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Emerging concern about the emergence of antimicrobial resistance has limited the use of antibiotics in calves. Hence, there is a need to find suitable alternatives to antibiotics to manage gastrointestinal infections in neonatal calves. The objective of the present study was to develop a probiotic of calf-origin for its potential application in calf nutrition. Accordingly, 69 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from faeces of newborn calves, out of which 10 strains were short-listed for further in vitro testing based on the aggregation time and cell surface hydrophobicity. The results of acid-, bile- and phenol-tolerance tests indicated that out of the ten strains, the isolate CPN60 had better resistance to these adverse conditions likely to be encountered in the gastrointestinal tract. The isolate also showed an optimal ability to produce biofilm. Further assessments reiterated its superiority in terms of co-aggregation and antagonistic activity against pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli. Subsequently, the isolate was identified through 16S rRNA sequencing and sequence homology and designated as Ligilactobacillus salivarius CPN60. The candidate probiotic was evaluated in vivo using 48 male (5 weeks old) Wistar rats, divided into two equal groups viz. control (CON) and probiotic (PRO). During the 4-weeks feeding trial, the PRO group rats were gavaged with one mL culture of L. salivarius CPN60 equivalent to 108 CFU/rat. The in vivo trial results indicated better nutrient utilization efficiency and growth performance (p

To ascertain potent health-promoting effects of a synbiotic prepared using a combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCDC15 fermented milk and Cichorium intybus root powder in Labrador dogs, 15 Labrador adult female dogs were randomly distributed into three groups following a completely randomized design. Group I was fed a homemade basal diet alone and served as control (CON), while the other two groups were fed the same basal diet supplemented with low- (LSL) and high- levels (HSL) of the synbiotic. The experiment duration was of 9-weeks. The results of the study indicated that there were no variations (P > 0.05) among the groups with respect to voluntary food intake and digestibility of DM, OM, CP and EE. However, the digestibility of crude fibre tended (P = 0.051) to be higher in both the supplemented groups as compared to CON. Physical characteristics of faeces remained unaltered (P > 0.05) due to dietary treatments. However, faecal lactate was increased (P

BACKGROUND Probiotics of varied origins are being developed for augmenting the gut health of human and animals. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of a calf-origin probiotic supplement on the gut health of Wistar rats for both healthy and colitis conditions. RESULTS Forty-eight rats were randomly distributed into four equal groups. The 42-day study involved feeding basal diet alone (CON) or diet supplemented with the calf-origin Lactobacillus salivarius strain CPN60 (PRO). The third (CONc) and fourth (PROc) groups of rats also received the same dietary treatments (CON and PRO, respectively) but were subjected to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis after 32 days of feeding. The results of a digestion trial conducted after 5 days of DSS administration revealed no influence of probiotic on the digestibility of nutrients. However, the reduced digestibility of protein and fat seen in the CONc rats was improved in the PROc group. The concentrations of lactate and acetate, propionate and butyrate, as well as total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), were increased (P

The effect of inclusion of condensed tannins (CT) was evaluated on gastro-intestinal (GI) parasites, clinical chemistry and immune response in lambs. Eighteen lambs with naturally infected with GI parasites were randomly divided into three groups: CON (Infected-Control), DW (Dewormed) and CT (Condensed-tannins treated) in a CRD for 120 d. In DW group, lambs were treated with Fenbendazole @ 10 mg/kg BW at the onset of experiment. The lambs in CON and DW fed a control total mixed ration (TMR); whereas, in the CT group, the lambs were fed a CT-based TMR having 1.5% CT through Ficus infectoria (Pakar, 140 g/kg TMR) leaves. Feeding of CT based TMR significantly increased the feed intake in lambs than DW and CON. The mean total faecal egg counts (FECs) were significantly lower in CT group followed by DW and CON groups. Hb and PCV were significantly lower in CON group. Eosinophil counts and ESR were higher in CON group. Total protein, albumin and globulin were higher in CT group. Serum urea-N was decreased in CT than DW and CON groups. However, feeding of CT based TMR significantly improved cell mediated and humoral immune responses in lambs. It may be deduced that CT considerably decreased GI parasitic load in lambs and a positive impact was also evident on clinical chemistry and immunity.

