Cholesterol, as an indispensable nutrient, regulates molting and growth in crustacean. As crustaceans are unable to biosynthesize cholesterol de novo, it is central to understand how dietary cholesterol affects molting in crustaceans. An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary cholesterol level (0.12%, 0.43%, 0.79%, 1.00%, 1.30% and 2.50%) on growth, cholesterol metabolism

We aimed to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) on the growth performance, serum parameters, and the rumen microbial colonization and fermentation of pre-weaning dairy calves. The study comprised 2 phases of 28 and 42 d, respectively. During phase 1, 24 newborn female Holstein dairy calves were randomly allocated to consume a diet supplemented with 10

Lipid metabolism is very important for meat quality in pigs. Accumulating evidence shows that gut microbiota can contribute to this physiological process. However, the gut microbiota that function in lipid metabolism and adipogenesis remains unclear. Here, we compared the characteristics of fat deposition and gut microbial community between Laiwu pigs and Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) (DLY) pigs.

L-Arginine (L-Arg), the precursor of nitric oxide (NO), plays an important role in muscle function. Fast-twitch glycolytic fibres are more susceptible to age-related atrophy than slow-twitch oxidative fibres. The effect of L-Arg/NO on protein metabolism of fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibres was evaluated in chickens. In Exp. 1, 48 chicks at 1 day old were divided into 4 groups of 12 birds and subjected

This study investigated the effects of dietary replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with graded levels of pea seeds (PS) on the gastrointestinal function of turkeys. Seeds of 2 pea varieties, a colored-flowered variety and a white-flowered variety (CFP and WFP, respectively) were fed to 56-d-old birds for 8 wk. A total of 539 female Hybrid turkeys were allocated to 7 groups, each group consisted of 7

With an increasing demand for high-quality, eco-friendly food products and growing concerns over ecological conservation, the development of ecology-based alternatives for ruminant production in China is urgently needed. This review discusses the capabilities for integrating grassland grazing into existing livestock farming systems to meet the contemporary human needs for high-quality foods and ecologically

The objective of this experiment was to develop a new computer-controlled simulated digestion system (CCSDS) to predict the digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) of unconventional plant protein meals for growing pigs. Nine meals tested included 1 source of rapeseed meal, 4 sources of cottonseed meal, 2 sources of sunflower meal, and 2 sources of peanut meal. Twenty growing pigs (Duroc

The present study evaluated the impacts of fibre-degrading enzymes on the profiles of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and oligosaccharides (OS) in the ileum of broiler chickens offered wheat- or maize-based diets under subclinical necrotic enteritis (NE) challenge. A 2 × 2 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments was used. Factors were; NE challenge: no or yes; diet type: wheat- or maize-based; and

The aim of this study was to examine if it is possible to accelerate sorghum digestion in broiler chickens by targeting fermentation of the xylan. Cobb 500 broilers (n = 960, 80 birds per treatment) were fed 12 sorghum-soybean meal based dietary treatments fed as three phases (starter d 0 to 12, grower d 13 to 23, finisher d 24 to 35), with 8 replicate pens of 10 birds per treatment. For half of the

A two-factor (2 × 3) orthogonal test was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary myo-inositol (MI) on the osmoregulation and carbohydrate metabolism of euryhaline fish tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) under sustained hypertonic stress (20 practical salinity units [psu]). 6 diets containing either normal carbohydrate (NC, 30%) or high carbohydrate (HC, 45%) levels, with 3 levels (0, 400 and 1

Clostridium autoethanogenum protein (CAP) is a new single-cell protein source originating from inactivated bacteria. An in vitro digestion experiment and an 8-wk growth experiment were conducted to evaluate the molecular weight distribution of the CAP hydrolysate, and the effects of dietary CAP levels on the growth performance, plasma parameters, hepatic and intestinal health, and the diversity of

Early weaning induces intestinal injury, leading to a series of long-term symptoms such as inflammation, malabsorption and diarrhea. In this study, we hypothesized that microbes and their metabolites modulate the host’s inflammatory response to early weaning stress in a goat model. A total of 18 female Tibetan goat kids (n = 9) were weaned from their mothers at 28 d (D28) and 60 d (D60) postpartum

