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Dietary fibre (DF) is considered an anti-nutritional factor due to its negative impact on feed intake and nutrient digestibility. However, there is growing evidence that DF benefits fat deposition in poultry. It may alleviate fat accumulation by regulating the abundance of beneficial gut microbial communities associated with anti-fat deposition. DFs may also regulate the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), activating the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway, then stimulating lipid catabolic genes (CPT-1 and PPARα), inhibiting lipid anabolic genes (FAS, ACC, and SREBP-1c), which will ultimately lead to reduced lipogenesis. Determining the physiochemical properties, structure and level of DF inclusion is of utmost importance to achieve the above-noted benefits. This paper critically reviews the available data on the impact of supplemented DF on fat deposition in poultry and examines the mechanisms behind how DF regulates lipid metabolism. Collectively, understanding these benefits will help scientists and industry use DF in poultry nutrition for health and cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to compare the differences of dietary tea leaves (TL) and tea residue (TR) inclusion on rumen fermentation characteristics and to explore whether TR could be an alternative feedstuff of ruminants. For these purposes, seven treatments consisted of two inclusion types (TL vs. TR) and three inclusion levels (g/g of dry matter basis) of 10% (TL10/TR10), 20% (TL20/TR20), and 30% (TL30/TR30) in each inclusion type, plus control group with inclusion of 0% (CON) were designed, with four replicates in each group, to conduct an in vitro ruminal fermentation test. Results showed that the contents of crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber were higher in TR than TL, while TL contained more ether extract and crude ash than TR. Interaction effects between inclusion type and inclusion level were observed in concentrations of isobutyrate and microbial crude protein (MCP), as well as in gas production and digestibility of organic matter. Fermentation characteristics were significantly influenced by TL and TR depending on the inclusion level, except for the concentration of total branched-chain volatile fatty acid. These significant differences of fermentation characteristics due to inclusion level mainly focused on CON and tea inclusion, with higher values in CON than TR or TL groups. The total gas production during the 48-h incubation showed no differences among CON, TL10, and TR10. The inclusion of TR and TL decreased the production of methane. The concentration of MCP in CON, TR10 and TR30 was lower than TR20 and all TL groups. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of TR and TL possessed equivalent effect on rumen fermentation characteristics and methane production, substituting diet with TR or TL for over 10% would inhibit rumen fermentation despite positive effects in TR20 and all TL groups regarding more MCP and less methane production. This study indicates that special attention should be paid to the inclusion level of TR and TL when considering them as alternative feedstuffs of ruminants. Further in vivo study is needed to evaluate the applicability of tea residue as a feedstuff for production of ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus MLGA and its cell wall components on the induction of avian β-defensin 9 (AvBD9) expression in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) from chicken embryos and to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Chicken IECs were stimulated with L. rhamnosus MLGA or cell wall components. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis was used to determine the expressions of target genes. L. rhamnosus MLGA and its cellular components significantly induced AvBD9 and TLR2 expression, with the whole peptidoglycan (WPG) being the most potent inducer. Pretreatment of chicken IECs with a TLR2 neutralizing antibody diminished AvBD9 induction by L. rhamnosus MLGA and WPG. The inhibition tests showed that induction of AvBD9 in IECs by L. rhamnosus MLGA and WPG was dependent on NF-κB or JNK pathways. These results demonstrate that L. rhamnosus MLGA and WPG induce AvBD9 expression in chicken IECs via a TLR2-mediated NF-κB/JNK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the effect of niacin supplementation on the growth performance and nutrient utilisation in Chinese Jinjiang cattle was investigated. A total of 48 finishing male Jinjiang cattle aged 24–30 months, with body weights of 200 ± 15 kg, were randomly divided into four groups. The cattle were fed a finishing diet (concentrate to forage ratio of 80:20). The diets for the control, NA320, NA480 and NA640 groups were supplemented with 0, 320, 480 or 640 mg/kg of niacin, respectively. The body weight and feed consumption of the 48 cattle were recorded on days 1, 28, and 56 of the experiment. Assessment of feed digestibility was conducted from days 52 to 56 of the study. Blood samples were collected from each animal on day 56. From days 1 to 56 of the study, the results indicated a significant increase in the average daily weight gains (p <.05) and lower feed to gain ratios (p <.05) for the NA480 and NA640 groups than for the control group. Furthermore, supplementation with 640 mg/kg niacin increased the apparent digestibility of all nutrients (p <.05), whereas supplementation with 480 mg/kg niacin enhanced the apparent digestibility of crude protein (p <.05). Moreover, supplementation with 480 and 640 mg/kg niacin increased the content of serum nonesterified fatty acids (p <.05). Therefore, it was concluded that supplementation with 640 mg/kg niacin in a high-concentrate diet may be beneficial to growth and nutrient utilisation in Chinese Jinjiang cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of adding different amounts of daidzein in diet on the fermentation parameters and bacterial community composition in the rumen of finishing cattle. A total of thirty head of 2-year-old finishing Xianan cattle were divided by weight into three groups and randomly allotted by group to one of three dietary treatments: (1) control; (2) 500 mg/kg daidzein and (3) 1000 mg/kg daidzein. All cattle were slaughtered to obtain rumen samples after a 80-d feeding trial. Results showed that adding 500 mg/kg daidzein reduced the operational taxonomic units (OTU) numbers, Shannon index and Chao1 index compared with control and 1000 mg/kg daidzein groups. Compared with control group at phylum level, Planctomycetos and Tenericutes were significantly more abundant in 500 mg/kg daidzein group, Verrucomicrobia and Fusobacteria were significantly rarer in 1000 mg/kg daidzein group. Compared with control group at genus level, Prevotella and Ruminococcus were significantly more abundant in 500 mg/kg daidzein group, Prevotella was significantly more abundant and Dethiosulfatibacter was significantly rarer in 1000 mg/kg daidzein group. Adding 1000 mg/kg daidzein significantly improved the total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) concentration and acetate content and significantly reduced the butyrate content compared with control group. Daidzein changed the fermentation parameters mainly by impacting the abundance of Prevotella and Ruminococcus. Current results suggest that adding 1000 mg/kg daidzein in diets can improve the rumen fermentation function for finishing Xianan cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]