Higher environmental temperature is a major abiotic stress factor for animals and human beings. The selenium (Se) is an important trace mineral having diverse health promoting effects under stress conditions. However, studies on dietary requirement of selenium under prolonged heat stress condition are lacking. Present study discern the effect of higher dietary Se levels on antioxidant, cytokine, haemato-biochemical profile, and immune response, and the selenoproteins mRNA expression in rats under prolonged heat stress (HS) condition.Weaned Wistar rats (4 wk age; 67.6 ± 1.53 g BW; n = 72) housed under thermoneutral (TN) or HS conditions and fed with purified diets containing three graded Se levels were divided in six experimental groups. The groups were 1) TN control with 138 ppb Se (TN_CON), 2) HS control with 138 ppb Se (HS_CON), 3) TN with higher Se @ 291 ppb (TN_Se1), 4) HS with higher Se @ 291 ppb (HS_Se1) 5) TN with higher Se @ 460 ppb (TN_Se2), 6) HS with higher Se @ 460 ppb (HS_Se2). Rats in all the six groups were maintained in TN environmental conditions (57.3 ± 0.22 temperature humidity index; THI) for initial 28 days period. Subsequently, rats of HS groups were exposed to 77.0 ± 0.11 THI for 6 h/d in a psychrometric chamber for last fourteen days.Higher dietary Se (291 and 460 ppb) significantly improved the blood hemoglobin concentration and reduced serum alanine aminotransferase activity of rats under HS conditions. The serum triiodothyronine and insulin levels were significantly higher in high dietary Se groups irrespective of the environmental conditions. Similarly, the serum reduced glutathione levels, and catalase and superoxide dismutase enzyme activity were increased and malondialdehyde levels were reduced in high dietary Se groups irrespective of stress conditions. The glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity was significantly higher in 460 ppb dietary Se groups as compared to other groups. The serum pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)- 1 was declined, whereas the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 level was increased in high dietary Se fed rats under both HS and TN conditions with 460 ppb dietary Se groups showing pronounced effects. Further, there was heat stress- and dietary Se level dependent- up regulation in hepatic GPx and iodothyronine deiodinase-II mRNA expression and similar pattern was noticed in hepatic thioredoxin reductase mRNA expression. The selenoprotein-P mRNA expression was up regulated in 460 ppb Se fed HS group as compared to CON and Se1_C groups. High dietary Se improved the humoral immune response 7d after antigen inoculation under HS conditions whereas cell-mediated immune response was augmented in rats fed higher Se under TN condition.It is concluded that under prolonged heat stress conditions the dietary requirement of Se may be increased to 460 ppb for improving the antioxidant status and humoral immune response, cytokine levels, modulating the thyroid and insulin hormone, and the selenoproteins mRNA expression of rats.

BACKGROUND This in vitro study aimed to compare the hindgut fermentability and digestibility of four different sources of polyphenols, namely orange (Citrus sinensis) peel (ORP), pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel (PMP), Indian blackberry (Syzygium cumini) pulp (IBP), and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) tuber (JAT), and their influence on the viability of a canine-origin probiotic, Lactobacillus johnsonii CPN23. RESULTS An in vitro gas production test carried out using the four substrates for a period of 72 h with dog faecal inoculum indicated that the total gas production, dry matter, and organic matter digestibility were significantly (P

Chaudhary, S.K., Dutta, N., Jadhav, S.E. and Pattanaik, A.K. 2020. Effect of feed supplement on in vitro gas production, substrate degradation and efficiency of microbial biomass production. Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, 20: 535–542.

The present study was carried out to ascertain the effect of dietary inclusion of a customised supplement to farmers’ based diet on voluntary feed intake and nutrient metabolism in crossbred calves. In order to carry out the experiment, fifteen crossbred calves (18 months old; 166.53±4.93 kg mean BW) were randomly allocated to 3 groups (5 calves in each group) as CON, Treat and SBR, in a CRD for 30 days. The calves in CON (control) group were fed on cereal straw based diet with concentrate mixture as per the farmers’ practices, whereas, the calves in Treat were fed according to CON with additional customized supplement @ 0.25% of BW. The calves in SBR group were fed standard diet as per Kearl (1982). The intake (gd-1) of DM and OM was significantly Pandlt;0.01 higher in SBR than Treat and CON groups, while DM and OM intake as % of BW in Treat group has an intermediate position between SBR and CON groups. The concentrate intake (gd-1) was significantly Pandlt;0.001 higher in SBR followed by Treat and CON group, respectively. However, intake of wheat straw and green maize was found to be identical Pandlt;0.05 among all the groups. The digestibility coefficient of DM, OM, CP, NDF and ADF was significantly Pandlt;0.05)higher in Treat and SBR groups than CON. The N-retention as per cent of intake and absorbed-N was significantly Pandlt;0.001 higher in Treat and SBR groups than CON. The Ca and P retention gd-1 was significantly Pandlt;0.001 higher in SBR group followed by Treat and CON groups. The intake gd-1 and density % of DCP and TDN were significantly Pandlt;0.001 higher in SBR group followed by Treat and CON groups. Thus, it can be concluded that supplementation of the customised supplement (@ 0.25% of BW) to CON diet significantly improved the voluntary feed intake and nutrient metabolism in crossbred calves.

Polyphenols, although not classified as nutrients, provide health benefits beyond the mere maintenance of normal health in humans and animals alike. Traditionally, much of the focus in polyphenol research has been their antioxidant property. Of late, polyphenols are receiving greater interest for their potential gut-health promoting effects. The gut microbiota modifies the ingested polyphenols to produce ‘microbial derivatives’ that are postulated to mediate beneficial effects in the host. Microbial modifications convert the large variety of polyphenols from the diet to fewer end-products. Polyphenol-derived intermediate- and end-products can affect the intestinal ecology as significant constituents are not fully absorbed and are metabolized in the liver and excreted back into the gut through the biliary secretions. Some of these accumulated metabolites may exert prebiotic-like effects on the gut microflora, leading to stimulation of bacterial growth, and in the process, promoting certain probiotic bacteria. The unabsorbed dietary phenolics and their metabolites exert antimicrobial or bacteriostatic activities by selectively inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria, while at the same time stimulating the growth of commensal bacteria. This, in turn, leads to an altered microbiota composition in the gut lumen. Eventually, health benefits to the host come directly from the action of the polyphenolic compounds and metabolites on the tissue and organ systems, and indirectly through the positive impact of microbial fermentation. This review thus aims to discuss the benefits of polyphenols from varied sources with a focus on their gut metabolism and the ensuing health promoting effects.