The declines in laying performance during the late production period have adverse effects on the length of the production cycle. Improving the nutrition of laying hens is a crucial measure to reverse this declination. This study investigated the effect of selenium yeast (SY) on egg production, ileal gene expression and microbiota, as well as elucidating their associations in aged laying hens. A total

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fed a carbohydrate-rich diet exhibit suboptimal growth performance, along with other metabolic disturbances. It is well known that gut microbes play a pivotal role in influencing metabolism of the host, and these microbes can be modified by the diet. The main goal of the present study was to determine the effect of feeding graded levels of digestible carbohydrates to Atlantic

Feed efficiency is one of the economically important traits for the cattle industry that affects profit (feed costs) and the environment (production of manure and methane). Due to that feed efficiency is driven by multi-factors, mechanisms contributing to the animal to animal variation in this trait have not been well defined, limiting the development of precision feeding strategies to improve the

Increasing the efficiency and sustainability of cattle production is an effective way to produce valuable animal proteins for a growing human population. Genetics and nutrition are the 2 major research topics in selecting cattle with beneficial phenotypes and developing genetic potentials for improved performance. There is an inextricable link between genetics and nutrition, which urgently requires

Chlorella meal is a potential protein source for aquafeeds. However, the physiological response of carnivorous fish fed Chlorella meal remains elusive. This study evaluated the effects of replacing dietary fish meal with Chlorella meal on growth performance, pigmentation, and liver health in largemouth bass. Five diets were formulated to replace dietary fish meal of 0% (C0, control), 25% (C25), 50%

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for diverse biological processes, which aggregate to the animal's requirement for P, and nutritionists strive to meet this requirement accurately. The P demand for a growing pig comprises requirements for maintenance and tissue deposition. The P in feed ingredients, however, must be digested and absorbed before its ultimate partition between the 2 aforementioned

Artificial gut models including both the gastric and intestinal phases have been used in poultry research for decades to predict the digestibility of nutrients, the efficacy of feed enzymes and additives, and caecal fermentation. However, the models used in the past are static and cannot be used to predict interactions between the feed, gut environment and microbiome. It is imperative that a standard

The study was conducted to investigate the regulatory mechanism of glutamine (Gln) on intestinal inflammation in an Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (E. coli LPS)-induced in vivo and in vitro models. Piglets (n = 8) weaned at 21 d of age were fed a basal diet (control and LPS groups) or 1% Gln diet (Gln + LPS group) ad libitum for 4 weeks. On d 22, 24, 26 and 28, piglets in the LPS and Gln + LPS

The present study investigated whether supplementing fibre-degrading enzymes can ameliorate the severity of subclinical necrotic enteritis (NE) in broiler chickens offered wheat- or maize-based diets. A total of 1,544 mixed-sex broiler chickens were assigned to 16 experimental treatments as a 2 × 2 × 4 factorial arrangement of treatments. The factors were the following: NE challenge, yes or no; diet

Nitrogen (N) excreted by poultry is converted to ammonia (NH3), presenting an environmental risk and a health risk to the farmer and animals. A study was performed to investigate the effect of reduced CP and feed form on broiler performance and welfare, meat and litter quality, N utilization, and NH3 concentrations at litter level. A total of 2,232 Ross 308 male broilers was divided into 6 treatments

Dairy cattle are frequently fed high-concentrate (HC) diets in modern intensive feeding systems, especially in the transition period. During this period, cows face many alterations that include hormonal changes and shifting to a lactating state. Switching to a HC diet that may disrupt the ruminal microbiota balance can lead to subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). Moreover, the main factor shaping the

The ever-growing human population, coupled with the exigent need to meet the increasing demand for poultry meat and egg, has put the onus on poultry nutritionists and farmers to identify alternative feed ingredients that could assure the least-cost feed formulation. In addition, the public desire for non-antibiotic-treated poultry products has also necessitated the ultimate search for potent antibiotic

The symbiotic relationship between the host and the rumen microbiome plays a crucial role in ruminant physiology. One of the most important processes enabling this relationship is urea nitrogen salvaging (UNS). This process is important for both maintaining ruminant nitrogen balance and supporting production of their major energy supply, bacterially-derived short chain fatty acids (SCFA). The key step

