contents. The MRPG treatment group increased the abundance of the phylum Firmicutes, and family Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, Oscillospiraceae, Lactobacillaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae and decreased the abundance of the phylum Campilobacterota, Bacteroidota and family Bacteroidaceae. Compared with the NC group, the chickens fed MRPG showed significantly increased in duodenum villus length at end the trial. Conclusion: In this study, overall results showed that the synergetic effects of MR and PG showed enhancing growth performance, total serum carotenoid level and altering gut microbiota composition of broilers. The current research indicates that co-supplementation of MR and PG in broiler diets enhances intestinal health, consequently leading to an increased broiler production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the digestive biology of two prevalent leiognathid species in Pranburi River estuary, Thailand: the decorated ponyfish (Nuchequula gerreoides) and the splendid polyfish (Eubleekeria splendens). A total of 632 samples collected from February to April and September to November 2017 were analysed using morphological and histological approaches. The overall structures were similar between the species: a short mucous‐cell‐rich oesophagus region, a well‐developed gastric gland uniformly present across the stomach's mucosal layer, and three finger‐like pyloric caeca between the stomach and intestine. However, there were marked differences in the mouth, gill raker, and intestinal coefficient (IC). N. gerreoides had a relatively longer mouth, smoother gill rakers, and an IC of 1.08 ± 0.01, similar to those of other carnivorous fish. In contrast, the gill raker of E. splendens had more villiform teeth that can filter‐feed better, and their IC was 2.16 ± 0.02 (i.e., longer intestine). Although digestive structures were generally similar between the ponyfishes, these differences suggest that N. gerreoides is relatively carnivorous with stronger suction, whereas E. splendens may be an omnivorous or herbivorous filter‐feeder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this experiment was to explore the effects of crude extract of Codonopsis pilosula and Astragalus membranaceus (CAE) on growth performance, serum biochemical index, immune organ index, and intestinal morphology of Sanhuang chickens. A total of 360 one-day-old Guangxi Sanhuang chicks weighing (27.0±0.5) g and in good physiological condition were randomly divided into three groups with six replicates in each group and 20 chickens in each replicate. CON group was fed a basal diet, CAE group was fed basal diet with 2.5 g/kg crude extract of Codonopsis pilosula and Astragalus membranaceus, and ANT group was fed basal diet with 0.05 g/kg chlortetracycline. The trial period was 42 days. The results showed that compared with CON group, the final weight and average daily gain of CAE group and ANT group increased significantly (P<0.05), the feed-to-weight ratio decreased significantly (P<0.05), and the mortality rate decreased by 3.33% (P>0.05). Compared with CON group, the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and the content of triglyceride and cholesterol in serum of CAE group and ANT group decreased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with CON group, CAE group and ANT group had significantly higher French capsule index (P<0.05). Compared with CON group, the villus height and villus-saphenous ratio of twelve intestines in CAE group and ANT group were significantly higher (P<0.05). The study indicates that the crude extract of Codonopsis pilosula and Astragalus membranaceus has positive effects on the growth performance, serum biochemical index, immune organ index and intestinal morphology of Sanhuang chickens, which was equivalent to the application effect of antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]