OBJECTIVE The study examined the effect of condensed tannins (CT) containing Ficus infectoria and Psidium guajava leaf meal mixture (LMM) supplementation on nutrient metabolism, methane emission and performance of lambs. METHODS Twenty four lambs of ~6 months age (average body weight 10.1±0.60 kg) were randomly divided into 4 dietary treatments (CT-0, CT-1, CT-1.5, and CT-2 containing 0, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 percent CT through LMM, respectively) consisting of 6 lambs each in a completely randomized design. All the lambs were offered a basal diet of wheat straw ad libitum, oat hay (100 g/d) along with required amount of concentrate mixture to meet their nutrient requirements for a period of 6 months. After 3 months of experimental feeding, a metabolism trial of 6 days duration was conducted on all 24 lambs to determine nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance. Urinary excretion of purine derivatives and microbial protein synthesis were determined using high performance liquid chromatography. Respiration chamber study was started at the mid of 5th month of experimental feeding trial. Whole energy balance trials were conducted on individual lamb one after the other, in an open circuit respiration calorimeter. RESULTS Intake of dry matter and organic matter (g/d) was significantly (p

The objective of the present study was to develop a probiotic of canine-origin for its potential application in pet nutrition. Accordingly, 32 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from faeces of dogs, out of which 9 strains were short-listed for further in vitro testing based on the aggregation time and cell surface hydrophobicity. The results of acid-, bile- and phenol-tolerance tests indicated that out of the nine, isolate cPRO23 was having better resistance to these adverse conditions likely to be encountered in the gastrointestinal tract. The isolate also showed optimal enzymatic activities for amylase, lipase and protease. Further assessments also indicated its superiority in terms of co-aggregation and antagonistic activity against pathogenic strains of Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis. Subsequently, the isolate was identified through 16S rRNA sequencing and sequence homology, and designated as Lactobacillus johnsonii CPN23. The candidate probiotic was then evaluated in vivo using 15 adult Labrador dogs, divided into 3 groups, viz. CON (with no probiotics), dPRO (with Lactobacillus acidophilus NCDC 15 as a conventional dairy-origin probiotic) and cPRO (with L. johnsonii CPN23 as a canine-origin probiotic). Results of the 9-week study indicated that supplementation of cPRO improved (P

Although, Karanj (Pongamia glabra) cake is an important proteinaceous feed resource for livestock but the presence of toxic principles such as karanjin, pongamol and trypsin inhibitors in raw solvent extracted karanj cake restricts its comprehensive use as safe animal feed resources. In the present investigation solvent extracted raw karanj cake was subjected to in vitro studies by incorporation in the concentrate mixture at four graded levels replacing soy bean meal on protein equivalent basis (25, 50, 75 and 100%) in order to understand the rumen fermentation pattern. The inclusion of graded levels of solvent extracted raw karanj cake in the concentrate mixture replacing protein in SBM even at 100% resulted no significant difference in rumen in vitro fermentation pattern in terms of substrate degradation and gas volume produced in 24 h, truly degradable organic matter in rumen (TDOMR; mg/ 200mg), TDOMR%, microbial biomass production (MBP; mg/200mg), efficiency of microbial biomass production (MBP/100mg TDOMR) and partitioning factor (PF).

The present study was undertaken to ascertain the health-promoting effects of a phytoadditive (PA) having confirmed in vitro antimethanogenic potential. The PA was prepared by mixing fixed proportions of Withania somnifera, Boerhavia diffusa and Holarrhena antidysenterica. Eighteen Jamunapari kids of three months of age were used in a 180-day study. The kids were divided into three equal groups and supplemented with the PA at 0 (PA-0), 1.5 (PA-1.5) and 2.5 (PA-2.5) percent of expected mean daily feed (DM) intake. A metabolism trial conducted following 180-days of feeding trial indicated no variations (P > 0.05) in intake and digestibility of organic nutrients. The plane of nutrition and nitrogen retention was also similar (P > 0.05) across the treatments. Blood collected at 30-days intervals was assessed for erythrocytic antioxidants and metabolic indices. The PA improved (P 0.05) among the groups, whereas serum levels of albumin were improved (P 0.05) on the average daily gain (g) which was 35 ± 4.0, 31 ± 3.4 and 34 ± 4.0 for the PA-0, PA-1.5 and PA-2.5 groups, respectively. The feed conversion ratio was also comparable across the dietary groups. Overall, it is concluded that while the dietary supplementation of the PA had no influence on the nutrient metabolism or growth, it did stimulate the antioxidant status of growing kids and thus possess potential to be of practical value in stressful management situations.