The yak (Bos grunniens), an indigenous herbivore raised at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,000 m above sea level, is closely linked to more than 40 ethnic communities and plays a vital role in the ecological stability, livelihood security, socio-economic development, and ethnic cultural traditions in the Asian highlands. They provide the highlanders with meat, milk, fibres, leather and dung (fuel). They

As lowering crude protein (CP) in poultry diets continues to minimize amino acid excess, it is important to understand the limiting order of amino acids and the impact of their deficiencies. Therefore, a pair of experiments were conducted to observe the effects of individual amino acid deletions on growth performance, carcass traits, and nutrient utilization. Both experiments involved 3 control diets

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is an inevitable contaminant in animal feed and can lead to liver damage, then decreasing appetite and causing growth retardation in piglets. Although many molecular mechanisms are related to hepatoxicity caused by DON, few studies have been done on cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes and DNA methylation. To explore the role of CYP450 enzymes and DNA methylation in DON-induced liver

Peptide transporter 2 (PepT2) transports short peptides from the blood into bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC) to stimulate milk protein synthesis. Despite the fact that the effect of PepT2 is acknowledged in BMEC, little is known about its regulation. This study was completed to investigate the role of mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling in regulating the expression and function

Methane (CH4) production from ruminants accounts for 16% of the global greenhouse gas emissions and represents 2% to 12% of feed energy. Mitigating CH4 production from ruminants is of great importance for sustainable development of the ruminant industry. H2 is the primary substrate for CH4 production in the processes of ruminal methanogenesis. Sulfate reducing bacteria are able to compete with methanogens

The prevalence and transmission of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) in enterococci being as probiotics has been neglected in the scientific literature. The application of enterococci in feed, food and health products may cause VRE transmission through the food chain. This study evaluated phenotypic resistance of Enterococcus species to 20 antibiotics along a pork production chain from feed to

Green macroalgae, e.g., Ulva lactuca, are valuable bioactive sources of nutrients; but algae recalcitrant cell walls, composed of a complex cross-linked matrix of polysaccharides, can compromise their utilization as feedstuffs for monogastric animals. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of pre-selected Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZymes) and sulfatases to degrade U. lactuca cell walls and release

A total of 360 male, off-sex Ross 308 chicks were offered 10 dietary treatments from 14 to 35 d post–hatch in an equilateral-triangle response surface design feeding study in order to confirm the importance of protein and amino acid digestive dynamics in broiler chickens. The 3 apical diets were nutritionally-equivalent containing either soybean meal, non-bound amino acids or whey protein concentrate

Three experiments were conducted to compare the digestible (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) in fermented corn germ meal (FCGM) and soybean meal (SBM), and evaluate the effects of FCGM replacing SBM in growing pig diets. In Exp. 1, 18 barrows with initial body weight (BW) of 60.2 ± 3.40 kg were randomly allotted to 3 treatments with 6 replicates

Cereal straw, a human inedible crop byproduct, can be used as a roughage source in ruminants. However, the nutrition density and palatability are very low, limiting its efficient utilization in animal production. This review aims to systematically provide an overview of the limitations of cereal straws, which is crucial for developing new strategies to enhance the efficient use of cereal straws by

Shaziling pig, a Chinese indigenous breed, has been classified as a fatty pig model. However, the gut microbial development and role in lipid metabolism in Shaziling pigs has been rarely reported. Here, we compared the lipid metabolic and microbial profiles at 30, 60, 90, 150, 210, and 300 d of age between Shaziling and Yorkshire pigs. Predictably, there were marked differences in the liver lipids

Although the protein content of swine diets is formulated based on the ileal digestibility of protein and amino acids (AA) under current nutrition requirements, the nitrogen utilization efficiency of swine varies based on protein source, which may be related to AA release kinetics. In this experiment, a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with casein (CAS)-enriched or corn gluten meal (CGM)-enriched protein

There are few studies on the mechanism of redox status imbalance and intestinal dysfunction in intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) newborn piglets. Here, we investigated the mechanism of jejunum dysfunction in weaned piglets with IUGR and the mechanism through which dimethylglycine sodium salt (DMG-Na) supplementation improving the imbalance of their redox status. In this work, a total of 10 normal

