Search

The aim of this study was to compare the influence of whole-grain rye bread (WGRB), whole-grain wheat bread (WGWB), and refined wheat bread (WB) on the gut metabolic fingerprint to increase the understanding of the mechanism behind health aspects related to whole-grain products. Five pigs with an initial weight of 46 kg were used in a changeover design, with 3 diets and 3 periods. The experimental diets consisted of WGRB, WGWB, and WB and were balanced with similar content of dietary fiber (adjusted with cellulose), protein, and fat. Each diet period lasted for 7 d. Fecal samples were collected during Days 4 through 7 in each experimental period. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to analyze metabolic profiles from the fecal samples. Principal component analysis of metabolic fingerprints showed that the type of bread influenced the metabolic profile and that WGRB influenced metabolic profiles differently compared with WGWB (P= 0.03) and WB (P= 0.04). Quantification of the short-chain fatty acids in the NMR data revealed differences with higher concentrations of lactate (P= 0.04) and lower molar proportions of acetate (P= 0.03) in rye bread compared with wheat breads.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of an abrupt change from grass hay (81% DM) to grass silage (36% DM) or grass haylage (55% DM), fed at similar DM intakes, and to compare the effects of silage and haylage on the composition and activities of the colon microflora. The forages were from the same swath harvested on the same day. Four adult colon-fistulated geldings were randomly assigned to diets in a crossover design. The study started with a preperiod when all 4 horses received the hay diet, followed by an abrupt feed change to the haylage diet for 2 horses and the silage diet for 2 horses. All 4 horses then had a new second preperiod of hay, followed by an abrupt feed change to the opposite haylage and silage diet. The periods were 21 d long, and the forage-only diets were supplemented with minerals and salt. The abrupt feed changes were made at 0800 h. Colon samples were taken before the abrupt feed change, 4 and 28 h after the feed change, and 8, 15, and 21 d after the feed change, all at 1200 h. Colon bacterial counts, VFA, pH, and DM concentrations were unchanged throughout the first 28 h after the abrupt feed change from hay to haylage and silage. Also, fecal pH and DM concentrations were unchanged during the first 28 h. During the weekly observations, colon lactobacilli counts increased (P= 0.023) in horses receiving the silage diet and were greater than on the haylage diet at 21 d. Streptococci counts decreased (P= 0.046) in horses receiving the haylage diet and were less than on the silage diet at 15 and 21 d. Total VFA concentrations and colon and fecal pH did not differ between diets and were unchanged throughout the weekly observations. The DM concentration of colon digesta and feces decreased (P= 0.030 and 0.049, respectively) on both diets during the weekly observations. The results suggest that in horses fed at the maintenance level of energy intake, an abrupt feed change from grass hay to grass silage or grass haylage from the same crop does not induce any major alterations in the colon ecosystem during the first 28 h. During the subsequent 3-wk period, colon and fecal DM decreased and there were alterations in the lactobacilli and streptococci bacterial counts. The changes in lactobacilli and streptococci counts need further investigation.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of CP intake from 2 grass silage-only diets, differing in CP concentration, fed at similar DMI on the equine colon ecosystem after an abrupt feed change between the diets. Four adult right ventral colon-fistulated geldings were fed one silage-only diet high in CP (HP, 873 g of CP/d) and one diet providing recommended intakes (RP, 615 g of CP/d). An adaptation period of 15 d on either the HP or the RP diet was followed by 2 experimental periods when the diets were fed for 22 d each in a crossover design. Colon samples were taken before and at 4, 12, and 24 h, and at 7, 14, and 22 d after the feed change. During the first 24 h after the abrupt feed change, the concentrations of total anaerobic bacteria and lactobacilli were greater on the HP than the RP diet (7.1 vs. 6.7 log10cfu/mL, P= 0.021, 6.0 vs. 5.5 log10cfu/mL, P= 0.021, respectively). During the first 24 h post feed change, VFA concentrations did not differ between the diets. From 7 to 22 d, total VFA concentrations were greater on the HP diet than on the RP diet (51.8 vs. 45.1 mmol/L, P= 0.034), and colon pH was lower on the HP diet than on the RP diet (6.9 vs. 7.2, P= 0.035). After an adaptation period of 22 d, N, ammonia, and urea concentrations and osmolality of the colon fluid did not differ between diets. Fecal pH and colon and fecal DM were unchanged throughout the experiment. The results suggest that, in horses fed at the maintenance level of energy intake, a feed change between silages with different CP content may alter the colon bacterial counts within the first 24 h. Moreover, during the subsequent 3 wk, pH decreased slightly and VFA concentrations increased, but no other major alterations occurred in the composition and activities of the colon ecosystem or fecal DM.