The present study was designed to test diabetogenic activity of A1 and A2 casein hydrolysates and other related pathological conditions, in murine species. 6 weeks old adult male wistar rats were selected and first divided into 3 groups (n = 12) as Control, A1CH and A2CH were fed with respective A1 and A2 casein hydrolysate diets for 50 days. On 51st day, each group was divided into 2 sub groups (n = 6) and diabetes was induced in one subgroup of each group using Streptozotocin, which resulted in 6 sub groups. The fasting blood glucose level and other biochemical, diabetic specific parameters and histopathological findings post sacrifice, did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) among control, A1CH and A2CH groups. Whereas, the diabetic rats showed significant (p

In the scenario of increased reports on boron (B) supplementation in animal diets for beneficial effects, there is inadequate information on B content of animal feeds. The present study was carried out to quantify the level of B in animal feeds commonly used in tropical feeding systems. Samples of a total of 225 feeds were procured. The feed samples were oven dried, ground to 1 mm size and wet digested, filtered using Whatman filter paper (no 42) and volume made up to 100 ml by deionized water. Boron (B) content was estimated using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The level of B in fibrous feeds ( n = 83) was higher than in concentrate feeds ( n = 120) and unconventional feeds ( n = 22). The range of B content among the feed samples analyzed ( n = 225) showed a wide range from rice bran to cowpea fodder (0.69–59.1 mg/kg). The spatial distribution of B indicates that most feed samples analyzed showed B content lower than 20 mg/kg with mean and median of 17.7 ± 0.96 and 14.4, respectively. It is evident from the present study that appreciable quantity of B is detected in all the major categories of feedstuffs which was comparable to the levels of essential trace elements like copper and zinc. These findings would facilitate in assessing the supplementary value of tropical feeds for boron.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of incorporating Jerusalem artichoke (JA) as a prebiotic in the diet of Indian leopards (n = 11 adults) fed a meat-on-bone diet. The trial consisted of three periods (A1, B, and A2). Each period comprised 17 days of adaptation and four days of collection. During the control periods (A1 and A2), the leopards were fed their normal zoo diets of 2.5–3 kg of buffalo meat-on-bone six days a week without any supplement. During trial B, meat-on-bone diets of the leopards were supplemented with JA at 2% of dietary dry matter (DM). Meat consumption was similar among the treatments. Supplementation of JA decreased the digestibility of crude protein (P

Little is known about biological significance of effects of dietary Boron (B) and Calcium (Ca) interaction on health and production of farm animals. This is a preliminary investigation to evaluate the effects of B supplementation in lambs fed diets with (normal) or without adequate (low) levels of Ca. Twenty-four crossbred ram lambs were randomly distributed into four groups with six animals each in a 2x2 factorial design namely, normal-Ca diet (NCa) and low-Ca diet (LCa) fed without or with 40 ppm B (NCaB-40 and LCaB-40). The lambs were fed paddy straw and hybrid napier hay-based total mixed ration (60 roughage: 40 concentrate) during 180 days experimental period. Compared to control, the LCa diet lowered (P0.05) to become at par with the control (NCa) upon supplementation of B (LCaB-40). The mRNA expression of SOD1 was lowered (P0.05) with the control (NCa). Further, B-supplementation restored lowered (P

To investigate the effect of host genetics on gut microbiota probiotic potential, we performed a comparative study between the probiotic attributes of the Lactobacilli isolated from the faeces of indigenous (Tharparkar) as well as crossbred (Vrindavani) cattle. Accordingly, 69 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from faeces of new-born calves (40 from Tharparkar and 29 from Vrindavani), out of which 4 strains from each breed having auto-aggregation >40%, and cell surface hydrophobicity >70% were short-listed. The auto-aggregation and cell surface hydrophobicity values were significantly (P 0.05) to form biofilm and had comparable (P>0.05) antagonistic activity. Further assessments indicated that the per cent co-aggregation was significantly (P

BACKGROUND Many studies have been conducted using purified prebiotics such as inulin or fructooligosaccharides (FOS) as nutraceuticals, but there is very little information available on the prebiotic potential of raw products rich in inulin and FOS, such as Jerusalem artichoke (JA; Helianthus tuberosus L.). The present experiment aimed to evaluate the prebiotic effects of JA tubers in rats. RESULTS Seventy-two Wistar weanling rats divided into four groups were fed for 12 weeks on a basal diet fortified with pulverized JA tubers at 0 (control), 20, 40 and 60 g kg−1 levels. Enhanced cell-mediated immunity in terms of skin indurations (P = 0.082) and CD4+ T-lymphocyte population (P = 0.002) was observed in the JA-supplemented groups compared with the control group. Blood haemoglobin (P = 0.017), glucose (P = 0.001), urea (P = 0.004) and calcium (P = 0.048) varied favourably upon inclusion of JA. An increasing trend (P = 0.059) in the length of large intestine was apparent in the JA-fed groups. The tissue mass of caecum (P = 0.069) and colon (P = 0.003) was increased in the JA-supplemented groups, accompanied by higher (P = 0.007) caecal crypt depth. The pH and ammonia concentrations of intestinal digesta decreased and those of lactate and total volatile fatty acids increased in the JA-fed groups. CONCLUSION The results suggest that JA had beneficial effects on immunity, blood metabolites, intestinal morphometry and hindgut fermentation of rats. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

The present study assessed the effect of dietary supplementation of pomegranate peel (methanolic) extract (PPE) on the nutrient digestibility, faecal fermentative metabolites and antioxidant status of dogs. Six medium-sized dogs of mixed breeds were allocated to two groups in a replicated cross-over design and fed a basal diet with and without supplementation of PPE at 50 mg/kg body weight. Each of the experimental periods consisted of 30 d, with a 21 d washout period in between. Results indicated that PPE supplementation led to no significant changes in nutrient digestibility except a trend of improvement (P = 0·070) in crude fibre digestibility. PPE supplementation significantly (P < 0·001) influenced faecal pH, ammonia and lactate production, indicative of positive effects of PPE polyphenols. PPE supplementation further increased faecal SCFA concentration accompanied by a reduction (P < 0·01) in branched-chain fatty acids. PPE supplementation also improved (P S-transferase together with an improvement in lipid peroxidation. Overall, it can be concluded that dietary supplementation with PPE at 50 mg/kg body weight had a positive impact on hindgut fermentation and antioxidant status in dogs, thereby demonstrating its potential as a gut health-promoting nutraceutical.