Improving silage production by adding exogenous microorganisms not only maximizes nutrient preservation, but also extends product shelf life. Herein, changes in the quality and quantity of Lactobacillus plantarum PS-8 (PS-8) -inoculated alfalfa (Medicago sativa) during silage fermentation were monitored at d 0, 7, 14, and 28 (inoculum dose of PS-8 was 1 × 105 colony forming units [cfu]/g fresh weight;

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas as well as the key component depleting the ozone sphere of the earth. Cattle have high feed and water intakes and excrete large amounts of urine and feces. N2O can be produced from cattle excreta during storage and use as fertilizer. Mitigating the N2O emissions from cattle excreta during production is important for protecting the environment and the sustainable

Total milk solid (TMS) content directly reflects the quality of milk. Rumen bacteria ferment dietary components, the process of which generates the precursors for the synthesis of milk solid, therefore, the variation in rumen bacterial community could be associated with milk solid in dairy cows. In this study, 45 healthy mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows with the similar body weight, lactation stage

An experiment was conducted to explore the effects of digestible amino acid (dAA) concentrations and supplemental protease on live performance and energy partitioning in broilers. Ross 308 male broilers (n = 288) were distributed into 24 floor pens and offered 1 of 4 dietary treatments with 6 replicates from 1 to 35 d of age. Dietary treatments consisted of a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with dAA concentrations

Intestinal epithelial homeostasis plays an important role in intestinal morphology and function. However, the developmental changes in intestinal epithelial cell turnover in piglets during early weaning are unknown so far. Thus, the aim of this work was to detect changes in piglet gut development from weaning to post-weaning d 14. Accordingly, 40 piglets were used in the present study, and 8 piglets

Our previous studies demonstrated that prenatal in utero growth restriction impairs postnatal intestinal function. Thus, improving postpartal intestinal absorption capacity and growth by manipulating the maternal diet prepartum is of importance. This work was conducted to determine whether supplementation of N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) or rumen-protected L-arginine (RP-Arg) increased fetal intestinal

This experiment evaluated the impacts of essential oils (EO) and protease (PRO), independently or in combination, on growth performance, antioxidation, inflammation and intestinal function of weaned pigs. One hundred and sixty weaned pigs (21 d of age, BW of 6.74 ± 0.20 kg) were randomly divided into 4 treatments with 8 replicate pens of 5 pigs per pen. Dietary treatments included the following: 1)

Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element in the production of swine. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of 3 different sources of Cu on growth performance, Cu metabolism, and intestinal microorganisms of finishing pigs, so as to estimate the bioavailability of the 3 sources for pigs. A total of 42 male finishing pigs (88.74 ± 5.74 kg) were randomly allocated to 7 treatments. The factors

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) represents one of the most important digestive disorders in intensive dairy farms, and dairy cows are individually different in the severity of SARA risk. The objectives of the current study were to investigate differences in the ruminal bacterial community and metabolome in dairy cattle with different susceptibility to SARA. In the present study, 12 cows were initially

This study aimed to assess the changes of small intestinal morphology, progenitors, differentiated epithelial cells, and potential mechanisms in neonatal piglets. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of samples from 36 piglets suggested that dramatic changes were observed in the jejunum crypts depth and crypt fission index of neonatal piglets (P < 0.001). The number of intestinal stem cells (ISC) tended

The current dietary copper (Cu) requirement (8 mg/kg) of broilers is mainly based on growth, hemoglobin concentration, or hematocrit, which might not be the most sensitive indices to evaluate dietary Cu requirements of broilers. The present study was carried out to estimate dietary Cu requirements of broilers fed a conventional corn-soybean meal diet from 1 to 21 d of age using biochemical or molecular

This study was conducted to evaluate the supplementation of glutamic acid (Glu) to reduced protein diets on the performance of weanling pigs. One hundred and eighty crossbred weanling pigs ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc, 21 d old) having similar body weight (BW) of 6.45 kg were randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments (5 pigs per pen [2 barrows and 3 gilts]; 6 pens per treatment) based on BW