The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of fiber source and concentration on morphological characteristics, mucin staining pattern, and mucosal enzyme activities in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. The experiment included 50 pigs from 10 litters weaned at 4 wk of age (BW 8.6 ± 1.4 kg) and divided into 5 treatment groups. Diets containing fiber of various physico-chemical properties and concentrations were formulated to contain 73, 104, or 145 g of dietary fiber/kg of DM. The diets were based on raw wheat and barley flours. Pectin and barley hulls, representing soluble and insoluble fiber sources, respectively, were used to increase the fiber concentration. The pigs were fed the experimental diets for 9 d, and then the pigs were euthanized and the entire gastrointestinal tract was removed. Tissue samples were taken from the mid and distal small intestine and from the mid colon. Inclusion of pectin in the diets significantly decreased (P< 0.001) ADFI and ADG compared with pigs fed no pectin. The villi and the crypts were shorter in pigs fed pectin-containing diets, but the villous height/crypt depth ratio was unaltered. Pectin significantly decreased the area of mucins in the crypts of the small intestine, indicating that the pigs fed the pectin-containing diet would probably be more susceptible to pathogenic bacteria, although this cannot be separated from the impact on ADFI. The lectin-binding pattern of the intestinal mucosa was unaffected by diet. The activity of lactase and maltase was increased in pigs fed diets with high fiber content, whereas sucrase activity was increased in pigs fed the pectin-containing diets. The activity of the peptidases, aminopeptidase N and dipeptidylpeptidase IV, was increased when feeding high fiber diets, whereas the activity of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase remained unaffected by the experimental diets. In conclusion, the reduced feed intake observed with the pectin-containing diets could explain the lower villous height and crypt depth observed in this study. However, direct effects of pectin also are possible, and thus further study is warranted. Feeding pigs high insoluble fiber diets improved gut morphology by increasing villi length and increased mucosal enzyme activity when compared with pigs fed pectin-containing diets. The mucin content as determined by staining characteristics suggests that pigs fed high insoluble fiber diets might be better protected against pathogenic bacteria than pigs fed diets high in soluble fiber.

The capacity of pig gastrointestinal microflora to metabolise the trichothecenes 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-acDON) and nivalenol (NIV) was investigated. 3-acDON was deacetylated to DON in anaerobic incubations with pig faeces collected at different pig farms. Furthermore, both 3-acDON and NIV were metabolised to the corresponding de-epoxy metabolite in these incubates. Five pigs, in which the gastrointestinal microflora lacked the ability to transform 3-acDON and NIV to their corresponding de-epoxidated metabolites, were given low levels of DON in the feed for seven weeks. The gastrointestinal micro-organisms did not acquire the de-epoxidation ability during the seven week long exposure period. At the end of the exposure period, faeces from pigs with a known de-epoxidation ability was spread out in the pens and left for 24 hours. One week after the faeces had been spread out in the pens, the de-epoxidation ability was found in faecal incubations from four out of five experimental pigs. This change in metabolic ability of the intestinal de-epoxidation ability was not accompanied by any detectable changes in the DNA-profiles of the bacterial community composition. The results show that the intestinal de-epoxidation ability is common at pig farms in the Uppsala area, and that the ability may be transferred between pigs in a stock.

Moulded and mycotoxin containing barley was incorporated into the diets for laying hens to study the effects on performance and health. Health indicators were different blood plasma parameters and liver vitamin A and E levels. A total of 30 hens were fed 3 diets, one supplemented with 30% of toxin‐free and two with differently moulded barley from 1997 and 1998 for 7 weeks. The moulded diets contained low to moderate concentrations of ochratoxin A, zearajenone, deoxynivalenol and nivalenol. Inclusion of mouldy barley in the diets had an adverse effect on feed intake, feed conversion, digestibility of nutrients, egg production and egg quality. Plasma alkaline phosphatase was increased and certain biochemical blood parameters (bilirubin, uric acid, chlorine, protein, albumin, vitamin A) were also higher or changed compared to control. The ochratoxin A contamination although relatively low could have contributed to some of these effects as well as reduced intake of feed. The higher mould contamination and an unidentified cell‐toxic constituent in the diet containing barley from 1998 can probably also explain the more marked effects from this diet.

Changes in the activity of enzymes involved in oxidative metabolism of glutamine, and in protein content, in the epithelial tissue along the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of growing pigs exposed to nivalenol (NIV) in the diet were investigated. The epithelial tissue was taken from the stomach, small intestine and colon of three groups of animals fed diets without NIV (control), with inclusion of 2.5 mg NIV/kg diet (low dose) and with inclusion of 5.0 mg NIV/kg diet (high dose). The activities of glutaminase, glutamate dehydrogenase, oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase and alanine aminotransferase were determined.In the control pigs the activities of oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and alanine aminotransferase were higher (P <0.05) in the epithelium of the small intestine as compared with the stomach and colon, while there were no differences in the activities of glutaminase, glutamate dehydrogenase and isocitrate dehydrogenase. With increasing inclusion of NIV in the diet the activity of oxoglutarate dehydrogenase decreased (P <0.05) in the epithelium of the small intestine and colon, and the activity of alanine aminotransferase tended (P = 0.07)to increase in the epithelium of the small intestine. The activities of glutaminase, glutamate dehydrogenase and isocitrate dehydrogenase remained unaffected by the inclusion of NIV in the diet.In the control pigs the protein content in the epithelium of the small intestine was higher (P <0.05) than in the stomach and colon, while there were no effects of NIV inclusion in the diet on the protein content.It can be concluded from the present study that the epithelial tissue of the small intestine and colon of pigs exposed to a diet containing NIV will have a reduced enzymatic capacity to utilise α‐ketoglutarate in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA‐cycle), suggesting an impaired energy supply to these organs.