The present experiment was undertaken to validate a probiotic of canine origin for its potential use in dogs. A total of fifteen adult female Labrador dogs were allocated to three equal groups and fed a basal diet without probiotic (control) or with probiotic of either canine (Lactobacillus johnsonii CPN23; cPRO) or dairy (L. acidophilus NCDC 15; dPRO) origin for 9 weeks. The digestibility of most macronutrients remained similar among the groups; however, fibre digestibility was improved (P = 0·034) in dogs receiving cPRO. The faecal fermentative metabolites ammonia (P < 0·05) and lactate (P = 0·094) were altered favourably, indicating a positive influence of both probiotics. Faecal concentrations of acetate, propionate and butyrate were increased (P < 0·01) in both probiotic groups. However, improvements were higher in cPRO v. dPRO. The delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to intradermal inoculation of phytohaemagglutinin-P was higher (P = 0·053) in cPRO as compared with control. The antibody response to sheep erythrocytes was, however, similar across the three groups. Overall, in dogs, the canine-origin probiotic was superior when compared with the dairy-origin probiotic.

Effects of varied dietary energy densities on immune response and performance of Muzzafarnagari lambs were ascertained in a 180-d study. Animals (n = 24), in three groups, were fed diets providing 100% (100E), 80% (80E) or 70% (70E) of their metabolizable energy requirement. Mean nutrient digestibilities varied significantly among treatments. Nitrogen intake was lower (p

This review focuses on the nutritional effects from birth until age at first calving on growth, mammary developmental changes, and first-lactation milk yield in heifer calves. The advancement in the genetic potential and the nutritional requirements of the animals has hastened the growth rate. Genetic selection for high milk yield has suggested higher growth capacity and hence increasing nutritional inputs are required. Rapid rearing by feeding high energy or high concentrate diets not only reduces the age of sexual maturity but also lowers the time period of attaining the age of first calving. However, high energy diets may cause undesirable fat deposition thereby affecting future milk yield potential. Discrepancies exist whether overfed or overweight heifers at puberty can influence the mammary development and future milk yield potential and performance. The data on post-pubertal nutritional management suggested that body weight at calving and post-pubertal growth rate is important in first lactation milk yield. There is a continuous research need for strategic feeding that accelerates growth of dairy heifers without reduction in subsequent production. Nutritional management from birth, across puberty and during pregnancy is critical for mammary growth and for producing a successful cow. This review will mostly highlight studies carried out on dairy breeds and possible available opportunities to manipulate nutritional status from birth until age at first calving.

An experiment was carried out with 21-d old weaned Wistar rats (n=60) to assess the polyphenols response to dietary manipulations. The rats were divided into six groups with five replicated having two in each. The rats were fed with two different types of cereal sources (corn vs. rice-sorghum combined) as soybean meal served as protein source in both cereal categories. The treatment groups included cornsoybean meal without polyphenol extract (PPE) supplementation (T1), corn-soybean meal with 50 ppm of PPE (T2), corn-soybean meal with 100 ppm of PPE (T3), rice-sorghum-soybean meal diet without PPE (T4), rice-sorghum-soybean meal diet with 50 ppm of PPE (T5) and rice-sorghum-soybean meal diet with 100 ppm of PPE (T6). The rats were maintained under polypropylene cages and reared for 45 d under air-conditioned laboratory animal house. The body weight of rats was significantly higher in corn based diet supplemented with PPE at 50 and 100 ppm than the rice-sorghum based diet. The supplementation of PPE significantly reduced the serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and plasma glucose content in rats irrespective of cereal sources. The organ weights and tibial bone weight did not affect by the combination of cereal sources and PPE levels. The caecal and colon aerobic, E. coli and lactobacillus population remained unaffected by the diet composition and PPE levels. It could be concluded that supplementation of pomegranate peel extract exhibited better performance with corn-soybean meal based diet.

The kinetics of the electron transfer reaction of NADH with 12-tungstocobaltate(III) has been studied over the range 5.07 ≤ 104[NADH] ≤ 15.22 mol dm-3, 7.0 ≤ pH ≤ 8.0 and 20 ≤ t ≤ 35oC in aqueous medium. The electron transfer reaction showed first-order dependence each in [NADH]Tand [12-tungstocobaltate(III)]T. The products of the reaction were found to be NAD+and 12-tungstocobaltate(II). The activation parameters ΔH#(kJ mol-1) and ΔS#(JK-1mol-1) of the electron transfer reactions were found to be 64.4±1.8 and -48.86±6.0. Negative value of ΔS#is an indicative of an ordered transition state for the electron transfer reaction.