Balance measurements were made on a total of 14 dairy goats of the Swedish Landrace breed during 3 experimental years. Experimental diets were composed of 40% hay and 60% concentrate mixture on a feed basis. The concentrate mixtures were unsupplemented or supplemented with urea (0.9, 1.8, 2.7 and 3.5%) or fish meal (3.9, 7.9, 11.7 and 15.8%) in increasing amounts. All diets were fed ad libitum. There was a gradual increase in buffer-soluble crude protein (BSCP) and effective rumen degradability of crude protein (EPD) in concentrates with added urea. The opposite was found in concentrates with added fish meal. EPD and BSCP in concentrate mixtures were linearly (p<0.001) related (r2 = 0.72). Feed intake showed large between-animal variations, which were most pronounced at low and at high crude protein contents in the diet. The relative feed intake decreased significantly (p<0.01) with increasing urea and fish meal supplementation. However, milk protein production was well maintained on the fish meal diets. Organic matter digestibility was similar on all diets (73%; SD 0.7). Crude fibre (CF) digestibility varied between diets but was significantly (p<0.001) positively related to the amount of BSCP in feed organic matter in unsupplemented and fish meal supplemented diets. Significant (p<0.05) individual differences in CF digestibility were also apparent. The nitrogen balances (total N retention-milk N) were not significantly influenced by the diets fed and were, on average, 1.9 g N per day (SD 0.6). Increasing supplementation of urea was not significantly related to any increase in nitrogen accretion. Fish meal addition, on the other hand, gave a significant (p<0.05) curvilinear increase of nitrogen retention in milk.

Two rumen cannulated dairy cows were fed diets of grass silage and barley meal (diet MP) and grass silage, barley meal and soya-bean meal (diet HP). Samples of soya-bean meal (SBM), fish meal (FM), barley (B) and grass silage (S, freeze dried), and mixes of two samples (S+B, S+SBM, S+FM, B+SBM, B+FM, SBM+FM) were incubated in nylon bags (in sacco) in the rumen for 3, 6, 12 and 24 h. In connection with the in sacco measurements rumen samples were collected and pH, ammonia and volatile fatty acids (VFA) were determined. In general N and dry matter (DM) disappearance in sacco was greatest on diet HP. The exception was the N disappearance from samples B, FM and FM+S which was more or less unaffected by the diet fed. Both the N and DM disappearance for the mixes generally agreed well with predictions made from degradation results for the single feeds. Within sample, the N and DM disappearance correlated closely. The effective rumen degradation of feed protein (EPD) was calculated at three chosen rumen outflow rates (i.e. 3, 5 and 7%/h). By increasing flow rate the effect on EPD was most accentuated on diet MP. The changes in rumen degradability was accompanied with changes in rumen fermentation. The average pH, ammonia level (mmol/l) and the ratio C2+C4/C3 was 6.7, 4.1 and 4.44 on diet MP and 6.8, 15.0 and 3.78 on diet HP respectively. The results are discussed in relation to other data.

Aims.A proper determination of the abundance gradient in the Milky Way requires the observation of objects at large galactiocentric distances. With this aim, we are exploring the planetary nebula population towards the Galactic anticentre. In this article, the discovery and physico-chemical study of a new planetary nebula towards the anticentre direction, IPHASX J052531.19+281945.1 (PNG 178.1-04.0), is presented.Methods.The planetary nebula was discovered from the IPHAS survey. Long-slit follow-up spectroscopy was carried out to confirm its planetary nebula nature and to calculate its physical and chemical characteristics.Results.The newly discovered planetary nebula turned out to be located at a very large galactocentric distance (DGC= 20.8 ± 3.8 kpc), larger than any previously known planetary nebula with measured abundances. Its relatively high oxygen abundance (12+log(O/H) = 8.36  ±  0.03) supports a flattening of the Galactic abundance gradient at large galactocentric distances rather than a linearly decreasing gradient.

Aims.We investigate the molecular gas properties of a sample of 23 galaxies in order to find and test chemical signatures of galaxy evolution and to compare them to IR evolutionary tracers.

Context.HC3N is a molecule that is mainly associated with Galactic star-forming regions, but it has also been detected in extragalactic environments.