BACKGROUND: Rice is one of the most commonly used cereal grains in pet foods. However, other cereals such as pearl millet, sorghum and maize have good amino acid profiles and could be used as alternatives to rice in the diet of dogs, thus sparing rice for human consumption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional worth of these cereals for pet dogs. RESULTS: Eight adult Spitz dogs (age ∼10 months, average body weight 6.14 ± 0.58 kg) were used in a 4 × 4 replicated Latin square design to compare the effects of dietary inclusion of four cereals, namely rice, maize, pearl millet and sorghum, on digestibility and hindgut fermentation characteristics. The digestibility of dry matter (DM) was significantly (P < 0.01) reduced when rice was replaced by the alternative cereals. Additionally, the digestibilities of protein, fat and total dietary fibre decreased (P < 0.01) in dogs fed the pearl millet-based diet. The DM voided in faeces increased (P < 0.05) when rice was replaced by the alternative cereals. Faecal ammonia concentration was higher (P < 0.05) on the rice-based diet, while faecal lactate concentration was reduced (P < 0.01) on the pearl millet- and sorghum-based diets. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that maize, pearl millet and sorghum are not as effectively utilised as rice as cereal source in the diet of dogs. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

The study was undertaken to find out the effects of over supplementation of dietary calcium and vitamin D3 on the mineralization of growing skeleton, taking rabbit as an animal model; further to study the effects of Nandrolone deconoate and TGF-beta1 on the mineralization of osteopenic bones. Twenty four New Zealand White rabbits of either sex, 60 day old, were randomly divided in 4 equal groups, A, B, C and D. The animals of groups B, C and D were administered with oral supplementation of calcium (2000 mg/kg of standard rabbit feed) and vit-D3 (1000 IU/kg of standard feed) for 60 days. The animals of group A were given standard ration without any supplementation. After 60 days, the Ca-vit.D3 supplementation was discontinued; and the animals of group C were administered with TGF-beta1 (10 ng, i.m.) once in every three days and animals of group D were given Nandrolone deconoate (10 mg, i.m.) once every week for 30 days, whereas in animals of group B, no treatment was given. All the animals were evaluated based on different observations like body weight, radiographic observations, circulating biochemical and hormone profile (plasma Ca, IP, AP, OC and iPTH) every 15 days up to 60 days after initiation of treatment. The results indicated that the body weight of rabbits in different groups increased gradually and steadily at different intervals till the end of observation period, however, the increase was non-significantly more in group D. The CI in group A increased gradually at different intervals; whereas in groups B, C and D, there was no appreciable increase in the CI during the period of Ca-vit.D3 supplementation, suggesting development of osteopenia. Treatment with TGF-beta1 did not increase the CI significantly, whereas Nandrolone treatment resulted in significant increase in the CI on days 45 and 60. The plasma Ca levels showed slight but gradual increase from day 0 to 60 in almost all groups. Subsequently also, there was no marked change at different intervals in groups A and B; however, significant reduction in plasma Ca was noticed in group C on 15(th) day and in group D on 60(th) day after initiation of treatment. Plasma IP levels in groups B and C showed a decreasing trend up to day 60. After discontinuation of Ca-vit.D3 supplementation, in group B, it further decreased to remain significantly lower on 15(th) day, and in groups C and D, it increased significantly on 60(th) post-treatment day. There was no significant change in the AP activity during the entire period of study in group A; whereas significant reduction in AP activity was measured on 30(th) and 60(th) days of treatment in groups B and C, and on 15(th) day of treatment in group D. Plasma iPTH values did not show any significant change at any interval during the first 60 days in all groups. On 30(th) and 60(th) days of treatment, the mean iPTH level remained significantly lesser in group B. In all groups treated with over supplementation of Ca and vit.D3, there was a non-significant increase in the plasma OC levels up to day 60; however, there was no significant difference between the groups. It can be concluded that additional supplementation of Ca and vit.D3 results in osteopenia in growing rabbits. Administration of Nandrolone helps to increase the mineral density in osteopenic bones, whereas TGF-beta1 does not seem to have positive effect on the skeletal mineralization.

BACKGROUND: Feeding of high glucosinolate rapeseed–mustard cakes (RMCs) imparts adverse effects on dry matter (DM) intake, health and overall performance of animals. Recently, plant breeding efforts have resulted in many cultivars of RMCs containing low to moderate levels of glucosinolate in India. The feeding value of RMC cultivars with high and low glucosinolate was evaluated relative to commonly used soybean meal as a protein supplement in growing crossbred calves. RESULTS: Eighteen growing crossbred calves (62.9 ± 3.8 kg body weight) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments SBM, LG and HG containing soybean meal, low glucosinolate B. napus (15 µmol glucosinolates g−1) and high glucosinolate B. juncea (135 µmol glucosinolates g−1), respectively. Although daily intake of total DM and wheat straw did not differ (P > 0.05) among the dietary treatments, intake (g/kgW0.75) of concentrate moiety decreased quadratically (P 0.05) among dietary treatments. However, average daily gain (g) decreased and feed conversion ratio values increased quadratically (P < 0.05) with increasing glucosinolate levels. Serum metabolic profile and triiodothyronine remained within the normal range; however, thyroxine changed quadratically. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that while high glucosinolate RMCs may reduce the palatability and consequently growth rate in crossbred calves, SBM can be replaced completely by low glucosinolate rapeseed without compromising their performance. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry

This study examined the effects of dietary inclusion of tanniferous leaves of Ficus infectoria as a protectant of proteins on the performance of lambs. Twenty-four lambs were randomly divided into four groups of six each in a completely randomized block design and fed four iso-nitrogenous supplements formulated to contain 0, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% condensed tannins (CT) through dried and ground leaves of F. infectoria. The diets were designated as CT-1.0, CT-1.5 and CT-2.0, respectively, and fed to lambs on a basal diet of wheat straw to meet requirements for maintenance and growth. Blood-biochemical profile was monitored in all the lambs at 0, 45, 90, 135, 180 days of feeding. The average daily growth rate and wool growth for a period of 180 days showed a significant (P

The influence of Boron (B) supplementation on immune and antioxidant status of rats with or without abiotic stress induced by dietary calcium (Ca) restriction was studied in a feeding trial of 90 days. Wistar strain rats (3-4 wk age, n=84) were divided into 7 dietary groups (4 replicates of 3 each) viz., normal-calcium (100%) basal diet alone (NC, control) or supplemented with B at 5 (NCB-5), 10 (NCB-10), 20 (NCB-20) and 40ppm (NCB-40) levels; low-calcium (50%) basal diet alone (LC) or supplemented with 40ppm B (LCB-40). After 75 days of experimental feeding, rats were challenged with intraperitoneal injection of sheep RBCs to assess their humoral immunity. At the end of the trial, cell-mediated immunity was assessed as foot pad reaction to sheep RBCs injected into the hind leg paws. Eight rats from each group were sacrificed to collect blood for estimation of minerals and total antioxidant activity, and liver for superoxide dismutase gene expression analysis. Supplementation of graded levels of B (5, 10, 20 and 40ppm) as borax in NC diets significantly increased (P

SUMMARYFifteen indigenous nondescript kids (8·2 kg; 8 months initial age), randomly allotted into three equal groups, were used to study the effects of supplementation of extra iodine on their performance when fed a leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) leaf meal containing diet. Group I (CON) was fed a control concentrate supplement consisting of a conventional protein source whereas the other two groups (LL and LLI) were fed a concentrate containing leucaena leaf meal so as to supply 0·5 of the net crude protein (CP) requirements. Additionally, animals in group LLI were given supplemental iodine (as potassium iodide solution) at 0·25 mg/head/day. Wheat straw was provided ad libitum as the sole source of roughage during the 120 days of the experimental period. A metabolism trial, conducted at the end of the feeding trial, revealed no variation in the dry matter intake (DMI) among the groups. A significant (PP3) and thyroxine (T4) as well as other biochemical parameters. At the end of the experimental feeding, the cell-mediated immune (CMI) response of the goats was assessed by intra-dermal inoculation of phytohaemagglutinin-P and measuring the change in skin thickness at various post-inoculation hours. The results revealed that the serum concentration of glucose was significantly (PP3 remained unaffected due to dietary intervention, that of T4 reduced significantly (P4 concentration in the LLI group remained similar to that of control indicative of positive impact of iodine supplementation. The immune response revealed that the skin thickness of animals in the LL group was lower (P

To study the effect of supplementation of tanniferous tree leaves Ficus infectoria on antioxidant status and immune response, twenty four lambs were randomly divided into four groups of six each in a completely randomized design and fed either a conventional supplement (CON) or experimental supplements (FILM-I, FILM-II and FILM-III) containing 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% condensed tannins (CT), respectively by replacement of wheat bran of supplement CON with Ficus infectoria leaf meal (FILM). Blood biochemical profile was monitored in all lambs at 0, 45, 90, 135, 180 days of feeding. Although haemato-biochemical parameters remained similar, there was significant (p0.05) improvement in catalase activity, total thiol and protein thiol groups with reduction in lipid peroxidation (LPO) in lambs fed FILM diet irrespective of levels. However, intracellular status of reduced glutathione, and superoxide dismutase activity was improved (p0.05) only in FILM-II and FILM-III supplemented lambs. The cell-mediated immune response was significantly (p0.05) improved in all the lambs fed FILM supplemented diets. Improved antioxidant status and immunity in FILM supplemented lambs increased voluntary feed intake irrespective of level. However, the average daily gain for a period of 180 d showed a significant (p0.05) increase by the supplementation of FILM-II diet containing 1.5% CT. The present study reveals that the supplementation of Ficus infectoria leaf meal up to 21.2% in the concentrate mixture could improve the antioxidant status and immunity in lambs. However, as feed efficiency was reduced at higher levels due to presence of CT, 15.9% supplementation containing 1.5% condensed tannins in concentrate mixture is suggested to improve the health and production performance of lambs.

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of different dietary protein levels on the performance, nutrient balances, blood biochemical parameters and thyroid hormones of crossbred calves. Thirty crossbred (Bos taurus×Bos indicus) calves aged 3-5 months were divided into 3 equal groups of 10 each and fed graded levels of crude protein, namely 100 (NP), 75 (LP) and 125 (HP) percent of the Kearl recommendations for 105 d. The calves had access to ad libitum oat hay as the basal roughage. A metabolism trial of 6 d duration was conducted at 90 d of the study. Blood collection and its analysis for various hematological and biochemical parameters as well as thyroid hormones was done both during the pre- and post-experimental periods. The fortnightly body weight changes and the net gain did not differ significantly due to dietary variation. The average daily gain was 367±21.6, 347±22.9 and 337±26.4 g in calves fed NP, LP and HP diets, respectively. Averaged across the feeding trial, oat hay intake was higher (p 0.05) on feeding of the LP diet besides showing an increasing trend with the advancement of age. Considering the similar performance and metabolic profile, it could be concluded that crossbred calves can be satisfactorily reared on 25% lower protein level as recommended by Kearl for developing countries, which would not only economize the cost of production but also help to reduce environmental pollution attributable to livestock production.

This study examined the comparative nutrient utilization of indigenous non-descript goats (n = 12) maintained on a basal diet of wheat straw supplemented with a concentrate based on either soybean meal (SBM) or Leucaena leucocephala–Morus alba–Azadirachta indica (2:1:1) leaf meal mixture (LMAM) prior to conception (pre-gestation), and during gestation (n = 8) in a completely randomized design. Concentrate represented 42% and 72% of DM in diet before and during pregnancy, respectively. Therefore, the plane of nutrition and nutrient density in terms of digestible CP and TDN of composite diets offered to does during late gestation were significantly higher relative to non-pregnant does. Intake of DM was significantly higher (P 0.05) among goats irrespective of dietary supplements. However, does in late gestation had higher (P 0.05) irrespective of dietary treatments. Apparently, the supplementation of wheat straw either with LMAM or commercial type concentrate containing soybean meal resulted in similar performance of does; the leaf meal mixture could contribute up to 36% of the total DMI in gravid does without any adverse effect on their general health and reproductive performance.

The effects of pre-partum feeding management in terms of birth weight, growth, metabolic profile and immunity of calves were studied using 24 crossbred (Bos taurus×Bos indicus) cows, divided into three equal groups. The dietary treatments included feeding of either 3.0 kg concentrate/head/d throughout the 60 d pre-partum (T1), or 3.0 kg concentrate during 60-22 d pre-partum and thereafter at an increased allowance at 0.25 kg/d during the next 21 d till it reached 1% of live weight (T2). The third group of cows was fed similar to T2, except that the concentrate feeding during 60-22 d pre-partum was reduced to 2.0 kg (T3). All the groups had access to ad libitum green fodder throughout. The results revealed that the mean daily dry matter (DM) intake by the cows was similar (p>0.05) among the three groups during the 60 days of the pre-partum but T2 animals tended to gain more live weight (41.25 kg) than T1 (38.12 kg) and T3 (36.25 kg). The body condition score of the cows did not change appreciably over the experimental period. The mean birth weight of the calves was 24.00±1.10, 24.63±1.17 and 23.25±1.19 kg for the three groups, respectively, with the corresponding average daily gain of 154.2, 155.0 and 169.7 g during the subsequent 60 days; both these parameters did not vary significantly ascribable to pre- partum feeding regimens of their dams. The total immunoglobulin (Ig) concentration in the colostrum was 6.31±0.34, 5.80±0.21 and 6.13±0.30 g/dl for the three groups, respectively, showing no influence of dietary treatments. The mean serum Ig levels (T1 2.10±0.09, T2 2.05±0.09 and T3 2.10±0.12 g/dl) of calves at 5 d of age were similar among the dietary groups as was the case with various serum biochemical constituents. It is concluded that the variations in pre-partum dietary management elicited no significant influence on the calf performance including the immune status. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2005. Vol 18, No. 5 : 661-666)

Effects of iodine (I) supplementation on performance of intact and castrated goats fed a mustard (Brassica juncea) cake based diet were studied in fourteen 2-year-old goats (six intact and eight castrated bucks) for 210 days. Goats were initially assigned to one of the two dietary treatments (0 or 0.1 mg supplemental iodine) in a 2×2 factorial design. Concentrate supplement contained 35% mustard cake, which was fed along with oat hay ad libitum. A metabolic trial conducted 180 days after the experimental feeding revealed no effect of I on the digestibility of the organic nutrients. Castrated animals, however, exhibited greater (P

This study examined the nutritional and reproductive performance of female goats (12) maintained on a basal diet of wheat straw supplemented either with a concentrate based on soybean meal (SBM) or Leucaena leucocephala–Morus alba–Azadirachta indica (2:1:1) leaf meal mixture (LMAM) prior to conception, and during gestation (8) in a completely randomized design. The LMAM and SBM supplements were nutritionally similar in terms of dry matter intake (DMI) (66.55 vs. 63.60 g/kg W0.75), digestibility of major nutrients and pattern of nitrogen retention. The nutritive value of composite diets and plane of nutrition of gravid does were similar irrespective of dietary treatments to maintain desired net body weight gain and foetal growth rate. Similarly, average daily gain of gravid does (43.47 vs. 45.87 g), foetal growth rate (32.13 vs. 29.96 g per day) and birth weight of kids (1.92 vs. 2.03 kg) were comparable between the SBM and LMAM treatments. The concentration of blood constituents (haemoglobin, packed cell volume, glucose, serum urea), major fractions of serum protein (total protein, albumin and globulin ratio, A:G ratio) and activity of various serum enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase) were within the normal range in does irrespective of dietary treatment or stage of pregnancy. Apparently, the supplementation of wheat straw either with LMAM or commercial type concentrate containing SBM resulted in similar performance of does; and that the LMAM could contribute up to 0.36 of the total DMI in gravid does without any adverse effect on their general health and reproductive performance.